I just completed sinister with the 32kg bell. Do you guys think it's a reasonable idea for me to do the 10,000 swing challenge with a 16 kg bell? I plan to stick with it throughout the challenge to avoid injuries. Has anyone done it?
@akeeda 16kg sounds like a very reasonable weight for you. It's the sort of challenge where just doing it has a lot of value, and you don't necessarily have to find the perfect weight.
I quit S&S, so I can't say anything about the sequencing of programs.
@akeeda I did the 10k swing challenge in 2018 with the 40kg bell. Amazing strength gains in every other lift. I started it again in my gym with 5 other people this time. The strength and movement gains are amazing. My son has 8400 swings done with the 44kg (1st 5,000) and 48kg. Deadlift and squat numbers are through the roof. Accidental PR’s in almost every movement.
I think the next movement will be the half-snatch.
@akeeda Don't do it with a 32. I did S&S over a year ago and I'm just now doing the 10k challenge with a 24kg. It feels like the perfect weight, so 16 should be fine.
You can always upgrade or downgrade the weight after 1k swings.
@akeeda Just have various weight kb available during your sessions. If you are feeling good, use the 32kg if you're feeling tired, use the 16kg. Alternate between single handed and two handed based on the rpe (rate of perceived exhaustion). It really isn't a program you start with safety in mind. It is a program about pushing your mind body connection.
@akeeda I did it with a 26kg with no previous kb experience. First week was tough but it got easier. Now I incorporate swings in most of my warmups or workouts to some degree or another. I love em. Maybe I’ll do the 10k again now after seeing this post…
@siswhtvr Damn bro. Where you some rad athlete before coming to kettlebells? I mean honestly kettlebells are safe but if you are some guy from couch who did it , you must be really hardcore
@akeeda Nah not rad athlete but far from sedentary. Endurance mountain biking and some weightlifting. From the endurance side tho I know what it’s like to think you have nothing left but still have hours to go. Experience in those spaces helps a lot cause you learn how to dig deep and persevere.
@akeeda I never did S&S, I started my kettlebell journey with Mark Wildman’s training methodology. That being said, I am currently halfway through the 10k challenge. Out for a few days for a strained muscle in my hand (I’m pretty sure it’s unrelated to the swinging) and I’m doing the challenge with my 20kg.
The single biggest problem is grip endurance. I have yet to complete the 10-15-25-50 recommended swing sets. Best I got was one cluster of 10-15-25-35-15. And this is after 5500 swings. I haven’t tried to drop down to the 16kg to see if I can make it, maybe I could, but I figure the rep counts per set are less important than just finishing the challenge.
I did some reading up on grip endurance and one recommended method was a lot of 1H swings, which I don’t do much. But I’m already thinking about doing the challenge again at the end of the year with the 24kg so I’ll be rotating 1H swings into my regular training to try and work on that.
Feel free to do it with the 16kg as you can always go heavier. But know that it is an absolute grind. There are mornings where it takes me several minutes of staring at my kettlebell psyching myself up. And your hands will take a beating. They will toughen up but prepare some good athletic tape as you will need it. Beyond that, it becomes a mental challenge more than a physical one. It just sucks to do. Feels good when you’re done but it’s a tough hill to climb.
