Longevity
Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell
Pavel's *Simple & Sinister* — same 30-min workout, 6 days/week. 100 KB swings + 10 Turkish get-ups. Single kettlebell (16-32 kg progressively). Minimum-effective-dose general fitness. 12 weeks of the same protocol — progress via density (time-to-completion) + bell weight.
- Category
- Longevity
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Frequency
- 6 days/week
- Est. session
- 45–60 min
Last updated: June 2026
About this program
Pavel Tsatsouline's *Simple & Sinister* — the canonical minimum-effective-dose conditioning + strength program. Two movements, same workout every day, 30 minutes. 100 swings (10 sets × 10 reps, alternating two-hand and one-arm) for hip-hinge power + metabolic conditioning. 10 Turkish get-ups (5 per side) for total-body stability + shoulder health.
Designed for trainees who want maximum simplicity with one piece of equipment. Skip this if your top priority is hypertrophy — the movement vocabulary is too narrow (no horizontal press, no vertical pull). Equipment: 1 kettlebell (16 kg starting for women, 24 kg for men; progressively increase to 24/32 kg over 12+ weeks).
Per `exercise_selection.md`, this covers the hinge pattern (KB swing) and a loaded carry / mobility hybrid (TGU). It does NOT cover horizontal push, vertical pull, or direct quad work. Frame honestly as "minimum-effective-dose general fitness," not "complete strength training." That said, the conditioning + posterior-chain benefits are substantial — many lifters use S&S as an off-day movement practice or a maintenance block between hypertrophy/ strength cycles.
Progression: density (time-to-completion) + bell weight. Pavel's "Simple" benchmark is 100 swings in 5 min + 10 get-ups in 10 min with 32 kg KB (men) / 24 kg (women). Most trainees take 6-12 months to hit Simple at the prescribed weight. Backed by Tsatsouline's *Simple & Sinister* (2nd ed., 2019) and StrongFirst kettlebell methodology.
Longevity · 12 weeks · 6 days/week
Start to finish
- Frequency
- 6 days/week
- Per session
- 45–60 min
Who it's for
Four ways to tell at a glance whether this block belongs in your week.
- 01The goal
- Pavel's *Simple & Sinister* — same 30-min workout, 6 days/week.
- 02The commitment
- A high-frequency week, most days in the gym
- 03The arc
- 12 weeks, one continuous block
- 04The coaching
- Your coach drives the plan forward — it reads each session and moves you up the moment the work gets easier, so you keep progressing
How it progresses
12 weeks across 1 phase — your coach watches the effort in your logged sets and moves the weight up the moment a load starts getting easier, so you keep climbing instead of waiting on the calendar.
- Weeks 1–1260Intensity
Phase 1 · Standard
Practice
Same workout every day. Progress via density (cut rest, then time-to-completion) + bell weight. No formal periodization — the movement IS the program.
Sessions in this program
The individual workouts this program schedules through the week — open any session for its full exercise list, sets, and coaching notes.
Why your coach builds it this way
Pavel Tsatsouline's *Simple & Sinister* — the canonical minimum-effective-dose conditioning + strength program. Two movements, same workout every day, 30 minutes. 100 swings (10 sets × 10 reps, alternating two-hand and one-arm) for hip-hinge power + metabolic conditioning. 10 Turkish get-ups (5 per side) for total-body stability + shoulder health.
Designed for trainees who want maximum simplicity with one piece of equipment. Skip this if your top priority is hypertrophy — the movement vocabulary is too narrow (no horizontal press, no vertical pull). Equipment: 1 kettlebell (16 kg starting for women, 24 kg for men; progressively increase to 24/32 kg over 12+ weeks).
Per `exercise_selection.md`, this covers the hinge pattern (KB swing) and a loaded carry / mobility hybrid (TGU). It does NOT cover horizontal push, vertical pull, or direct quad work. Frame honestly as "minimum-effective-dose general fitness," not "complete strength training." That said, the conditioning + posterior-chain benefits are substantial — many lifters use S&S as an off-day movement practice or a maintenance block between hypertrophy/ strength cycles.
Progression: density (time-to-completion) + bell weight. Pavel's "Simple" benchmark is 100 swings in 5 min + 10 get-ups in 10 min with 32 kg KB (men) / 24 kg (women). Most trainees take 6-12 months to hit Simple at the prescribed weight. Backed by Tsatsouline's *Simple & Sinister* (2nd ed., 2019) and StrongFirst kettlebell methodology.
The principles behind it
Common questions
The facts most people check before they commit a block to it.
01How long is the Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell program?
Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell runs 12 weeks at 6 days a week. In Squatly, the coach tunes it to you, so the plan keeps moving with your training.
02Who is Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell for?
Pavel's *Simple & Sinister* — same 30-min workout, 6 days/week. It sits in the Longevity category, and the coach reads your training to tell you whether it's the right fit before you commit a block to it.
03How does Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell progress over the weeks?
It runs as a single practice block. Each phase has a job — accumulate work, push intensity, or back off to absorb it — and the coach moves your load when your logged sets earn it, not on a fixed schedule.
04Does the coach adjust Simple & Sinister — Single Kettlebell to me?
Yes. The program is the starting structure; the coach reads your e1RM trend, your weekly volume, and your effort on each lift, then tells you when to push — when a load is getting easier, it's time to add weight. It shows you the trend lines behind every call, and you accept, edit, or reject it. With every workout, the plan gets more yours.
Keep moving forward.
The program sets the structure. Your coach drives it forward — reading your numbers and pushing the weight up as you get stronger, so the plan stays yours and you keep progressing.
iOS · Works offline
Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight