Kettlebell 1H Swing Progress and Avoiding Turkish Get Ups

[marklim81]

Hi!

Checking back in with a bit of a progress update and some request for advice.

Just managed 10x10 1H 16kg Kettlebell swings in 5 minutes. Coach Louca just commented to me on YouTube regarding completing S&S "It won't take long, brother. Give it about 3-4 months." Little does he know huh? I doubt I'd hit 48kg in 4 years. 16kg still felt like a challenge too, so I don't think I'll be moving up weight till it feels easier.

I haven't really been focusing on the Turkish Get Up though, as I try to fit in my exercise in the office, so:
a) I don't want to be sprawled on the office floor
b) I don't have an appropriate weight to use.

I've come across a lot of negativity against the TGU online though.

Would it be very bad to just ignore the TGU part? Time and equipment permitting, I like to go for a pushing movement (one of bench press, dip, military press, push up) and have been trying reverse nordic curls.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Sauli]

If your goals are more towards gpp. You could use swing protocol from the s&s and switch get up to another push variation. Start with the push ups.

After your swings do 10 good push ups. Slow eccentric, powerful lockout. First weeks do 3 sets. Add set until you can do 10x10 push ups with that strict technique. Rest enough between sets.

After that you could switch something else like rite of passage with 16kg or 20kg. Doing rite of passage program with the 24kg is pretty good achievement actually. I have done it with 24kg and 32kg. But what to do after that simple & push it really depends what kinda goals you have.

 

[Brickwork]

I’m not sure I understand the question…

I hate to get philosophical but…

 

[Sasa Rajnovic]

@marklim81 if your schedule, kettlebell size, size of your office floor or anything else is preventing you from doing the Get Up, switch to another drill. It all depends on what do you want to achieve with you training. Some presses and Goblet squats can be a good substitute.

But, if you have any other reason to avoid the Get Up, like what people write on internet, there is a lot of people writing just about anything. Get Up is a great drill if you want to save time and get some overall strength within just 10 minutes of your training time.

 

[Ege]

S&S including its warm ups and stretches is a great GPP. If you didn’t get the book I would highly recommend you to get one and read. You will learn a lot about exercise and fitness.

If you prefer not to do the get ups, it is not going to be S&S any more but you can proudly copy its warm ups, stretches, progression etc.

If I have decided to do only Swings w KB, and one push exercise in an office environment I would choose to progress one arm push ups GTG style.

But this is not a programming advice. I find TGU to be a high value exercise hence my personal choice is S&S.

Best

Ege

 

[Joel the Savage]

There is no magic exercise, if you don't want to do TGU, don't do TGU.

I like the part of getting a weight over your head in training. The how is not important. Snatch, press, jerk, push press. IT.DOES.NOT.MATTER.
Kettlebell, barbell, dumbbell, stone, animal. IT.DOES.NOT.MATTER

Increase rep/weight (wave intensity/density/volume) over time and good things usually happens.

 

[Luis T. Gonzalez]

If you don’t want to do the get up there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I look at my kb on the floor and think about doing a get up with it and press it instead. It’s an amazing exercise, it’s just not one for me.

 

[Greg H]

Why not just switch your entire protocol to The Giant? Clean and press combines the swing and press in one. Amazing program. If you can do a proper clean….

 

[mfbunch]

Concur with a program switch if TGUs aren't feasible. You'll get a lot of return on investment for get ups though. I'm curious: if equipment wasn't an issue, any reason why you're reluctant to do get ups in the office?

 

[John K]

Would it be very bad to just ignore the TGU part? Time and equipment permitting, I like to go for a pushing movement (one of bench press, dip, military press, push up) and have been trying reverse nordic curls.

The getup is great. But it isn't necessary. Any of the presses you mentioned are also great. What do YOU want to get stronger at?

I would not use the reverse nordic curl as one of your main movements, but it is a great move.

 

[Adachi]

Just managed 10x10 1H 16kg Kettlebell swings in 5 minutes. Coach Louca just commented to me on YouTube regarding completing S&S "It won't take long, brother. Give it about 3-4 months." Little does he know huh? I doubt I'd hit 48kg in 4 years. 16kg still felt like a challenge too, so I don't think I'll be moving up weight till it feels easier.

I would speculate: that maybe Coach Louka meant Completing simple. just a guess.
everyone progresses at the rate they progress. I think that size and body weight have a generalized damping or magnifying effect on that; depending.

I haven't really been focusing on the Turkish Get Up though, as I try to fit in my exercise in the office, so:
a) I don't want to be sprawled on the office floor
b) I don't have an appropriate weight to use.

a) yeah - I was uncomfortable with doing getups at the office, for a couple of years. I seem to have gotten over it. I use the break room or warehouse floor from time to time.
b) I do a lot of body-weight Getups with a yoga block atop my fist. And they are plenty challenging for me when I purposefully slow things down. Be like the noble sloth, and the Shoe Getup may present you with a worthy lesson in generating tension.

Would it be very bad to just ignore the TGU part?

you just wouldn't be doing S&S which is not the end of the world. if you want to complete Simple - there are considerations to make about circling back to the TGU after a detour.

