Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience with Simple & Sinister. I know there are many writeups on this program, but I wanted to reflect on my progress with kettlebells over the last year and a half, and S&S is the program that got me into KB training.
BACKGROUND
At the start of this program, I was 29 years old and had been in and out of various gyms since I was 18, but never much more than an average gymgoer, who was fortunate enough to have access to some good coaches who taught me the basic strength and power lifts.
At the start of the program, I weighed 75 kg at a height of 175 cm and some of my maxes were: C&J: 80 kg, squat: 140, deadlift: 150kg, Bench: 80 kg. This is just to say that I have some experience in the gym and am confident around weights, but still barely out of the novice, early intermediate phase for most of my lifts, especially my upper-body lifts.
FINDING THE PROGRAM
I became interested in KB training because of a lack of time as I was in the middle of a Master's degree while also holding a full-time job. Travelling to the gym and training for an hour or more 3-5 times a week was not possible, so I began looking for other options. I originally started training with various KB exercises and some of Dan John’s recommendations with a 20kg sport-style KB I purchased because it was a comfortable weight for pressing. I quickly found and stuck to S&S, and practiced continuously until reaching timeless simple and almost completing Simple Timed.
STARTING THE PROGRAM
I started the program with a 20kg kb because I had previously purchased it. This proved to be too light for my KB swings, but surprisingly challenging for my get-ups. The first thing I noticed, was a lack of unity through my body and difficulty engaging my lats and core to stabilize myself through the lift. This was surprising to me, as I assumed that I would have more core stability from my strength and power lifts, but this showed me that these lifts are limited for training core outside of a few positions.
MONTHLY LOG
July
My first day of S&S was July 4, 2022 and I started with the 100 kb swings and 10 Turkish get-ups all with the 20kg kb. In July I worked out almost daily, taking one day off a week to rest and I also got two sessions in at my weightlifting gym, which were heavier sessions with both the power and strength lifts. I was warming up with prying goblet squats, hip bridges, and halos, the halos were a godsend for my tight shoulders. Some key notes from my journal focus on hinging instead of squatting in the swings and rolling over and driving with my shoulder in the get-up.
I quickly purchased and moved up to the 24kg bell, largely because I found the swings too easy. On July 18th, I started to step-load the 24kg bell and continued making steady progress. At this time, I also installed a doorframe pull-up bar and started to grease-the-groove my pullups with sets up 3. I also put these into my S&S warmup, which felt great.
By the end of July, my hips started to feel a bit tight, and I added more stretching as a cooldown; practicing weighted straddles, pancakes, and Cossack squats with a 12kg kb.
On July 21st, after not doing any snatches, I easily matched my barbell snatch PR of 60kg and my coach told me that I had much better hip drive. For sure a WTH moment.
July 25th, I finished steploading with the 24kg kb and started to struggle with my get-ups.
August
The first week of August, I feel a bit tired of the program and am ready for a change. Luckily the second week I went travelling with my wife for a few days of hiking and good food. I returned energized and my swings felt better than ever, my training journal notes lots of power and a strong float at the top of the swing, but my get-up is lagging, and I am starting to not look forward to practicing them.
I start to change my warmup and cooldown, as my shoulders no longer feel tight. I start to do a quick circuit of pull-ups and skater squats as a warmup and add some ab wheel after the getups. This helps keep the sessions fresh and is some nice work for my core, hips, and back.
I continue to get a few sessions in at my previous gym and join my wife at her gym, but I keep the sessions short and powerful, focusing on moving through different movement patterns instead of pushing myself, and keeping Dan John's advice of limiting myself to 10 reps. For example, I might squat 100kg for 5,3,2 and then bench 60kg for three triples.
August 23rd, I finally had a session with a StrongFirst certified trainer, and we spend an hour finetuning my get-up. Although I was getting the bell up, I was wasting a lot of energy, especially in my initial roll to the elbow. He also recommends that I add some more pressing to my program, as my overhead strength lacks behind my legs and back, so I started adding some clean and press singles with the 20kg bell to my warmup.
September
I started back at school for a new semester and don’t have as much time to train so I shorten my warmup to goblet squats with my newly purchased 32kg kb and C+P with my 20kg kb; as well as dropping the ab-wheel. I start to step-load with the 32 kg kb and really needed to apply the tension techniques. Focusing on hinging not collapsing, crushing oranges in my armpits, and breaking the bar during swings I manage to feel confident in swinging the 32.
September 7th, while training jerk at my previous I pulled my shoulder on the rerack, nothing serious but need to take some time off, I also travel to another city this week to visit family.
September 13th I’m back to training and am trying to improve my get-up, I am struggling with my rolling to my elbow and my low sweep.
September 16th and 20th, I am back in my previous gym and my C+J and back squat feels powerful, people are asking where I’m training because I’ve put on noticeable size on my back and shoulders.
September 26, I add shrimp squats and halos back to my warmup and add in some tricep extensions with the 20kg after. I feel re-energized by the small tweaks.
