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Kettlebell Owning Simple without a 40kg bell

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Paul32

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Hi folks,

My goals for the next 6 months or so are to 'own' a couple of milestones with a 32kg:

- Simple
- 5x military press per side

I've actually already 'done' Simple once about a year ago. But I wasn't happy with my form or confidence in repeating it, so felt surprisingly empty about it.

I was reading the revised S&S book and it occurred to me that maybe I should get a heavier weight. Currently own 12-32kg singles in 4kg increments.

I've mixed feelings about having heavier bells around, I remember from earlier jumps regretting it at times.

Are there any doubles / alternative exercises I can do with what I have to help me feel like Simple is less challenging on a test day? Get-ups I feel I just about 'own' the 32kg (10x 10 mins is routine, only time a struggle is if have really blasted the swings before).

Swings in 5 mins is definitely my weakness. Even 24kg in the time I don't think I 'own'. Any helpers / routines would be much appreciated, thanks.
 
Hi folks,

My goals for the next 6 months or so are to 'own' a couple of milestones with a 32kg:

- Simple
- 5x military press per side

I've actually already 'done' Simple once about a year ago. But I wasn't happy with my form or confidence in repeating it, so felt surprisingly empty about it.

I was reading the revised S&S book and it occurred to me that maybe I should get a heavier weight. Currently own 12-32kg singles in 4kg increments.

I've mixed feelings about having heavier bells around, I remember from earlier jumps regretting it at times.

Are there any doubles / alternative exercises I can do with what I have to help me feel like Simple is less challenging on a test day? Get-ups I feel I just about 'own' the 32kg (10x 10 mins is routine, only time a struggle is if have really blasted the swings before).

Swings in 5 mins is definitely my weakness. Even 24kg in the time I don't think I 'own'. Any helpers / routines would be much appreciated, thanks.
Based on your last sentence I would work on 'owning' with a 20 and then a 24. As far as presses go, DFW with the appropriate off size bells.
 
Couple of sides to your question here, one is training the other is vanity… both are fine really.

Owing simple and the 32… train with them. Work the swings. Mix up your program, wave 24/28/32 in swing sets. You’ll get there. Consistency. Do the 10k Swing Program from Dan John with the 24 or a mixture of them (swapping weight each set) you’ll own it after that I guarantee you.

Should you get a 40? Yes. I say this because everyone asks, and everyone ends up getting them. Just get one. It’s done then.

I have a 40 and 48 that do very little. I did have a 32 that did very little, but now it does a lot. The time will come for the other 2, but now I can’t muse over it for hours. Hence I recommend getting it.
 
Based on your last sentence I would work on 'owning' with a 20 and then a 24. As far as presses go, DFW with the appropriate off size bells.
Thanks. I've been a bit reluctant to go back to swinging the 20, it feels 'too light' at times (a good thing I guess). Thanks for DFW, hadn't heard of it before.
 
Can you snatch a 24 and 28??
Can you do multiple getups with a 32?
I don't do many snatches to be honest, (tries both now) - can do both but 24 feels my level for say 5 per side per min. Perhaps this would help with the swing endurance- the 24kg x 200 in 10 mins challenge seems a million miles away, can't even do it with the 16.

32kg get-ups on alternate sides I can knock out 1 per min for 20 mins, doing more than 2 in a row on a side in middle of that is tough though.
 
Couple of sides to your question here, one is training the other is vanity… both are fine really.

Owing simple and the 32… train with them. Work the swings. Mix up your program, wave 24/28/32 in swing sets. You’ll get there. Consistency. Do the 10k Swing Program from Dan John with the 24 or a mixture of them (swapping weight each set) you’ll own it after that I guarantee you.

Should you get a 40? Yes. I say this because everyone asks, and everyone ends up getting them. Just get one. It’s done then.

I have a 40 and 48 that do very little. I did have a 32 that did very little, but now it does a lot. The time will come for the other 2, but now I can’t muse over it for hours. Hence I recommend getting it.
Great post. Same thing happened with my 24kg after getting the 28 and 32.

I was a bit cynical reading a while back someone said that even just handling heavier weights makes the other ones feel lighter than before, but it does seem to be true.

Expect I'll do this in a few months but meantime doing the DJ 10k feels a good shout.
 
I don't do many snatches to be honest, (tries both now) - can do both but 24 feels my level for say 5 per side per min. Perhaps this would help with the swing endurance- the 24kg x 200 in 10 mins challenge seems a million miles away, can't even do it with the 16.

32kg get-ups on alternate sides I can knock out 1 per min for 20 mins, doing more than 2 in a row on a side in middle of that is tough though.
I'd recommend you work on your snatches.. when I first unlocked timed simple, I was working on a 24kg snatch test..
 
Hi folks,

My goals for the next 6 months or so are to 'own' a couple of milestones with a 32kg:

- Simple
- 5x military press per side

I've actually already 'done' Simple once about a year ago. But I wasn't happy with my form or confidence in repeating it, so felt surprisingly empty about it.

I was reading the revised S&S book and it occurred to me that maybe I should get a heavier weight. Currently own 12-32kg singles in 4kg increments.

I've mixed feelings about having heavier bells around, I remember from earlier jumps regretting it at times.

Are there any doubles / alternative exercises I can do with what I have to help me feel like Simple is less challenging on a test day? Get-ups I feel I just about 'own' the 32kg (10x 10 mins is routine, only time a struggle is if have really blasted the swings before).

Swings in 5 mins is definitely my weakness. Even 24kg in the time I don't think I 'own'. Any helpers / routines would be much appreciated, thanks.
@Paul32 - Any update on this?

I find myself in the same position right now. I can do timeless simple with the 32. I have done 100 swings in 7.5 minutes with the 32 and the 10 TGUs... But reducing to the 5 minutes with the 32 is daunting to me at the moment. I don't have the 40 and am contemplating getting one, but I am also contemplating increasing swing volume with the 32, rotating in snatches with the 24, or something else (?) to try and get my body to adapt to a 5 minute window for swings...

Good input from others. I'll look into some of the ideas that were floated as well.
 
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@ClayPainter
My current thinking and doing is basically the option you describe second - i.e. not get the bigger bell yet. My conclusion is that it's my conditioning relatively vs strength which is my weakness, so plan to work on that.

I've been doing the 100x swings + 10 TGUs most days, the TGU always the 32kg (with a bit of work on slowing down, form, two per side in a row etc). The swings I've been mixing up 24kg 'timed' (doable for me but not pleasant) , 28kg 'emom' (10 mins), 32kg timeless and 28kg emom two-handed if feeling a bit sore.

Other days (and will be more focus in next few weeks) is on 24kg snatches. Something like 4 per side emom for as long as I can manage. Although I feel I own the TGU 32kg, will still keep regular practice as it is good to know (as I remember from when I just about did timed simple) that it feels a lot heavier when your heart rate is through the roof after the swings...
 
@ClayPainter
My current thinking and doing is basically the option you describe second - i.e. not get the bigger bell yet. My conclusion is that it's my conditioning relatively vs strength which is my weakness, so plan to work on that.

I've been doing the 100x swings + 10 TGUs most days, the TGU always the 32kg (with a bit of work on slowing down, form, two per side in a row etc). The swings I've been mixing up 24kg 'timed' (doable for me but not pleasant) , 28kg 'emom' (10 mins), 32kg timeless and 28kg emom two-handed if feeling a bit sore.

Other days (and will be more focus in next few weeks) is on 24kg snatches. Something like 4 per side emom for as long as I can manage. Although I feel I own the TGU 32kg, will still keep regular practice as it is good to know (as I remember from when I just about did timed simple) that it feels a lot heavier when your heart rate is through the roof after the swings...

Thanks. I look forward to your progress!
 
Are there any doubles / alternative exercises I can do with what I have to help me feel like Simple is less challenging on a test day? Get-ups I feel I just about 'own' the 32kg (10x 10 mins is routine, only time a struggle is if have really blasted the swings before).

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this article: From "Simple" to Serious Endurance | StrongFirst

-S-
 
I have never touched a 40kg bell, and while I'm not the best or most skilled person on this thread I went from timeless to timed simple by going the other route and using a lighter bell for more reps since my problem was not strength but conditioning. I was doing timeless 3-4 days a week for 4 weeks, but not really seeing any change. I then switched and did the 10,000 swing challenge for 5 weeks with a 24kg bell (all two handed), came back and hit timed on my first try. I honestly don't know if I could have hit timed prior to doing it this way as I never tried, but I didn't struggle to hit it after building up my conditioning with those 10,000 swings.
 
I have never touched a 40kg bell, and while I'm not the best or most skilled person on this thread I went from timeless to timed simple by going the other route and using a lighter bell for more reps since my problem was not strength but conditioning. I was doing timeless 3-4 days a week for 4 weeks, but not really seeing any change. I then switched and did the 10,000 swing challenge for 5 weeks with a 24kg bell (all two handed), came back and hit timed on my first try. I honestly don't know if I could have hit timed prior to doing it this way as I never tried, but I didn't struggle to hit it after building up my conditioning with those 10,000 swings.
Wow really? How did you go doing 500 swings in a day? That is always a head scratcher for me. Conditioning is my weak point though. Do you find the lightness of 24 odd when you swing ? I find it feels a bit weird being used to 32kg now
 
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Wow really? How did you go doing 500 swings in a day? That is always a head scratcher for me. Conditioning is my weak point though
I would have to look at my log, but I believe the first session was around 55 minutes and I felt like I was going to die, and after a week I was down to about 45 minutes and not doing too bad. Another week later I was down to 40 minutes, and by the end I was down to just over 30 minutes. All sessions were done with a HRM and I started each set as my heart dropped down to the same level so it was very consistent, and I did the original version of the 10,000 swings so 10, 15, 25, and 50 rep sets with 30 reps of a strength move added in.
 
@BJJ Shawn, smart training in that you figured out what you needed to address, addressed it, and achieved the desired result.

[HANNIBAL SMITH]
I love it when a plan comes together.
[/HANNIBAL SMITH]

-S-
 
I would have to look at my log, but I believe the first session was around 55 minutes and I felt like I was going to die, and after a week I was down to about 45 minutes and not doing too bad. Another week later I was down to 40 minutes, and by the end I was down to just over 30 minutes. All sessions were done with a HRM and I started each set as my heart dropped down to the same level so it was very consistent, and I did the original version of the 10,000 swings so 10, 15, 25, and 50 rep sets with 30 reps of a strength move added in.
That's pretty cool! Do you remember what you did GU-wise?
 
@Max Parish please refresh my memory..

For swings, you worked up to on the minute swings with the 36 and multiple reps with the 32 for getups to unlock timed simple??
 
Hello friend,

I followed S&S for about 6 months and hit timed Simple.

Looking back, it was not my best but I got it done.

What I wish I had done was follow the method recommended in the book and return to the 24 after hitting timeless simple, work on owning it timed on smoking Fridays, while stepping up to the 40 for regular training.

I plan to follow this method when I attempt to hit timeless Sinister.

Good luck!
 
That's pretty cool! Do you remember what you did GU-wise?
I did zero getups during that 5 week stretch. But part of the 10,000 swing challenge is picking 4 movements and use a 5rm weight, complete ladders in between sets of swings for 1, 2, and 3 reps which total 30 reps each session. By the end of the 5 weeks, my old 5 rm was probably a 7rm in each movement I did, which was bench press, chin-ups, seated barbell OHP, and barbell rows so I got a fair amount of presses and upper back work in.

I had my times off a little bit, but here's a thread I made when I did it that explains better:

 
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