I finished Dan John's 10,000 Kettlebell Swing program last week(https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/10000-swing-kettlebell-workout), and it did everything it said it would, increased my lean muscle mass, conditioning, and grip strength.

I've been using kettlebells for over 6 years, but this is the most volume of swings I've done on a consistent basis. I'd usually do 100 a few times a week, but 500 per workout, 4 times a week was a steep increase in volume.

I used the 24 kg(53 lbs) bell through the entire 5 week program. I mostly alternated between pull ups and barbell overhead press for the strength movements, since they were a weak point I wanted to focus on, but I did use the goblet squat as a strength movement a few times. I timed every workout and how long it took me to get through it, pushing myself a bit, but not rushing. The first couple times doing it were just shy of an hour, but it slowly and steadily decreased to around 30-37 minutes, depending on the strength movement done that day. Which is probably nearing about a quick as it's possible for me to get through without compromising swing form.

My wife and I and I had planned to do the 5 minute snatch test(As many kettlebell snatches as you can do within 5 minutes, 100 being the minimum for the RKC or Strong First instructor cert, which we're both going for this September in Vancouver), since we both were doing the 10k swing program at the same time. I hadn't done that volume of snatches at once for about 6 months. Got 100 in about 4:30 seconds, rested and busted out 5 more at a leisurely pace, so 105 in 5 minutes(probably could have gotten 115 if I had kept pushing it after 100).

Another example of how it helped; I was showing a client how the whole body had to work together to do the Turkish Get Up, not just a single muscle group, and used the 36kg(80lbs) bell to demonstrate that in the half get up. It went up easier than it ever has before, so I finished the complete Get Up with it, and then the left side too. I even surprised myself since I hadn't tried with the 80 in about 6 months, and the left side always gave me a lot of trouble going from the lunge position to standing. No such trouble today.

I couldn't be happier with the results I got by going through this, my recovery time is noticeably improved, I got bigger, and I got stronger. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good, simple, quick, but very challenging, program that once completed, will leave you much better prepared for your next training cycle, sport, hike, or just everyday activity. If you would like to try it, I'd recommend getting some instruction on the proper swing form, ideally from an RKC or StrongFirst certified instructor, it really cuts the learning curve of getting the movement down. It's all about the hip hinge, which helps with so many other movements in the gym.

Perhaps the worst KB workout I've done was a 7 min amrap with 70# kb swings (strongmanwod IIRC).  Every time the kb touched the ground you had to do 7 box jumps at 24"  I got 98 swings in that time with 3 penalties.  I see this program has you just go to shoulder height.  In any event, I was toast after that.   This program sounds hateful.

That does sound pretty awful. The later sets of 50 swings is where this program was most difficult, mostly due to grip strength, my forearms were on fire, but I enjoyed the program.

The worst one I've ever done, about 4 years ago, was a descending/ascending ladder of swings and burpees. Start with 25 swings and do one burpee, then 24 and 2, 23 and 3, and so on until it's 1 swing and 25 burpees. So if my math was right, it adds up to 325 swings and 325 burpees. It took about 50 minutes for me to get through. It was fucking awful. If I hadn't been completely gassed out, I think I would have struck my instructor who had us do it. He did it too, but bailed about 2/3 of the way through. Oddly enough, he never had us do something like that again

I teach, and practice, the Russian style swing, which is to shoulder level. Since the swing is about power generation using the hip hinge, once the hips are locked out, muscling it upward further has no real benefit, and possible drawbacks of shoulder issues. With the hands so close together in the two handed swing going above shoulder level, for most people, tends to pull the shoulders out of the packed position. Some people can maintain their packed shoulders, which is protective, going over head with the swing, but I've only met a couple of them. I'm not saying the American style is wrong, but, for me, it's not worth the possible shoulder issues since I don't have the shoulder geometry or hyper mobility to allow me to do it without compromising the shoulder pack. If I'm going to go overhead with a KB, I use the KB snatch, which is a single armed movement, and allows one to maintain the packed shoulder. However YMMV and all that.

I did a competition where they used Russian swings, but most of them in CF require American.  Russian is good with me.

I love my kettlebells, but dang...That's a lot of swings!

I like doing swings and would be open to doing that workout for a month at some point.

But I just started my 6th cycle of 531 though and am still seeing progress and have no desire to change yet.

If you're seeing progress, I wouldn't stop doing a program that works either. I like 5/3/1 a lot.

