Proven program, faithfully implemented
Dan John — 10,000 Swing Challenge
Dan John's 10,000 Swing Challenge is exactly what its name says: ten thousand kettlebell swings across twenty sessions, 500 a time, in clusters of 10, 15, 25 and 50 with one strength lift taken in the gaps. ⚠ Nothing ever gets heavier. The weights stand for all twenty sessions and the progression is the clock — John's instruction is that session twenty should clobber session one on time.
About the program
Created by: Dan John — The 10,000 Swing Kettlebell Workout — T-Nation, 4 June 2022.
- Creator: Dan John
- The article: The 10,000 Swing Kettlebell Workout (T-Nation)
Who it's for
- Best for: Conditioning and work capacity, in a fixed four-to-five week block — not a strength programme with swings in it.
- Experience: Intermediate to advanced. The swing volume is very high, so the hinge needs to be second nature before you start; this is not where you learn it.
- Time: Twenty sessions, typically four or five a week. Sessions are short but dense.
How it's built
The shape of the program — sessions, sets and rep scheme. Iron Forge fills in the exact weights for you from your maxes.
10,000 Swings
Press day
- Kettlebell Swing — 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50
- + 1 more exercise
Dip day
- Kettlebell Swing — 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50
- + 1 more exercise
Goblet Squat day
- Kettlebell Swing — 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50
- + 1 more exercise
Chin-up day
- Kettlebell Swing — 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50, 1×10, 1×15, 1×25, 1×50
- + 1 more exercise
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
Ten thousand swings across twenty workouts — 500 a session. Each session is five clusters of 10, 15, 25 and 50 reps; one cluster is 100 swings, and you repeat it five times.
The lift between the swings
One strength lift per session, taken in the gaps: press, dip, goblet squat and chin-up on rotation. Most run 1-2-3 reps between the swing sets; the dip runs 2-3-5, because Dan John says it needs more. Loadable lifts use your five-rep max weight.
Nothing gets heavier — the clock is the progression
⚠ There is no weight progression here and that is the design. "Time your workouts. Each week you should be getting faster. Your time in workout #20 should clobber your time in workout #1." The weights stand for all twenty sessions; the improvement is measured with a stopwatch.
Dan John — 10,000 Swing Challenge in Iron Forge
FAQ
- Why doesn't the weight ever go up?
Because the author does not move it. The challenge is the volume, and he measures progress with a stopwatch rather than a rep-out — "your time in workout #20 should clobber your time in workout #1". The bell you start with is the bell you finish with.
- What size kettlebell?
Dan John's own numbers: 24 kg (53 lb) for men, 16 kg (35 lb) for women. The app prescribes the exact bell rather than rounding it to a barbell plate step — a kettlebell is a fixed object, and 24 kg is 24 kg.
- Why 10, 15, 25 then 50?
That is his cluster, quoted exactly: "Set 1: 10 reps / Set 2: 15 reps / Set 3: 25 reps / Set 4: 50 reps. You've now completed 100 reps or one cluster. Repeat the cluster 4 more times for a total of 500 swings."
- How often do I train?
"You will train 4-5 days per week. Train 2 days on, 1 day off, and repeat." The programme ships on that two-on-one-off rotation rather than fixed weekdays, which lands the twenty workouts in about thirty days — his own "four or five weeks". You can still pick weekdays instead when you start.
- Why is the dip 2-3-5 when the other lifts are 1-2-3?
His instruction, not ours: "For the dip, you'll need more reps. Use a 2-3-5 rep scheme." The press, goblet squat and chin-up keep the 1-2-3.
- Can I train again later the same day?
He has an answer for that: "If you feel you're able to do a second workout on the same day, then you are 'underbelled'." In other words, go heavier rather than longer.
- Do I do all the swings first and then the strength lift?
No — they interleave, and the article lays it out set by set: 10 swings, 1 press, 15 swings, 2 presses, 25 swings, 3 presses, then the 50. They appear as two exercises here because that is how sets are tracked, but the session is one cluster of swings with the strength work taken inside it.
- How long do I rest?
Thirty to sixty seconds after the sets of 10, 15 and 25 — the app prescribes the top of that range, because Dan John says the later clusters need the full sixty or more. After each set of 50 it is three minutes or more, and he has you spend that time on a corrective or mobility movement rather than sitting down.
- What weight for the press and goblet squat?
Your five-rep max — that is his instruction for the 1-2-3 lifts. The dip and the chin-up are bodyweight here rather than asking you to declare a 5RM for them, since his rule is about the lifts you load.
- Can I train five days a week instead of four?
Yes, and he says what changes: on one of those days you do the swings only and skip the strength lift. That is a decision on the day rather than a different programme, so the app schedules the four-day rotation and leaves the fifth to you.
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