Now that we’re halfway through the 2018 30-Day Swing Challenge, it’s time to focus on the home stretch. The midway point of a challenge can be the most difficult part, when our motivation flags and we start slacking off.

To help keep you on track, we’ve spoken with two of last year’s competitors – Emma Klemt and Gabriel Hidalgo, two kettlebell warriors who successfully cleared the 10,000-swing challenge – to get their perspective on sticking to goals, working through obstacles, and finding themselves at the top of the 30-Day mountain.

What was your daily routine like during the challenge?

EMMA KLEMT: I worked multiple jobs during last year’s challenge, and I was able to get swings done in my apartment while working from home, or in the basement gym. When I went to the office, I would get on the Metro and bus after work to go up to Glover Park… Usually, I’d do between 400 and 700 swings a day, depending on how far behind I’d gotten, or how much time and energy I had.

GABRIEL HIDALGO: I tended to do my workouts in the afternoon, right after work, around 6:00 or 7:00. I would do 500-700 swings in each workout. I tried to squeeze as many as I could in the first week or so of the challenge, because I was not attending the studio workouts.

What was your favorite part of the challenge?

GH: The healthy competition among my peers and friends!

EK: Going to group classes with everyone and getting our swings in all together. The camaraderie was really important to me.

How did you make sure to keep an eye on your health and wellness during the challenge?

EK: I tried to eat healthier, even though I eat more during the challenge since I’m lifting weights 4-5 days a week. Sometimes I slip into bad habits, but I always go back to my lean meat and vegetables and protein shakes. It’s all about balance no matter what you’re doing.

GH: I made sure to have plenty of water during the day, and to schedule rest days, at least 1 per week. After the first couple of days of the challenge, you might feel like you don’t need a rest day, but you do, believe me! After a while, you will feel your body needing that down time. So treat yourself, get a massage, go to a spa – it’s all worth it.

What advice do you have for 30-Day first-timers? What do you wish someone had told YOU during the last two weeks of the challenge?

GH: Focus on small goals, like daily and weekly goals rather than looking at the challenge as one giant mountain to climb. Schedule ahead of time, and plan your meals. This will get you excellent results.

EK: Stay consistent. Do a couple hundred swings each day and try to stay on track – I can play catch-up now and do 800 swings in a day, but it still hurts my hands and I’m sore the next day. The last two weeks are hard because you’re SO CLOSE to being done, but it’s also exciting to get down to that last 1000… then the last 500… then you count down those last 10 – it’s such a feeling of relief and exhilaration and freedom! And man, do you feel strong!

As the finish line for the 30-Day Swing Challenge draws closer and closer, it’s important to focus on your goals, your health, and your motivation in these last two weeks. What obstacles are you have trouble overcoming? What tips or resources from the F3 team would help you succeed? Call or email us today with any kettlebell questions you may have, or join our Facebook group for instant support.

We’ll meet you at the finish line!