From Zero to Strong
I entered adulthood convinced I wasn’t good at sports—and never would be. I didn’t grow up with any inspiring role models, and my experience with physical education at school didn’t exactly spark a love for movement. Physical activity simply wasn’t part of my world.
Everything changed when I was 23 and met my future husband, Pavel Macek (Pavel M.), a lifelong martial artist who introduced me to physical training. At the time, I couldn’t do a single pushup—so the beginning was tough (for both of us, honestly). Together, we began preparing for our first kettlebell certification, right around the time StrongFirst was founded. We were lucky to be there from the very beginning and have been growing with our School of Strength ever since.
StrongFirst means a lot to us. Its methodology, programming, and instructors are world-class, but what truly matters to me is its principle-based training with the core message: strength is a skill. And skills can be learned.
This simple truth changed everything. It meant that even someone like me, without any athletic background or genetic predisposition, could learn to lift heavy weights and get truly strong. It shattered the limiting beliefs I had carried for years.
Challenge Accepted
It’s true that over the years, I grew stronger thanks to StrongFirst. I completed all the certifications and met every requirement. But even with all that progress, I could still hear that old voice of doubt in my head saying, “You’re not strong enough. This challenge isn’t for you. This is way beyond your possibilities.”
The Sinister Challenge for women requires meeting the following goals:
- 100 one-arm swings with a 32kg kettlebell in 5 minutes.
- 10 get-ups with the 24kg kettlebell in 10 minutes.
The get-ups did not seem that difficult for me, but the one-arm swings? A completely different story.
That was the final push I needed to make a decision. I chose to become strong. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Preparation Is Key
The decision was the first step; the second was figuring out how to get there, starting from where I was. At that point, I weighed three kilos more than I do today—still a light weight, around 59kg (130lb).
There was a significant gap between my swing and get-up strength. I was already able to do the get-ups with the Sinister weight, 24kg—swings as well, but the standard for the Sinister swing is 32kg. Swings were clearly where I had the most work to do.
It wasn’t a bad starting point, but it was still a long way to go. But I knew I had an ace up my sleeve that would help me push through whatever challenges lay ahead: my determination and stubbornness.
Sinister Training Plan
I initially trained four times per week, but after about two months, I switched to three sessions per week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That rhythm felt more sustainable in the long term.
My Simple & Sinister schedule:
- Monday and Wednesday: One-arm swings followed by get-ups
- Friday: Get-ups first (often heavier), then two-arm swings
Swings were my priority. I had avoided them for a long time—partly because I don’t like the huffing and puffing, and partly due to previous QL pain from heavy swings (more about that below). So, I started humbly with 16kg and worked consistently on improving my hip mobility.
Let me give you two pieces of advice: never skip goblet squats in your warm-up, and always stretch afterward. Pavel T. was right, as always.
Whenever I planned to increase my weight on one-arm swings, I tested that weight first in two-arm swings. For example, before attempting one-arm swings with 32kg, I trained with 32kg in two-arm swings to build confidence and control.
On days when I didn’t feel 100%, I adjusted my training. Depending on how I felt, I chose lighter kettlebells or two-arm swings, but skipping training altogether was never an option.
Over time, my QL issue completely disappeared. I realized the problem wasn’t the swings themselves—it was a lack of foundational strength. I wasn’t broken, just weak. The real solution was consistent training, gradual load progression, and stretching.
Recovery & Support
Non-training days were reserved for recovery and light, supportive work. I wanted to maintain my pullup strength while also building strong abs, so I included hanging leg raises in my routine. I made sure not to overtax my grip or forearms, already stressed from heavy one-arm swings. I also incorporated additional mobility drills (arm-bars, back bridges, Jefferson curls) from the StrongFirst RESILIENT seminar.
I had two rules for these sessions:
- Always listen to my body. If I didn’t feel like doing anything, I skipped the variety days.
- The work should never interfere with my main Simple & Sinister training, which remained my top priority.
Before tackling the Sinister Challenge, I didn’t pay much attention to recovery. But I quickly understood that even minor details could make a difference. I started incorporating sauna sessions and regular massages into my routine. I paid closer attention to my diet and supplementation. Sleep became essential—my body required more rest as training intensity increased.
I treated recovery with the same importance as training. Strength is built between sessions.
No Excuses
With my lighter frame, I had two choices: use it as an excuse to avoid the challenge altogether or turn it into an advantage. I chose the latter, making proper technique my greatest ally.
