When I see clients, no matter what they are pursuing, it always comes down to building strength. No matter what you want to be able to do, strength is the starting point. The thing is, strength training isn’t about just trying to blow through reps -- it’s a mindful and complex learning practice.
Brett Jones is the director of education for Strongfirst and a lead instructor for https://www.functionalmovement.com/ (FMS). He is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist with over 20 years of experience. He has consulted with a number of professional teams and athletes around the United States and internationally. Brett has taught kettlebell techniques and principles since 2003 and functional movement systems (FMS) since 2006.
In this interview, Brett explains how Strongfirst began and how it is designed to serve the greater purpose of allowing people to accomplish their training goals whatever those may be. He dives deep into the role that building strength plays in allowing us to live our lives. We go on to discuss the importance of resting during a workout and why you don’t have to kill it every time you go to the gym.
We also talk about how to build strength in a mindful way. It’s not about how many reps you can do with how much weight. Given this, Brett explains just how he helps people train mindfully so that they can build strength effectively and safely.
How do you know when it’s time to rest during your workout routine? Tell me in the comments on the episode page!
 
In this episode:
What Strongfirst is and how it helps all sorts of people quickly and safely reach high levels of strength
Why building strength is so crucially important and how it varies from person to person
How some people may appear much stronger than they actually are and why size doesn’t equal strength
Workouts as a tool for developing physical qualities, not merely identifying the ones you already have
The importance of knowing how to build tension and also to release it
How to know when you’ve reached your workout threshold

 
Quotes:
“We’re intent on pursuing our mission to pursue, promote, and practice strength because we believe that strength has a greater purpose. That’s what’s driving us.” [4:48]
“Big isn’t strong. Strong is strong.” [7:37]
“Keep the sets short. There’s a reason why we love sets of five and ten. It’s between ten and twenty seconds of work. You can usually focus and maintain your form for that amount of time and then you get plenty of rest.” [29:50]
Links:
https://appliedstrength.com/ (Find Brett Jones online)
https://www.strongfirst.com/ (Strongfirst)
https://www.functionalmovement.com/ (Functional Movement Systems)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XIZMR6/ (The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline)
https://www.trainwithpush.com/push-band/ (PUSH Band 2.0)
Spices vs. Main Dishes: How to Program a Proper Training Menu by Brett Jones
 
Check out the full show notes for this episode here
https://urbanwellnessclinic.com/ (Urban Wellness Clinic)
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