Many years ago, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor Jon Engum published an article using his Deep Six practice that tested an instructor candidate’s readiness to pass the SFG Level I certification.

The plan is simple: 3-5 rounds of a complex composed of the six fundamental kettlebell skills: swing, snatch, clean, military press, squat, and get-up. The training must be performed with an SFG snatch test kettlebell (without putting it down): five swings, five snatches, five clean and presses (long cycle), five squats, one get-up from the top down (also known as the get-down), then back up. From there, transfer the kettlebell to the opposite side and repeat. It is grueling, effective, and fun. I loved it.

Later, he wrote a follow-up article, “A Group Lesson Plan for Conquering the Deep Six,” that adapted the Deep Six for group training. Here, Jon outlined a great progression for running the Deep Six in a single group practice. As I read it, my gears started turning, and I immediately began experimenting with turning his single group practice into a six-week periodized training program. What followed was a few years of tinkering and experimenting with myself and many students.