This was my fourth week following the Simple and Sinister template from Pavel Tsatsouline’s new book. I completed my get-ups with the 26-pound kettlebell (no work with the 35 pounder) because my work required me to start Monday and Tuesday at 2 AM filling-in for a vacationing colleague. I worried that I should not train Monday or Tuesday, but felt better after each session, so I think it was a good idea to stay on plan. My neighbors who were coming and going on Christmas offered cheery hellos as I worked on Wednesday. Overall, it was a good week.

Pavel recommends doing 3 x 5 reps of the Strongfirst Hip Bridge as part of the warm up for this workout. I could not identify the benefit of the hip bridge as part of the warmup after 15 days of practice, so dropped it from my “warmup” and have added a few to my stretching later in the day. I am able to complete the workout faster as a result of not needing to put the kettlebell down between goblet squats and halos. I realize Pavel is the expert and I am a not-very-strong-guy who has been injured multiple times, but I just wasn’t feeling the hip bridge.

My current S&S program

Prying goblet squats
16 kg kettlebell – 3 x 5 = 15 reps, 525 pounds

Goblet squat curls
16 kg kettlebell –3 x 5 = 15 reps, 525 pounds

Halos: 16 kg kettlebell – 3 x 10 = 30 reps, 1050 pounds

Two-handed swings
24 kg kettlebell – 5 x 10 = 50 reps, 2600 pounds

One-handed swings
24 kg kettlebell – 5 x 5 L/R = 50 reps, 2600 pounds

Get-ups
12 kg kettlebell – 5 x 1 L/R = 10 reps, 260 pounds

Total weight: 7560 pounds

I kept getting faster as they week progressed. I finished on Friday in 22 minutes.