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Kettlebell S&S by accident

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Hey guys, do any of you have any advice/critique of my swing form? I want to make sure I’m doing it right. It feels fine, just not sure on head position and it looks like I lean back a bit at the top. And yes, my garage is a mess!
 
Halfakneecap said:
Hey guys, do any of you have any advice/critique of my swing form? I want to make sure I’m doing it right. It feels fine, just not sure on head position and it looks like I lean back a bit at the top. And yes, my garage is a mess!
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Not too bad @Halfakneecap

Main thing I'd have you focus on is to stand tall at the top of the swing. Think of pushing your feet into the floor and reaching the crown of your head to the ceiling as you come into the standing plank, with everything tight -- quads, glutes, abs, and lats (shoulders packed).
 
To me your bell looks particularly out of frame at the start. Like your back is almost horizontal before the hike.
Perhaps try the bell closer to your feet, sitting a little taller, and with arms closer to perpendicular relative to torso.
This image is from a Pavel article;
be-strong-first-foot-tattoo (1).jpg
 
Anna C said:
Not too bad @Halfakneecap

Main thing I'd have you focus on is to stand tall at the top of the swing. Think of pushing your feet into the floor and reaching the crown of your head to the ceiling as you come into the standing plank, with everything tight -- quads, glutes, abs, and lats (shoulders packed).
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Much appreciated Anna, I will work on it.
 
Pete L said:
To me your bell looks particularly out of frame at the start. Like your back is almost horizontal before the hike.
Perhaps try the bell closer to your feet, sitting a little taller, and with arms closer to perpendicular relative to torso.
This image is from a Pavel article;
View attachment 14437
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Much thanks Pete, I thought it was supposed to be flat ( my back ) but I’ll bring it in closer next session
 
First month down, pretty happy with it! Onto the 24 with the swings, last few sessions just 2 handed but today added one set each of one handed. Not rushing, want to have a good few weeks working up to all one handed 24 swings.
Getups are coming along, though much more slowly. I can now do 5 each side with the 8kg bell, and doing the get downs as well. The getups make me gassed way more than the swings. I’m going quite slowly on these because they’re damn hard, though I want to do them properly before moving up in weight.

I’m consistently under the 100kg mark and my belt needs a new hole, though I don’t think I look too different. I have been giving the bread maker a fair workout during lockdown though haha
 
I have also recently noticed if I consciously contract my glutes between sets, they feel like they contribute more during the set. My job can be quite physical but most of the time I’m sitting around, so my glutes can get lazy.
 
Wow, first WTF effect today. I walked around my local beach this morning. One end is fairly gently sloped, but at the far end you have to walk up some wide spaced stairs. Even without a surfboard under your arm, it sucks. Today, I just motored up it like it was nothing. I stopped twice to warn people about a snake on the path but still got up way faster than normal. It just felt easy. Legs didn’t get tired at all and my lungs, they just cruised. Crazy !
 


Single arm form check. I feel like if I go lower than this ( more rom), I’m just bending at the hips. I can do it, but my lower back starts to work, which I don’t think it should? I’m 5’8” if that helps? Also, I dont feel like I’m leaning back but it kind of looks like I am?
 
Halfakneecap said:


Single arm form check. I feel like if I go lower than this ( more rom), I’m just bending at the hips. I can do it, but my lower back starts to work, which I don’t think it should? I’m 5’8” if that helps? Also, I dont feel like I’m leaning back but it kind of looks like I am?
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GREAT improvement on standing tall! It's OK that you're leaning back, if it's from the ankles and the body is a straight line, which you are.

Next thing to work on -- use the legs more -- more knee bend, more reaching back with the hips. Pattern with a kettlebell deadlift then try to bring it to your swings. More ROM will put more load on your big working muscles, not your back. Feel the glutes, hamstrings, and quads all get loaded in the backswing and get put to work in the extension/upswing. To keep the load off your back, keep the abs tight and use the power breath.

Also on your set-up, get in position before hiking kettlebell back. Reach back with the hips, load the hamstrings, pack the shoulders, chest up and forward (flatten the back), get tight.

Great work and let us know how it goes as you keep working at it.
 
Halfakneecap said:
Long story short, due to lockdown restrictions here in aus, I grabbed S&S on a whim to try at home. I have done some barbell lifting since snapping my kneecap ( 2014 ) but it’s been getting a bit stale, and my conditioning sucks.
S&S looks perfect for what I’m after. Just read through it and I’ve unknowingly already been doing 10x10 with a 20kg since last week ( restrictions) and I’ve already decided to ditch the gym. Looking forward to S&S.

