Low repetition kettlebell swings are great for training fast twitch muscle fibers, explosiveness, power.
Keeping the reps low also help to focus on swing technque.
It’s common to see kettlebell swings prescribed for high repetition, high fatigue, fat loss, “metabolic conditioning”. etc.
After all, kettlebell swings are a powerful and unique conditioning tool, and can serve as a potent contributor to body transformation.
Quick Blurb About Swings and Fat Loss
👉 If you’re aiming for fat loss, be sure you’re in a caloric deficit somehow/someway and protein intake is adequate.👈
If you’re not in a caloric deficit and trying to lose body fat, you’re wasting your time.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend like kettlebell swings are the single greatest exercise man has ever known, but they are pretty f*cking awesome.
Kettlebell swings are a bullish*t free exercise that ✅ a lot of boxes.
That being said, you still have to stay discipline with the basics.
Walking, diet, adequate sleep and hydration can create MASSIVE changes with regard to fat loss and lean muscle gain.
Avoid the fancy sh*t being marketed. Stick to the basics.
A topic for another blog post I suppose.
As much as I enjoy attacking high volume kettlebell swing workouts, they’re NOT the end all, be all.
Low repetition kettlebell swings prevent form decay while mitigating the chance of unnecessary injury do to that decay.
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking swings, squats, crawling, handstands, chopping wood, raking the yard or target shooting with a bow.
Fatigue kills technique and when taken too far (how far? not sure) can make us more susceptible to intra-workout tweaks, strains and injuries.
Reps
Depends who you’re talking to, but in my humble opinion, 5-7 repetitions of quality swings with plenty of rest in between efforts is a good target.
When the mind body connection begins to slip, muscles get tired, movement gets sloppy, you’re playing with fire.
Explosive low repetition kettlebell swing training using a heavier weight kettlebell are great for training fast twitch muscle fibers, developing explosiveness and power.
For the aging population, or anyone really, preserving (or improving) the ability to express power is essential. Kettlebell swings can be used as a tool to preserve power and limit the loss of muscle mass with age (in combination with resistance training).
Swings are a very rhythmic form of training, even when using heavier kettlebells, so completing 6 repetitions of kettlebell swings takes inside of a 5-6 second window.
It’s starts quick and ends quick.
Low rep swings will keep the exertion time to a minimum and the focus on technique maximized.
Rest Periods
Rest periods in between each set can vary, but I often opt for 45-60 seconds of rest.
45-60 seconds of rest might seem excessive, but it’s important to be fresh for every set.
Set a timer and stay strict to the rest periods. The stopwatch on your iPhone works great, or find a free website or app.
You shouldn’t feel exhausted after each effort.
Rest periods should be complete, not incomplete.
Utilizing incomplete or non-existent rest periods is a whole other style of training with a different structure and intentions.
The goal with low rep kettlebell swing training is to bang out quality/powerful swings, rest fully, and stay hyper focused on technique.
Sets
After the last rep of the set, place the kettlebell down, breathe deep, pace around little bit if you want to, get ready for the next effort.
8-12 work sets in a workout where reps are kept low should just fine.
For the well conditioned folks, work sets can go higher than 12.
Personally, I get what I’m looking for from 8-12 good sets using a 32kg-40kg kettlebell.
In summary:
- 5-7 reps/per set
- 45-60 seconds of rest
- 8-12 sets
You could get after explosive/power focused swing sessions 2-3 days per week. 2 days might be enough to see significant changes over time.
For a lot of people, the hardest part about using low rep/high rest kettlebell swings is going to be the “feeling” that little work is being done.
Resist the temptation to skip rest and chase fatigue.
Save the high repetition, metabolic resistance training for another day.
🤔 Keep in mind, a blog gives generalized advice, so, use your big boy and big girl brain to make you-focused choices on kettlebell weight, reps and sets for YOU.
Not your neighbor, someone boasting on a Reddit thread, or me.
Get after it, have fun, leave me a comment and let’s chat.
👉 Be sure to check out my YouTube channel and Instagram for more fitness content.
Kyle
M(eaux)tion Fitness 