I reviewed each session carefully, from different angles, and focused on making every rep mindful. Even with ten years of kettlebell experience before starting Sinister, my technique improved more than I expected during prep. There’s always room to grow—and with heavier bells, you don’t really have a choice: either your technique gets better, or the kettlebell teaches you a lesson.
No matter where I was, I always found a way to get my practice done. Whenever traveling, I always looked for gyms with kettlebells. They often only had lighter ones, so I adjusted accordingly by using higher reps or switching the swings for snatches.
I even shipped a 24kg kettlebell to my mother’s place in Poland so I could keep training during the holidays. The following year, I bought a 32kg kettlebell to leave there. My mother wasn’t exactly thrilled about the growing collection of kettlebells.
There were many times when I felt tired, demotivated, or just plain lazy. But if it weren’t for the clear goal of the Sinister Challenge, I might have given up. Instead, I kept showing up because I had a goal that truly mattered to me.
I strongly believe that a distinct, personal, and meaningful goal helps you stay on track. Writing a training log on the StrongFirst forum also motivated me to improve with every session.
From Timed to Timeless
Getting to Timeless Sinister took me less than a year. During my timeless sessions, I felt strong and empowered—nothing compares to that feeling. However, it wasn’t the ultimate goal. I was pretty confident I’d soon complete the full Sinister Challenge. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Swinging a 32kg kettlebell within the five-minute Sinister limit is an entirely different experience than swinging it Timeless. It took me another year and a half to bring my swings under five minutes to meet the challenge standards.
During the last peaking process, everything felt right. During my sessions, I entered a kind of “zone,” and I could visualize a successful attempt before starting. I imagined every detail—no music, no people around. It was all clear in my mind.
Game Changers
What made the difference?
Emergency recovery breathing technique
I started using it once I hit eight reps every 30 seconds—before that, it wasn’t necessary. But at that point, the intensity required better control over my breathing. The technique helped me stay calm, focused, and in control of my breath between sets. For more information, I highly recommend Pavel’s Second Wind express online course.
Efficiency: Swing smarter, not harder
I realized that during peaking and testing, I was using too much explosive power—more than was necessary to fulfill the task according to the testing standards—and I had a hard time recovering between the sets.
I stopped going all-out and focused on efficiency, doing “lazy swings”—still sharp and powerful, but using only as much effort as needed to meet the standard.
During the actual Sinister attempt, I gradually increased the effort toward the end, having saved energy for that final push. Like with the snatch test, you don’t want to go too hard/too fast too soon.
This simple shift changed everything. I finished my swings with calm, control, and confidence—no panic, no burnout.
Of course, I later found out that Pavel explains “The Secret of Hard Style Laziness” in Simple & Sinister:
…use approximately 90% effort to produce maximally explosive swings in your day-to-day S&S training. When undergoing the five-minute swing test or practicing for it, dial it down to about 80%. You will trade a little power for a lot of endurance. Slightly easing up on the throttle makes the energy demands drop exponentially, and the recovery times as well.
Reread the book—and again and again. You won’t notice some important information until you need it.
Beyond Strength
Working toward the Sinister Challenge improved my strength, stamina, and physique, and it had a positive ripple effect on many other areas of my life.
Since that time, I have achieved other solid strength results: a get-up with more than half my bodyweight (32kg), 11 strict pullups, a 1RM pullup with 16kg, and a snatch test with 16kg—all achieved through minimalist training.
I’ve climbed a few mountains over the past few years with no special preparation other than Simple & Sinister. The most significant achievement was summiting Island Peak (6,189 meters/ 20,305 feet) in Nepal in 2023. That experience alone showed me just how much carryover this training has.
I’m 39 and in the best shape of my life—stronger, healthier, and more athletic than I was ten years ago.
From Self-Doubt To Self-Confidence
My Sinister quest wasn’t just a physical challenge—it was a journey from self-doubt to self-confidence. That was the missing piece. When I think back to the girl who walked into her first kettlebell certification 14 years ago, doubting herself, it’s hard to believe she’s the same person. The true value wasn’t in the goal itself, but in the transformation that happened along the way. I’ll be forever grateful for that journey.
I wouldn’t be here without the incredible people I’ve met along the way. Thank you to all my students for making me a better teacher, and to all my teachers—for your trust. It’s truly an honor.
I did it! And you can too. Being strong is a decision.
So what are you waiting for?