My knee may give me issues with the get ups, as kneeling is quite painful but I have a rubber mat and padded knee sleeves so hopefully I’ll be ok

Mark
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Mark, I actually do half getups because I typically do S&S in the winter and my ceiling doesn't let me go to a full standing. You could try doing half getups to the sitting position, just take your time in each position and see how long you can drag it out. Sure, you're not getting the full benefit of even the tripod (that's usually where I cut off but I'm guessing that is out for you), but you're certainly getting a lot more than no TGUs at all. I have found TGUs have helped me a lot with flexibility and strength in my hips, so you can adapt S&S this way. Keep in mind, if you get all the way to Sinister doing things that way, you don't get a medal but still get a lot of the benefits of the program.
 
Thanks Anna! I have kind of worked how to increase my ROM. I think I have been arching/tending my upper back too hard. This seems to end up with me not leaning forward enough, and the bell almost hits me where I really don’t want it to. I’ve since been working to get my back locked in neutral alignment but not overly arched. It works much better and the bell is not in danger of hitting me. It’s funny, the more swings I do, it kind of teaches you as you go. You can tell when you’re doing it right I think. Much appreciate the tips and I will keep working on them.

Anna C said:
GREAT improvement on standing tall! It's OK that you're leaning back, if it's from the ankles and the body is a straight line, which you are.

Next thing to work on -- use the legs more -- more knee bend, more reaching back with the hips. Pattern with a kettlebell deadlift then try to bring it to your swings. More ROM will put more load on your big working muscles, not your back. Feel the glutes, hamstrings, and quads all get loaded in the backswing and get put to work in the extension/upswing. To keep the load off your back, keep the abs tight and use the power breath.

Also on your set-up, get in position before hiking kettlebell back. Reach back with the hips, load the hamstrings, pack the shoulders, chest up and forward (flatten the back), get tight.

Great work and let us know how it goes as you keep working at it.
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Thanks J, i got some basketball knee sleeves with pads, and instead of doing the wiper movement, I move my other leg. So far it’s definitely doable. Lunges always aggravate my knee so I just get to the point where I stand up, and reverse it. Appreciate your tips mate thank you !
J Cox said:
Mark, I actually do half getups because I typically do S&S in the winter and my ceiling doesn't let me go to a full standing. You could try doing half getups to the sitting position, just take your time in each position and see how long you can drag it out. Sure, you're not getting the full benefit of even the tripod (that's usually where I cut off but I'm guessing that is out for you), but you're certainly getting a lot more than no TGUs at all. I have found TGUs have helped me a lot with flexibility and strength in my hips, so you can adapt S&S this way. Keep in mind, if you get all the way to Sinister doing things that way, you don't get a medal but still get a lot of the benefits of the program.
Click to expand...
 
I did all my 24kg swings one handed today ( first time ), and I did all my getups with 12kg today ( first time ). Feel like I’m getting to good form with the swing and I’ve just canceled my gym membership. I dropped under 96kg the other day, first time in a long time. Really enjoying the process, hooked!!
 
One of my favourite things from the gym was trap bar carries. I’ve been reading up on the kettlebell mile, and while my focus is on S&S primarily, I think i might add some kb carries once a week, with the aim of eventually trying the mile. I could do body weight carries but only for 25m max, so I think to start with I’ll use my 20kg and just over time work up to a mile, then work up to 24. Might take me a year or so but I think it’d be worth it.

Any issues anyone can see? I won’t be pushing it too hard, as my main goal is Simple, I just really like carries and the benefits of them.
 
Halfakneecap said:
After having some issues with back to back days with the 32kg, @Steve Freides mentioned doing one day a week with the 24 while I adapt to the 32. Surprised at how light the 24 feels now. Thanks Steve
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I'd recommend V2.0 of the book. Despite being a simple routine it truly deserves the explanation.
 
Pete L said:
I'd recommend V2.0 of the book. Despite being a simple routine it truly deserves the explanation.
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Cheers, I will check my copy. I kind of stopped reading once I got the hang of it, as I had no issues with the 24 but now with the 32, might be worth another read. I only got it in July so I think it might be 2.0.
 
Halfakneecap said:
Thanks J, i got some basketball knee sleeves with pads, and instead of doing the wiper movement, I move my other leg. So far it’s definitely doable. Lunges always aggravate my knee so I just get to the point where I stand up, and reverse it. Appreciate your tips mate thank you !
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Can you stand up from the half kneeling with bodyweight? One option would be to reverse Clean and Press, stand, come back down, Clean and Press the bell from half-kneeling and then finish the get down.

Standing from half-kneeling has always been the hardest part for me. I had been kind of shifting my weight to the forward leg and standing up (like going up a stair) but that was always a bit unsteady going up and a bit scary going down.
Eventually, I realized the cue of imagining my legs and hips rising and falling the way a scissor lift moves totally changed the game. Concentrating on pulling BACK with the front heel and using the hamstring of the front leg and quads of the back leg to seamlessly rise, then step forward.

This new method seems much safer and steadier.
 
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