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The original was posted on /r/weightroom by /u/eliechallita on 2023-09-09 16:54:08.

Summary

I did the 10,000 swings challenge in 5 weeks but added 10 sets of heavy singles or doubles and volume work.

I probably overdid it a few times but it was an overall success

Training Backgound

3 years of lifting regularly, alongside a decade of BJJ. I had written a review last year detailing my 6 month run of General Gainz. Between the end of that program and the start of this one I did a frankenprogram based on Alsruhe's RPM where I did heavy triples for T1s, adding sets each time until I hit 10 sets, and AMRAP sets for everything else.

Starting Point

I had just finished my RPM mashup when I came down with a bad case of strep, which tanked me for a bit. I wanted to move to something even more conditioning oriented and the 10K program had been on my mind for a while.

I had a 45lb bell which I'd attempted this with before and ended up hurting my back, so this time I decided to start smart: I bought a 25lb bell that I told myself I'd stick with the entire run, and I decided to do a few weeks' preparation by starting with 25 sets of 10 and working up to 25 sets of 20 before the program proper.

That was the end of my smart decisions: I decided I didn't want to give up all other lifts for 2 months (program + ramp up week) so I decided to superset a big lifting set with every set of swings. I figured I'd progress by adding reps to each set, then add weight once I hit doubles on the T1 and 10s on everything else.

The Program

I did this with 4 lifting days per week, resting over the weekend. I would often do BJJ in the morning then lift at night, or lift in the morning and skip BJJ as needed to fit my schedule. I rested most weekends, partly to spend more time hiking over the summer.

Here's what the program looked like:

| Lifts and progression | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | |

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| | 10x1 to 10x2 | Squats (starting 225, ending 275) | Bench (185, ending 235) | Push Press (135, ending 165) | Deadlift (315, ending 365) | | 5x5 to 5x10 | OHP, Chin Ups, Lunges | RDL, Barbell rows, Ring dips | Front squat, Chin ups, Z Press | CG Bench, Barbell rows, Ring dips | | 25x20 | Swings | Swings | Swings | Swings |

I tried to finish the 25 supersets in a row without any rest between sets, except to switch out weights or set up the next lift.

The first prep week took me about 30 minutes to complete: I took 3 weeks to work up from 25 sets of 10 swings to 25 sets of 20 swings.

I also injured my knee during my last prep week: I had planned to start with 315 on squats and 405 on deadlifts, but my foot slipped during a squat set and I could barely bend my knee for a week. I dropped the weight back for those two.

I started adding reps to every set of lifts until they were taking more than an hour, and that's when I realized my pace was unsustainable for me: The volume of each workout was getting too much, and banging out 10 reps between the sets of swings was slowing me down too much. I was also starting to struggle with weights that I should have been able to do easily.

I dialed it back for weeks 4 and 5: I stuck to 10 singles for the main lifts and 5x5 for the accessories, and my goal was to just finish out the program while adding some weight to each of those lifts instead of increasing their volume.

Nutrition and Rest

Not great on either front. I was definitely eating enough, but I didn't pay close attention to exact quantities and I probably ate more crap than I needed to. My sleep's always been a problem so at this point I feel like I'm just working around it.

Results

I didn't take physical measurements but I saw a lot of improvements: I didn't gain weight but I look bigger and more defined than when I started, and I feel more solid. I lost a couple inches off my waist as well, judging by my clothes.

My conditioning is much better too: I wore my tracker for every workout and it seems I was in the 130 to 160 bpm range. The first week was leaving me winded: By the last week, I was still sweating balls but felt like I could've kept swinging all day otherwise.

My lifts improved too:

• On my last week, I did 10 bench singles at 235 which felt relatively easy. My last tested 1RM in december was 255, so I should have plenty more in the tank now.
• I also did 10x1x165 on push presses, whereas I'd never pressed more than 150 overhead before.
• That makes me wonder if my squat and deadlift would've seen similar improvements if I hadn't hurt my knee at the beginning. As it is, the program was still an excellent rehab for it.

What Worked

• Ramping up to 20 swings per set over 3 weeks before starting the program proper set me up for success instead of hurting my back like last time.
• Heavy singles superset with swings were a great way to get extra practice with minimal rest.
• 5x5 accessories also worked well to give me a well-rounded without tanking the rest of my workout
• Sticking to a cadence of 25 sets of 20 instead of Dan John's ladded of 10, 15, 25, and 50 worked well in that it let me get in more lifts. I was also much easier for me mentally to always count to 20 instead of keeping track of which set I was on.
• Not resting between any sets kept me going at a punishing but good pace: It really did feel like an hour of LSS endurance in addition to a lifting session.

What Didn't

• I was overly ambitious with adding reps to every set: 5x5 is manageable between swings, 5x10 had me missing lifts that I should be able to do and in a weird way felt like I was resting too long away from the swings. It turned into an unhappy compromise that I didn't need to stick with.

Looking Ahead

I'm going to take a week off and get some more BJJ and walking in, then I'm thinking of messing around for a few weeks with a program built off of Mythical's little book of bad ideas: I want to try to Zeno every T1 lift and Babel every T2 so I can work back into higher reps after 2 months of singles and 5x5.