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How Breathing Can Improve Your Kettlebell Training

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RKC Team Leader William Sturgeon performs a kettlebell Get-up

If you’re an RKC candidate or someone who enjoys kettlebell training you know that training for your RKC or doing a high volume of repetitions can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Typically, the first thing that gives out when working high levels of intensity is your ability to breathe properly.

Once you’ve lost your breath everything gets harder, technique becomes less than ideal and your body begins to shut down. This is to be expected because of the biology of our body and how our nervous system works. But what if we could prolong this exhausted state by managing early onset of fatigue, reduce exposure of injuries, and maintain mindful awareness?

This is where breath-work can help you reduce these symptoms of inhibited breathing by increasing your endurance, enhancing core strength, and regulating your cognitive function. Breathing is one of the most underrated exercises, but it’s the most critical to your foundation for life. There are 1,000 ways you can breathe. I’ll only cover a couple in this article to get you started with increasing your performance, reducing your stress, and improving your strength.

I’ve always been fascinated with learning more about how to breathe and regulate your nervous system to improve your mental and physical health. Last month I attended a Wim Hof Method workshop taught by Breathe & Believe where we did some extraordinary things such as cold therapy.

They taught us a combination of breathing, mindset, and cold therapy to help keep the body and mind in its optimal natural state. In this workshop they went into the physiology and neurology of how this methodology works. We learned the skills and then put them into practice right away, very similar to what we do at HKC and RKC workshops.

Here’s how breathing can improve your kettlebell training

Increases Endurance

Most of us have a tendency to breathe improperly, where the breath stays stuck in the upper chest due to high levels of stress and prolonged seated positions limiting full expansion of the ribs and under-utilization of the diaphragm.

When you breathe improperly the ribs begin to become inhibited meaning that they are going to be tightened up and restricted. When your body is in a prolonged flexed position for too long your upper back becomes more kyphotic (rounded) which leads to a more forward head posture (text neck) also known as upper cross syndrome. This will lead to tight muscles in the neck, chest, and upper back which will limit your ability to breathe properly.

In order to increase your endurance, you must learn how to first properly take in oxygen. Oxygen is a source of energy, it helps provide nutrients to the muscles, and helps promote blood flow throughout the body. When you are able to breathe properly you’re then able to increase your endurance which will reduce early onset of fatigue.

Think about when you’re training for your snatch test; most candidates will fail this test due to their lack of physical strength or endurance. If you can train the body to be better at utilizing oxygen then your ability to sustain greater work capacity will increase.

Here are a few different ways of breathing to start your practice:

  • Crocodile breathing – This is a great entry into breathing because it helps you or your client learn how to breathe through your core by getting feedback from the ground. The ground is a hard surface which acts like a focal point for you to push your core into as you’re breathing in through the diaphragm.

William Sturgeon demonstrates crocodile breathing

  • Feet elevated breathing – This puts the pelvis in a more posterior tilted position which allows the pelvis floor and diaphragm to be in proper alignment for breathing. Having a light pull into the heels will activate the hamstrings which will assist in pulling the pelvis into a posterior tilt. Having the arms raised will assist with widening the scapula by activating the serratus anterior which is another muscle associated with breathing because it elevates the ribs.
  • Side lying position – The side lying position is great for thoracic rotation and also widening the ribs and opening the upper chest muscles. When you are in the side lying position you are using the floor as a tool to give you feedback into your bottom side ribs in order to help with full expansion.

William Sturgeon demonstrates side breathing

  • Power Breathing (Wim Hof Breathing) – This is a more advanced variation of breathing that has some pretty tremendous benefits. Using the Wim Hof Method will help you by teaching your body how to optimally utilize the oxygen.How this works is you take 30 deep breaths through the nose and out the mouth and on your last breath you fully exhale and hold for as long as you can. What is happening here is that you are flooding your body with oxygen and the nutrients you are taking in with it.

    From there when you fully exhale your body begins to be filled with carbon dioxide. This is an uncomfortable feeling for many at first because they are not used to their body being without oxygen, but if we can begin to learn how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable it lessens its intensity. The reason you would want to train this style of breathing is because it’s teaching the body how to regulate itself under a controlled stressor.

Strengthens core

Breathing can strengthen your core by teaching the deep core muscles how to work together to provide spinal stability. These muscles are your diaphragm, intercostals, serratus anterior, psoas, transverse abdominis, internal/external obliques, rectus abdominis, quadratus lumborum, erectors, and your pelvic floor. When you look at a diagram of the human anatomy you will see a lot of deep red muscles in these areas. What that signifies is that they are slow twitch fibers which means that they need oxygen as a main energy source to do their jobs.

When you learn to breathe properly you will begin to feel your stomach, ribs, and chest raise up and widen as you inhale, then begin to create tension and pull together as you exhale. The better you become at feeling your breath and intra-abdominal muscles, the greater your pelvis and spinal stability will be because you have trained the muscles to properly do their job as stabilizers in which you will create greater strength.

How this relates to your kettlebell training is having a greater base of support aka your trunk, you will have a lower likelihood of injuring your low back or shoulders. The Hard Style Plank does a great job at teaching us how to create tension and how to breathe behind the shield which means how you are able to maintain stability under load.

When you think of kettlebell swings, there is a great amount of hip flexion and extension that is created in which the core should be strong enough to stabilize the lumbar spine to reduce hyper extension at the top of your swing or flexion at the bottom of the swing.

Another example would be to look at the Turkish Get-Up one of the best exercises that trains the body and core in a variety of different planes of motions in which the core must be able to work together with the moving limbs to move properly.

Regulates cognitive function 

Cognitive function means your ability to learn, think, reason, remember, problem solve, make decisions, and center attention. When you’re unable to breathe properly all of these functions begin to slow down because of the lack of regulation in your autonomic nervous system, specifically an out of controlled sympathetic nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary actions like heart rate and blood vessels widening or narrowing. Within your ANS you have your sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for your fight, flight, freeze or fawn response in your body.

You also have a parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for your rest and digest system. Think of this as stress from sympathetic and passive from parasympathetic; one means to cause stress and alertness while the other is for relaxation and calmness. Both are greatly needed for different activities in your day, but mainly we should be placing greater focus on our parasympathetic nervous system.

The reason you should be placing greater focus on your PNS is because that’s where your cognitive function can be greatly improved upon. When your nervous system isn’t always hijacked by stress you’re able to be calmer and more relaxed which helps improve your cognitive functions. You do this by practicing the breathing skills above to learn how to lower your heart rate and reduce your physical symptoms of stress.

When you’re able to regulate your breathing, it improves your cognitive function meaning that you are going to able to retain more and understand movement better when it comes to learning some of the complexities to exercises like the kettlebell swing or the Turkish Get-Up.

In summary, your kettlebell training can improve tenfold by simply improving your breathing because it can increase your endurance, strengthen your core, and helps you learn.

***

William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength

How and Why to Fix the “Drinking Bird” Kettlebell Swing Mistake

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The Drinking Bird Toy in motion

When the kettlebell swing was first introduced, the idea of ballistically moving weight was a novelty. Other than Olympic Lifting, heavy weights were not lifted explosively. And the ability of moving the load behind the hips was unthinkable.

