Kettlebell Swings: A Primer

 Recently I had a comment on how to add Kettlebell Swings to a routine.

Here is what I added for the female who asked about it:

start out with 10-15 pounds to practice the movement and get it down. There are some that argue about how high to go on the swing, I feel you get what you need by swinging to about chest height and back down again. I don't see a benefit for the above the head motion.

I feel most can do 10-15# to start with and get 10-20 good reps in. As you gain experience with the exercise, you can add more reps as you go. I've been doing KB swings since 2005 so my endurance is up there for higher reps and switching sides (10 per side x 5 rounds of it is 100 reps for me in my workouts.) I would build up on 10-20 reps to start, taking rests as you feel you need them. 20 reps can usually be done just over 30 seconds of time. Take longer rests if you need them.

With starting out on kettlebell swings, a lot of trainers teach the two-handed swing first to get the basics of the action down.

Squat down to grab the KB with both hands, keeping the back straight and pushing the hips back, feet should be about shoulder width apart. 

Start the action by rocking the KB forward a little, then letting it swing between your legs. As it reaches its end point, drive the hips forward and extend the hips and knees so your body comes to a straight line.  The KB will raise up naturally to about chest height at the end of the swing. Once it reaches its high point, squat back down and let the KB fall back between your legs again.  You can keep this pendulum action going for 10-20 reps like I mentioned above.  

You can also do a one handed swing version and switch hands at the top of the swing, bringing both hands to chest height (one with the KB, the other without) and have both palms facing each other.  This allows you to transition the bell easier to the other hand at the top of the swing.  I like to switch hands every 10 swings as I do my sets of 100.  It gives each side a small rest between the sets of 10.  Practice the movement from hand to hand to get the transition down.  

One thing to mention is to keep the arms straight, thinking of them like a rope that keeps tight throughout the swing.  You don't want the rope to 'slack' as you swing.  

It has been a while since I've done a video on KB swings, so perhaps I'll get one made soon to demonstrate this basic exercise that has a bunch of cardio and fat burning benefits!

Stay strong,

Coach Rick