Kettlebell 300 swings a day challenge

[Tellya]

Hello all. Long story short(ish): I am fat. I have got fat after a bad year and I have been eating appallingly. A clean diet will be run alongside whichever program(s) I opt for.

Also, let me tell you, some folk say that LSD cardio doesn't shift fat. It does. I had tremendous and quick results 4 years ago by running an hour a day. The problem? I find it mind-numbingl boring. I was going to keep things simple this time around by alternating a day of LSD (prob a stationery bike, weather in England's not great at the moment - it seldom is!) with an hour of press-ups (whichever sets/reps) and supine rows (ditto sets/reps).

The thought of doing LSD is dreadful though, let alone on a bike.

Enter Pat Flynn's challenge. 300 24kg swings a day.

The KBs I'd use will be at a gym. They have shiny steel handles which aids grip initially, but which have two unfortunate effects: when you sweat they get very slippy. Before you sweat, because your skin sticks to the surface, you get lots of friction and callusing. So I'd be doing the swings mainly 2 handed.

Also, I will not be doing them through the day as Pat suggests but in one tme bloc (an hour, maybe more if conditioning levels dictate it).

I know I am not going to be Mr Olympia, and I don't want to be, but can I expect at least some modest shoulder hypertrophy? I don't have much muscle but I want to improve on what I have. Not so much vain, my brother tells me it's my midlife crisis.

 

[Sauli]

How much you have experience with kbs? If you are new to kbs then do something else than 300 swings challenge.
But if you have some experince and decent form you may start that challenge.
For other goals I suggest that you do some presses and goblet squats between your swing sets. Maybe singles, doubles and triples. 12-24 total reps with kb you can press easily 5 times.

 

[Tellya]

Hello Sauli, no, not knew have been training with them since 2003 and have followed both the RoP and ETK in the past.

Thanks for your advice!

Edit: I meant RoP and S & S in the past.

 

[banzaiengr]

Also, let me tell you, some folk say that LSD cardio doesn't shift fat. It does. I had tremendous and quick results 4 years ago by running an hour a day. The problem? I find it mind-numbingl boring.

I understand, as a guy who can't run due to an injury I can tell you that a stationary bike is worse. Ya, you are out of the weather but it's butt numbingly boring. I would recommend an airdyne bike if you have access to one. It's not much better as far as boring but there is research that shows it's better than a stationary bike. Many here also like the rower. Don't go for an hour at a time if that seems to be the problem. Do some LSD work even after your KB sessions. Just limit it to 30 or 40 minutes.

I know Mr. Flynn has had good success with the 300 swing program. I believe he likes to add an hour of brisk walking to the program each day if I recall correctly. Just about any program will work. The diet is where the fat comes off.

You could use Dan John's 10000 swing challenge, ROP, S&S, A+A Snatches or just about any program and get results if you are moving more and your diet is in check. Good luck...

 

[offwidth]

Rucking...

 

[Steve Freides]

Kettlebell Simple and Sinister would be a good choice for you. Add rucking, walking, jogging, etc, if you wish.

-S-

 

[Deleted member 5559]

There is an element of simply increasing work to burn calories. There is also stacking every card in the deck toward targeting fat. The best fat targeted weight loss I've ever conducted was ketosis diet + walking + A&A hill sprints. All three individually target fat oxidation and when combined make it happen pretty fast.

Regardless, I find it easier to do either hypertrophy or fat loss rather than both simultaneously. Whenever I try to do two things at a time, I end up not doing either very well or at least its much more difficult.

All that said, the 10,000 swing challenge fits your logistics constraints very well.

 

[Snowman]

If I can piggyback of of some of those who suggested the 10,000 swing challenge, I think it's worth pointing out that it has you do 5 rounds of 100 swings per training session. You could simply use that template for your 300 swings/day (and it tells you how to add in other exercise). Do three rounds instead of five each day, and end up with 6,000 swings at the end of a month instead of 10,000.

Or do Simple and Sinister. "Only" 100 swings per day, but 6-7 days a week of that will accomplish a lot.

As @banzaiengr pointed out, if you eat smart (and sleep smart) just about any intelligent program will help you move in the right direction.

 

[banzaiengr]

@Snowman good point. If someone wants to do the 10000 swing challenge definitely read the instructions from Dan John regarding it. As he states, "use a bell lighter than what you think you need".

 

[Steve W.]

I can tell you that a stationary bike is worse. Ya, you are out of the weather but it's butt numbingly boring.

Is it the boredom that makes your butt numb? ;-).

as a guy who can't run due to an injury

I also can't run due to accumulated injuries from playing basketball (bone on bone arthritis in my knees and ankles). My favorite indoor easy cardio activity is the NordicTrack cross country ski machine, which I do mostly while watching sports on television. It uses a very natural gait pattern, involves upper and lower body, is non-impact, and folds up easily if you need to keep it out of the way when you're not using it. Best of all, you don't use it sitting down. It might be boring, but it doesn't make my butt numb.

Actually best of all is that used ones are readily available on Craigslist (at least in my area). Mine was $39. Look for the "Pro" model that has adjustable front elevation (I always use it at a much higher elevation than the fixed elevation models have). There's also a nominally more deluxe model with adjustable elevation called the Achiever, but I don't recommend it. The system to adjust the lower body tension doesn't hold settings as well and is prone to breaking.

I'd love to get a Concept2 SkiErg, if I had the funds and space.

I used to be dismissive of low intensity cardio (the "dishonor of aerobics" and all that), but I've come around to appreciating the benefits. So @Tellya, I'd recommend keeping some low intensity aerobic exercise in your program for general health and recovery. I feel the difference in even as little as 1hr/week.

 

[Steve W.]

@Snowman good point. If someone wants to do the 10000 swing challenge definitely read the instructions from Dan John regarding it. As he states, "use a bell lighter than what you think you need".

