The kettlebell swing is the summation of what kettlebell lifting is about—explosiveness, power generation, flexibility, “rooting” into the ground and full-throttle cardio that has the ability to torch even the most seasoned kettelbell lifter’s lungs when performed for high repetitions. This essential movement works multiple muscle groups in a coordinated fashion, delivering a healthy does of intense, fat shredding cardio…and not to be confused with the boring, monotonous cardio you would experience on an elliptical trainer, exercise bike, or any other piece of glitzy “cardio” equipment. With kettlebells, you are the machine.
The kettlebell swing, in my opinion, should be the first kettlebell movement you master, but this will require lots of practice coupled with a deep, internal focus on the proper mechanics of the movement. You must focus on the key principles of the movement until they have become second nature. Once mastered, the swing will pay uncountable dividends in regards to the force your hips, legs, and back will be able to generate as they work in a coordinated fashion to develop explosive power.
When initially watching a kettelbell lifter or instructor perform the kettlebell swing, one can easily be deceived by the simplicity of the movement. After all, it’s “just swinging the kettlebell between your legs” as one of my clients told me before attempting the swing for the first time. Yet, it’s been my experience that nearly all first-time swingers perform the movement incorrectly. The three biggest mistakes I see people make when first attempting to perform the swing are all easily correctable if you focus on the proper mechanics of the movement.
The inexperienced kettlebell lifter will:
1. Squat down rather than creasing at the hip.
2. Attempt to pull the kettlebell upward with the arms or shoulders rather than using the force that is to be generated by the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
3. Try to control the kettlebell on the downward phase of the movement.
Point #1.
When squatting down rather than creasing at the hip, the upper body tends to be more erect and in an upright position with limited bending of the back and limited stretching/loading of the hamstrings. This position limits the amount of power that can be generated by the hamstrings, glutes and lower back, which are the prime movers in the kettelbell swing. By creasing at the hip and pushing the glutes backward as though you were about to sit down or do a vertical jump, the hamstrings are stretched like a bow and loaded with elastic energy which helps the muscle contract more powerfully as you drive the hips forward on the upward phase of the swing. The further you can push your butt out while creasing at the hip, the more you can increase the length of the hamstring muscle, allowing greater forces in the form of elastic energy to be stored, and thus returned as you contract the hamstrings while driving the hips forward during the concentric (upward) portion of the swing. In short, the more efficiently you can crease/hinge at the hip, the more efficiently you can stretch and load the hamstring which will in turn lead to a more explosive swing...which is the ultimate goal. Don’t turn an excellent hamstring/glute/low back movment into a poor quad movement.
Point #2
By focusing on generating power through hip drive and force applied to the ground through the feet (i.e. "rooting"), you’ll no longer need to pull the kettlebell with the arms and shoulders as it travels upward. Your arms should be close to your sides and straight as though you’re flexing your triceps throughout the upward and downward phases of the movement. If done properly, the hips, legs and lower back will have created enough force that the kettlebell will essentially be in an upward free-fall and all the arms are required to do is "steer" the kettlebell as Master RKC Brett Jones states.
Point #3
In addition to squatting down rather and pulling with the arms rather than generating force by creasing at the hip, most beginners will attempt to control the kettlebell on the eccentric (downward) phase of the swing. When I say "control the kettlebell" I'm referring to an attempt to resist its fall on the downward phase as gravity takes over...blame Newton for that one! This is particularly true for the trainee that has been involved in typical weight training—barbells, dumbbells, or machines. With the exception of the Olympic movements, most trainees have been told to “control the weight” on downward phase. While this may serve one well in traditional weight training, controlling the weight is the very antithesis of the kettlebell swing.
The kettlebell swing is a ballistic movement by nature and thus should be performed as explosively as possible while remaining in control of the kettlebell. With that being said, the kettlebell should be allowed to fall freely between the legs on the downward phase without resisting it or attempting to control it...other than controlling its direction of travel between the legs. The kettlebell should swing in an arc like a pendulum rather than a path that is straight up and down, which is what happens when a trainee tries to control the kettlebell instead of simply redirecting its momentum. By allowing it to fall freely, you are applying an external load to the hips, legs, and back which must be absorbed and overcome as you redirect the momentum of the kettlebell in the upward phase of the swing by explosively popping (i.e. extneding) the hips.
- Ed Long is the owner of MODERN ATHLETE, the premier conditioning program for Core Combat Sports in Louisville Kentucky. For the past 5 years he has worked with a variety of clients from high school and college athletes, combat sport athletes, as well as figure show contestants and the general public. Ed is a former college football player, strongman competitor, and student of Krav Maga-- official fighting system of the Israeli Defense Forces. He is also a certified Russian kettlebell instructor (RKC).