Adding KB swings to weightlifting splits

[salvia123]

tl;dr Not sure how to incorporate daily(ish) KB swings into standard weightlifting routines like PPL, Upper/Lower, Bro, etc

52 y.o. male, 6', 175 lb. Goals are primarily aesthetic and being fit and limber as I age.

I've been lifting off and on for 10 years and for the past 18 months pretty consistently but without adhering to any specific programme. About 5 months ago I started doing KB swings. I first aimed for the 10K/month goal but found I didn't have the stamina and also found it kind of boring, so for maybe the past four months I've been working out 4x/week doing 300 swings then 30-40 minutes on chest, back, arms, shoulders (M, T, R, F). No leg-specific exercises at all because I feel like my quads, glutes, and hamstrings are all doing great with the swings.

I've been really happy with the results of this. I feel stronger, more solid, more fit and lean, starting to lose belly fat, etc. But I've seen enough comments on the various fitness/strength subs that tell posters to follow an actual routine created by a professional that I've decided to do just that. I've chosen Jeff Nippard's Fundamentals plan, which has 8-week programmes for Full Body (3x/wk), Upper/Lower (4x), and Muscle Group (5x).

Can I just continue what I've been doing, i.e. starting each workout day with 300-400 swings and then getting into what that day of the Nippard plan has scheduled? I guess my main question is how to handle rest and overwork. Do I space out the schedule prescribed by the actual plan so I always have a day of rest after any workout? Do I cut back on the leg exercises in the Nippard plan? Is there a potential problem following his splits while also doing swings on every workout day?

I feel like adding KB swings to my workouts the past little while has been a huge game changer for me and I want to hold on to that. I feel way better physically and mentally. But I think it's time I give 100% to an actual routine created by a professional rather than whatever random exercises look good to me on the WorkIt app. So does anyone have any advice on how to do that while maintaining my 4x/week swing discipline? Thanks.

 

[learnandbloom]

@salvia123 The only thing I would be concerned about is how long the workouts take. Adding 50-100 swings at the beginning or end of a session is more than manageable. Consistently doing 300-400 swings sounds like a chore. I’d think about what your fitness goals are and maybe not be afraid to put some things on the back burner and return to them later.

I think it’s a smart move to follow a body building program and do some kind of cardio. I’d just follow his program and see what you can add on to it after. There’s also a lot of great conditioning workouts besides swings. 10 to 1 swings and burpees is great. Swings and push-ups following the Quick and The Dead protocol can be fun, snatches or get-ups are also great.

I’d also wager that I could do 300-400 swings on my rest days as “active recovery.”

I’ve done Dan John’s 10k Swing challenge two years in a row now. I’ll try to make it a tradition, but I can’t imagine keeping that up year round. It’s like being at a buffet and only eating saltines.

 

[pamelakbd]

@salvia123 don’t be afraid to cut back on the swings if you need to. 100-200 daily swings is still a lot.

 

[jim_68]

@salvia123 Do both for a few weeks. Do only one for a few weeks. See how you feel.. choose the one that makes you feel better..

 

[dawn16]

@salvia123 Mark Wildman has an interesting video on this if your interested:

You can totally keep doing what your doing, swings are the center of kettlebell work. Or you can learn some other movements to complement and call them an accessory.

Snatches for Pull day. Overhead/Goblet Squats for Legs. Turkish Get ups for push day (they are a badass warm up that opens up shoulders very well IMO).

Lots of options.