Deeper Roots
Why do I train mostly with kettlebells? Besides the fact that they store pretty easily, I've gotten stronger in some areas and maintained strength in others at a lower overall expense than with other training tools. By developing denser roots.
I grew a couple of tomato plants last summer. Thankfully they did pretty well. It was my first time growing anything edible.
I started them from seed. Two types, an indeterminate (no cap on growth) and determinate (cap on growth).
Rather than just tossing the seeds in the dirt and praying for the best, I did some research. I found the right soil, fertilizer, the right drainage for my raised beds, figured out my trellis system and most interestingly rooting the plant.
Apparently tomato plants stems will develop roots wherever they contact the soil. The more developed the root system the more resistant they are to diseases and the better chances you'll produce good fruit.
The caveat is if the branches and leaves rest on the soil, it give bugs an easy way in to start munching away and destroying the plant. The solution is to trim the lower branches and get the plant deeper into the soil. The deeper the stem, the denser the roots.
So that's what I did. It took a little longer for my plants to mature but when they did they where resilient. Resisted disease that some of the neighbors plants suffered. Survived a heat wave, and two thunderstorms. They produced a ton of fruit and were delicious too.
How does this apply to training? More specifically Hardstyle Kettlebell training.
I develop denser roots with 6 exercises.
Swing
Get-up
Clean
Press
Snatch
Squat
I focus my attention and efforts on refining each these skills, to develop deeper roots. An inch wide and mile deep. Why these 6? Because of their carryover into life. Feeling, looking and performing better. As we call them at StrongFirst the what the hell effects.
Pre pandemic I was knocking on the door of a 500lbs deadlift. 1RM was 495lbs. My last serious session training the DL was March 2020 475lbs. I've Pulled maybe 4 times since 425lbs. Being the heaviest with a medium effort.