The SFG II Kettlebell Certification - My Experience
As someone who is deep down the kettlebell training rabbit hole, I am constantly learning and evolving my skillset and knowledge.
Staying the same, not growing, and getting better is not an option for me. I am a Perth-based kettlebell instructor who is in the business of continuously improving myself.
This brings me to today’s topic.
I recently completed the SFG II kettlebell certification from StrongFirst here in Perth, Western Australia.
The two-day event was great, as I knew it would be — but my preparation was far from ideal.
I signed up less than two weeks before it was due to begin. 13 days, 13 hours, and 45 minutes before the cert was due to start, to be precise.
This is not something I would encourage others to do.
Instead, I would advise you to dedicate at least 3-6 months of time in advance for proper preparation. If you want the best chance to pass all the tests and are serious about succeeding, that is.
The main reason that I registered was to recertify my SFG 1 certification, which I need to do every two years.
Going in, my plan was to hit all my level-one skills and complete the snatch test. And then do my best on the level two skills.
Even though they were brand new to me, and knowing that I’d never done any of them before. Except for mucking around doing windmills with a buddy of mine. Albeit using a different technique, and a light load, many years ago.
I knew it would be a challenging two days full of learning and lots of lifting.
And it was!
For those unfamiliar with the gruelling SFG kettlebell certifications. Here is what they consist of;
SFG I Kettlebell Certification - The Skills
One-Arm Kettlebell Swing, x10 reps on each arm
Turkish Get-Up, x1 rep on each side
Double Kettlebell Clean, x5 reps
Kettlebell Military Press, x5 reps on each side
Double Kettlebell Front Squat, x5 reps
Kettlebell Snatch, x5 reps on each side
Complete all the tests with a snatch test size kettlebell
The Snatch Test
Complete 100x kettlebell snatches in five minutes.
The weight you lift is based on your bodyweight
For me, that was 24kg
You can find more information about the SFG I Kettlebell Certification on the StrongFirst site, here.
The Snatch Test Was Brutal!
…just as I remembered it from my level 1 weekend.
I did my level 1 certification about two years ago, which was also in Perth.
The snatch test in particular was very memorable. And something that I won’t forget any time soon.
It certainly leaves its mark.
This was completed early on day one of the cert, while we were fresh. Thank god!
But it felt much better, and less difficult, than last time around. As I had practised the snatch a lot more in my training leading up to the event.
I did a combination of light, medium, and heavy snatches. Using a few different variations at varying loads and volumes.
That was after a long stint doing the boring, monotonous work of one-arm swings and get-ups.
I followed the Simple And Sinister program by Pavel Tsatsouline, for 9 months. Doing the same routine for months on end.
Now, while this sounds repetitive. And it is.
It helped me to build a decent level of strength and conditioning. This, along with my recent attempt at the Kettlebell Simple and Sinister Test — both went a long way.
I also received feedback from one of the assistants, who told me I had the best Get-Up out of all the participants. High praise indeed.
Then came the skills of the level two part of the cert, of which I had no practice. And I do mean ‘none’.
Lots of learning is what I was in store for!
This is what’s involved in the level two certification.
SFG II Kettlebell Certification - The Skills
Kettlebell Windmill
Bent Press
Double Kettlebell Snatch
Double Kettlebell Push Press
Double Kettlebell Jerk
Complete all the tests with a snatch test size kettlebell (except the double snatch, which is one size smaller)
The Strength Test
Half-bodyweight military press
The weight you lift is based on your bodyweight
For me, that requires a 40kg press
You can find more information about the SFG II Kettlebell Certification on the StrongFirst site, here.
Day 2 Of The Cert Was A Slower Pace, Which We Were All Grateful For.
But it still involved team practice, troubleshooting, and asking questions about how to do things better.
This meant more kilos of lifting, reps, and attention to detail when practising the skills.
One of the biggest — and most unexpected — challenges I faced was my sheer lack of mobility.
Where? Everywhere!
My shoulders and the rotator cuff muscles felt ‘stuck’.
My hips and severe lack of internal rotation were obvious.
My T-spine and inability to twist made things very difficult.
All these stiff and tight areas needed lots of work to even get into the correct position to perform the exercise.
At the end of my football season, that’s normal.
But I didn’t realise just how immobile I was.
I definitely have some things to work on and address in my training moving forward.
Things won’t always be smooth sailing. Sometimes you need to hear critical feedback and the words you don’t want, so you can improve.
My biggest issue was a lack of upper back rotation. There were, however, several mobility drills that worked to improve mine. About five, in fact!
