It’s easily the exercise that folks mess up the most…
What is it?
The kettlebell swing.
Many are intimidated by the kettle bell swing, it’s a fairly simple move once you get it, but it can be a tough one to master. It can cause back pain and it will minimize the effectiveness of the move when it’s done incorrectly.
Don’t be mistaken though, I love the KB swing, it works the under-used posterior chain (that’s fancy talk for the back, bum and hams). But it’s ONLY effective when you’re doing it correctly.
So, in this blog post, I’ll explain WHY you want to learn how to do the KB swing for fast fat loss and amazing fitness results and then the BEST WAY to learn this awesome move.
Take a look here:
Many are intimidated by the kettle bell swing, it’s a fairly simple move once you get it, but it can be a tough one to master. It can cause back pain and it will minimize the effectiveness of the move when it’s done incorrectly.
Don’t be mistaken though, I love the KB swing, it works the under-used posterior chain (that’s fancy talk for the back, bum and hams). But it’s ONLY effective when you’re doing it correctly.
I’ve asked my pal, Chris Lopez to explain a little more about the kettle bell swing and why you want to use it. Plus he’ll give you a sweet and simple workout at the end. Take it away Chris….
Fuggedabout the Kettlebell – A Simple and Unassuming Swing Workout
by: Chris Lopez
StrongFirst Level II Kettlebell Trainer
Master Certified Turbulence Trainer
“It’s not about the kettlebell. The kettlebell responds to what your body tells it to do. Therefore, move your body appropriately and the kettlebell will end up where you want it.”
That’s a quote that’s stuck with me the first time I heard it from my coach many years ago and it really hammers home a point that people miss when it comes to their kettlebell training.
When you’re training – regardless if you’re using kettlebells, bodyweight or barbells – you must have an “internal focus”.
That means that we don’t concentrate on what the kettlebell is doing – the external resistance – but on what our body is doing…we shift the focus internally.
The kettlebell will react to how we position our body.
The kettlebell is a feedback tool.
It’s like a computer monitor. All the cool stuff happens on the screen of a computer, but the real work, the “magic”, happens inside the hard drive and the processor.
The kettlebell becomes secondary.
When I taught our good friend Shawna K the kettlebell swing last July in San Diego, I started by teaching her how to do the Hardstyle Plank. I did this because it establishes the “root” position – knees locked, glutes squeezed, abs braced, lats fired, face relaxed – which is the FINISH of the kettlebell swing.
And then after teaching her the hinge and the hike pass, I told her that the goal is to get to the root position to finish every single rep.
Therefore when you swing a kettlebell (or clean it or snatch it), your goal is to GET TO THE ROOT.
You shift your focus not on what the kettlebell is doing, but on what your feet, knees, hips, abs & lats are doing.
The kettlebell reacts appropriately by floating.
If your focus is external (ie. if you focus on lifting the kettlebell), you lose focus on what’s meant to change. Remember, we’re trying to change our bodies, NOT change the implement we are using to make that change.
Get to the root as quickly and explosively as you can and the kettlebell floats.
Other examples…
When you press, push your body away from the kettlebell with stiff knees, squeezed glutes and braced abs. Doing this will protect your shoulder and allow yourself to use your lat as a shelf from which to press from. Don’t focus on lifting the kettlebell up over your head.
When you deadlift, think about wedging yourself underneath the bar to keep your joints aligned and your back safe. DON’T just pull the bar up off the floor.
When you’re doing squats, push the floor away to get up out of the hole. Notice how your spine automatically aligns and straightens up.
And this is a lesson that you can use not only with kettlebell training, but when you have a barbell on your back, when you’re doing your pull-ups or push-ups or when you’re doing something as simple as bicep curls.
Finally, not to get all philosophical, but this is a great life lesson…
Think about all the times that you’ve compared yourself to another person. All the times that you’ve felt envious or jealous because someone has something that you wished you had, or had accomplished something that you wish you did.
How crappy did you feel about yourself?
The problem is that focusing on the external – on being envious or jealous of the other person because of their possessions or accomplishments – only makes YOU feel like crap. It does nothing to serve you as a person.
This is what materialism and selfishness is built on. It’s the foundation of the advertising industry. Ads psychologically make you wish you were like the people in the magazines, billboards or commercials – with the new cars, the expensive clothes, the fancy vacations, the big houses – and plays on what you don’t have.
Instead, what if you focused internally? What if you compared yourself to the you from 5 years ago?
What if you just quit playing the “Keeping Up With The Jones” game?
What if you stopped caring so much about what other people think or the things they did and just focused on what you’ve accomplished?
What if you shifted the focus internally?
How much happier would you be?
That’s the lesson for today – focus on the internal.
Express gratitude for the strides that you’ve made to better yourself over the years. Celebrate your victories.
And when you train, let the kettlebell react to your body when you perform your get-ups, swings & presses today and see how much stronger, fluid and athletic you feel.
Focus on what YOU are doing and let the world react accordingly.
In order to really understand the internal focus, here’s a simple (not easy) kettlebell swing workout that you can do today…
Start with a moderate sized kettlebell – women use a 12kg or 16kg kettlebell, men use a 24kg.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and press “start”.
Swing your kettlebell, focusing on the hinge & root positions doing only 7 reps of the exercise. Remember, focus on what your body is doing – on it’s alignment and position – NOT on what the kettlebell is doing.
Kettlebell Swing
After 7 reps park the kettlebell (put it down) and stay loose.
Wait until the clock reaches the “9:00” mark and swing again for 7 reps…be EXPLOSIVE and really try to float the kettlebell.
After 7 reps put the kettlebell down again and wait for the top of the next minute.
This type of training – called the “EMOTM” protocol (Every Minute On The Minute) – allows you to focus on your form and rewards you for being explosive.
The more explosive you are the faster you get the set done. The faster you get the set done, the more rest you have. The more rest you have, the more explosive you can be for the next set!
Give this a shot and do it 3 times per week – c’mon, it’s only 10 minutes – adding a rep every second workout.
Thanks for reading,
Chris
If you want more coaching from the BEST, click here.
Chris has coached me with all things KB and he’ll coach you too with his follow along videos. You can get the most out of your KB training, even if you’re a beginner. You’ll feel confident as he teaches you the finer points of kettle bell training so that you’ll progress faster, but more importantly, you’ll be safe and avoid injury.
If you decide to grab Chris’ KB program, make sure you use the coupon code SHAWNA2015 to get almost 60% off.
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