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Tips for improving your Swing |
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Kettlebell swings are one of the best exercises for firming your
buttocks, hamstrings, quads, abs and pretty much everything else. The
dynamic loading and unloading of the weight trains you to you your
entire body to generate the force necessary to move the bell from
between your legs to chest or shoulder height. Proper form is
imperative to keep from hurting yourself.
These tips will help you maximize the fat burning potential of the kettlebell swing!
- The hips go BACK not down!
I can't tell you how many people have come to me saying swings hurt their back. Inevitably the reason is they are squatting down instead of pushing the hips back.
- Try this - Place your hands on your hips with the forefinger of each hand in the hip crease and use the hands to tilt the pelvis. Let the knees unlock, but don't bend them, just unlock them.
- Keep pushing the hips back. At the same time keep the chest lifted and shoulder blades pinched, chin up.
- Pop the hips forward and straighten the knees. The
hamstrings, glutes, quads and abs should all be tight at the moment of
full expansion. The pelvis should be forward.
- If you are
doing swings with 1 kb (2 handed or 1 handed) the forearm(s) should be
touching the inside of the upper thigh through the bottom portion of
the movement. If the forearm(s) go between the knees you are squatting
(or you have longer arms than me which is saying a lot
 )
- If
you are practicing with a more relaxed style you can let the arm relax
a little and round a bit through the mid & upper back but the lower
back stays flat!
- Activate your lats to keep the shoulder down and packed
- Shins stay vertical - Do not allow any
movement below the knees. This results in scooping and is usually
caused by shifting the weight from the mid foot/heel to the ball of the
foot. You should be able to lift the toes off the floor at any time
during a swing.
- Going deeper into the backswing (back NOT
down) will generate more power by loading the posterior chain more. You
can't go as deep/back with 2 handed swings.
- Swing to
shoulder height or forehead height, unless you are specifically working
on high pull variations. The variation that I have seen some do, two
handed swings overhead can be dangerous, you are better off snatching
- At
the top of the swing don't arch the back to get it higher. You may lean
back onto the heals to counter-balance the bell but the back remains
flat.
- Save your grip and hands. Do not squeeze the handle in
a death grip. For all but the heaviest (for you) bell you should be
able to hold the bell in the fingers by just keeping them curled and
only tightening a little through the back swing. Holding the bell tight
at the base of the top of the palm below the finger will lead to much
pain and suffering from blisters and torn callouses.
- Breathing
should be natural. Don't force it. Find a rhythm that works for you.
Personally my breathing pattern changes depending on how much work I've
already done. I tend to inhale on the downswing and exhale on the
upswing when fresh, but when I get tired I do a double breath. Exhale
on the backswing, quick inhale on the way up, exhale at the top, quick
inhale on the way down. It takes a bit of experimentation, but that
really is your natural breathing pattern.
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