We take this for granted now after 20 years or more of kettlebell training. We all know the advantages of this type of ballistic training and the unique way it trains our posterior chain, a godsend for all athletes.

Teaching the Swing for Optimal Performance

Because it was so new and unique, we ran into problems with how to teach and perform the swing for optimal performance and effect. With many people quad dominant, it naturally turned into more of a squat style swing.

We worked hard to change that pattern and bring the swing into the hip-hinge dominant pattern it is today. There was lots of experimentation and drills used to find the right movement pattern. And I think for the most part we have succeeded. Today nearly everyone walking into an HKC or RKC Workshop knows the swing is a deadlift/hinge style pattern. Please note that I am not talking about the American (CrossFit) swing, which is meant to be an anterior and quad dominate movement pattern. That swing was developed to specifically mimic the Olympic lifting movement of a barbell snatch.

The “Drinking Bird” Kettlebell Swing Problem

The problem with something being “too good to be true”, is also that “too much of a good thing is no longer so good.” The swing has swung (pun intended) from a too squatty swing to a straight-legged swing, or as I call it the “Drinking Bird Swing”.

It seems that in every video I see, in every workshop I teach, my clients, even myself, people have been overcompensating for the squatty swing, by swinging with nearly straight legs. You could say we have taken the easy road to loading. Let’s face it, it’s more work to sit back deeper, I call it the “lazy butt syndrome”. And if you have flexible hamstrings like some of us, it is way easier.

Swinging with nearly straight legs puts all the power and loading into the hamstrings. It takes away from the quads, but it also takes away from deep glute engagement at the backswing, right where we need the most power. In other words, a “drinking bird” swing will have much less power.

If the hamstrings are on stretch at the backswing, the glutes are not back and down enough to fully engage, so the power in the upswing is diminished.

Imagine doing a lot of snatches only using your hamstrings? No wonder, the arms and back are doing so much of the work, they must make up for loss of power from the hips.

Troubleshooting the Kettlebell Backswing

Look at the photos below, in which position do I look the most loaded? I call this the “Goldilocks” of the backswing position.

1) My knees are very bent, and my hips and knees are nearly level.

An incorrect squatty kettlebell swing mistake
A “too squatty” kettlebell backswing

2) My knees are nearly straight, my chest down, my hips and shoulders are level.

A legs too straight "drinking bird" kettlebell swing mistake
A “drinking bird” kettlebell backswing

3) My knees are bent, my hips back and down, my chest and shoulders lifted slightly.

Andrea Du Cane, Master RKC Performs a correct RKC Hardstyle Kettlebell Swing Backswing
A correct RKC Hardstyle kettlebell backswing

Stand up and try each of these positions:

1) Stand feet shoulder distance, both arms in a back swing position, knees very bent, and hips in line with knees. What does it feel like? Where do you feel the most loading?

2) Same stance, this time hinge and keep the knees nearly straight, push the hips back, let the chest/head/shoulders face the ground- shoulders and hips level. What does it feel like? Where do you feel the most loading?

3) Same stance, this time sit back with hips, let the knees bend like you’re sitting back on a medium height chair, keep the chest/shoulders lifted. What does it feel like? Where do you feel the most loading?

My guess is that when you followed #1 you felt the most in your quads; #2 most of the loading is in the hamstrings; #3 you felt a little in the quads, a lot in the hips/glutes and some hamstrings. Picture #3 is the classic back swing position we teach at the RKC: Shoulders above hips and hips above knees.

How to Produce the Most Strength and Power with Your Kettlebell Swings

One of the key principles of Hardstyle kettlebell training is full body tension when we want to produce strength and power. If you don’t engage your glutes and quads and rely primarily on the hamstrings, are you not breaking that Hardstyle principle and losing power?

Yes indeed.

That’s Goldilocks for you. She lets us find the best position to get the most power. Try sitting back deeper into your backswing, I guarantee you’ll have more power, the kettlebell will fly, and you’ll feel your glutes more than you have in a long time.

***

Andrea Du Cane is a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor, CK-FMS, CICS, and RIST, ZHealth certified, she has a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and is also a Pilates instructor. She is the author of several books and dvds including The Ageless Body, The Kettlebell Boomer, and The Kettlebell Goddess Workout.  She has over twenty years of aerobics, weight training and fitness experience, with an additional background in… Read more here.

When to Breathe During Different Kettlebell Exercises

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II performing a kettlebell get-up

Kettlebell Technique Includes Breathing Technique

The fact that you’re reading this post means that you take your health and fitness seriously–this is also why I’m so excited to share this information with you.

Often, people who are new to kettlebells don’t realize how important breathing is during a workout.

Learning how to breathe correctly for kettlebell training will allow you to produce more power and contract your core properly, which will also protect your back. Correct breathing will also allow you to get oxygen to your brain, so you don’t pass out.

In the RKC, we use a breathing technique called “Hardstyle Breathing” for power and safety.

It’s a very distinctive hissing sound that may sound a little silly, but it’s vital!

This hissing sound is applied differently depending on which type of kettlebell exercise you’re doing.

Hardstyle Kettlebell Exercises are Categorized as Ballistics or Grinds:

  1. Ballistic exercises are explosive and fast (kettlebell swings, cleans, and snatches).
  2. Grind exercises require lots of tension and are generally performed more slowly (presses, squats, deadlifts).

Breathing for Ballistic Kettlebell Exercises

When you’re doing a ballistic exercise, the exhale is much shorter compared to the exhale during a grind exercise.

For example, during a swing, clean, or snatch the exhale happens at the same time that your glutes and quads contract, or when you stand straight up. It’s a short, sharp exhale that generates more power, which will help the kettlebell float.

Ryan Jankowitz easily switches hands at the top of a one arm kettlebell swing during the "float"
Ryan easily switches hands at the top of a one arm kettlebell swing during the “float”

This short exhale will also contract your abs, which will prevent you from leaning back and placing stress on your lower back. Think of the exhale as a way to brace your abs for an incoming punch.

As the kettlebell goes into the backswing part of a swing, clean, or snatch, quickly sniff in through your nose filling your belly with air.

Breathing for Kettlebell Grinds

Kettlebell grinds are slower and require more tension. Similarly, your inhale and exhale will be longer to match each part of the movement.

For example, during an overhead kettlebell press, you will exhale through your teeth as you press the kettlebell overhead. Then, inhale through your nose as you pull the kettlebell back down to the rack position.

Using Hardstyle breathing during grind exercises will help you keep your core tight, so you don’t hurt your back, and will help you generate more power.

I hope this information helps you in your quest to get into better shape using kettlebells.

Stay Strong,

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II, CK-FMS

***

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II, CK-FMS is the owner of RJ Kettlebell. He’s on a mission to help busy men and women get into better shape using kettlebells. He enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others. If you’re new to kettlebells or you just need some guidance, try his FREE 5-Day Kettlebell Workout Plan.

The Kettlebell Get-up in Detail Part 2

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Ryan Jankowitz Demonstrating the move between the tall sit and the half windmill - kettlebell Get-Up Tutorial Part Two

Welcome back to my 3-part series on the kettlebell get-up! While my last post focused on the set-up, roll to elbow and the tall sit, today I’m going to focus on the leg sweep to windmill, lunge and stand up.

Once you’ve achieved the tall sit position, the next step is to sweep your leg back underneath you into the kneeling windmill position.

Some people may get confused at this part of the get-up because they are not sure how high they should bridge their hips before sweeping their leg back. This is mostly a matter of personal preference, however, I’ve found that with heavy get-ups doing a small bridge is the safest and most effective way to start the leg sweep. If you’re warming up with naked (no weight) get-ups or using a light kettlebell, then a high bridge can be okay. Just do what feels most safe and appropriate.

When you sweep your leg back, aim to line up your wrist, knee and ankle. A nice straight line here will allow you to load your hips and use your torso to straighten up to the kneeling position.  Also, make sure to tuck your toe under (dorsiflex) after you sweep your leg back and keep your toe tucked in order to help you with the lunge.

Be aware that if you don’t bring their knee back far enough, you will not be able to properly use your hips and torso to straighten up. When this happens, the arm on the ground and the lower back are overused—and at risk of injury.

Now that you’ve straightened up, you must put yourself into a lunge position. Here are the two different ways to do this:

  1. “Windshield wiper” your back leg
  2. Step across with your front leg

When teaching the get-up at the HKC and RKC, the “windshield wiper” method is taught first. This movement can sometimes be uncomfortable for people who have had a knee injury, knee surgery, or their knee just doesn’t like this type of movement. In this case, step your front leg across to move into a lunge position.

At this point, the arm holding the kettlebell should be vertical. The kettlebell should be behind your head so that if you were to look up you wouldn’t see the kettlebell in front of you. Now, you’re ready to stand up from the lunge. Push both feet powerfully into the floor to help you stand up. When you bring your legs together, hit your Hardstyle plank by contracting your glutes, quads and abs.

To see all of these steps in action, please watch this video:

Focus on improving these steps to gain the strength and confidence to perform the get-up with heavier kettlebells.

Stay tuned for my third and final blog post about the kettlebell get-up.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II

 ***

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II and owner of RJ Kettlebell, lives in Maryland with his wife and two dogs. They love to go hiking and spend time on the beach. When he’s not telling his dogs to stop chasing squirrels, Ryan enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others how to train with kettlebells. Try his 2-week advanced kettlebell plan: https://rj-kettlebell.ck.page/b59325e156

How To Fix 4 Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes

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How To Fix 4 Common Kettlebell Mistakes

The kettlebell swing is a phenomenal exercise. I think it should be part of every training program. It addresses explosive power, the posterior chain, anaerobic conditioning and even grip strength. The kettlebell swing has many awesome qualities!

It’s also the foundation for more advanced kettlebell movements like one-arm swings, cleans and snatches. Before progressing to those more advanced movements, make sure that your two-hand swing is dialed in and that you can maintain proper technique with heavy kettlebells and high reps.

Let’s dial in our kettlebell swing technique by avoiding these four common mistakes.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #1:
Poor Setup

There are several key concepts to remember for the kettlebell swing setup.

How far away are you from the kettlebell? If you’re too far from the bell, then you might shift too much weight forward and shrug your shoulders up to your ears while reaching for the bell.

Ideally, you want to sit back with your shoulders pulled down and the kettlebell tilted toward you.

Also, make sure that your hips are below your shoulders. If your hips are too high, then you may not be able to generate a lot of power with your first rep. And the swing is all about power.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #2:
Arms Disconnected from the Body with Wrong Hip Hinge Timing

This mistake can cause discomfort or even injury to your lower back, so let’s dial this one in!

Each time the kettlebell is swung between your legs, even from the initial hike, your arms should connect to your torso. Upper arms connect to your ribcage and forearms connect to your inner thighs.

This will allow the hips to propel the kettlebell forward creating much more power.

Once you’ve reached the top of the swing, you want to stay standing tall for as long as possible while the kettlebell comes back down. Essentially, you’re playing chicken with the kettlebell.

Pushing your hips back too soon—while the kettlebell is still out in front of you—can cause unnecessary stress on the lower back.

The hips push the arms forward, the arms push the hips back.

Towel swing drill

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #3:
Using Your Arms and Shoulders to Raise the Kettlebell

The kettlebell swing is an explosive hip hinge, not a shoulder raise or shrug.

If the kettlebell is drooping at the top of the swing, or your shoulders and neck are feeling it, then you’re using your upper body way too much.

The arms are simply a tether holding onto the kettlebell. They shouldn’t do the heavy lifting. If you’re having issues with this, then check out the towel swing drill in the video below.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #4:
Not Fully Locking Out Your hips or Knees at the Top of the Swing

In order to fully express your power, you must have full extension from the hips and knees. This doesn’t mean hyper-extending your knees, rather straightening your knees by flexing your quads.

You also don’t want to leave your hips back. You MUST contract your glutes hard at the top of the swing for maximum power and to protect your lower back.

Watch this video to see each mistake and correction.

I hope these tips help you master your kettlebell swing. When you get the swing dialed in, it’s one of the best exercises you can do for your fitness.

Keep Swingin’!
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II

***

Ryan lives in Maryland with his wife and two dogs.  They love to go hiking and spend time on the beach.  When he’s not telling his dogs to stop chasing squirrels, Ryan enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others how to train with kettlebells.  He’s got a 90-day coaching program that helps busy adults get into shape, look and feel better by working out with kettlebells and eating healthier so they can elevate their self-esteem. Visit his website rjkettlebell.com or schedule a free call with Ryan: https://go.oncehub.com/RyanJankowitz

4 Standards To Master The Kettlebell Swing

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Four Standards For Mastering the Kettlebell Swing by William Sturgeon

To begin learning how to perform a kettlebell swing, you must master the most fundamental movement of the exercise—the hip hinge. Learning how to properly hip hinge, hike pass, deadlift and perform a dead-stop swing will set you up for guaranteed success with the kettlebell swing.

Master Your Hinge:

The foundation of the kettlebell swing is built off a strong hip hinge. When you are able to teach your clients how to optimally use their hips, they will get the full benefits for the proper muscles used in the swing. You will also keep your clients safe and reduce their exposure to injury.

Use these coaching cues:

  • Start in a tall & tight position with your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Have a slight bend in your knees.
  • Reach your hips back.
  • Drive your hips forward and stand tall.

Master Your Hike Pass:

The next step in the kettlebell swing is to master the hike pass. This motion begins to teach you the momentum of the swing. Learning the hike pass teaches you how to properly propel the kettlebell behind you. The back of the hike pass shows you what the bottom position of the kettlebell swing looks like.

Use these coaching cues

  • Get into your hip hinge.
  • Tilt the kettlebell towards you and break the handle in half.
  • Sit into your hips and toss the bell high into the thigh.
  • Keep your chest up & eyes forward.

Master Your Deadlift:

Next is the deadlift. When teaching the deadlift, you are helping your client understand how to properly load the hips. The deadlift teaches you to snap the hips and fully lock out at the top. This is important because this teaches how you should be at the top of the swing.

Use these coaching cues

  • Start with the kettlebell between your feet.
  • Go into your hip hinge.
  • Break the handle in half.
  • Punch your feet into the ground and snap your hips forward.

Master Your Dead Stop Swing:

The last step in mastering the kettlebell swing is the dead stop swing. Mastering the dead stop swing puts all of the other steps into one. You begin by starting in a hip hinge position, next you go into your hike pass, and lastly you go into your dead lift. Each rep is initially starting the swing back over and enforcing all the skills you have learned prior to this step.

Use these coaching cues

  • Start in your hike pass position.
  • Toss the bell back.
  • Explode through the hips and let the bell float up.
  • Wait for the bell to push your hips back and park the bell.

To get the most out of your swing and master the basics, review and practice each of these steps.

***

William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength

 

Putting the Power into the Power Swing

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Kristy Agan RKC Team Leader Power Kettlebell Swing

When I was introduced to kettlebells in 2006, how to start the kettlebell swing was not something that I was taught. Upon entering the world of RKC, I learned the importance of the beginning of the swing. I was amazed by the instant improvement in my technique from solely focusing on how I started my swing. After all, the start of the swing is where we generate all of our power. If we don’t learn how to begin the swing, then we only end up with terrible looking, inefficient swings. In this blog post, I want to specifically discuss the power swing, sometimes known as the dead start swing. The power swing is a drill that I love to use in my own training and with my clients. Unfortunately, and even after a workshop, it’s easy to forget this humble but effective drill. So, we should revisit and use it that much more in our training.

What is a Power Swing?

In short, it is the “hike to stand” and “back to the start” portions of the swing, repeated for reps.

The power swing is super effective for teaching solid swings because it:

  • Teaches and reinforces the “hinge” and “back swing”.
  • Teaches us to create “pulling” power from the lats.
  • Strengthens the hike to stand portion of the swing—which is where all the power for the rest of our swings in the set comes from.
  • Increases strength in the hamstring & glutes—much like deadlifts and power cleans.
  • Correct posture issues in the start position, or will very quickly reveal weaknesses that need to be addressed ASAP to avoid potential injury.
  • Crosses over to stronger lifts, specifically the barbell deadlift.
  • Carries over into stronger plyometric movements such as jumping and sprinting, making it essential for athletes.
  • Teaches a strong start of the swing leading to stronger cleans and snatches.

The power swing can be taught to and used with clients when they are just learning or even struggling with their technique. I like to use “fast and loose” intervals for active recovery when teaching the power swing. It keeps my clients moving, but allows extra recovery time for the hips, hamstrings, and glutes.

If you have clients who especially need to work on their mobility, try super sets of power swings with a mobility drill. They’ll be able to address the mobility issues revealed during their practice sets.

Here are some examples of mobility drills to super set with power swings:

  1. If the client has a rounded back, use the wall hinge drill or thoracic bridge.
  2. If the client doesn’t finish through with their hips at top of the swing, superset with the RKC hip flexor stretch, bridge, or frog stretch.
  3. If the client pulls the kettlebell up with their shoulders instead of snapping their hips, superset the power swings with the towel drill.

How to Teach the Power Swing

  • Set hike position
  • Swing once and return to start

Repeat up to 10 rounds depending on the client’s fitness level and technique issues. Add in mobility and/or corrective drills between rounds as necessary.

For high performing clients, you can turn power swings into a grueling strength workout by increasing rounds and/or number of reps per round. Be sure to design the workout with the safety and skill level of the client or group in mind.

In the video below, I purposefully selected a wide range of clients to show how a power swing routine can work for a group with a variety of fitness levels—which most trainers will see any given day. The clients in the video range in age from 18 to 62. Both men and women are following the routine. The group also includes a breast cancer survivor, a client who had hip labrum surgery, a few HKC certified instructors, and a few beginners who learned to swing kettlebells only a week before this video. The finisher in the video is also suitable for a mixed group. Obviously, I can make it much harder for my advanced clients, but for the sake of this video I kept it simple. We focused on the power swings with a few short breaks.

For more specialized groups—martial artists, youth athletes, advanced adults, pair higher rep (or heavier kettlebell) power swings with tougher movements such as burpees, full bridges, advanced push-up variations, renegade rows, heavy kettlebell floor presses, fast & loose drills, and/or sport specific drills.

Below is a short clip of my husband and I demonstrating a ladder routine with power swings and push-ups. Before you begin the routine, line up three kettlebells from light to heavy. Perform three swings with the light kettlebell, two swings with the middle kettlebell, one swing with the heavier kettlebell, and finally one push-up. Each round, increase the push-up reps each round. Set a timer for ten minutes and see how many rounds you can do well. It’s simple, but effective.

Our swings are only as good as the power we are able to create from the ground up. Just like with any sport, teaching and drilling the fundamentals are how star athletes are born. When we forget the fundamentals, we lose our edge. The power swing is a fundamental element many of us are missing in our Hardstyle kettlebell training. It’s time to go back to the fundamentals that made us the solid RKC instructors we are today. It’s time to practice the power swing!

***

RKC Team Leader Kristy Agan is also a PCC Instructor, American Council of Exercise (ACE) and TRX qualified personal trainer. She owns and operates KA Athletics in Rome, Georgia. Kristy also maintains an online training business kristyagan.com. Follow Kristy on Instagram @kristyagan and Twitter @kristyagan or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kristy.Agan.Trainer

Rubik’s Get-Up

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Annie Vo Get-Up Rubiks Cube
When I first learned to perform a get-up, I was unsure of its purpose. It seemed almost like a series of random movements, ultimately resulting in getting off the floor. Of course, being able to get off the floor safely has its advantages, but even when progressing with resistance, it was still somewhat of a mystery to me.

Sometimes in order to understand new information, it is helpful to liken it to something old. The use of analogies in teaching has been shown to have a positive impact on the way we process new data. Analogies foster learning by highlighting the similarities between what we already know and that which we seek. The mind is complex.

Over the years I have come to think of the get-up like a Rubik’s Cube.

The Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the goal is to align all of the color-coded squares on each side through a series of pivots. The shifts of the cube are smooth, tracking on an internal core track until the final destination is reached. The cube is considered incomplete if the sides are not aligned appropriately.

Although it is widely misreported that Dr. Rubik created “the cube” to be a teaching tool to help his students understand 3-D objects, his actual purpose was to solve the structural problems of moving parts independently—without the entire mechanism falling apart! In many ways, the get-up has the same goal.

Each movement in the get-up is a pivot from the body’s core joints—the hips and shoulders. The pivoting should be smooth. Once the position is established, all “sides” of the get-up cube should also be aligned. The spine must be straight throughout the get-up. The body’s center of gravity must be balanced between the limbs. The angles of the hips and shoulders positioned to provide maximum support and stability. Each limb, joint and muscle must be arranged and coiled underneath the weight overhead to create a solid foundation.

