Kettlebell Swings vs Hill Sprints

[NormanOsborn]

I finished Swing Hard 1.0 last week. With the weather finally turning pleasant - summer in Scotland is basically July and part of August - I considered doing some Hill Sprints instead of KB Swings as my primary conditioning. So I experimented this week, trying both methods.

I found that the Hill Sprints were much more intense, raising my heart rate and leaving me gasping for air. Swings also raised by heart rate, though not as much and my respiration was nearly unchanged.

Are Swings more akin to LISS than HIIT? And yes, I know Swings can be performed with extreme intensity, but I'm referring to GPP programs like the less advanced versions of Swing Hard.

I welcome other member's opinions.

 

[marvinthemartian]

Are Swings more akin to LISS than HIIT?

Neither? Maybe sprints are just better for HIIT.

 

[Kev]

Hill sprints are all kinds of amazing. That maniac who wrote “Tactical Barbell” was doing hill sprints and busting out swings with a 40kg. I did hill sprints on my squat days. I couldn’t do them on deadlift day because I’d pull my adductor every time. They rule. They prevent injury as you can’t reach max velocity and they instantly make you run properly as you need to lean forward. In fact I’m now going to start doing them again. Thank you.

 

[pet']

Hello,

I also feel that hill sprints increase my HR more than swings. Usually, I do 10 sets with either ample rest in-between or EMOM I stop the sprint (in terms of distance) when power output decreases.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Nothing quite like powering your body across the ground, through the air, uphill or not. Primal.

 

[silveraw]

That maniac who wrote “Tactical Barbell” was doing hill sprints and busting out swings with a 40kg.

Not K Black, but one of the other TB book authors Jim Madden did this fun little number with his 48kg.

5 GS, hill sprint 10 swings, repeat 5 times

 

[silveraw]

I found that the Hill Sprints were much more intense, raising my heart rate and leaving me gasping for air. Swings also raised by heart rate, though not as much and my respiration was nearly unchanged.

I think hill sprints are one of those rare exercises that are supremely effective and incredibly easy to do. I know after a couple months of replacing swings with sprints i felt like I made more progress after that than the previous 6 months on S&S.

But I wasn't in any shape to do anything after a hill sprint session. After S&S I pretty much feel like I could go ahead and do a full workout on top of it.

 

[offwidth]

Hill sprints (real ones) are totally effective, but you need a steep enough hill. The one shown in that video is not.

 

[watchnerd]

No matter how heavy I’m swinging, I can’t hit the same level of sucking air with swings as I can with running sprints or rowing sprints

 

[NormanOsborn]

I think hill sprints are one of those rare exercises that are supremely effective and incredibly easy to do. I know after a couple months of replacing swings with sprints i felt like I made more progress after that than the previous 6 months on S&S.

But I wasn't in any shape to do anything after a hill sprint session. After S&S I pretty much feel like I could go ahead and do a full workout on top of it.

Same here. It was tough going on Monday morning, but I still completed the set and walked home. But by the afternoon, my right knee hurt so bad I was limping badly. It wasn't until Wednesday evening the pain went away.

 

[Boris Bachmann]

Hill sprints are amazing. I recommend them all the time. I think they are one of the best tools for improving someone's sprinting and overall explosiveness that you can do - always have.

I actually do them, on average, about once every 3 years (over the past 20 years).

 

[Steve Freides]

@NormanOsborn, more intense isn't better, it's just more intense. Whether more intense is better for you at this time is really the question.

Variety is the spice of life. Get outside while you can, and don't sweat the details of high level this and low level that. And if you like, keep doing some swings but on a different schedule, e.g., S&S or Q&D.

-S-

 

[Don Fairbanks]

No matter how heavy I’m swinging, I can’t hit the same level of sucking air with swings as I can with running sprints or rowing sprints

A vague question, but what is the general difference in smoke factor btwn. being on the water and being on an erg. ?

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Are Swings more akin to LISS than HIIT?

No

If you perform Cluster Sets of Kettlebell Swing with the right loading, your heart rate will go as high or higher than sprints.

 

[watchnerd]

A vague question, but what is the general difference in smoke factor btwn. being on the water and being on an erg. ?

For whole body smoke factor, water, because the stabilizer muscles get used a lot more so localized fatigue goes way up.

For pure VO2 and energy, the erg, because it's more stable and you can therefore put more raw power into it and you become more bound by max horsepower over time.

 

[acutaiar12]

I do both, on different days. Swings are awesome and hills don’t lie. Doing both will turn you into a beast.

 

[NormanOsborn]

No

If you perform Cluster Sets of Kettlebell Swing with the right loading, your heart rate will go as high or higher than sprints.

What are Cluster Sets?

 

[pet']

Hello @NormanOsborn

I do not want to talk for @Kenny Croxdale who is the cluster set expert here, with @North Coast Miller However, below are cluster set training routines

Cluster Set Training for Strength and Size - Muscle & Fitness

Use the weightlifting technique known as cluster sets to lift more weight, build muscle and increase strength.

www.muscleandfitness.com

Hope that helps,

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[NormanOsborn]

Hello @NormanOsborn

I do not want to talk for @Kenny Croxdale who is the cluster set expert here, with @North Coast Miller However, below are cluster set training routines

Cluster Set Training for Strength and Size - Muscle & Fitness

Use the weightlifting technique known as cluster sets to lift more weight, build muscle and increase strength.

www.muscleandfitness.com

Hope that helps,

Kind regards,

Pet'

Thank you. I'd be interested to see how Cluster Sets could be applied to Kettlebells.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

how Cluster Sets could be applied to Kettlebells.

Cluster Sets

The article Pet provides information on Cluster Set Training.

Cluster Set Training falls into the area of

High Intensity Resistance Training, HIRT

This is the weight version of High Intensity Interval Cardio Sprint Training.

This type of training was shown to increase "V02 max by about 14%; anaerobic capacity increased by a whopping 28%."

"Moderate-intensity endurance training program produced a significant increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. Source: Forget the Fat-Burn Zone

While LISS provides some benefits, it's going to be less that High Intensity Types of Training (like Sprints and Cluster Set HIRT methods).

Ancillary Benefits of High Intensity Training

It elevates your Metabolic Rate for hour after training, burning more calories/body fat.

It essentially is Strength Trainng for your heart and lungs.

GPP Conditioning

This is cardiovascular conditioning; which HIIT and HIRT dramatically do with in very short training sessions. HIIT and HIRT also increase anaertobic capcity which neither LISS nor Moderate-Intensity Endurance Training does.

EMOM (Every Minutes On The Minute) Kettlebell Swings

This is High Intensity Resistance (Cluster Set) Training.

Swings are performed as stated, every 60 seconds.

As with anything, start off easy with a light Kettlebell and move up.

Being too agressive with a program leads to something like this...

Monday morning, but I still completed the set and walked home. But by the afternoon, my right knee hurt so bad I was limping badly. It wasn't until Wednesday evening the pain went away.

Avoid This

This is something you want to avoid.

The purpose of training is, “Stimulate, don't annihilate.”