My 10K Kettlebell Challenge

Let me preface this story by saying, I am, by no means, an advocate of high volume challenges. This is just me satisfying my curiosity and sharing my personal experience.

On January 1, 2012, I started a kettlebell swinging challenge. The goal was 10,000 kettlebell swings in 31 days.

Swings 1-3,000: The challenge started out pretty fun. I did 1 & 2 arm swings, I varied the weight and played around with fully vertical and eye level swings. While the volume I needed to complete each day was challenging (about 333 swings) the idea was really exciting. I kept the weight light and tried to focus on my form.

As my swings added up, I could feel my latissimus dorsi (lats) and core muscles getting tighter but I also felt a pinch in my left shoulder joint. I took this as a cue to take down the kettlebell weight and rest more. (Only 7,000 to go! Yikes!?)

Swings 3,000-6,000: Though mobility WODs and stretching help prevent injury, they are always last on my “to-do” list. This challenge forced me to take warming up, stretching and cooling down very seriously and it is a habit I plan to keep once this challenge is over. The weight I am using is still on the lighter side, but my glutes feel stronger and the pinch in my left shoulder joint has gone…..and moved to my right hip flexor. (Time to break out the foam roller.)

Swings 6,000-9,000: I purchased my own kettlebell (as a Christmas gift to myself) and fear I will never, ever want to use it again once this challenge is over. My hands are sore and my left trapezius (trap muscle) aches all the time. On the bright side, my endurance has definitely increased and 100-200 kettlebell swings are not as daunting as they used to be. I found breaking a larger set, like 100 swings, into smaller more manageable sets of 10 x 10 swings throughout the day definitely helped me chip away at the number. (Thank goodness, I am over half way done.)

Swings 9,000-10,000: I am DONE! You’d think 1,000 swings would seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the 9,000 swings I’d already completed, but these were the hardest swings by far. My initial motivation had waned and I was just plain tired. Am I glad I finished? Let’s just say, there are not enough hearts, butterflies, rainbows and unicorns in the world to reflect how happy I am. (I wish I could say more, but I am almost speechless with relief.)

If I were to do this again, or if you are thinking of doing something like this yourself, here are some things to consider.

Why are you doing this challenge?
If you are considering this kind of challenge to improve performance on a specific movement, then this is not the path to take. You can get better at most movements (kettlebell swings, double-unders, push-ups, etc.) by doing as little as 10 extra a day. At a lower volume, you can focus on getting better and continue to build your overall strength and endurance in your normal workouts.

Pick a volume that is right for you.
If you are a seasoned athlete, listening to your body should be second nature and you should know what volume is “too much” based on your lifestyle and general fitness goals.

For me 10,000 was a lot physically, but it turned out to be exhausting mentally. It took a lot of planning to fit in my swings each day and I think I would have enjoyed this challenge more at a lower volume using a heavier average kettlebell weight.

Know yourself.
I say the following out of kindness as a friend and fellow athlete: If you struggle with obsessive behaviors or have a tendency to hyper-focus this is not the type of challenge for you. Walk away and don’t look back.

We are programmed as CF athletes to push ourselves and never quit, but by the last week, I didn’t have a good reason to keep going. I only kept going because I said I was going to complete 10,000 kettlebell swings and I don’t commit to things lightly.

Was that the smartest move on my part? Probably not, and I should have adjusted the volume in week two to match how I was feeling.

When I started, this challenge was supposed to be fun and the final number was supposed to be flexible. Unfortunately, I got a little caught up and couldn’t allow myself to adjust (or quit) as I saw it as a failure rather than an intelligent decision based on the feedback my body was providing.

Would I call finishing this challenge a success? I haven’t decided yet, but I learned a little more about myself and I gained a new respect for kettlebells as well. That is something. :)

I hope by sharing my experience, both the good and the bad, I haven’t turned you off of kettlebells. As far as equipment goes, a kettlebell is a simple, relatively inexpensive tool that can provide a challenging full body work out just about anywhere. You can do Turkish get-ups, push-presses, cleans, snatches, renegade rows, farmer walks, dead lifts, push-ups and a host of other movements. The list is really endless and you don’t have to do thousands of reps to get stronger.(I swear!)

Ever the student,
MM