Apologies, it’s another 40 something here that’s found S+S!
Stats: 47yrs old, 5’8 and 177lbs. Married, stressful job, 3 teenage kids (enough said).
I’ve always had an interest in looking after myself, but didn’t really get ‘into’ anything serious until my early 30’s. Back then it was cycling, running, callisthenics and some kettlebell training of sorts, but work/life always got in the way. Fast forward to 2020, 45 years old and life takes a severe turn for the worst. 20 months of hell followed, notwithstanding the COVID pandemic. At the end of it all I'd smoked and drank myself into oblivion a thousand times, developed a superb tyre and was over 190lbs in weight, not in a good way. In general I'd ruined my physical and mental health. 2022 and I'm getting myself back on my feet, and desperately thinking about how to recover my strength and general fitness. I ditch the drink, the cigarettes, and I find Pavel's S+S again, but this time I'm determined to follow it properly, so I get myself set up with 16, 20 and 24 Kettlebells and I get to work.
I'm training on average 5-6 times a week, as directed. I do the prescribed stretches and mobility exercises, and I stick to the routine 100 swings and 10 Get-Ups. At least once a week doing 2-hand swings flat out. At the end of each practice I hang on my pull-up bar for around 45-60 secs, and most nights I also follow the practice with two or three sets of 5 x chin-ups, or 20 x press-ups, I just find these help me to loosen up, and I just like chin-ups. I'm now 8 weeks in, and I've dropped the 16 and 20kg kettlebells; I've bought a 32kg and am comfortably swinging this (2-hand) for 100 swings, and when I'm swinging 1-hand I've incorporated it into my last two sets, after after the 24kg. I'm comfortably doing ten TGU's with the 24kg, and as of this week I've managed to do 1 TGU both sides with the 32kg, something that when I started, I couldn't honestly see myself managing. I've lost 10lbs in weight, lost my 'tyre' but have gone up a shirt size because my back and shoulders are building; I'm stronger I think, than I've ever been. I'm trying NOT to progress too quickly; I keep thinking about what Pavel said, and even if the 24kg feels too easy, I'm sticking with it for now, just gradually stepping up with the 32kg. My goal is 'Timeless Simple', by August-September, if I manage that I will feel I've achieved something. Just a brilliant programme, thank you Pavel!