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Kettlebell I'm a rule breaker!

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BCman

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Instead of post on the 5 minute swing test thread, I've decided that what I have to say should stay separate.

Three years ago, on my first go around with S&S, I was stuck at 5 1/2 minutes on the swing test, with the 24kg bell. I decided to start incorporating the 32kg bell anyhow! Once I was able to do all my swings with the 32kg bell, I went back and easily got under 5 minutes with the 24kg bell. Which proved to me, that it was not my conditioning that held me back from getting under 5 minutes. It was my strength that held me back.

Lets say a person makes 6 minutes on their swing test, their own personal standard for moving up in weight. And they get all the way up to using the 48kg bell! They may not be considered Sinister in some peoples eyes, But they still reaped all the benefits non the less!

My names Allan, and I'm a rule breaker.
 
@BCman , as far as I know there is no rule in S&S that says that you can't train with a heavier bell than the one you test with. That is also how I got through sticking points in the swing standard.
 
Aw Darn it! I wanted to be a rule breaker!

I stand corrected.

It just seems to me that a lot of people put a little to much emphasis on the progression standards, and not enough on just getting stronger first (Strong First). Not seeing the forest for the trees, sorta speak. I only say this from looking at different training logs, over the years.

Al
 
Hello,

This is a technique you can also use to go heavier with the S&S swing part as well. Some folks here reported pretty good results using this "hack". As long as technique and safety are present when you practice, you can choise the option which is the most efficient for you.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I like taking time in between each swing set to fully recover. Could be 20 seconds could be 2 minutes depending on the set/day.

I think both ways are relevant. You are still getting more GPP whether you go up heavier and rest more or stay lighter and compress the time.
 
BCman said:
Instead of post on the 5 minute swing test thread, I've decided that what I have to say should stay separate.

Three years ago, on my first go around with S&S, I was stuck at 5 1/2 minutes on the swing test, with the 24kg bell. I decided to start incorporating the 32kg bell anyhow! Once I was able to do all my swings with the 32kg bell, I went back and easily got under 5 minutes with the 24kg bell. Which proved to me, that it was not my conditioning that held me back from getting under 5 minutes. It was my strength that held me back.

Lets say a person makes 6 minutes on their swing test, their own personal standard for moving up in weight. And they get all the way up to using the 48kg bell! They may not be considered Sinister in some peoples eyes, But they still reaped all the benefits non the less!

My names Allan, and I'm a rule breaker.
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Same experience here.
10x10 in 7min was my standard to introduce a heavier weight.
 
I love this thread. And yes while I'm usually a stickler for the S&S "rules" (which I think you're correctly interpreting, it says to start incorporating the new weight once you've met the time standard), I think this is definitely a good one to "break" just as you've described. Sometimes the 5 minutes holds us back from strength progress.
 
Anna C said:
I love this thread. And yes while I'm usually a stickler for the S&S "rules" (which I think you're correctly interpreting, it says to start incorporating the new weight once you've met the time standard)
Click to expand...
Actually the rules even say you are "almost" ready when you can do 100 swings in five minutes and ten getups in ten. Pavel quotes Rif saying you have to do them STRONGLY. I wonder how many of us follow this rule.

Personally I was thrilled to recently get under 5 minutes with the 24. And then the next day I tweaked a lat with the 32. Nothing serious but it taught me a lesson about how important it is to build a wide and strong base and at my level of experience that being as exact as I can be in following the program is the way to go.

Edit - fixed getup timing
 
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I feel like some days even certain sets the weight just goes up easier. Independant of recovery. Must be something to do with brain, CNS and muscle activation.

If i waited till every rep of every set felt powerful in 5 mins I'd still be swinging the 16 instead of just moving on to the 40.

Like Pavel says as well there's something about jumping up in weight that tells the body to "Get strong."
 
There can be a big difference between S&S and doing Swings and TGU's
For the record... I agree with @Anna C and defer to her experience on most things.
If you want to do S&S and receive the advertised benefits, then follow the rules as best you can. You will not be disappointed!

