Email from Geoff

My edited email to Geoff Neupert

Howdy Geoff,

Right now I just finished week 6 of KBB. Here's my question, how do I pick the right size bell for the swings.

By the end of the Strength & Metabolic Pairings, I find I have little left in the tank for swings. I am consistently failing at 5min or less on the finishers.

Should I drop to a 20kg or 16kg? (edit: I was using a 24 in phase 1)

I also sent him a copy of my latest training log. His reply:

You're an animal!

 Ok, I may have edited that last part... ;o)

Why don't you alternate between bell sizes? Use what you're normally using on one session, then drop to a lighter bell the next session and repeat the sequence? For the lighter bell, use the size that you think will allow you to complete the Finishers. Err on the side of caution, so go as light as you think necessary. If there's any doubt, then it's probably too heavy.

I dropped to a 16kilo today and what was interesting was that prior to this session,  I always felt that I had much better swing form with a heavy weight. I know they say your 8kg swing should look exactly like your 24kg swing, but I always felt I got more ham activation using a heavier bell.

With this program tho, after getting smoked doing the first two parts of the routine, the swing finishers with a 16kilo actually felt crisper, with WAY more ham activation than I have felt in a long time!

WEIRD!


I can only think that when your toasted, doing those last sets of swing forces you to rely ONLY on good technique, where as when you are fresh, you can muscle through it. By using a heavy bell in my previous attempts, all I noticed was crap form because I was too fried to swing properly.

All in all, it was a great session. I hope to sleep like the dead tonight. I'm toast!