I am writing this today, 2 years and a few months after starting on Simple and Sinister.
Today, I FINALLY summited that mountain. An epic tale below but I am just bursting and have to share.....
My background briefly: 47 yrs old, mom/wife, work as a nurse. Never started seriously exercising, until my mid 30's. Heard of KB's at one point, and I bought an 8, 12 and 16kg, and was hooked. Enter the Kettlebell was the first book I purchased and I started following all the big kettle bell forums. Fiddled around with them and all sorts of other things.... a bit of bodyweight, some kettlebells, some sandbags, a home weight set (which I eventually sold to buy more kettlebells LOL), etc over the years, only in the last 5 years or so took them more seriously and worked with them more exclusively, had the fortune of working with a few SFG's by this point.
My first day of Simple in my paper journal at home was dated June 1, 2016.
I, at this point, had continued to waffle about and had tried some programs eg: Kettle bell Burn, but never really completed them. I was fairly deconditioned at this point due to not sticking to things in general, having hiatus's off of a few months here and there, and so on. Fitter that the average "middle aged" woman I knew around me, but not up to my potential
at all (now that I know, what I know, having done this thing!) Once I came across Simple and Sinister, and read all the rave reviews, and people's results, I knew that I needed this base, and that anything I had done in the past, kettlebell-wise, would have been much smoother had I had Simple under my belt.
I laugh now, when I look back at my notes in my paper log at home for this day....I started as the book said and used 16kg for my 5 sets of swings, and I note that I had written "WINDED with these". Used 8kg for getups. I started a journal in the workout logs, and immediately could feel the boost that chatting with all sorts of people gave me. I just jumped in and got started.
A number of things happened along this journey:
-got up to 20kg single arm swings, 16kg getups. Broke my 5th metacarpal in my right/dominant hand just below the knuckle (long bone in the hand, below the pinky finger)....falling from a pull up bar that I had neglected to check was secure. This was probably my lowest point in all of this. That equaled 3 months total off of cast time/physio time, with arm in a cast and last two fingers casted at 90 degrees, as well. Restarted right from scratch once I was cleared, and as the book said, back to the basics...chose 8kg get ups and 16kg two armed swings due to a very stiff wrist, and unsure of my grip strength with repetitive swings (my wrist was quite inflexible from all that and was harder to regain function vs my grip strength returning. Original Strength rocking and crawling was very helpful!)
-had 2 stints where I developed some intercostal rib strain, one spell very painful, and backed off what I was doing. Spent some time focusing on thoracic mobility with the second stint for about 6 weeks and took time completely off S&S (and was just starting to work in 24kg swings into my sets). Visited an athletic therapist who was familiar with kettlebells and learned some things I did not realize I was doing eg: sometimes not keeping my lat locked down in the roll to elbow with the arm holding the bell in my getup). Did not regress right back to square one when I restarted, but just knocked back sets and went back to two handed swings for a while. Keeping some of the mobility moves I picked up on since then in my warmup (and being consistent in them), has been a huge help and have had no problems since.
Fast forward to now, and gradually working back up to a 24kg and 16kg, with testing my previous weight to make sure I could reach the standard and then adding a set here and there of the new weight. Lots of trial and error to get to all one handed with the 24kg...took about 3 months total, even added a 20kg in there for a bit... and have been using one handed exclusively for the last 6 weeks or so now. Getups are my stronger exercise, and have been at 16kg for several months now.
TODAY I decided to go for my test, on the spur of the moment. I had planned to make this a "push a little harder once a week, the rest of the week easy", like I had been doing all along. I then thought what had I been waiting for, in going for Simple? I was planning for maybe the end of November, looking at life, my work schedule, etc. I knew that I could do 16kg in 10 min, and likely
probably could swing in 5 min, but I was really unsure if I could manage this with only a minute rest, on the same day. There was only one way to find out. At worst I would have to practice for a number of weeks more and then repeat. I actually felt butterflies when I decided to commit, because I was not 100% sure!
I set my timers to do this in the way the Sinister standard is tested....a set of 10 swings every 30 sec for 10 sets, and a minute rest, then a getup at the top of every minute for 10 minutes, alternating arms. Having tested my getups this way, at least at one point, I knew this was a nice way of pacing oneself.
All in all, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. All those thousands of swings and getups I have done over 2+ years had paid off, as far as things being "automatic" in technique, like remembering/being able to nasal breathe, getting the bell to float at the top and waiting....waiting...for it to fall to just the right point to hinge back. The last 3 sets of swings I had a real mental wobble (the break of time till the next set seemed shorter than what I was seeing on my timer and they were feeling more suck-y at this point)....but I knew I was almost done. Just kept focusing on getting that bell to float and breathing in rhythm and "watching myself, outside of myself" (instead of getting caught up in the discomfort I was feeling), helped immensely. I had a minute to reset a timer, do a fast and loose drill or two, lay down....keep nasal breathing.....and wait for the getups. Then I was done, and was ELATED, and hooted and hollered and am NOT at ALL ashamed to say....actually cried tears when I was done.
*****
It' s been quite a journey.
That is why I changed my journal title at one point, that is was a journey, not a sprint...to remind me when I was impatient and wanted to rush. I KNOW from the depths of my being that this program is GREAT!!! I have more endurance for activities without needing a break (like clearing brush, hoisting a chainsaw, yardwork). Getups are my great love, and I love feeling like my everyday movements are strong and SO knitted together. I love being a "middle aged lady" and being able to LIFT STUFF, not just my kettlebells, but awkward things too in everyday life. I see so many people in my line of work (patients/clientele) who just cannot move, and I WILL not go gentle into that good night, and am going forward to maintain as much strength and function as I can.
I feel great tonight, didn't have to lay collapsed on the floor when I was done the test, and I think I could do this test tomorrow, LOL!
I could not have done this without this forum. This is the nicest fitness place I have been on the internet.
@Steve Freides and others behind the scenes....thank you for your gift of this place. For those of you who have not started a journal, I would highly recommend you do so. For myself, accountability to those in cyber-space was huge for me....! NO word of a lie I often would be tempted to not practice, but then I would think that someone was going to come along and ask why. I had/have no one in my everyday life even interested in "working out", so I really needed all you guys and gals. For ALL of you who encouraged me, especially when I was injured and wanted to give up, I give my most heartfelt thanks.
And, trust the program. Don't rush. Set high standards and don't allow yourself to practice sloppy reps, rest and regroup. Take care of your mobility shortfalls. Take light days, or rest if you need to.
And even if it seems "boring" at times, remember, it works.