Way behind you. But after doing only warm-up routine and deadlifts for last 2 weeks I started on swings again this morning #willgetthere
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Nailed my first left/right 24kg Turkish Get Ups last night. Was able to press the left but not the right but felt good enough last night to be confident enough completing it after pressing the right with a little help from the left. Unfortunate outcome was that my VO2 max intervals fell apart this morning. Also did 2 sets of 1H swings with the 24 but the tail end of the 10 swings is not pretty. Not sure if the two are related but didn’t have it in me today. I’ll take that though.
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Huge progress!!! Well done!
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Thanks. I did 2H today with the 24, but then when it came to the TGUs, I couldn’t even budge the 24kg with the press on either hand so I left it alone today. I’ll take a day off tomorrow. No rush.
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Hi Team, so how are we all progressing? I’ve had a few ups and downs with holidays etc and work getting out of hand. However back in the gym these days and working hard to prioritise 3 days a week.
I had been alternating my 10x10 swing sets with a 16 and a 20kg bell. Today I did 2 of the 16kg sets single armed, switching from hand to hand. I suspect a full set with 1 arm will be harder but will try that next time.
Still battling with TGU. But am pushing the 10kg bell up, aiming for 4 or 5 each side rather than just 2 each side. I have managed 2 each side with the 12kg but it feels like I can’t hold the rotation as it goes up and I’m terrified for my rotar cuff so have eased back to the 10kg and working on volume instead for now. Then will try the 12kg again soon. Am wondering if adding in pushups will help?
A couple of questions for the more experienced.
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Do the one armed swings frag your legs a bit extra? Is this from resisting the twist of being off balance with the one arm? Maybe I’m doing them wrong but they feel ok/safe.
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Don’t do Plyo after 1 arms. Wowsers! My Plyo is now up from the 50cm box to the 61cm box so am happy with that…for now.
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I’m wondering if I should swap one of my 3 KB days a week for regular free weights (squats, bench, overhead press, deadlift, rows etc)? Thoughts? Do we need variety? When doing regular weights it seems important to switch it up. Is that the case with KBs?
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How is everyone else getting on?
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I don’t think I’m more experienced, but here are my comments.
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No. One arm feels about the same on my legs. I suspect the trick is to keep a tight core. I think you’re an experienced lifter so almost certainly know this, but my trainer taught me to brace my core by pushing out against my waistband all around—kind of like making myself thicker. Before being taught that, I thought I was supposed to pull my belly button in. Turns out, that making myself thicker gave me much more brace and really helps keep the one arm swings straight.
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I change things up, probably more than optimal. But I get bored otherwise.
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I’m getting on slowly, but due to a combination illness/injury/travel and, mist importantly, the commitment to prioritize the KB over other things in the face of obstacles.
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So hard to prioritise aye!
Yep I know that about thickening the core but will try focus on that a bit more. My legs are still toast today!
Might try something different tomorrow
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Hey Dame Lisa & Gang!
Hope everyone is well.
So, I’ve gone a bit off the deep end. I’ve let S&S stay where it is, and I keep it in my shoulder routine only now as opposed to 3x a week. Result is that I haven’t progressed above the 40kg. I honestly don’t see the point, unless I just want to keep bulking up. I’ve put almost 20 lbs of muscle on and it’s honestly too much for riding. I have also introduced macebells into the mix and the host of compound movements that that entails. Truth is, I feel amazingly strong, but my times on the long hills are the slowest they’ve been in years. The flats are however some of the fastest. So I need to try and find a happy medium in 2023. I love lifting, but I love riding fast too.
To answer some of your questions, legs feeling exhausted in single arm swings can indicate not as good of a hip hinge and indicates you’re approaching maximal functional control in relation to current level of strength. This is good if you allow for adaptation before stacking in more weight. Where you feel this fatigue is also important. If you feel this in your hips, you’re okay. If it’s more widespread down your legs, video yourself and check form for hip hinge.
Variety is the spice of life. Switch it up and you’ll reap the benefits. Just be careful that you keep things going in the direction you want them to. Too much of a good thing can take away from other goals (lifting vs riding/racing).
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Yeah predominantly my hips. Whew. Will take a video next time tho and check. And probably single arms with 16 when I haven’t quite nailed 10x10 with the 20 is probably not the smartest thing I’ve done.
I have loaded on muscle but not masses. Still lots of fat to burn off as well. Am surprisingly quick up hills, because I have POWA now. Even got a few climb PRs today with an extra 10kg of bikepacking gear loaded up so it’s definitely helping. I suspect if I make an effort to train my bike sprint again, I’ll be quick. I am a sprinter. Am quite slow on the flats tho. But that’s my fault for doing stuff all zone 2 riding. Whoops. Am riding 5 days a week. Gym 3 days. It’s a heavy load but have sorted my nutrition and taking rest week and rest days VERY seriously so is going well. 