As you develop your technique, you are likely to discover information about how you move, including strengths and weakness, balances and imbalances, and which areas should be developed. Your get-up is your sculpture. It is constantly evolving. The way you perform each pivot, swivel and shift can reveal or obscure what is truly beneath the surface. If you rush it, then you’ll miss the point.

As a Senior RKC Instructor, I’ve had the privilege of teaching the get-up to hundreds of coaches and kettlebell enthusiasts, spanning a multitude of backgrounds. Throughout my tenure, I’ve noticed that there are three common places in the get-up where symmetry and alignment tend to get neglected, even among experienced get-uppers. Here they are:

Initial Shift to the Elbow

The get-up begins in a lying position and is initiated by rolling up to your (unloaded) side. It is to be performed without any jerking or momentum. Imagine your trunk is one unbending steel rod that must be adjusted by wedging between the hip and shoulder. The result is a straight, stacked vertical line from the ground to overhead—a track as clear as the pathway of a Rubik’s Cube’s axis.

However, often the shoulder of the planted arm is forgotten in the pursuit of this vertical line, and sags forward. This is usually the result of not knowing how to find the alignment, and overcompensating. In short, it may feel like it’s lined up but it isn’t. If this is the case, there is unnecessary pressure on the front of the shoulder. To avoid this, make sure to preserve your vertical line by employing the support of the greatest shoulder stabilizer you have—the lat.

Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded and relaxed.
Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded and relaxed.
Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is aligned and lat is packed.
Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is aligned and lat is packed.

Shift to the “Tall Sit”

When moving from the elbow to the straight arm seated position, the support shoulder has a tendency to rotate forward, therefore “exposing” itself and falling out of alignment. The support arm is arguably the most important part of the “tall sit” portion of the get-up because it determines whether you will be able to support your overhead weight (and bodyweight) while your legs swing under you. The support arm (and opposite leg) are responsible for supporting the body as it is lifted and rotated like a Rubik’s Cube.

To perform this transition with the greatest mechanical advantage, make sure your shoulder is in line with your planted hand and also rotated back and down, to ensure that the lat muscle is engaged.

Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded forward.
Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded forward.
Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded back and in line with the hand.
Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded back and in line with the hand.

Leg Sweep (both directions)

From the “tall sit” position, rotate your leg under your body, and place your knee on the ground. Sometimes people don’t bring the leg far enough under, on the way up. Remember, the angle of your hips should be roughly 90 degrees. Picture how difficult it would be to twist Dr. Rubik’s contraption if its sides were unaligned.

Conversely, a common mistake on the way down is to place the supporting hand (rather than the knee) out of alignment. It’s important to keep your grounded hand extended just beyond the knee.  A visible, vertical line should begin from the grounded hand, up through both shoulders, and overhead, ending in the kettlebell held firmly at the top.

Problem knee position—The knee is not drawn underneath far enough creating a less than 90 degree angle at the hip.
Problem knee position—The knee is not drawn underneath far enough creating a less than 90 degree angle at the hip.
Problem hand position—The hand is placed out of alignment from the knee.
Problem hand position—The hand is placed out of alignment from the knee.
Proper hand, knee, shoulder alignment—Hips are at 90 degrees and a vertical line is created from grounded hand to KB.
Proper hand, knee, shoulder alignment—Hips are at 90 degrees and a vertical line is created from grounded hand to KB.

These are time-tested tips to help improve your get-up. You’d be surprised how often revisiting these basics can help improve overall performance. Do not lose sight of the fact that your training is constantly evolving and never be afraid to revisit your foundation.

“Mind the edges of the cube or else Hell will literally break loose”
“Mind the edges of the cube or else Hell will literally break loose”

***

Annie Vo, Senior RKC, PCC Team Leader is a personal trainer, fitness writer and presenter in New York City. Contact her through her website annievo.com.

Kettlebell Ballistics Analyzed

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RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl Beast Swings

Like many worthwhile exercises, ballistic movements can be taught in a few hours, but need to be practiced for years on end. To stay sharp with the Hardstyle techniques we use in the RKC system, we always need to pay attention to every detail. The reason is simple yet profound: Hardstyle ballistics are self-ruining. Our central nervous system is programmed to optimize any repetitive motion for energy efficiency. Hardstyle ballistic movements are designed to do the exact opposite—create maximum power output. This is also one reason why RKC Instructors are required to recertify on a regular basis.

In this post, I will analyze the RKC kettlebell ballistic exercises step by step. It should be obvious that no ballistic exercise can ever be performed “step by step”. For example, with the kettlebell swing, the trainee does not (or at least should not) force the kettlebell back down from the top, instead they should just wait for it to come back down.

I would suggest that beginners reading this post bookmark it and save it until after finding an RKC instructor and performing at least 10,000 Hardstyle swings. My intention with this post is to go into great detail and give advanced trainees and instructors a reference. This approach is not suitable for beginners as all the details will only confuse him or her.

Hardstyle Kettlebell Ballistics Defined

The term “ballistic” describes any movement that occurs without external forces applied to the moving object. For any object on the face of the earth to move in a truly ballistic fashion, it must be accelerated with more force than gravity, and then left alone. The bigger the force and the faster the acceleration, the more kinetic energy will be stored in the object, causing the object to fly higher and farther. As soon the object enters the ballistic phase, it uses up its kinetic energy. When the kinetic energy becomes weaker than the gravitational pull, it starts to fall. Depending on the angle between the gravitational pull and the direction of the movement, the ballistic trajectory will be steep or flat. But, when all the stored energy is eventually used up, the object will fall freely towards the center of gravity.

Humans basically perform two types of ballistic movements: jumping (the human moves in a ballistic fashion) and throwing (the human moves an object in an ballistic fashion). In both cases, the human must generate the force for the acceleration and then release it. In the second example, the thrower releases the object after the acceleration phase, and there is no way to change the object’s trajectory after it has been released. When we jump, we also release control temporarily—we can’t change direction mid-jump—but we can hopefully catch ourselves on impact. Both types of “human ballistics” require speed and power at the same time.

The Kettlebell’s Little Secret

The kettlebell’s offset center of gravity allows the user to combine both forms of “human-ballistics” into a single exercise. In many ways, a kettlebell swing is almost identical to a vertical jump. The only difference is that a vertical jump is a triple extension (the hip, knee and ankle open together) while the swing is only a double extension (the hip and knee open, while the ankle does not open keeping the feet firmly on the ground). Another similarity to a jump is that all the momentum generated during the swing, must be caught during the back swing. If you were wondering how the swing is also a throw, take your kettlebell outside, do a swing and release it at its apex!

Simply put, when you train with kettlebell ballistics, you train the two most explosive and powerful movement patterns at the same time.

Ballistics Analyzed

Enough talk about why kettlebell ballistics are so cool… now, let’s analyze the motion.

Since the swing, clean and snatch are basically the same movement, and the same principles apply, I’ve tried to keep the analysis fairly generic. Significant differences will be discussed when necessary. Whenever you find something to improve in your own technique, make sure to practice and fix the least complex movements first before moving on to more difficult movements.

