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Old Forum Simple and Sinister daily practice, clarification help!

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killer

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I just read Simple and Sinister again a few weeks ago. I am finally getting off my lazy butt and doing the workout. However, the book says to work out four of five days a week and to approach this program like it's a practice and not a workout.

OK, I get the practice and not a workout part, but  when I was in shape, I worked out a normal three days a week routine. Can someone explain how a daily workout is helpful?
 
a high amount of frequency with a low intensity means you get to hone a skill faster
 
So instead of the five sets of each exercise , three days a week. Which I can barely do now. Do two or three Monday through Friday.

 
 
If you are struggling with recovery, then do take a day off between workouts until you start getting stronger and fitter. Do you struggle with the workout as it is? It could be that using a lighter kettlebell could help.

You haven't mentioned your age or how fit/strong you currently are, either.

I really think that S&S is designed to be done frequently simply because it IS a short workout (I mean 5 minutes of swings and 10 TGUs) and thus shouldn't be overly stressful on the body. Most gym workouts involve a lot more and thus require a great deal more recovery!
 
For me I found that as the weight got heavier I had to take a couple days of during the week to make sure I was completely fresh.  I'm taking when the weight got to 40-50% of my bw.  I try to do my practice as much as possible.
 
For me I found that as the weight got heavier I had to take a couple days of during the week to make sure I was completely fresh.  I’m taking when the weight got to 40-50% of my bw.  I try to do my practice as much as possible.
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Interesting for me since at 110 lbs bw I am getting somewhat close to 40-50% from right the start.
 
That's why everyone is different and their body recovers differently.  Just wanted to tell my experience.
 
Understood, Travis.  Just has always been a trick for me to grasp that I "seem" to need more recovery than most. The reality is that same weight is much more proportionately for me. Probably Simple will end up being my Sinister though I plan to push on and see where I really stall out.
 
Yeah exactly.   The 32kg is probably much easier to handle for someone that weighs 220lb vs someone weighing 125lb
 
Thanks for the help folks. It's just hard to rap my head around the concept of lifting heavy and not using a maximum effort to momentary failure. I keep remembering my old football coach screaming to keep working through the pain!
 
I am 65 years old, 5'3" tall. Pretty lean but huge tendency to put on visceral fat so have to really titrate my calorie intake to stave off diabetic tendency (lots of genetic baggage w/ that one). Makes it a real thread the needle effort to put on muscle mass!
 
Geoffrey, at your weight and age it would probably be reasonable for you to start with a lighter kettlebell (maybe more strong woman standard than average man?) I only say that because a "strong woman" could be 5'10" and weigh 170lbs and would only be swinging 16kg and using 12kg for a TGU, while you're a lot smaller/lighter than that!

I'm not surprised you need more recovery if you're doing heavier stuff right from the start. Don't be afraid to build up slowly.
 
Thanks for that Fiona! I have thought about it. I have been in Ecuador for last 18 months and kb’s pretty much do not exist here. Before I left the US I was doing TGU’s, 3-4 each side alternating, w/ a 24 kg bell. I will just have to feel it out and see how I feel starting up again. Been doing some bw training here to maintain but I know I have lost quite a bit of strength as mostly I have been sitting on my butt meditating. I will definitely take your advice about building slowly that’s for sure. How that plays out in terms of kilos of iron/steel I guess I will find out when I start. Actually had been thinking, since sold my bells before leaving as really thought I might stay here forever, that I would order a 12, a 16, and a 24 as my “starter” set so however it plays out I will be ready. Original thinking was the 12 would be for warm-ups and maybe some juggling playtime. But you've got me thinking it might be more as starter for TGU's.
 
Oh yeah, and mostly because it was what I had, I was doing swings w/ 16 kg in one hand and 24 kg in the other, switch hands after each set.

Can't remember if S&S had not come out then or I just had not read it but I just sort of came to the TGU/swing combo on my own, but without the clear programming Pavel has provided.
 
I know a lot of people don't seem to see the benefit in a 20kg kettlebell, but I think moving from 16kg to 24kg is a big jump. I can imagine 16kg getting pretty easy, but then 24kg being a great deal more difficult.

20kg seems a nice in between place? Not too easy but not too tough...(I know I'll be investing in one soon! I've done the occasional set with one at the gym, but I'm not quite ready to progress to it yet, because I haven't quite perfected 16kg in 5 minutes with strong, consistent swings).
 
I clearly remember having only worked w/ a 16 kg bell, ordering a 24 kg and when the UPS delivered it (after getting over laughing at the driver's reaction to carrying the box it came in) I was pretty shocked at how big a jump up it was. Took me awhile to get comfortable with it but it did make me a lot stronger pretty quickly. Never got to snatching it though, just swings, high pulls, and TGU's
 
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