These are two vastly different things. A demonstration of strength or capacity should be saved for a personal record or an event like the TSC. Pushing to the extent of demonstrating what your training has built will require time to recover from. If you can go to a PR, excel at a competition, and then return the next day and do it again, it wasn’t a PR. And when every session is a “test,” there is no test, just like if everything is awesome, then nothing is awesome.

A session that develops capacity or strength is crafted to optimize the training load and intensity. It utilizes work-to-rest ratios to dial in the stimulus and recovery within the session, making recovery better between sessions. The StrongFirst Stop Signs are also followed in a development session.

Kettlebell Axe is an example of a development-based strategy. It involves brief work with sufficient rest targeting type IIX fibers and an anti-glycolytic approach.

8-10 seconds of work and 50-52 seconds of recovery when using the on-the-minute (OTM) Kettlebell Axe training. As Pavel describes in the book, you do not want to get fooled into shortening the rest periods when the first few sets feel too “easy.” Once the train gets rolling, it will catch up with you, and when a stop sign is violated, it is time to call it a day.

To emphasize—do not shorten the rest periods.

Allow the session to “catch up with you” and develop greater capacity for clearing the acid while training the powerful type IIX fibers—a winning combination.

Focus on the power and quality of each rep. Enjoy each rep. Do not slog through them in an effort to demonstrate how much burn you can tolerate.

So, what is your goal?

Develop or demonstrate?

Follow the Kettlebell Axe program and develop your capacity like you never thought possible.