The ladder of complexity:

  • Kettlebell sumo deadlift: not a ballistic motion, but any problems with the hip hinge and the lockout of the hips should be fixed here first. Don’t be afraid to use really heavy kettlebells with this movement.
  • Dead stop swing: Isolated single reps of the two-hand swing force you to start strong each time and prevents the deterioration of your technique from rep to rep.
  • Two-hand swing: This is the simplest ballistic movement. It has all the aspects of force generation and deceleration, but without the anti-rotation aspects. However, if you struggle to keep your shoulders packed in the one-arm swing, first practice with the two hand version.
  • One-arm swing: This is the first step of the progression where you practice anti-rotation.
  • Snatch: This is a one-arm swing, that ends in the overhead lockout position. Safely landing the kettlebell in the overhead lockout position adds even more complexity.
  • Clean: In my experience, this is the most difficult ballistic skill to learn. With the snatch, you can usually go full throttle, but the clean requires you to use an exact amount of force so it can land crisply but cleanly in the rack position—all without changing the basic movement pattern.

Action Required:

To get the most from the above information, take a short video of your swings (film them from the side). Then, look at each part of your swing. Use an app with a slow motion feature (I use Coach’s Eye). If you struggle with other ballistic exercises, shoot videos of them as well.

Obviously, ballistic movements are fast and cannot be paused. It is also difficult—if not impossible—to control or modify the movement in real-time. So, all of the thinking has to happen before the kettlebell leaves the ground. Use your imagination and visualize the motion in vivid detail before actually executing it. This is the best way to improve your ballistic skills.

Hint for Instructors:

If you train people with kettlebells, do not correct them while they are working. Instead, have them set the kettlebell down, then explain before having them try again. Short hints usually work for people who already know the problem and only need a quick reminder. But instructions using more than four words must wait until the kettlebell is safely parked.

Mirrors:

When you train in front of a mirror—common in many gyms—refrain from analyzing your technique. I usually turn away and have my back to the mirror whenever possible. Again, if you want to know how your ballistics look, use a camera. The goal of any technique work should be that you can feel if you are doing it right rather than see your mistakes.

Notes:

Mastering ballistic drills should be thought of as a project that can never truly be completed. Striving for perfection is a worthy goal, but it is madness to expect to reach perfection. As in the martial arts, there is always something to improve. A good ballistic rep should be poetry in motion, smooth and powerful! Jerky motions should be avoided, and the kettlebell should look weightless.

Have fun practicing!

The Ballistic Phases

Once again, the following breakdown of the kettlebell ballistic movements is intended to give you a deeper understanding of the mechanics, not to teach the techniques. Some phases are long (relative to the full motion) and others happen in an instant. The length of my explanations do not correspond with the length or importance of the phase.

Loading:

Any ballistic kettlebell drill requires a deep hip hinge, for proper loading. This is why I expect all my students to start their swings, cleans and snatches with a hike pass instead of a pendulum motion. I agree with master Bruce Lee who stated, “I fear not the man who trained 10,000 kicks, but the one who trained one kick 10,000 times.” Following this train of thought, this is why I do not like the idea of starting each set with several substandard movements to gather enough momentum for cleaner technique.

After you hike the kettlebell backwards off the floor and between your legs, let the weight pull you back into a nice hip hinge. It does not matter if you work heavy or light or if you are doing swings, cleans or snatches—this stage should look always the same. Obviously, it should also look the same for every rep.

Drill:

Get into the starting position. Have a partner hold a clipboard behind your butt at a distance the size as the body of the kettlebell. In other words, in the deepest position of the back swing, the body of the kettlebell should stand out behind you while your spine stays neutral. Now hike the kettlebell back for a swing, clean or snatch and try to hit the clipboard. The goal of this drill is to hit the clipboard with each hike pass. You can do the same drill with swings, cleans or snatches.

Acceleration

If your hike pass and back swing are good, then there is not much that can go wrong while you accelerate the kettlebell. The elastic energy generated during the loading phase of the swing practically catapults the kettlebell forward. But, if you did not load your hips properly, or did not keep a neutral spine, then you will have problems.

Be very careful while learning new skills. For some reason, it’s common for someone who has already leaned to properly load his hips to forget what he learned when confronted with a more complex technique.

Whenever an advanced technique like the clean or the snatch feels overly complicated, and you have a hard time controlling the kettlebell, review the more fundamental exercises (like the swing). Often, you will find minor flaws will translate into bigger problems when the movement becomes more complex.

Force Transfer

Compared to the previous two phases, force transfer happens in an instant. It takes a trained eye to see if it was good or not. If the force transfer is weak, the whole exercise is weak, so it is important to get this one right.

Force transfer happens exactly in the instant of the upswing when your hip joint fully opens. Before that, you accelerate the kettlebell, but when your hips lock out, the kettlebell moves with the stored kinetic energy you generated during acceleration phase. You might have noticed while driving your car that the harder you hit the break, the more you get pressed into your seatbelt. This is because more of the built up kinetic energy remains in the object (you in the car or your kettlebell during the swing).

How to “hit the brakes hard” when locking out your hips:

  1. Contract your glutes as hard as possible. (Sounds familiar, right?)
  2. Simultaneously brace your abs as if you are waiting for a punch.
  3. Press your feet into the ground and contract your thighs. (Leave burning footprints!)
  4. Activate your lats and pack your shoulders.
  5. Exhale sharply through closed teeth.
  6. All of this should be happen in the instant your hips are fully open. The better your timing, the better and safer your swing will be.

Up until this step, the movement for all of the ballistic exercises is identical. No matter if you swing, clean or snatch the kettlebell, to this point all three drills look exactly the same.

The Rise

If you succeeded in passing kinetic energy to the kettlebell, the major part of your task is already done. You can not—and should not try to—do anything to give the kettlebell any more power than it has right now. However, you can still ruin the result!

Swing

In the kettlebell swing, your only task is to stay grounded while you hold on to the kettlebell. Do this by keeping your glutes, abs, and lats tight. While staying tight, try to let your arms be as loose as possible so the kettlebell can rise freely. You will know you are doing it correctly when your body forms a straight line from heels to the top of your head and the kettlebell is in line with your arms.

If the kettlebell hangs down on the top of the swing, you are pulling with your arms. On the other hand, if the bottom of the kettlebell tilts upward, you are holding your arms too tightly, hindering the upwards movement.

How high should you swing?

Everything between chest and eye level is ok. Think of the swing as a throw: instead of swinging the kettlebell high, aim at a point several meters in front of you. It helps to imagine someone you don’t like standing there!

Clean and Snatch

For the clean and snatch, the task is much more complex. First you have to lead the kettlebell, instead of just letting it float upwards. Secondly, you need to maneuver your hand into the respective end position. While you practice this, make sure your swing mechanics up it this point stay constant. I often see beginners struggle with the clean and the snatch because they fail to generate enough power from the hips. I think that the clean adds more difficulty to the equation because–unlike the swing and the snatch—you need to carefully control the amount of power you generate to propel the kettlebell to the exact height of the rack position. Obviously the amount of power differs greatly when cleaning a 8kg or a 40kg kettlebell. This is also why I have my beginners practice the snatch before I teach them the clean.