October
I take a short vacation to visit family in another city and return tired but try to fit my session in. I fail my getup with the 32 and jam my elbow, teaching me an important lesson about not rushing the get-ups. I go back to S&S the next day and add a 5km jog in after the session to shake off the tension.
October 6th, I get an easy 80kg C+J, matching my PR. Proof that the KB work is making me stronger and more stable.
October 11th, I start to practice snatching and get 2 sets of 20 snatches with each hand.
October 16th, I start to practice C+P ladders and get 2 ladders of 3 rungs with the 20kg kb.
November
I start to practice S&S every other day and add in more variety days. The variety days are a great break and I try out a bunch of different approaches and start to try bent-pressing.
November 6th, I bent press the 32kg kb for one rep with each arm. Feeling great carryover from the getup!
November 7th, I finish step loading the 32 kg kb and am completing all 100 swings and 10 get-ups with the 32. I am still working on packing my lats and keeping strong throughout the entire getup.
November 16th, I start to limit my rest time, managing to do my swings in 7:30, take a 5-minute rest and then complete my get-ups in 13:15. I continue to try to push my time until November 21st when I get my swings done in 4:35, rest for 3 minutes, and then get my getups done in 9:35. Although I didn’t make Simple Timeless, I am getting tired of the program and decide that this is good enough for me.
I take a week off and start ROP with the 20 kg kb on November 28.
REFLECTION
Thank you for reading my program recap, I took very detailed notes throughout the entire process, more detailed than I had previously done and this led to my first lesson. Taking a detailed log is CRUCIAL, being able to look back and see what you did and how you felt, what cues you focused on, and what other life factors you had at the time. This all impacts your training and provides you with a wealth of information to mine. This is especially important if you are self-programming.
Secondly, have some people around you and look for help. The best thing I did was go visit a StrongFirst coach to correct my get-up, I would not have continued making progress at the rate I did if I had not done this. I also had a community of fitness professionals, including competitive weightlifters, cross-fitters, strongman competitors and kb-sport athletes with whom I could talk to in my weightlifting gym and in a group chat, where we often shared videos. Although we all focused on different sports, their advice and encouragement were of immense value.
Third, KBs work! I was spending less time exercising and seeing some of the best gains I have ever seen. Comparable to when I first started lifting weights (Starting Strength) and when I first joined by Weightlifting gym. People noticed my increased size, especially in my chest and shoulders, and my general strength and fitness were improved by pretty much every metric.
Overall, S&S is a great program and did wonders for me as well as started me off on my KB journey!
BACKGROUND
At the start of this program, I was 29 years old and had been in and out of various gyms since I was 18, but never much more than an average gymgoer, who was fortunate enough to have access to some good coaches who taught me the basic strength and power lifts.
At the start of the program, I weighed 75 kg at a height of 175 cm and some of my maxes were: C&J: 80 kg, squat: 140, deadlift: 150kg, Bench: 80 kg. This is just to say that I have some experience in the gym and am confident around weights, but still barely out of the novice, early intermediate phase for most of my lifts, especially my upper-body lifts.
FINDING THE PROGRAM
I became interested in KB training because of a lack of time as I was in the middle of a Master's degree while also holding a full-time job. Travelling to the gym and training for an hour or more 3-5 times a week was not possible, so I began looking for other options. I originally started training with various KB exercises and some of Dan John’s recommendations with a 20kg sport-style KB I purchased because it was a comfortable weight for pressing. I quickly found and stuck to S&S, and practiced continuously until reaching timeless simple and almost completing Simple Timed.
STARTING THE PROGRAM
I started the program with a 20kg kb because I had previously purchased it. This proved to be too light for my KB swings, but surprisingly challenging for my get-ups. The first thing I noticed, was a lack of unity through my body and difficulty engaging my lats and core to stabilize myself through the lift. This was surprising to me, as I assumed that I would have more core stability from my strength and power lifts, but this showed me that these lifts are limited for training core outside of a few positions.
MONTHLY LOG
July
My first day of S&S was July 4, 2022 and I started with the 100 kb swings and 10 Turkish get-ups all with the 20kg kb. In July I worked out almost daily, taking one day off a week to rest and I also got two sessions in at my weightlifting gym, which were heavier sessions with both the power and strength lifts. I was warming up with prying goblet squats, hip bridges, and halos, the halos were a godsend for my tight shoulders. Some key notes from my journal focus on hinging instead of squatting in the swings and rolling over and driving with my shoulder in the get-up.
I quickly purchased and moved up to the 24kg bell, largely because I found the swings too easy. On July 18th, I started to step-load the 24kg bell and continued making steady progress. At this time, I also installed a doorframe pull-up bar and started to grease-the-groove my pullups with sets up 3. I also put these into my S&S warmup, which felt great.
By the end of July, my hips started to feel a bit tight, and I added more stretching as a cooldown; practicing weighted straddles, pancakes, and Cossack squats with a 12kg kb.
