10,000 Kettlebell Swings
Not All At Once Though
As a huge fan of kettlebells and all the fun that can be had with them, I knew I had to try this. The mad genius, or sadist, behind this sinister challenge, is Dan John, a strength coach of high renown. The original article can be found here, so I’ll give you the quick and dirty version.
Over the course of 4 to 5 weeks, you perform a total of 10,000 swings over 20 workouts. 500 swings per workout, 2 days on, 1 day off, for 4 to 5 workouts per week. Men are suggested to start with a 53lb (24kg) KB, and women a 35lb (16kg). Each session consists of 5 rounds of 100 swings with a strength movement like pull-ups, dips, goblet squats, or overhead presses in between each set of swings. It looks as follows:
10 swings, 1 pull-up, rest 30 to 60 seconds
15 swings, 2 pull-ups, rest 30 to 60 seconds
25 swings, 3 pull-ups rest 30 to 60 seconds
50 swings, then rest for 3 minutes before repeating for 4 more rounds
The program is meant to be a stand-alone protocol. If you have the energy to complete another strength workout on the same day, then you are ‘underbelled’ by not using a heavy enough kettlebell or not giving maximal effort. In other words, by swing 500 of the workout, you should be praising the deity of your choice that it’s finally over.
My Journey To 10,000
My swings got off to a rather inauspicious start. I opted for a 50lb kettlebell since that was the heaviest one available at my gym. I successfully completed 250 swings before stopping due to my forearms becoming numb. I couldn’t even grip the handle with enough force to lift the kettlebell from the ground, much less perform a swing. There’s nothing like having your ego take a swift kick to the nuts to knock you down a peg. I knew going into this that my grip was going to be a limiting factor, but I didn’t think it would be this severe. I had even been prepping by incorporating lots of kettlebell circuits in the weeks leading up to this and it still kicked my ass. Dejected but determined, I decided to incorporate deadlift straps for some of the sets to wrap around the handle to lessen the demands on my forearms for my next attempt.
For the sets of 10, 15, and 25 I would go barehanded, on the set of 50 I would use the straps. The good news is that over time my grip strength dramatically improved, and as I got stronger I was able to delay using the straps until set number 4
Another lovely side effect of the first few workouts was the incredible soreness in my lower back and hamstrings. Again, I knew I was going to be sore but not that sore. Once again I modified the protocol to account for this. Instead of training 2 days on, and 1 day off, I opted for a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday split to allow for ample recovery time
By now you might be saying to yourself that I’m not doing the protocol as written, and you would be correct. However, as a 38-year-old who has been weight training for my entire adult life, I’ve come to know when to push and when to be patient. You can’t train if you’re injured, and I knew after the first two workouts that the intensity and stress of the workout were going to require a different approach if I wanted to get to 10,000. Thanks to my younger and dumber self that had pushed through nagging pains that eventually led to a herniated disc and sciatica that put me on the shelf for months. If you’ve ever experienced sciatic nerve pain then you know how debilitating it can be. Did I complete the program as written? No, I did finish on a slightly longer timeline, but stronger and healthier than when I started, which should always be the priority of any training program you undertake.
One aspect I did successfully complete was timing and tracking my workouts. On day 1 it took me 33:50, and my final workout came in at 27:45. The first 2 weeks were absolutely brutal. The burning and tightness in the lower back during the last 2 rounds of the workout was immense, as well as the soreness during the forthcoming days. However, after session 6 I was pretty well adapted. Don’t get me wrong, it still sucked, but sucked less. My cardiovascular conditioning improved greatly too, as I was to gradually decrease the amount of rest between sets since I wasn’t gasping for air. I always took a 3-minute break between the sets of 100 but reduced the rest time between the smaller sets within the round of 100.
Tips And Takeaways
Finishing the 10,000 swing challenge filled me with a great sense of achievement, and I would wager it would do the same for you. A challenge of this magnitude requires dedication, focus, and most importantly the knowledge that it’s going to suck. Embrace the suck, let it become part of you, and be rewarded by the gains you make. Upon finishing the program I had lost 3 pounds and my body composition improved by losing roughly 1% of body fat, while still maintaining the strength I had before.
Clearly, the sets of 50 are the hardest to handle from a mental and physical standpoint. Instead of thinking about it as a set of 50, I counted it as 5 sets of 10 instead. Thinking of it like this allows you to visualize your progress as you climb the mountain to 50 reps.
Should you choose to partake in this grueling journey, you really need to take it one workout at a time. Each swing needs to be done with purpose and intensity. At the end of each workout, I felt a sense of exhaustion, relief, and excitement knowing that next time I could come back and do even better. Some days will feel better than others, which if you already exercise consistently you undoubtedly know.
Finally, make rest and recovery your priority. The swings and strength movements are all you will be doing. Any other activity should be in service of helping you perform better on your swings. Activities like walking, regular stretching, foam rolling, or any kind of myofascial release for the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back will help with the soreness you’ll experience after your first few sessions.
Swing hard, swing heavy, and swing often.
