Kettlebell Maintaining Strength and working on Swings

[Toppsy]

Hello everyone,

I just finished the Six-Weeks-to-Strong, with very good results. Thank you very much for that!

Before going back to the Rite of Passage, I want to work on my S&S Swings, and (at least) maintain my strength.
Unfortunalety I don't like the Get-Ups very much - mainly because of an severe cartilage damage in the ankle, which make them uncomfortable to me. So I can't do the "real" S&S.

So my question: How can I do S&S Swings, and combine it with C&P/MP and Pull Ups.
Or at least, maintain my Press and Pull Up strength?


Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Steve Freides]

Toppsy, try doing your S&S swings and then your presses. Find a volume of swings that still allows you to be fresh enough to complete all the presses, e.g., start with 2 sets of 10 swings, then the ROP presses, and see how that feels. My guess is that you can work up to 5 sets of 10 swings and still have a good press workout, but you'll have to experiment.

A small variation on the ROP I recommend: After the final rep of the final rung of each ladder, perform a few windmills. If you can do it, simply start with the bell overhead after your last press, do your windmills, then put the bell down. The addition of the windmill will help you obtain some of the benefits you're missing by not doing getups. (If you find yourself too stiff or too tired after your final press to think about windmills, just put the bell down, Fast and Loose, then do some windmills - do them bodyweight only or with a very light weight if you must but get a good windmill range of motion.)

-S-

 

[Toppsy]

Steve, thank you very much for your answer.
I kind of like the idea of utilizing the windmill in the ROP. I will definetly try that!
But actually I do not want to focus on ROP right now. I think my writing was unclear.

My main focus right now is:
Get the 100 one hand swings with the 28k in under 5min.
And this by the means of S&S. So training almost daily, with every rep explosive and powerful.

And I want to maintain my strength, which I gained in the Six-Weeks-to-Strong.
How can I do that?
2-3 easy sets of 5 reps with 10RM once a week? Or three times a week a 3x(1,2,3) with 5RM? Or maybe 5 singles with 3RM, once in a while?

I can image the pull up strength can be maintained by the swings, and actively pulling on the negative of the press (like in ROTK).

 

[Steve Freides]

@Toppsy, I think any and all of the set/rep schemes you mention could work. I would mix the weights - if you press 3x/week, you could do light/medium/heavy kettlebells. I think the more often you press, the better you'll stay so long as it's not too tiring.

Ideal would be for you to do your swings early in the day and come back and get some presses later in the day. Having the presses in a second session would be the way to stay freshest.

-S-

 

[Toppsy]

Thank you, Steve. I think you are right with pressing more often to maintain the strength.

I will do semthing like in the Swing-Sandwich article (, which I just rediscovered).
Monday the heavy day from ROP, Tuesday and Friday S&S swings. And Thursday the Swing-Sandwich with pressing the lighter kettlebell.
Wednesday could be another S&S swings day, but that sounds like a bit too much.