In my slow descent in being a kettlebell guy, I’m here with a review of arguably the most commonly run kettlebell program on the planet: The Russian Kettlebell Challenge Rite of Passage. I am running the version described by kettlebell evangelist Pavel Tsatsouline in the Second Edition of his famous Enter the Kettlebell book.
While running Dan John’s 10,000 Kettlebell Swing Workout was good for me in terms of pushing myself to complete a challenge and dipping my toes in kettlebell work, this is the real deal. Even as Pavel has narrowed this program down in terms of movements quite a bit, the only required moves are clean & press, swings and snatches, this is still a fuller kettlebell experience.
Here’s some metrics compared to where I ended on the 10K Swing Workout:
- Body weight: 189 lbs -> 187 lbs
- Arms: ~15.5 inches -> ~15 inches
- Legs: ~25.5 inches -> ~25 inches
As you can see, I lost mass in my two primary places I track it while keeping about the same weight. Not ideal for my arms, which keep shrinking. This is fine for my legs, which are huge, and could stand to be smaller (and also is a spot where my body stores a fair amount of fat). My best guess is this mass was mostly expressed by my growing back, as…