On July 21st, after not doing any snatches, I easily matched my barbell snatch PR of 60kg and my coach told me that I had much better hip drive. For sure a WTH moment.
July 25th, I finished steploading with the 24kg kb and started to struggle with my get-ups.
August
The first week of August, I feel a bit tired of the program and am ready for a change. Luckily the second week I went travelling with my wife for a few days of hiking and good food. I returned energized and my swings felt better than ever, my training journal notes lots of power and a strong float at the top of the swing, but my get-up is lagging, and I am starting to not look forward to practicing them.
I start to change my warmup and cooldown, as my shoulders no longer feel tight. I start to do a quick circuit of pull-ups and skater squats as a warmup and add some ab wheel after the getups. This helps keep the sessions fresh and is some nice work for my core, hips, and back.
I continue to get a few sessions in at my previous gym and join my wife at her gym, but I keep the sessions short and powerful, focusing on moving through different movement patterns instead of pushing myself, and keeping Dan John's advice of limiting myself to 10 reps. For example, I might squat 100kg for 5,3,2 and then bench 60kg for three triples.
August 23rd, I finally had a session with a StrongFirst certified trainer, and we spend an hour finetuning my get-up. Although I was getting the bell up, I was wasting a lot of energy, especially in my initial roll to the elbow. He also recommends that I add some more pressing to my program, as my overhead strength lacks behind my legs and back, so I started adding some clean and press singles with the 20kg bell to my warmup.
September
I started back at school for a new semester and don’t have as much time to train so I shorten my warmup to goblet squats with my newly purchased 32kg kb and C+P with my 20kg kb; as well as dropping the ab-wheel. I start to step-load with the 32 kg kb and really needed to apply the tension techniques. Focusing on hinging not collapsing, crushing oranges in my armpits, and breaking the bar during swings I manage to feel confident in swinging the 32.
September 7th, while training jerk at my previous I pulled my shoulder on the rerack, nothing serious but need to take some time off, I also travel to another city this week to visit family.
September 13th I’m back to training and am trying to improve my get-up, I am struggling with my rolling to my elbow and my low sweep.
September 16th and 20th, I am back in my previous gym and my C+J and back squat feels powerful, people are asking where I’m training because I’ve put on noticeable size on my back and shoulders.
September 26, I add shrimp squats and halos back to my warmup and add in some tricep extensions with the 20kg after. I feel re-energized by the small tweaks.
October
I take a short vacation to visit family in another city and return tired but try to fit my session in. I fail my getup with the 32 and jam my elbow, teaching me an important lesson about not rushing the get-ups. I go back to S&S the next day and add a 5km jog in after the session to shake off the tension.
October 6th, I get an easy 80kg C+J, matching my PR. Proof that the KB work is making me stronger and more stable.
October 11th, I start to practice snatching and get 2 sets of 20 snatches with each hand.
October 16th, I start to practice C+P ladders and get 2 ladders of 3 rungs with the 20kg kb.
November
I start to practice S&S every other day and add in more variety days. The variety days are a great break and I try out a bunch of different approaches and start to try bent-pressing.
November 6th, I bent press the 32kg kb for one rep with each arm. Feeling great carryover from the getup!
November 7th, I finish step loading the 32 kg kb and am completing all 100 swings and 10 get-ups with the 32. I am still working on packing my lats and keeping strong throughout the entire getup.
November 16th, I start to limit my rest time, managing to do my swings in 7:30, take a 5-minute rest and then complete my get-ups in 13:15. I continue to try to push my time until November 21st when I get my swings done in 4:35, rest for 3 minutes, and then get my getups done in 9:35. Although I didn’t make Simple Timeless, I am getting tired of the program and decide that this is good enough for me.
I take a week off and start ROP with the 20 kg kb on November 28.
REFLECTION
Thank you for reading my program recap, I took very detailed notes throughout the entire process, more detailed than I had previously done and this led to my first lesson. Taking a detailed log is CRUCIAL, being able to look back and see what you did and how you felt, what cues you focused on, and what other life factors you had at the time. This all impacts your training and provides you with a wealth of information to mine. This is especially important if you are self-programming.
Secondly, have some people around you and look for help. The best thing I did was go visit a StrongFirst coach to correct my get-up, I would not have continued making progress at the rate I did if I had not done this. I also had a community of fitness professionals, including competitive weightlifters, cross-fitters, strongman competitors and kb-sport athletes with whom I could talk to in my weightlifting gym and in a group chat, where we often shared videos. Although we all focused on different sports, their advice and encouragement were of immense value.
Third, KBs work! I was spending less time exercising and seeing some of the best gains I have ever seen. Comparable to when I first started lifting weights (Starting Strength) and when I first joined by Weightlifting gym. People noticed my increased size, especially in my chest and shoulders, and my general strength and fitness were improved by pretty much every metric.
Overall, S&S is a great program and did wonders for me as well as started me off on my KB journey!
8kg get-up to 16kg(pr).