Florian Kiendl double kettlebell clean

Step by Step:

After your hips lock out, the kettlebell will try to follow the same flight path as the swing. For the clean and snatch, this is not optimal, because the kettlebell would travel too far away from the body and land with too much force when it comes back. To let it rise closer to your body, hold it back as if you are doing a row.

When you have successfully modified the flight path, the next challenge is to hit the parking position before the kettlebell comes crashing down on you. To accomplish this, your hand has to travel faster than the kettlebell rises.

  1. In the case of the clean, you can think of it as closing a zipper. The right point to “close the zipper” is when the kettlebell passes your navel.
  2. For the snatch it is easier, when the kettlebell passes your line of sight, just shove your fist straight up as if you are celebrating a victory.

In both cases, you will modify the flight path right when your arm connects with the kettlebell, but before the kettlebell has stopped moving upwards. You will surely feel it when you get it right, even though it is sometimes hard to see on video.

If you follow these hints, your snatch should work quite well, but there can still be issues with the clean. Try to clean with different weights to learn how to use the right amount of power.

Warning! If taped on video, your cleans should look the same no matter what weight you use. Don’t change the movement pattern, only change the amount of power you generate.

Self Diagnosis for Clean and Snatch

The following table gives you hints you can use to pin down common problems in your cleans and snatches:

kettlebell troubleshooting chart

The Apex

This phase is only relevant for the swing since in the clean and the snatch, the kettlebell rests in its respective parking position. In the swing, the kettlebell is allowed to use up its energy without user interaction. But, you can also use this instant for any interaction with the kettlebell (hand switches, flips, etc.). Everything I wrote so far impacts the behavior of the kettlebell in this phase. The kettlebell becomes still in the apex if and only if you get all of it right! If you find it difficult to pass the kettlebell from one hand to the other, try to figure out in which phase you lost (or failed to generate) tension. Practice it and when you feel you mastered it, come back and retry the hand switch. You will wonder why you ever had any problems!

Up Swing / The Drop

When the kettlebell has either used up all of its energy, or you have decided to drop it, it will fall back down towards mother earth. There’s not much more you can do to improve this, don’t even try. In case of the swing, any interference on your part will result in ruining the next rep. With the clean and snatch, there is also a high probability that you hurt your elbow. The only thing you should be doing is standing tight and wait until the kettlebell eventually tries to pull you down. Don’t resist, but break at the hips and smoothly hinge back. Make sure not to bend over, but just move your butt back while keeping your spine neutral.

The Catch / Reload

Now we have completed the full circle and are back where we started. Use the kinetic energy freed from the drop to load your hips and explode into the next rep.

Setup and Start

As already explained, you can not approach ballistics step by step. As soon as the kettlebell moves, the die is cast. Minor adjustments are still possible but if your setup sucks, your swings will too. I recommend creating your own little ritual to perform every time you approach a kettlebell.

Mine goes like this:

  1. I step up to the kettlebell and firmly plant my feet.
  2. I stand straight for a short moment and then tighten up to remind me what the top position should feel. I use this step only when I initially approach the bell, not between sets.
  3. I place the side of my hands in the creases of my hips and shove myself into the hip hinge. I do this to remind myself how the bottom position of the swing should feel (skipped between sets).
  4. I grip the handle with both hands and try to break the handle. This activates my lats. When I feel my lats, I soften the grip.
  5. If I want to work one handed, I remove one hand from the handle and center the remaining hand on the handle.
  6. At this point I lean back slightly, anchoring myself with the kettlebell (it is tilted towards me). This last step removes all the slack to avoid a jerky first rep.

You may think this sequence would take me as much as thirty seconds or more to get ready to swing, but that’s not the case. When I teach and am taking my time it only takes about 2-3 seconds. When I am training, I run through it so fast than an observer may not even notice what’s happening.

Create your own routine that gives you the best results, and practice it until it becomes second nature.

When you are set up and ready to start your swing, make sure to go all out from the first rep onward. Your set should always start with a powerful rep rather than building up speed from rep to rep. That is why I recommend the dead stop swing, it lets you practice your setup routine with every rep and you will become accustomed to starting your sets strong.

 

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RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and runs a Martial Arts Gym in a small town close to Munich (Germany). He made it his mission to help his students to improve their movement and overall health. In his search for ways to overcome the movement restrictions of his students (and his own) he found the RKC and now works together with Master RKC Robert Rimoczi and others to help as many people as possible to gain back their Strength and Agility. He writes a regular Blog at blog.kettlebellgermany.de and offers workshops all over Germany teaching the RKC kettlebell exercises: KettlebellGermany.de. If you have questions or comments on the article feel free to email him at florian@kettlebellgermany.de. 

Where and How To Grab The Kettlebell Handle

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Andrea Du Cane coaching rack position

As I travel around the country, I find there is a lot of confusion about where to grab the kettlebell handle—in the middle or in the corner? It is understandable that people are confused. After all, kettlebell training is still reasonably new to the broader public and it IS a very unique training tool. I hope to clarify some of this confusion and explain why certain grips are better for certain exercises, while some are definitely not appropriate for others.

The simplest way to break it down is to look at where you grab the kettlebell on the handle: the center or the corner. I’ll refer to this as the Center Grip or the Corner Grip.

This is very important. Unfortunately, many people do not pay attention to where they are grabbing the kettlebell. This is part of what I call the “set-up”. Every single kettlebell exercise has a set-up. This is where you stop and look at your feet, then determine where you place the kettlebell—in front of you for a swing/clean, or directly between your feet for a deadlift. You need to pay attention to where you place your hand on the kettlebell handle, and this too is determined by which exercise you are planning to practice.

Let’s begin by breaking down the different kettlebell grips, their uses, and advantages.

 

The Center Grip or Parallel Grip:

Grab the kettlebell in the center of the handle. The handle will generally lie across your callus pads with a slight downward angle toward the pinky side of the hand.

Rule of Thumb:

Anytime a kettlebell is held overhead, the kettlebell should be gripped in the middle of the handle.

Exercises:

presses, get-ups, kettlebell carries, windmills, snatches

Instructors at the Chicago RKC demonstrate kettlebell center grip

Why to Use the Center Grip:

1) The center grip keeps the kettlebell balanced so it won’t roll in either direction around the forearm. When the kettlebell is locked out overhead, the handle should be balanced in the palm. I have seen people lose control of the kettlebell and let the kettlebell roll around the forearm, not fun!

2) It helps to keep the wrist neutral. In contrast, a corner hold tends to pull the wrist into lateral flexion as well as flexion. This is very hard on the wrist. We want a strong forearm and wrist. An angled kettlebell tends to pull the wrist out of alignment.