If you're between cycles and want to do something a bit different for a month, that will help when you start your next cycle, I think it would be a fine choice. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I'm in the middle of my first5/3/1 but if this rain ever stops, I'm going to be screwed at work and I won't have time to make it to the gym. This might be my supplemental workout until the fall.

I can carry the keetleball in the back of my pickup and take it to the motels where I can't find a gym that won't want to rape me on a weeks membership.

I travel a lot for work so take this advice as you will...

Find a 24 hour place and just offer them $5 every time you want to use it.  I gently remind them that they have to keep the lights on and pay the rent whether I'm there or not.  It's just additional money for them.

ETA:  I'm a big Dan John fan.

He also wrote an article about doing swings as HIIT.  HIIT rowing and HIIT swings are two of my favorite finishers when I'm trying to cut.

I tried that. I spent over 2 weeks in Lubbock last year and the only thing they would do is a 3 month membership. Even talked to the managers in each location with nothing.

Another problem I run into is some locations I'm sent to, there is not a gym in 50 miles. I go to very rural locations and sometimes to just find a motel have to travel an hour or more from the job.

I've had this problem quite a bit as well, working in po-dunk towns with cheap hotels that are lucky to have working AC in the summer.  In fact I've only had a gym in my home town for the last 9 months or so.  Traveling on airplanes and driving to these little towns in rental cars pretty well precludes even having a few kettlebells in the trunk.

I downloaded a few body weight workout apps that had timers built in and an HIIT setting that was pretty nice.  I did that for about 8 months when I was working in the Oklahoma panhandle.

I like weightlifting better, but the body weight stuff and some running was pretty good for living on the road.  I'm getting ready to spend the summer north-east of Milwaukee, but I think the work schedule and relatively easy access to town might mean I'll be able to find a gym, but that would be the first time in 5 years of field engineering that I've had that opportunity.

Have you guys thought about doing something like P90X with the resistance bands? Obviously it isn't a 1 for 1 substitute for weights but it is better than nothing. My FIL does that when he travels and I'm also set up to do that when I travel, but I haven't had the need yet.

Another relatively cheap trick is to stop at a Home Depot or mom n' pop shop, get a bag of quikrete and a roll or two of duct tape. Tape up the bag of quikrete really well so you don't spew concrete dust all over and you have a 50-80lb weight for under $10.

Trying not to derail the thread too much, but you can get a 40lb bag of water softener salt for about 3 or 4 bucks at just about any gas station or grocery store in the nation.  Less dust, two of those and you're at 80 lbs like the quickrete, less tape, ~7 bucks.

What size gym?

Go find an LA Fitness.  My brother-in-law has never paid to lift with me here and has no membership.

It's dealing...you have to remind them that the lights are going to be on and do they want the $5 or not. Try a bigger gym, you were in Lubbock.  Anytime another Texan enters Lubbock the average IQ doubles.  
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I've never had someone turn me down with that tactic.  I've had them hem and haw, I've walked to the door but every single time they realize how the game theory works.

I tried every gym that came up on Google which was like 8-10 I can't remember.

That tactic may work in the larger cities but when your sent to a little town of 500 people maybe,  its impossible to find  a motel let alone a gym.

If you aren't able to find a gym, a kettlebell would be a fine temporary substitute. There's a whole plan by Pavel that consists of nothing but swings and Turkish Get Ups, it's called Simple and Sinister. I highly recommend the book, even though the plan itself is very simple, he provides a lot of very useful info on form, physiology, and general knowledge, and keeps it very interesting to read.

32 minutes and I'm fucking gassed. I started feeling my back tweaking and I felt my form suffering on the last 25.

I've thought about doing this before, maybe be fun to do after my next strongman. I imagine that round of 50 is liable to kill you, though. Maybe doing them russian would help...

I'd make it to about 35 and have to put it down. That's alot of swings. With it being my first day, I expected it to suck so the more I go hopefully it will get easier and faster.

Very interesting.  I've never trained with kettle bells.  The workout sounds like a ball buster, fun, and a change from the boring norm.

I know the answer will be "it's all about proper form," but I'm curious what the prevalence is of shoulder and/or low back injuries in doing so many swings.

My lats, ass, and abs are tender today. I'm going to hate what tomorrow in soreness brings...

You know... This seems simple and effective enough to help me break through this slough I'm in as of late.

Gonna give it a whirl.

swinging to shoulder height/arms parallel to the ground was how kettlebells were done before crossfit got involved and added their unique brand of stupidity.