An excerpt from BreakingMuscle.com
The StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge was started in 2002 by Pavel Tsatsouline. At the time, Pavel was looking for a way to help military and law enforcement operators test workplace performance, but the exercises involved are great for general fitness for everyone from military special forces operators to someone with a basic level of training. There is not a great need for technical competency (no Olympic weightlifting events or sumo deadlift high pulls), and the exercises are quite functional and also quite varied, so that a participating athlete needs both strength and endurance.
The three exercises that make up the Tactical Strength Challenge are:
- A max powerlifting deadlift (three attempts)
- Pull ups for max reps (palms forward, no kipping, neck must touch the bar) or a flexed arm hang (in the Novice Women’s category)
- Kettlebell snatches for max reps in a 5:00 time period (unlimited hand switches and different weights for different competitor categories)
This year the event takes place on April 11-13. I think it’s a great challenge for everyone to consider adding to their schedule, and here are the four main reasons why: