When it comes to strength, it’s tempting to chase variety or complexity. But often, the real breakthroughs come from mastering what looks simple. The push-up, kettlebell swing, and barbell deadlift may seem like totally different movements—but they’re built on the same pillars: alignment, tension, and control.

These principals of strength are at the heart of what we’re teaching at our upcoming StrongFirst Open Day, and we want to give you a closer look at why the Push-up, Swing & Deadlift are so powerful—individually and together in capturing those principals.

What Ties These Movements Together?

Although the execution of each movement is different, the demands are strikingly similar:

✅ Rooted contact with the ground (hands or feet)
✅ Braced, engaged abs
✅ Full-body tension and intentional breathing

These aren’t just “exercises”—they’re expressions of movement skill. And the better you get at one, the more transferable strength you build into the others.

The Push-Up: A Strength Test You Can’t Cheat

If your push-up feels easy, you’re probably not doing it right. Done well, it’s a moving plank—a full-body effort to maintain tension and alignment under pressure.

What to feel:

Shoulders packed down, not shrugged
Glutes and quads engaged
Push your heels back

🔁 Mini Drill: Hold a Hard-Style Plank for 5-10 seconds before a push-up set. Notice how much harder and better the push-ups feel? That’s what good tension feels like.

The Kettlebell Swing: Power Meets Precision

The swing is explosive—but it’s not chaotic. It’s a rhythm of tight bracing, hip snap, and full-body coordination. And when done right, it’s one of the best ways to build power safely.

Common mistake: Trying to lift the bell with your arms. The swing should come from the hips—your arms are just along for the ride.

🔁 Mini Drill: Try a 2-hand swing immediately after a strong plank hold. Feel how the same bracing shows up in motion.

The Barbell Deadlift: Grounded Strength

The deadlift is your hinge, loaded. It’s a test of position, power, and patience—and when you’ve trained the swing well, the deadlift feels like a natural extension.

What to dial in:

Engage lats like you're crushing oranges in your armpits
Press your feet through the floor—don’t yank from the top
Pull tension into the bar before it even leaves the ground

🔁 Mini Drill: After holding a Hard Style Plank for 5-10 seconds, stand up and perform a few light deadlifts (or bodyweight hinges). Focus on recreating that same full-body tension at the top—glutes squeezed, abs braced, and lats engaged. That’s the feeling you want in your lockout.

Why This Triangle Works Together

We teach these three movements together because they reinforce one another.

The push-up teaches total-body tension.
The swing teaches explosive power from a braced base.
The deadlift teaches how to apply strength under load with control.

When practiced consistently, they create a resilient, adaptable strength base that supports everything else—from BJJ and running, to parenting and injury recovery.

And we’re teaching all three at our upcoming StrongFirst Open Day.

Whether you’re brand new to strength training or looking to sharpen your technique, this is a chance to work directly with our certified StrongFirst coaches—and feel the difference that refined movement makes.

Final Thoughts

Simple doesn’t mean easy. The basics are where you build real power—and we’re here to help you get there.

📆 Join us for StrongFirst Open Day
🧠 Learn the techniques.
🔍 Get coached in the details.
💪 Walk away stronger, sharper, and more confident.

We’re at full capacity—but you can still join the waitlist

– Luis & Mel
Co-Founders, Oakland’s Most Powerful

Master the fundamentals of kettlebell training with our latest Saturday Steel blog! Learn the 5 key areas to focus on, from perfecting your swings, squats, and get-ups to choosing the right weight and improving mobility. Build strength, stay injury-free, and train smarter—read the full guide now!