Pavel Tsatsouline – Kettlebells StrongFirst

PAVEL TSATSOULINE – KETTLEBELLS STRONGFIRST
The Russian kettlebell is the answer to all your strength and conditioning questions—when wielded skillfully and with expert programming by #1 authority Pavel Tsatsouline:
The Swing—for “hips and grips”
The Get-Up—“No-one could hold me down” plus bullet-proof shoulders
The Clean-and-Jerk—for ruthless endurance
Russian AGT programming—the gold medal alternative to mindless “smokers”
A barbell example is bench pressing with different grips. In contrast, parallel bar dips do not qualify as SV because they have a totally different groove. It does not mean that dips would not improve your bench press—they might—but it is a gamble. With specialized variety, such as benching with chains attached to the bar, it is a near certainty.
A bodyweight example is doing pullups with a variety of grips (narrow, medium, wide; over, under, parallel, staggered; thumbs wrapped, thumbs over, false; uneven), timing (explosive, slow, with a 3sec pause on the top of each rep, etc.), equipment (a straight bar, parallel bars, rings, towels), and the placement and the nature of added resistance (kettlebells on the feet, a weight belt, a weight vest; bands; chains; artificial controlling environment). In contrast, rows do not constitute SV for pullups. They might help but I would not put my money on it.
Variety is overrated. Amateurs have been brainwashed by the pop fitness industry that they need to constantly change exercises to keep making progress. In contrast, the pros in the iron sports—powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebell lifting—keep plugging away at the same handful of key lifts year after year and keep getting stronger. Russian coaches call this the principle of continuity of the training process.