No injuries or illness since Covid in April/May and feeling really…well and strong
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Regarding progress I had some set backs. Went on vacation for 10 days and then came back with Covid which knocked me down. Was just exhausted after it. I got back to training 2 weeks ago. Started with 24kg 2H swings but needed a lot of rest between each set as HR was up and breathing was hard. Restarted TGU with 16 as I was overly cautious but moved back to 20kg easily enough. I did 2 days worth of 1H 20kg swings last week but they super hard. I was able to do a TGU on each side with the 24kg on two days also and they were my strongest ones yet. I’m still skinny but I can find my lats now. Progressing slowly but gradually so happy enough with the direction. I don’t notice any difference between 1H and 2H swings on my legs. For me it is, grip, shoulders, lats that are the weakness for the 1H ones.
I did find KBs in a hotel gym on my holiday though. I also found that I could do 100 x 32kg 2H swings although they were hard. That was pre-covid. Maybe in another month I’ll order a 28kg for the 2H swings if I can get my breath back.
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Are you pressing the bell up with 1H or 2H to start the TGU? I don’t TGU unless I can press with 1H but I know some folks do. I just like the safety aspect of being able to handle what I put over my head. When you say, " it feels like I can’t hold the rotation as it goes up" do you mean the bell rotating your straight arm downwards off the perpendicular offset from the ground? or the bell rotating in your hand horizontally? I guess the first. I think that is all about concentration and ensuring you are looking at the bell and being smooth (avoiding jerky movements). I find I do TGUs back to back and don’t let my HR recover, it gets hard to concentrate and keep the bell steady on top. Fully commit to the complete TGU at the start. At least that is how I prep each one. Nothing wrong with volume at a lower bell also.
Great to hear from the master of TGU 
Couldn’t agree with the above more - whether it’s weights, riding bikes, running up mountains (no-one runs down them right …. that’s too sore, stretching, functional movement work … that statement feels true to me as I continue the graceful natural decline.
Focussing in one area has obvs benefits depending on available time. Switching it around from my experience) results in a better overall outcome.
Anyway - loved the update. Let’s get you in a Tour Sprint stage !!
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Pressing it up 1H to start. So once my forearm is vertical with elbow down, as I lift my elbow with forearm above, I sort of twist my forearm ftom facing my shoulder to facing forwards as my arm straightens over my head. And the KB sort of pulls it back or if I straighten my arm too quixkly, the KB keeps going and sort of hyper rotates my forearm to face to the outside (so right forearm almost twists further to the right).
I duffed my shoulder really badly before in a bike crash, and it does flare up pretty easily so am paranoid about that hyperflex.
Am happy doing 5 each side with the 10kg now. Will work up to 100 with the 20kg and then progress the TGU to the 12kg.
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I’m still working on the 24kg TGUs. I’m at 8 now. I think I can pretty much go to 10. I’ll post a video below if you are interested (maybe not). My swings still suck. I did buy a 28kg kettlebell and I can swing that with 2H, but my form is not yet good enough to swing 1H correctly (hardstyle anyway) so I’m currently working on my 2H swing form with the 24kg bell. How is everyone else doing?
Here is what my Get-up currently looks like. Yes. Still moving at snails pace.
https://youtu.be/TIqnunDwi9I
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Hi hi!
Nice progress on the TGUs!
I got to doing 5 TGU each side with a 12 kg. And was doing 24kg 10x10 swings or putting in some switching single arms with a 16kg. I stopped all gym work yo get thru 2 races in Late Nov and Dec and then took a break over Dec. Back in the gym now tho. Have had a gentle start with a 10 and a 12kg KB but will ramp it back up reasonably quickly. Good to drop the weight right down as that helps to cement good form.
Had a guy in the gym last week come over and tell me I was doing my swings all wrong. He then proceeded to use 100% his arms only to swing a 32kg to “show you the right way to do it” and put his back out. I noticed he hadn’t bothered trying to correct any of the guys using the KBs. Sigh. Hopefully he is ok but seriously!
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Great work on getting to 12kg with the TGU. That must have been a confidence boost. I find the swing is so hard to master as its just such a fast movement that I can’t think about everything that I have to do. I feel it’s improving though. I’m trying to stay with the 2H swing for the moment to get that muscle memory going as it seemingly goes out the window when I switch to 1H.
The swing can mess you up that is for sure. I’m surprised you run into folks working with kettlebells. I’ve never seen anyone using them here (although haven’t been to a gym in about 2 years). I guess he was teaching you how not to swing the bell when he hurt himself.
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Yeah that’s my thinking 
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Just found this amazing thread after starting S&S today (a couple years late to the party). Absolute gold! S&S seems way more approachable/achievable than most lifting I’ve fiddled with. Also love the minimalism and the “save something for sport specific training” aspect.
My goal is a bit of body recomp, balancing out posterior chain, and fixing some asymmetrical imbalances (piriformis syndrome).
The 30lb bell my wife had was fine for single-handed swings (I’m below average strength-wise), will grab a 16kg and 20kg bell for the winter indoor season. I needed a much lighter weight (15lb) for the TGU on an old left shoulder injury, felt way unstable/pinchy on the way down with 25lbs…figure I’ll gradually work up the left with some extra work and maintain the right until the shoulders even out.
New friend:
Thanks for the wealth of info @SirAlexanderLee, @DameLisa et al!
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