3) During snatches a corner grip encourages the KB to spiral around the forearm, instead of the hand going through the middle and the kettlebell moving straight over the hand. A corner grip turns the snatch into a kind of GS spiral. This in turn, makes the landing less stable, the kettlebell is harder to control, and the shoulder can move around and become unpacked. Remember our snatches are Hardstyle, we use the force and speed of the hips to outrun the arm, and the fist punches through the handle fast. Once mastered, the kettlebell snatch using a center grip is both powerful and smooth, with no unnecessary movement at the lock out.

4) We need ALL our muscles to press heavy. If we hold the kettlebell at an angle during heavy presses, it puts the emphasis on the pinkie side of the palm which turns on mostly the triceps and lats. The corner grip turns off the part of the hand (thumb side) that facilitates the neurological connection with the pecs, biceps and anterior delts. When we press we don’t want to leave anything on the table, so we use the center grip.

Diagram of kettlebell corner grip
The corner grip turns off the part of the hand (thumb side) that facilitates the neurological connection with the pecs, biceps and anterior delts. When we press we don’t want to leave anything on the table, so we use the center grip.

The Neurology of Grip:

I’m sure many of you have heard about the studies that link grip strength to overall health and longevity. Because of how our bodies are wired, there is also a correlation to grip strength, shoulder health, and pressing strength.

If you’ve ever seen the picture of the Cortical Homunculus you can easily see how important the hands are. There are two particular “buttons” on the lower palm, one on the pinkie side of the fleshy palm and one on the thumb side.

The lateral side (pinkie) correlates to the triceps and lats. The medial side (thumb) relates to the pecs and biceps. When we press heavy kettlebells overhead, we want to “push all the buttons”. By grabbing the kettlebell in the center with the handle flat across the line of the calluses, we are able to activate both buttons.

Try this little exercise: Get down into a tall pushup position. Slowly lower yourself down while only contacting the ground on the outsides of your hands (pinkie), and then come back up. Next, try it again, but this time put the weight on your thumb/index side of the palm. If you listen closely to your body, the first time you tried the exercise, you should have felt more activation in your lats and triceps and the second time more muscles firing with your biceps and pecs.

Andrea Du Cane center grip rack hold

While we are on the subject of kettlebell grips, I’d like to touch on the different pressures we use:

Crush Grip: Used for heavy presses and bent presses.

Soft Grip: Used for get-ups, overhead carries, windmills. The fingers are closed around the handle and there is a light squeeze. This helps with shoulder stability and keeps control of the kettlebell on the forearm.

Closed Grip: Used for snatches and jerks. The fingers are closed around the handle with no pressure, to facilitate shoulder stability. It can also help with timing. When time is a factor as in the snatch test, keeping the fingers on the kettlebell handle will save time.

Open Grip: This is probably the most misused and misunderstood grip. There are certain populations of kettlebell lifters who will benefit from opening the fingers at the top of the snatch. When the fingers open at the top of a snatch, it allows the hand and grip to relax at the lockout. This is especially good for people with tight shoulders who need more mobility at the lockout and for high volume of snatching where the grip fatigues. And it can help while learning to snatch, for those having trouble over gripping the handle throughout the snatch.

Opening the hand at the top of a snatch rep can also help to slow people down if they are rushing through the lock-out. However, if someone is running out of time during a snatch test, make sure they keep their hands closed, as it will give back a second more for each rep.

As a side note, those who tend to over grip the kettlebell handle are often not using their hips and glutes to drive the movement, instead they are pulling with their arms and back. So fix the hips first, and that may alleviate the need to open the hand at the top of the snatch. In general, fix problems from the ground up!

Secondly, the open grip should only be used during high volume snatches, never for grinds like presses or get-ups, windmills or carries.

When pressing heavy and/or for reps, always keep the hand closed and with at least light pressure on the handle. If you open the hand at the top of a press, it signals the nervous system to relax–which we do NOT want to do during heavy presses!

The Diagonal Grip (or Corner Grip):

The diagonal grip is only used for cleans, or the combination of clean and squats together. Because there is no overhead holding, grinding or stability needed, the corner grip is fine—and in some cases preferred.

The corner grip is also encouraged for clean & jerks, since the triceps and lats are doing most of the overhead work to finish the lock out. For jerks and push presses, the lower body initiates the movement and drives the kettlebell overhead. You actually want the arms relaxed—because it is NOT a press.

Corner grip rack hold

Forearm Discomfort—the Causes and Solutions

Lastly, I’d like to discuss the issue of discomfort on the forearm. In some cases, depending on an individual’s build and structure, adjusting the kettlebell in the hand and adopting a slightly angled hold during presses etc., may be necessary. The intention should still be to grab the kettlebell in the middle, but also allow it to angle down toward the pinky-side of the hand. It is still important to try and feel the thumb side with a solid contact as described above.

A few populations often have sensitive forearms, but there are methods to help them stay as comfortable as possible while not sacrificing technique:

The first reason for forearm discomfort is being new to kettlebell lifting. It is a new sensation and takes a bit of time to get used to pressure on the forearm. Also, because beginners are typically using smaller, lighter kettlebells which sit higher on the forearm where it is more sensitive. We used to say “If it hurts your arm, get a bigger kettlebell”. That’s not a particularly sensitive thing to say, even though it is true. But, the bigger kettlebells really do sit lower on the forearm and are more comfortable to hold in the rack and overhead.

The problem is that you have to use the appropriate size kettlebell for a given client and a given exercise. Which means beginners, or other populations will still need to use the lighter kettlebells.

In this case, the best solution will be to have your clients use wrist guards to protect the wrist and forearm. The more experienced the person becomes, the more their technique improves—and the more likely they will find a comfortable position. At the same time, they will be working up to larger kettlebells and the problem will go away.

The second and most common reason for people to have problems holding kettlebells—especially in overhead positions—is a lack of shoulder and T-spine mobility. Remember, the more vertical that the arm holding the kettlebell is (either in the rack or locked out overhead), the less weight will be placed on the forearm.

If someone’s lock out is forward of the shoulder, then most of the weight of the kettlebell will go directly into the forearm. Shoulder flexibility and T-spine mobility should be addressed as part of their daily programming. Until the mobility issues are addressed, they will continue to feel the pressure from the kettlebell on their arm.

Big-chested men and women, powerlifters or bodybuilder physiques, might find it hard to hold a kettlebell in the rack position. There is not much that can be done, because it is a structural or body-type problem. They will need to move the kettlebell around until they find the most comfortable arm angle and kettlebell placement. In some cases, the rack position will never be comfortable for them and they should limit holding the rack position for any length of time.

In all these examples, using a wrist guard can help protect the forearm and make the kettlebell position safer and more comfortable. Shoulder mobility work should be done regularly. In some instances, adjusting the grip slightly to angle it off a sensitive point can help. However, keeping good exercise technique in mind, the correct form should be followed as much as possible for safety of the client and the effectiveness of the exercise.

 

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Andrea Du Cane is a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor, CK-FMS, CICS, and RIST, ZHealth certified, she has a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and is also a Pilates instructor. She is the author of several books and dvds including The Ageless Body, The Kettlebell Boomer, and The Kettlebell Goddess Workout.  She has over twenty years of aerobics, weight training and fitness experience, with an additional background in… Read more here.