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Old Forum My 8 day S&S strength

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TravisS

TravisS

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8 days ago I started S&S. started with a 16kg the first day and could easily do the swings and getups in the required time.  Moved to the 24kg the second day.  It was tough and took me 8-9 min for the swings and 15 min for the getups.

been doing it everyday since.

today I just blitzed it.  Swings completed in 4 min and getups done in 7:50!!!  I felt crazy strong doing it today.  I guess it's time to get the 32kg ordered..... All in a weeks time.   I'm blown away at how strong I felt today and how easy both exercises felt.

cant wait to get a 32 and start working on that.

 

so excited!
 
That’s incredible progress. I too just started S&S. I just went to a 55 lb. KB last workout. Had to do the last 3 left hand get ups with a 45. Keep up the good work.
 
I thought so too. I know my progress won't always be like that but it makes me excited.  A couple days ago I felt like I had finished around the 5/10 limit so I times myself the next day and just dominated it.  It felt great!

 

 

 
 
That's quite an improvement in a short amount of time. How is your form while this blitzing is going by on?
 
I felt like my form never faltered....I seriously wasn't hurrying to finish.  I only wanted to time myself because I felt like I was in that 5/10 min area the day before.  Ordered a 32kg last night.
 
Travis, any rest between the sets of 10, or do you just switch hands? I can do the tgu with the 24kg in under 10 minutes easy, but my 100 one-handed swings takes me about 6 minutes if I push it but then I feel like my form is poor...?
 
I typically do 10 left/10 right with a switch on the fly then rest after the 20 reps for 15-30 sec. I don’t feel that my form suffers if I do it like this…

I figure if 10 reps takes 15-20 sec. That gives you approx 20-30 sec rest between sets of 20 per min.

If you take the max rest, that should put you finishing the 100 in 5 min. If you rest less… you will be under.
 
Travis,

Great work!

What were you doing before S&S?  I think that this makes all the difference on how one initially progresses through this program.

Doing sets of 20 swings (what you are basically doing) may cut down on your explosiveness, and not necessarily your technique, towards the end of the set.  That's why Pavel uses sets of 10, or 15 seconds of work.

The literature, however, does indicate that one can train their power production out to 30 seconds, so sets of 20 may work for those of us that have trained this energy system properly ... maybe Pavel will chime in here ...

So the question is: does your 20th swing feel as explosive as your 1st?  I know that this is the case for me, when I perform them in this fashion.
 
Al,

I switched up my routine this morning and did sets of 10 and set the bell down for approx 15 sec between sets…. I think I prefer this way.

I think I can still just barely do it in the 5 min but I did feel a difference in explosiveness especially during the last 20 swings.

I have been away from truly working out for close to 10 years... I've been working with kettlebells for only about 60 days. I had done a few other workouts found online trying to familiarize myself with all the exercises. I ran across this site and was hooked. When I first found the TGU, I disliked it greatly..... now its probably my favorite exercise!
So in the last 60 days, I've lost 21 lb and gotten a ton stronger. When I first started working with kettlebells the 16kg was kicking my butt.
 
Thanks Andy.... I read your review on S&S and its very inspiring to keep pushing forward!
 
My second day doing a true set of 10 was AWESOME!

I can’t believe I was doing sets of 20 thinking it was equivalent. I feel much more power in all my swings by doing sets of 10. I feel that my 100th swing is just as powerful as the first.

I realize that I was hung up on the 5 min time thing…. sets of 10, you really can’t finish much sooner than 5 min with sets of 10 because there is only about 10-15 sec between sets.

My 32kg arrives today and I’m giddy to get off work and hold it in my hands!
 
Nice, Travis. The time goal should be coaxed, not forced.

And don't get me wrong, I think there is some value in occasionally doing sets of 20 ... if the ATP-PCr system can be trained out to 30s, these could do it.
 
Got my 32 tonight ...did a few swings a banged out a getup on each side!  Felt great!  Can't wait till the next workout
 
Day 18 of S&S..... feeling really good.  Started working with a 32kg on day 15.

Doing 40/100 swings with the 32kg and 6/10 getups with the 32kg.

The getups are definitely easier with the 32 than the swings are for me.  Its mainly a grip issue.

Hope the next 2 weeks go as well as the last couple have.
 
"And don’t get me wrong, I think there is some value in occasionally doing sets of 20 … if the ATP-PCr system can be trained out to 30s, these could do it."

Very true, Al.  But later: power first, capacity second.
 
Day 31 of S&S…. felt awesome this morning!!

Added a set of 32kg to my 24 workout… doing 90/100 swings with the 32. Grip still feels like the limiting factor. Been contemplating buying some chalk. Its more of a slippage issue from sweaty hands than a muscular problem.

Also added a set to my getups. 9/10 getups with the 32kg now. Getups feel great and have become my favorite exercise. I feel like I probably could progress faster in my getups but don’t have a bell larger than a 32kg. I will master this one for now….

Been throwing in a few boxed pistol squats during my rest periods to get introduced to them. Hope to do a BW pistol someday.
 
Travis,

I'm really liking your approach here. Your enthusiasm is infectious and your willingness to fine tune your program at the suggestion of Al (and your subsequent "Ah-HA!" moment) are a great fit in the StrongFirst School of Strength.

Your methodical wedging-in of the 32 is exactly as it is described in S&S.

Lastly - your grip may be the limiting factor, but it IS getting stronger, it now takes many more sets for it to give up!
 
I know my grip is getting stronger because the 24 used to feel "heavy" and tax my grip... it now feels like a toy and my grip feels like a vise when using it.... If I can get my hands super dry and wipe off the handle of my 32kg.... my grip holds fine in my left but my right starts to slip around swing 7 or 8.... if it was dry I don't think it would be an issue.
 
Day 45 of my S&S practice and I am now doing all the swings and getups with a 32kg.... only a matter of time(literally) until I complete my simple goal and own this bell.... love this program and can see myself getting stronger every week.

 
 
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