10,000 Kettlebell Swing Challenge

[Magoo]

Just finished the first week. 24kg, 4 days on, only swings.

I feel like ass.

AMA.

Edit: Okay, now that I've rested a bit, I'll explain better. It's a program structured around the idea of a 10,000 swing "challenge." The idea is to swing 500 a day for for 4 weeks, 5 days a week, or 5 weeks, 4 days a week. It's written to do the 500 in clusters of 100 swings, each cluster being broken up into 4 sets (10, 15, 25, 50, or 15, 35, 15, 35) with a strength movement between each set.

I've elected to do 4 days a week, 15/35 alternating, and no strength movements (which the program designer Dan John said was okay).

It's ROUGH. You learn VERY quickly which parts of your swing form aren't perfect...

[Magoo]

No one into kettlebells? I like em. It's primal slinging around a heavy chunk of metal.

After week 2, and 4,000 swings, I feel worse and better. It's a mental challenge to keep going. I think I've dialled in a form and grip that prevents blisters, but my calluses are getting gnarly. My forearms are shot by the end of the session, and my lower back is really getting hit.

Good. All that means I'm getting stronger.

I brought my time down from about an hour 10 to less than 45 minutes. I think that's a good place, and if I push it to be much quicker I reckon I'll be sacrificing form.

I've lost about 7 pounds since I started. I was a huge 273# upon starting, and last weigh in I was 267#. I weigh every Monday morning before work, so I'm kinda guessing there.

I'll be glad when my 5 weeks are up so I can get back to barbell training, and also to say I'll have done it. Right now I feel like I'll do it again in the future, and maybe I'll be at a point in my fitness where I can implement the strength movements without dying.

[Stilgar]

This sounds like fun. I love kB swings.

Just need access to a kB now

[RAZRBAKK]

I wanna give this a go. I'll update how week 1 goes.

[BrickHaus]

I have a low back full of scar tissue, and this sounds like a case of sciatica waiting to happen. Lmao. Though it also sounds fun, pretty sure it would kill me.

Did you do a before photo? Should have shown your back before, and after 10k swings. I bet the difference will be pretty stark.

[Magoo]

I probably should have done a before photo, but that 273# came with I believe around 30% body fat. I didn't figure there was much to see, but a before and after would have been good for personal comparisons. I'm still only 2/5 the way through, so I think I'll snap some this evening to see where it progresses from here on.

[Jonnydread]

I’m a bit curious about this, but I’ve recently started a summer exercise routine and want to give it a while to sink in before I shift gears again. I have a kettlebell but I use it more for general lifting sidetrack stuff at the office than anything.

[SignOfZeta]

Any “do the [whatever] challenge” thing I try to avoid. I’m worried I’m going to end up dead in the bathtub and they won’t know if I was killed by the hypothermia caused by the ice I’m sitting in or poisoning from all the laundry detergent in my stomach.

[Magoo]

To be fair, this has been a thing since 2013 and is still relevant. It's a challenge in the notion that it's actually a personal challenge, and it has actual benefit, AND it was organized by a respectable name in strength training.

I feel it's unfair to compare this to Instagram memes and fads.

[SignOfZeta]

I’d like to see the class of 2013, check up on them, see how they’re doing.

[Tracker]

24kg like 52 lbs?

thats a lot of weight.. when i first started dabbling with them, i started with a 36lb, (16kg) and for swings that was enough, even 100 at 36 will still hurt you.. a lot.. 50+ is a lot of weight to get into motion, especially for people that have never done it before, and the rule of, "you control the weight, the weight doesnt control you" is a whole lot harder when the weight is 20-25% of your bodyweight..

i have a set of 4; 18, 36, 54 and 72 lbs. when i was using them regularly, i could swing the 54, but its a lot to keep under control, the 72 is more for lifts and presses

[Magoo]

Yup, 52#.

But worry not, I'm not new at kettlebell work or even weightlifting. It's just my first time attempting the challenge, and I've never really worried about conditioning, so that aspect is new and fresh.

But to your point, if anyone considering this has yet to try kettlebells or hasn't dialled in their swing form, do that first. While I believe anyone can attempt this, some may need some more prerequisite work first.

[Magoo]

Just finished the 3rd week. 3/5 the way there!

New best time of 40:35, but I felt dead afterwards. Starting to get more hotspots on my hands; they ain't having a good time. No for real blisters yet.

I'm proud of myself for doing this at all, but being as overweight as I am, and living highish altitude (Denver now, from Houston), I feel extra powerful.

As for weight, last Monday I clocked 269. I blame the 4th of July snarfing. I'm curious to see where I'm at this Monday.

[Challenger007]

Just finished the first week. 24kg, 4 days on, only swings.

I feel like ass.

AMA.

Edit: Okay, now that I've rested a bit, I'll explain better. It's a program structured around the idea of a 10,000 swing "challenge." The idea is to swing 500 a day for for 4 weeks, 5 days a week, or 5 weeks, 4 days a week. It's written to do the 500 in clusters of 100 swings, each cluster being broken up into 4 sets (10, 15, 25, 50, or 15, 35, 15, 35) with a strength movement between each set.

I've elected to do 4 days a week, 15/35 alternating, and no strength movements (which the program designer Dan John said was okay).

It's ROUGH. You learn VERY quickly which parts of your swing form aren't perfect...

Shitty system. Between workouts, your body must rest, which means that you need to train at least every other day. You can injure yourself with daily strength training.

[Magoo]

It's like 4-5 weeks. It's a temporary challenge. Yes, if you maintain this regularly, it'll pose problems. But this was never designed for that, and you ought to be able to look at it and see that. The entire thing is as long as a single 5-3-1 cycle...