That helped me overcome some of my movement issues and do the movements to the required standard.
The great thing about having 3 instructors coaching and teaching you is that between them, they have the answer to your specific problem. And if one doesn't know, another one likely does.
Not to mention the knowledge of the other SFG’s and coaches in the room who have a wealth of knowledge themselves.
All this information and hands-on instruction gives me more strategies for my own kettlebell practice and adds tools to my coaching toolbelt.
Mobility work will get a higher priority and be more of a focus in my training. Because it matters, a lot!
As I Say To My Students, I Went From “Shit To Suck”.
After that, comes “good to great”.
This is a non-formal way to describe the four stages of learning — shit, suck, good, and great. (I learned this from Dave Tate)
The more technical, and “proper” way to describe it is as follows;
Stage 1 - Unconscious Incompetence
You don’t know what to do, and because of that, you can’t do it correctly.
Stage 2 - Conscious Incompetence
You know what to do and are aware of how to do it, but can’t yet execute it.
Stage 3 - Conscious Competence
You now understand what to do and how to do it. If you focus, pay attention, and concentrate really hard, you can do it the right way.
Stage 4 - Unconscious Competence
You know all the intricacies of what’s required and can do them without having to think about it. It becomes second nature.
I hope that makes sense, and that you can see the differences between the levels.
This should help you evaluate where you are on the continuum on your kettlebell journey or when doing a given exercise.
Feedback — Along With Our “Pass” Or “Fail” Scores.
The way level 2 works is that you do all of your level-one skills, the snatch test, and the military press test on day one.
Then, on day two, you get assessed on the level 2 skills.
After we had all completed our attempts, we got the news we were waiting for.
Our final score.
Shaun, the master instructor, gave us the news one by one…
He told me that I passed all my level 1 skills and the snatch test.
Recertified. Yes!!
Then I eagerly waited for the second part. The level 2 component of the testing.
To my great surprise, I passed all five of the skills.
I was stoked!
Over the moon having put in a great deal of work, to get the (unexpected) outcome I was looking for.
Attention to detail in each exercise was critical. Reading the movement standards very carefully. And focusing on the coaching cues that I received and needed to use, had paid off.
The only thing left for me to tick off is the strength test, of a half-bodyweight military press. Which I now have six months to complete.
Lots of pressing in my upcoming programs so I can press the 40kg.
What Will I Do Differently Moving Forward?
Firstly, I will be working on addressing the terrible mobility in my thoracic spine. My upper back needs a lot of attention to improve my extension, rotation, and overhead position.
I want to have the ability to finish my overhead lifts with a better top position, and a stronger lockout. Both with single and double bell work.
Next, I want to practice the upper body ballistic movements.
I see the value in doing double kettlebell push presses and jerks.
Personally, I don’t think I am an explosive person, especially when it comes to my upper body. So these lifts will serve a great purpose in improving that ability.
Lastly. Receiving a new, updated training manual.
This thing is 213 pages long (see below) and was one of the things I looked forward to most.
It’s packed with lots of dense knowledge that will allow me to impart better strength techniques to my students.
I will read, re-read, and then read it again to extract the most I can from it.
Contrary To Popular Belief, Knowledge Is NOT Power.
It is potential power.
Having all the knowledge in the world is useless unless acted upon.
Being a student under those who are smarter, stronger, and more experienced than myself can only help me. It means I will speed up my learning journey.
By learning from them, their mistakes, and the wisdom of others, I can accelerate my progress.
As can you, if you choose to.
I will take the most useful information and advice from the 2-day weekend, and use it productively. In my own training and my quest to hit the half-bodyweight press.
In addition to helping my students get stronger, move better, and become more powerful.
Because that’s what StrongFirst is all about.
Teaching the skill of strength to others and embodying the phrase: “strength has a greater purpose”.
This means using your improved physical capacity to get more out of your body, and life. So you can live exactly the way you want and get the most out of this one life.
If you ever get the chance to learn how to use kettlebells from a certified SFG instructor. Or attend the SFG level 1 certification (and then level 2), I would encourage you to do so.
You won’t regret it. I know I didn’t.
If you live in Perth and want to get more out of your kettlebell training, I’d love to assist you.
I offer private lessons and kettlebell instruction in Perth to students who want to learn. So you too can get the most out of your kettlebell training.
Hopefully, detailing my experience doing the SFG II certification and my reflections on the process can inspire you. To either get started with kettlebells or continue on your strength journey.
Kettlebell power to you!