Can one do Swings and TGU's in a 'non-S&S' fashion and still receive benefits? Absolutely...

I do S&S by the book (when my shoulder allows), with the exception of the testing. Would I like to make the standard? Sure, but it is secondary by a long shot to reaping and enjoying the rewards of daily practice.
 
I am also a breaker rules. The number of 10 repetitions is not write on the stone, so now and then i have fun with ladders and pyramids sets of power swing, this allow me to introduce heavier kettlebells or to stay focus on the technique
 
Hello,

I sometimes broke the rule too. Nonetheless, most of the time, I stayed very long time using the same bell. The drawback of this strategy is that once you get a kind of "threshold", you do not gain strength anymore, but only a very good conditioning. For instance, I stayed almost one year using the 28. But when I decided to tackle Simple, I reached it in a few weeks.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I would work in two handed swings every other day with a heavier bell when my progress was stalling with the one I was trying to own. There was less chance for injury than heavier 1 handed swings that way. It worked great
 
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Thanks everybody for reminding me that the rules are not everything. Similar to a thread a few weeks ago where the author stated that his start to S&S went better with a 24 than a 16kg bell...

Cheers
Cord
 
Tim Randolph said:
Actually the rules even say you are "almost" ready when you can do 100 swings in five minutes and ten getups in five. Pavel quotes Rif saying you have to do them STRONGLY. I wonder how many of us follow this rule.
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This is true. And good point that the rules are there for a reason.

The idea that I like, which @BCman explained so well, is that he was close, but stuck at 5 1/2 minutes. So he started working with the 32kg, and then he went back and made sure he could to it in 5 min with the 24kg, and he could.

I believe each accomplishment should be owned, as in, can do 100 swings in five minutes and ten getups in five, with each weight. I just don't believe that it's necessary before ever even touching the next bell.
 
Heaviest S&S day before today:
1HSW - 32kg 2x(5L+5R) + 8x10 24kg
TGU - 32kg x 1 + 24kg x 4
In the spirit of this thread, and feeling strong today I did:
1HSW 24kg 2x10 + 32kg 8x(5L+5R)
Felt great! Took a little over 20 minutes, but I was resting more than the minimum necessary. Did some domestic duties for an hour or so and came back to knock out all 5 TGU @ 32kg! Again, took my time, resting 1-2 min after each left and 3-4 min after each right.
Definitely broke the rules, not only did I move up, but added way more than 1 heavy set per session. But I feel great, form was good (not perfect), and I'm definitely not done with the 24. Im glad this thread came up when it did.

Edit to add, I see at least 2 refs in this thread to getups in 5 minutes, I'm sure those are typos, pretty sure we know the standard is 5 min for swings, 10 min for getups.
 
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Tim Randolph said:
Actually the rules even say you are "almost" ready when you can do 100 swings in five minutes and ten getups in five. Pavel quotes Rif saying you have to do them STRONGLY. I wonder how many of us follow this rule.

Personally I was thrilled to recently get under 5 minutes with the 24. And then the next day I tweaked a lat with the 32. Nothing serious but it taught me a lesson about how important it is to build a wide and strong base and at my level of experience that being as exact as I can be in following the program is the way to go.
Click to expand...

I thought it was ten getups in ten minutes.
 
Yeah that was probably a typo, and then I copied it without noticing ;)

Let's be more specific and say 10 sets of 10 swings in 5 minutes, alternating hands, one minute rest, and 10 get ups in 10 minutes, alternating sides.
 
Anna C said:
Yeah that was probably a typo, and then I copied it without noticing ;)

Let's be more specific and say 10 sets of 10 swings in 5 minutes, alternating hands, one minute rest, and 10 get ups in 10 minutes, alternating sides.
Click to expand...
I didn't have S&S handy so I wasn't 100% sure. That would be doing getups rather quickly now that I think about it.
 
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