Most of the versions of the 10,000 swing challenge around the internet use the original rep scheme of 10/15/25/50 for each round of 100. I believe Dan has moved away from 50 rep sets and toward more rounds of just 10/15/25, which makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[banzaiengr]

Is it the boredom that makes your butt numb? ;-).

No, the sitting. The boredom comes much earlier than the butt numbing.

 

[MikeTheBear]

Funny because I really enjoy riding my bike.

The 300 swings a day can get a bit boring as well. Dan John even said this about his 10,000 swing program - the hardest part was dealing with the boredom. But everyone who has done high volume swings, whether 300 per day or the 10,000 swings (500 swings 405 days per week) has gotten great results so it is worth doing.

 

[MikeTheBear]

I'd love to get a Concept2 SkiErg, if I had the funds and space.

So would I but cost and space also hinder me from purchasing this product. There is an Italian company that makes a smaller model poling machine but it costs more than the C2!

The poor man's DIY solution is to get some big rubber bands, add some straps to them, mount them on the wall, and start double poling. You'll need to go strictly for time as you'll obviously have no idea of how fast or how far you've travelled. But it works fairly well.

 

[Provx]

I completed the 10,000 swing challenge a couple years ago, it absolutely wiped me out by the time it ended. I was an idiot and mixed in 32kg and 40kg bells instead of sticking with 24kgs though

For those that have completed both the 300 swing and 10,000 challenge, which did you prefer?

I am thinking doing the 300 swing with a light weight and mixing in a 4 week double bell program might be good for a one month trial

 

[Steve W.]

The poor man's DIY solution is to get some big rubber bands

I've never used these for ski poling, but I have rigged up large Jump Stretch bands to my power rack to provide resistance for marching in place, and swung Indian clubs to add some resistance to my arms. It works fine, but I generally like the feel of the NordicTrack better.

I know that some will extol the wonders of locomoting through the great outdoors instead of going nowhere on the equivalent of a hamster wheel, but there are a number of reasons why indoor, stationary, non-impact exercise is better for me, not the least of which is that I am not sufficiently evolved to tolerate sustained aerobic exercise without a television in front of me.

 

[Brookes]

I totally enjoyed last years 300 swings challenge. I did it mostly with a 28kg and a 32 for the variety days. It was also the last thing I did before a impingement took me out of training...

I´m happy that I participated but you should really see it as a challenge and not as a program. It has it´s features, but also takes it toll, since there are no recovery days and the volume builds up real fast (except you use a lighter bell). If you are not a long time kettlebell athlete with a bulletproof technique you risk loosing good form.

For a healthier version I would recommend doing S+S with a upped volume (200 swings, 20 getups for 5 days; weekends off), directly followed by a walk or relaxed run. Since you are already warmed up and have done your work you can keep the running/walking short (20-30 minutes), which keeps the boredom to a minimum. The fatburning engine is running, so it would be a shame to forego this easy benefits! And I recognized at least for me it assists my regeneration.

I also tend to get fat very quickly in offseason but combining strength training followed by a locomotive activity alway showed the best and quickest results in weight loss and overall performance for me. This also in terms of good feeling and nice body composition.

 

[Hung]

300 swings a day seems boring too...
Have you done Double exercise before. Geoff Neupert or Hector G have great complex programs using double bell - hit both fat loss and muscle gain. i have good exprience with Neupert's programs.

When i think about the 10000 swings challenge or 300 swings/ day challenge, i think :"well, it's...challenge! How can i do this challange 100% correctly? how can i plank powerful at the 25th rep? How can i deal with boredom?"

 

[Hung]

J Perteson has some experience

After successfully coaching several folks through the 10k challenge, I would recommend setting aside the programming for the time being. Focus instead on the ability to consistently perform 300 Hardstyle 2-arm swings with the 24k in 15 minutes or less as a daily task, and being able to approach each training session feeling completely recovered from the last.

The 10k will quickly cause blisters in odd places--after the first session, you will find out where your hot spots are and will be for the month ahead (goes with the territory when regulation-sized males have to cram our mitts into that handle...). I recommend something similar to ACE waterproof sports tape. It reliably stays in place and comes off easily afterwards.

 

[Bauer]

Most of the versions of the 10,000 swing challenge around the internet use the original rep scheme of 10/15/25/50 for each round of 100. I believe Dan has moved away from 50 rep sets and toward more rounds of just 10/15/25, which makes a lot of sense to me.

10/15/25 would certainly work. In his latest book DJ mentions 15/35.

Swings work very well with a variety of repetition schemes. Although we start each workout with five sets of fifteen swings (followed by goblet squats, marching in place, then a flexibility move), we rarely do the same rep scheme back to back. The following are two variations that work well and have been well tested by my group and myself with 40,000 swings (four runs through the 10,000-swing challenge).

Variation One: 10 Swings / 15 Swings / 25 Swings / 50 Swings

The fifty reps are tough, but the nice thing about this variation is that when you’ve completed it, you have just done one hundred swings. Do this variation five times and well, you can do the math. Once again, the fifty reps are tough.

Variation Two: 15 Swings / 35 Swings

We moved to this variation after realizing that fifty swings five times a day, five days a week for four weeks was really hard. So, this little compromise gives us an easier set followed by a harder set. It’s fifty quick reps and we like to mix in strength and flexibility movements between each round.

You can certainly do any combination, but we tested many variations and these two worked best. “Most of the time,” is a dangerous phrase. I would suggest keeping your swing reps in the range of either ten or fifteen per set. Then stick to this number as much as you can to minimize confusion.

John, Dan . The Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge: A Fundamental Guide To Training For Strength And Power (Kindle-Positionen580-593). DD Publications. Kindle-Version.