Throughout the month of July I will swing a 24kg competition grade kettlebell 25,000 times - i.e. 12,500 swings per arm.

 

You can view my daily progress on my blog dedicated to this challenge:

 

http://25thousandswings.blogspot.com/

 

Kettlebells are a phenomenal strength conditioning tool that originate in Russia, where they have a long history dating back more than 300 years. 24kg is what is known as a "2 pood" kettlebell - 1 "pood" being a 12kg standard unit of measure for kettlebells.

 

The swing is the most fundamental of all kettlebell movements, and is deceptively tough. Done correctly, it is a movement that actually works the significant majority of the major muscle groups of the body; most especially around the hip complex. This gives it tremendous athletic application, and an immediate transfer of effect to other sports and activities; essentially it'll make someone faster, stronger, leaner, strengthen your core, and dramatically improve their posture.It is also highly cardiovascular as well, and will send your heart rate sky rocketing after a few minutes.

 

You can somewhat simulate a kettlebell swing using a normal dumbell - though the fact that most of the weight is distributed either side of the handle on a dumbell rather than being displaced some distance from the handle means that an equivalent weight of dumbell will be somewhat less challenging to swing than a kettlebell (the difference is due to the resultant different levels of angular momentum for those who want to get geeky!).

 

Nevertheless, give it try - pick up a 24kg dumbell/weight (or thereabouts) and try swinging it 50 times on each arm and see how you feel! Hard work?

 

I'm doing this because I like a good challenge (and the gradual cumulatative fatigue and soreness from day after day of high volume swinging will certainly present one!), and because the cause is a worthy one. Due to extensive development, there is only a scant remaining area of Europe that has remained relatively untouched and is still "wild"; these areas provide the necessary habitat for critically endagered species such as the Iberian Lynx that now number less than 250 individuals. The European Nature Trust (TENT) strive to protect these areas and the species within them:

 

http://www.theeuropeannaturetrust.com

 

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