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Kettlebell Going into fat-loss mode. How should I do swings

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Ny Wc

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I'm doing my workouts as follows:

Work out A
Bench-Press
Clean and press

Workout B
Squat
Dead-lift
Pull Ups

Day off
Repeat

I'm thinking that I should put swings at the end of workout B. What kind of sets and reps do you think I should use to speed up fat loss? I'v enever gotten the hang of using swings for fatloss. I always seem to wanna go to heavy.

I assume that doing the swings everyday is overkill.
 
This is going to be more linked to how much energy you take in (eat) rather than put out (work). You need to have a energy deficit going in order to use the energy you're storing.

FWIW, I work out five days per week. I lift three times and row twice (rowing a 5k). I finish two of my lifting days with on-the-minute two-handed swings for 10 minutes with a somewhat heavy bell, or snatches with a moderate weight. I have them plugged in that way for conditioning reasons more than fat loss, although I'm trying to lose, too ;). The rowing is great, and I'm staying around 80% of my max heart rate. The swings and snatches get me a little higher. I don't have them in for fat loss though, I have them in because I was really influenced by Kenneth Jay's latest book, Cardio Code.
 
I have a bunch of different bells. I like going heavier but I'm assuming that lighter bells are probably better for fat loss because you can get more volume? As for the volume, I don't know what to do.

JamesO- I'm eating around 2000 cals right now. I'm losing weight ok but I'd like to speed things up without eating less. I've been told that it's better for maintaining muscle that way. I always sort of did what you did with the 1 set/ minute as heavy as I could thing. I would start to get more and more swings / set though so it would get to be shorter than 10 minutes. I always wanted to finish stronger which is great for getting stronger. I don't know if it's the best way to burn fat though...Maybe I need to go lighter, do more reps, and feel the agonizing burn?
 
I would go for ETK Program Minimum swings: 10 minutes of swings 2 times per week. Do as much as you can with proper form; when resting between swings do jogging, or rope skipping.

And I would go for 2H swings as they are basically faster and you would do more in shorter time.

As for kettlebell weight: depends on your bodyweight and strength (how much do you deadlift?). What you can do is try doing 200 swings in 10 minutes with 24kg bell. If you can do it, get 32kg, if not stick with 24. (of course if you can do 200 with 32kg, go heavier ;) )
 
Two options I can suggest:

If you have a copy of "kettlebell express" run swing season (or if you have a copy of thr user course, its there too)

Purchase "swing logic" by Chris Lopez SFGII. Its one of the most brilliant volume progressions I have seen so far
 
I gave it a second thought and I think you should be able to do much more than 200 swings in 10 minutes, to go to highier weight. I'd say if you are able to do 100 swings without rest, you can then think about going for heavier kettlebell.

Oh and ETK PM is 12 minutes not 10.
 
I have used every conceivable combination of swings for fat loss. Get 20-40 minutes, 3-5 day per week and build volume. Be willing to work into 300+ reps without setting it down. It's magical....
 
You need to do a amazing amount of work to get fat loss without watching what you eat. I spent a week shoveling snow off of rooftops and the transformation was shocking, sadly it didn't last long.
 
Went on a stag weekend and did little else but drink red wine and Guinness for 3 days, one square meal the whole time and not a shred of exercise, dropped near a jean size, wouldn't recommend that approach but it reinforces what is commonly said that you can out train a bad diet.
 
I am currently doing S&S 6-7 days a week. I am experimenting with Hill Sprints sprinkled throughout the week. With a nod to Iron Tamer,
I think the "fat loss" effect with swings is very dependent on the weight swung as a percentage of body weight. I don't think the weight
I'm using (16kg at 185 lb bodyweight) will do enough yet, so I'm adding in.

(You can cook your routine differently I just offer it as food for thought, which has no calories and may actually burn a few if you think about
it long enough).

My calories are low and strict. I also punted coffee and dropped a stunning amount of weight and fat in 2 weeks likely partially due to nervous
system recovery but also likely due to re-hydration.
 
Sorry, forgot to add:

(1) I'm now in my 50;s

(2) I'm not eating till roughly 2 pm and then feeding only until 8 pm. So effectively, 1-2 meals a day.

(3) 32 oz of green tea in the morning, fueled with 3 packets of gelatin (Geoff Neupert) and coconut oil
(currently limiting it to 1 tablespoon)

(4) I have grass fed butter but instead of building a bullet proof tea I defer saturated fat consumption until
between 2 pm - 8 pm feed cycle.

(5) Also experimenting with GTG chins or pulls sprinkled throughout each day.
 
I assume that doing the swings everyday is overkill.

that depends on your routine. Its not overkill on S&S, but the program design has a different goal and you will want to add
in some supplementary activities to aid fat loss.

Rucking is an option either in addition to or instead of Hill Sprints and you could do Ruck Hill Sprints.
 
Benedictine Monk said:
My calories are low and strict. I also punted coffee and dropped a stunning amount of weight and fat in 2 weeks likely partially due to nervous
system recovery but also likely due to re-hydration.
Click to expand...

You lost fat when you stopped drinking coffee?

First time I've ever heard of that. How much were you drinking and what do you normally put in your coffee?
 
MattM said:
You lost fat when you stopped drinking coffee?

First time I've ever heard of that. How much were you drinking and what do you normally put in your coffee?
Click to expand...

It shocked me as well. 32 ounces per day - 2 16 oz dark roast at Starbucks. I used to brew my own but because of work and errands
and kids had defaulted to going once or twice a day to the place. Anyway, was stalling on my exercise, started having trouble sleeping
at night and then got a mysterious racing heartbeat at weird times.

One google about caffeine warnings at Starbucks and I dumped it and switched to Green tea in the morning (same quantity of fluid
but varying steep time) and then an equivalent amount of herbal in the afternoon.

It was quite incredible. I never expected that to happen.
 
@Benedictine Monk Starbucks brews their coffee really really strong. You were probably taking in 600+mgs of caffeine daily (depending on the roast). That will catch up with you and destroy your sleep in no time. Switching to small coffees (tall to them) may have done the trick.

Source: amateur coffee affocianado/addict
 
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MattM said:
@Benedictine Monk Starbucks brews their coffee really really strong. You were probably taking in 600+mgs of caffeine daily. That will catch up with you and destroy your sleep in no time. Switching to small coffees (tall to them) may have done the trick.

Source: amateur coffee affocianado/addict
Click to expand...

I've tried a short (8 oz) once every 2 weeks and even now feel like I'm pushing it, so I'm going to lay off for quite awhile. It was a good lesson,
and I also suspect I'm losing my caffeine tolerance as I age.
 
Another simple option (from @Pavel 's 10 Secrets to a Perfect Kettlebell Swing)

Want a simple, but effective workout? Do sets of 10 reps on the minute for as long as you can maintain maximum power. On the surface it seems like the rest is very generous, but remember that we are after power, not “burn.”

Do your swings three times a week, varying the volume. On Friday, do as many perfect sets as you can safely. On the following Monday, do 75 percent of Friday’s number and on Wednesday 50 percent. For example: If on Friday you managed 20 sets, do 15 sets on Monday and 10 on Wednesday.
 
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