Hey there!
If you've ever tried to learn the kettlebell swing, you know it's not as cut-and-dry as, say, a bicep curl. There's a bit of a learning curve with this movement, and you might have found yourself even a bit frustrated with the technique involved. However, performing this movement well is not only paramount for its effectiveness; it's paramount for safety!
When I teach someone the kettlebell swing, I want them to get all of the benefits, from glute and hamstring strength to trunk stability to metabolic conditioning. Improper form, however, could result in limited benefits and/or unnecessary strain that prevents progress and may even lead to injury.
To that end, I'm coming at you today with a brief "mental script" for practicing the kettlebell swing.
When I teach someone the kettlebell swing, I want them to get all of the benefits, from glute and hamstring strength to trunk stability to metabolic conditioning. Improper form, however, could result in limited benefits and/or unnecessary strain that prevents progress and may even lead to injury.
To that end, I'm coming at you today with a brief "mental script" for practicing the kettlebell swing.
Now, if you're a complete beginner, you'll want to call to set up your free orientation, during which we will take you through the movement, step by step. BUT, if you're looking to lock-in your form, I think this video will help:
- Hinge at the hips.
- Reach for the kettlebell.
- Tilt the kettlebell back towards you.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades "down and back," and squeeze your armpits like you're trying to squeeze a sponge in each one.
- Hike the kettlebell back, high in the danger zone, like your passing it to a receiver.
- Thrust your hips, like you're going for a world record long jump (but keep your feet planted).
- Lock out at the top in a "standing plank" position. (If you let go of the kettlebell here, it would go forward, not up--but, whatever you do, don't test it out!)
- Catch the kettlebell with your hips at the last possible second.
- Thrust your hips again, to continue the pendulum swing.
If anyone's got a good acronym for that, please do let me know! HRTSHTLCT is a bit of a mouthful.
Suffice it to say that, at Dragon Gym, we don't mess around with poor form. In fact, we pride ourselves on our coaching! Quality coaching leads to faster results and happier clients, so we ensure that our Strong ON! members are truly mastering the kettlebell techniques.
That's actually why we offer all prospective Strong ON! members a FREE private orientation: we want the chance to give you our undivided attention in order to set the stage for your success in our unique program.
If that sounds like something you're interested in--or if you'd like to know more about Strong ON! or our upcoming 30-day programming for "Kettlebell Humongous" (a holiday hypertrophy fun fest)--just hit reply to set something up!
Hope to see you on the black mats soon,
Aly