Time and equipment permitting, I like to go for a pushing movement (one of bench press, dip, military press, push up)

there are so many ways to skin the cat. I very much enjoyed the format presented in Quick and the Dead; Plan 015. 100 swings, 100 pushups. 10x10. Maybe - one might try out an AXE format; alternating swing and pushup days.

I am now happy to have worked up to being able to do single 40kg getups; after several years.
10 simple getups with the 32kg bell are not the worst way to train my strength.

I don't say that you have to do S&S by the book - unless you want to do S&S.
If that happens to be the case, that you'd like to use S&S to get stronger, some mere patience might alleviate many of your concerns. Maybe a bit of coaching, too.

 

[marklim81]

If your goals are more towards gpp. You could use swing protocol from the s&s and switch get up to another push variation. Start with the push ups.

After your swings do 10 good push ups. Slow eccentric, powerful lockout. First weeks do 3 sets. Add set until you can do 10x10 push ups with that strict technique. Rest enough between sets.

After that you could switch something else like rite of passage with 16kg or 20kg. Doing rite of passage program with the 24kg is pretty good achievement actually. I have done it with 24kg and 32kg. But what to do after that simple & push it really depends what kinda goals you have.

Thanks. That sounds very much like Quick and the Dead, just with different time intervals right?

I'm not familiar with Rite of Passage.

 

[marklim81]

@marklim81 if your schedule, kettlebell size, size of your office floor or anything else is preventing you from doing the Get Up, switch to another drill. It all depends on what do you want to achieve with you training. Some presses and Goblet squats can be a good substitute.

But, if you have any other reason to avoid the Get Up, like what people write on internet, there is a lot of people writing just about anything. Get Up is a great drill if you want to save time and get some overall strength within just 10 minutes of your training time.

Yea, true, you can find someone to complain about anything online.

My personal complaints I guess are (and I may very likely be mistaken), the TGU won't benefit hypertrophy, a lot of movement parts that will be limited by specific sticking points (i.e. failing at one part of the movement equals failing the whole movement), and there's really no reason to force holding a weight over my face/head and risk dropping it.

 

[marklim81]

S&S including its warm ups and stretches is a great GPP. If you didn’t get the book I would highly recommend you to get one and read. You will learn a lot about exercise and fitness.

If you prefer not to do the get ups, it is not going to be S&S any more but you can proudly copy its warm ups, stretches, progression etc.

If I have decided to do only Swings w KB, and one push exercise in an office environment I would choose to progress one arm push ups GTG style.

But this is not a programming advice. I find TGU to be a high value exercise hence my personal choice is S&S.

Best

Ege

Yea I've got S&S and AXE. As I've mentioned here and there, I like AXE but tis written that you should be able to do S&S as a prerequisite to AXE.

One arm push ups? I struggle with two arm push ups.

 

[marklim81]

There is no magic exercise, if you don't want to do TGU, don't do TGU.

I like the part of getting a weight over your head in training. The how is not important. Snatch, press, jerk, push press. IT.DOES.NOT.MATTER.
Kettlebell, barbell, dumbbell, stone, animal. IT.DOES.NOT.MATTER

Increase rep/weight (wave intensity/density/volume) over time and good things usually happens.

Yea I'm keen on getting a weight over my head too. But I feel a pressing motion might be more beneficial than holding it static overhead and doing all the leg and body movements.

 

[marklim81]

If you don’t want to do the get up there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I look at my kb on the floor and think about doing a get up with it and press it instead. It’s an amazing exercise, it’s just not one for me.

I guess I just have it that I want to focus on S&S. As a goal, or so I can move on to AXE, or whatever. And yet I don't like the TGU.

 

[marklim81]

Why not just switch your entire protocol to The Giant? Clean and press combines the swing and press in one. Amazing program. If you can do a proper clean….

Not heard of the Giant sorry. I've only got the S&S and AXE books. Have seen some videos on Quick and Dead, and Rite of Passage.

 

[marklim81]

Concur with a program switch if TGUs aren't feasible. You'll get a lot of return on investment for get ups though. I'm curious: if equipment wasn't an issue, any reason why you're reluctant to do get ups in the office?

a) I think the floor is dirty haha
b) I only have one 10kg which is at my home gym
c) my officey clothes feel uncomfortable doing the movements
d) if I drop the weight on my face they won't find my body?

 

[Ege]

Yea I've got S&S and AXE. As I've mentioned here and there, I like AXE but tis written that you should be able to do S&S as a prerequisite to AXE.

One arm push ups? I struggle with two arm push ups.

Your one arm push up journey can start from an inclined two arm push up. GTG might be suitable or not for your office environment, just an idea..
Did you start learning KB skills? How is your swing? For some it is very easy exercise for some like myself it is not.

Best

 

[Luis T. Gonzalez]

I guess I just have it that I want to focus on S&S. As a goal, or so I can move on to AXE, or whatever. And yet I don't like the TGU.

Maybe you would like the right of passage? The program is basically one light day of snatches with 2 days of swings. And 3 days per week clean and press. The clean and press on the program is nice because you can do them throughout the day as a way to train neurologically to become stronger. That is the program I started on. It is very effective. I’ve never really done simple and sinister for more than a few sessions because I just don’t like get ups.