That's funny, I didn't receive any email notifications for this thread... Just decided to stop by and see if anyone answered. Now need to catch up with all the questions.
@offwidth, this is my first post here, so I didn't post anything about my goals yet. Like I said I am desk bound, so introducing some activity is my primary goal. I found kettlebell to be a fun piece of equipment to work with (probably because of my Russian roots).
@Mark Kidd, I don't have access to a certified instructor, so I did my best to watch the instruction videos about the swing before even attempting it.
@Ryan Toshner, my arms and shoulder were getting tired in the front, not the back, but today I did couple sets of swings, and they weren't tired at all. I am also working out in a gym 3x a week, so it might have been a collection of things: being out of shape, fatigue from the gym workout, etc.
@Geoff Chafe, I actually started swinging with 12kg in the gym, and it seemed too light, so I switched to 16kg. I immediately sensed more burning in the lower back, and also in the wrists. I actually purchased a 16kg kettlebell, so I can use it at home.
To give you a better idea of my strength level now, I can press a 16kg overhead couple times only, so I think I am way below average...
@Steve Freides, great idea about the video. I will definitely try to shoot one, and upload it here for evaluation!
@Keep Lifting, I never thought about grip being a problem. I will try and watch for it.