The kettlebell swing is an under-appreciated and misunderstood workout that any athlete may perform. The motions necessary for this one move ensure that no one can stop you, but as with most things in life, there are some performance standards that must be satisfied before utilising them effectively - find out what those prerequisites are ahead of time! Consider completing 405 lb squats; if your technique isn't perfect, don't even try since the weight itself demands respect (and perhaps too much).
The Kettle-Bell Swing Is One Move That Athletes Use These Days, But As With Everything In Life, There Are Some Requirements You Must Meet Before Using It Correctly.
The kettlebell swing allows you to work with very little weight. I see this all the time with athletes who are trying to get in and out of the gym as quickly as possible by utilising small weights like 24kg bells for 10 repetitions each set—and getting next to nothing out of these workouts!
The burden is on whether or not someone wants greater physical growth; but, if that's not your thing, realise how easily swinging about anything little may make even an accomplished lifter want to enhance his/her game (in any sport).
However, in the hands of an operator looking to get the most out of these swings, they may reshape practically every facet of your strength, power, and speed.
The following are some fundamental elements to keep in mind as you go through this exercise:
I presume that before reading about swing training, someone has previously done some weight lifting or is just getting started understanding how workouts operate, so here's my list of what each commandment implies for those who are new. More detail will be provided below, but if anything is unclear, please contact me! To begin with, it should not appear to be squats since hinges have different mechanics than legs. Second, consider the difference between ballistic motion and grind style. fourth RKC leadership is Russian rather than American.
Some principles will be similar, but it is more vital to focus on the specifics of our work over time.
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Rule #10: Maintain a Positive Attitude When Swinging
My wife is a natural athlete. The first time I taught her to shoot a handgun, she saw it and performed it as if she had been doing it her entire life! But when we swing together (which we do five times a week in front of our garage), there's no joy in swinging for this lady who dreads every minute because it's just too painful on my arm.
I'm continuously astounded at how fortunate I am to have such a strong companion who can assist me in working towards physical improvement.
She's made up her mind and is determined to complete the following hundred swings no matter what. As she approaches towards the bell, she can feel the weight of pushing through in both feet; it's terrifying yet exhilarating because everything changes when you drop down on one knee with a baton flying back and forth above your head, ready for anything!
Rule #9t: Begin From the Ground Up
Because your feet are the centre of your practise, they should have a close interaction with the ground. Most professions need barefoot or little footwear to minimise impediment in this cooperation between you and gravity. Because I've done a lot of swings when practising judo, balancing on one leg while doing a front snap overhead stance isn't too difficult for me! But because most people haven't committed enough, why don't we try pogo sticks next?
"If you can convince yourself to go redline on every rep, the swing in each set will be legendary for your progress." You'll improve your conditioning and fat reduction while also boosting your speed." Make superb footwear options whether you're a rookie or an experienced lifter - less is more when you're starting out as an athlete; but, after you've mastered it, make alterations depending on personal taste.
This sentence can have many alternative interpretations based on context, thus I'd like to give several instances before judging what this paragraph truly means: "The appropriate equipment helps us perform at greater levels" might imply utilising specialised shoes made by specialists with significant understanding of movement patterns (less) versus ones purchased second hand from charity shops- still functions but not as well.
Rule #8: Use Your Big Toe for Balance
The location of your big toe is rarely discussed or taught. When teaching swings, we usually focus on the heels, but it's worth noting that pulling up one's toes may frequently cure an over-extension in this area owing to its role with balance. If you're not sure what I mean by "balance," take off each shoe and stand on one leg; be sure there's nothing balanced between you (e.g., books) before performing any activity that requires balancing, such as cleaning!
The ball joints at either end give us with a variety of fascinating options, such as varying the amount of force directed down through our ankles during squats:
During swings, I engage my big toe and press it into the ground (without transferring my weight forwards), and my balance skyrockets. The sensation of stability improves as well, which is supposed to transfer into higher power production when making contact with pitches or balls thrown at me.
Rule #7: Make Room in the Knees
When you sit at your computer, the vastus medius obliques of your body flex and cause stress. Consider hitting an anatomical wall, but instead consider growing taller from the bottom up by engaging these muscles as if it were a weight lifting exercise or if someone was kicking me in the knee joint all day!
While seated on one side of the computer desk, lock out both knees at the same time (with feet flat against floor). Contracted Vastui Meeii Oblique produces feelings similar to smashing through a "anatomical" barrier; nonetheless, lengthening should not be overlooked.
The new knee is an engineering wonder that was created to lessen shearing pressures on your knees. You may now walk for another 100,000 miles without worrying about them wearing out or breaking!
Rule #6: Make sure your hips are the first to arrive
The hips and knees are intended to connect up in synchrony in a classic swing. However, for this practise, I want you to focus about moving your hips forwards so quickly that they arrive before anything else! It won't be simple, but we'll make it feel that way by ensuring that there is no lag time between movements when executing this exercise with proper technique (or at least try). My objective was always speed, not power-offs—so don't forget how vital beginning slow truly is.
Rule #5: Cramp Your Glutes
This is an RKC cue, but I usually teach it by gathering my athletes in a circle and saying: "Squeeze your cheeks as tightly as you can. Now double by ten percent "When they eventually release go, they frequently grimace or get uncomfortable; when I did it, I could literally feel muscles tightening up on their butt-cheeks!
Rule #4: Tighten your lower abs.
Consider drawing your lower abs up as you lock into place in the swing. It may take a little time, but when our complete abdominal wall locks in place, amazing!
Rule #3: Pack Your Shoulders Tight
It's critical to put hip and leg energy into the kettlebell as you compress your shoulders down as your arms travel up. One quick method to achieve this is to cue bending at the handle right before launching yourself forwards, putting additional strain on top-heavy muscles like quadriceps or glutes while simultaneously focusing on pulling those shoulder blades together tight for optimum stability!
This approach works well for overhead presses, but it may also be useful for other exercises where scapular movement would occur naturally without our aid, such as cable crossovers.
Rule #2: Maintain Proper Neck Alignment
Have you ever felt like your head was stuck in a vice? It's as if someone injected water into one of those footballs and then yanked on the strings to cause it to grow. This phenomenon, known as traction force or torsion, is caused by muscles near each ear (levator scapula major) pushing against any other muscle that attaches above where your shoulder meets your neck, causing pain up towards your spine—specifically into the scale-neck position, where there is no protection. If this seems familiar, chances are you've been ignoring some essential indications for proper posture all along! In my previous post, "Pack Your Neck For A Safer Spine And Stronger Swings," I discussed how to pack these important muscle groups.
Rule #1: Swing as hard as you possibly can
"It takes more than just swinging hard to achieve power."
The basic rule of golf is to strike the ball. Every day, I work with athletes, and they are constantly told by me to swing as if their lives depended on it, which usually means taking an extra step or two away from where they should be focusing in order to have enough room under their proper weight distribution point for momentum to do all sorts of crazy things before gravity takes hold again at impact location.
I am very enthusiastic about the swing; when done correctly, it truly is a game changer. These are my top 10 rules for maximising fitness, fat reduction, and speed training while remaining explosive and powerful.