Are you a Swinger?

Everyone that touches a kettlebell eventually attempts the swing. If they don't seek proper instruction from a qualified kettlebell instructor most people rely on watching YouTube or reading a cliff notes style tutorial in their favorite fitness magazine.
The Kettlebell Swing is the center of the RKC universe!
The kettlebell swing teaches a powerful hip drive, builds a strong healthy back, develops  amazing cardio and endurance and develops strong abs, forearms and lats.  When done for high reps (one of our class kettlebell workouts consists of 640 reps) the swing is an incredible fat burner. The swing improves athletic performance in almost every sport from running to martial arts to swimming to power lifting.

Pictured to the left is a twelve year old student of mine performing the kettlebell swing. Today he did 80 swings in 4 minutes (sets of 20 interspersed with a twenty yard jog down & back) followed by a 5th all out minute of 49 swings all with a 10kg/22lb kettlebell.

Starting Position (A & B)

Stand behind the kettlebell.   Hinge from the hips pushing the hips backward, keeping the shins vertical. Keep your back flat by pushing your tailbone up, sticking your chest out, pulling your shoulders back and down. Reach forward and grab the kettlebell by handle with both hands, tilting the handle back toward you.

“The Hike Pass” / Eccentric Loading Phase (C)

Initiate movement by hiking the kettlebell backward between your legs, pulling the armpits shut tightly. The kettlebell should swing backward behind you as if you are handing it off to a partner. Inhale sharply through the nose, deep into your abdomen.

Concentric Explosive Phase (D)

As the kettlebell begins to swing forward on its own momentum drive forward with your hips standing up tall and straight as if completing an explosive deadlift. Exhale forcefully in synch with your hip drive.

The Lockout (E):  The lockout is the apex, the point at which the kettlebell becomes weightless before falling and starting the next rep. Your arms should be straight. The kettlebell should form a straight line, an extension of your arm. Your legs and spine should be straight as if standing tall. Tense your abs and glutes hard and pressurize your midsection to  protect your lower back. Crush the handle with both hands as if trying to bend it or snap it in half, this will active your lats in preparation for hiking the kettlebell down into the next rep. The sensation is as if you are preparing to brace your body for a punch while attempting to freeze the kettlebell motionless at the top of the swing. In fact one drill used in class actually involves a partner performing controlled striking to your body while you maintain the lockout position.

Continuing for reps (Repeat steps C, D & E)

From the lockout position, hike pass the kettlebell back for the next rep and proceed to the next concentric phase and lockout. During continuous reps keep the handle above knee level,  and initiate the hike pass by punching backward with your hips. This will ensure you are using your hips and not your lower back.

Setting the Kettlebell down / Terminating the set (C --> B -- > A )

Hike the kettlebell back as if preparing for another rep. Allow the kettlebell to swing forward gently to rest on the floor in front of you.  Set the kettlebell down in the same spot you picked it up from.

Stand up as if performing a heavy deadlift, then relax.

A Beginner's workout:
Perform as many sets as possible in 10 minutes.  Always stop your sets short of failure or sloppy technique. Strive to end each set comfortably with perfect technique. Alternate your sets with easy jogging, shadow boxing or jumping rope in order to let your heart rate come down for your next set.  Place the workout at the end of your normal strength training in place of your cardio.

GOAL: 

Complete 200-400 reps in 10-minutes. At first you may only be able to do a few sets of 10 with good form, that's ok. Take your time and view each training session as technique practice instead of a blistering workout. In this way you will be reinforcing solid technique while gradually building your efficiency of movement and endurance. Be patient and take up to several months to build up to this goal, the result will be worth the wait.

COMMON MISTAKES
Common mistakes include rounded the back on the downswing.
Hyper-extending the lower back during the concentric phase of the swing.
Swinging the kettlebell back too low.
Squatting instead of hip-hinging.
Performing a combination of a slow motion squat and a front raise.
Lifting/Dragging the kettlebell upward instead of using ballistic/explosive hip drive.

Incorrect Starting & Finish Position 

This is where back injury commonly

occurs.  

Rounding the back puts the spine in an extremely vulnerable position. 

While some Elite lifters have used round back deadlifts to move extremely heavy weight, round-backing it requires highly specialized technique and is generally not recommended. The majority of the population should NEVER put their back in

flexion during intense exercise or lifts. 

Incorrect Hike

The model here is performing a squat instead of hip

hinging as in a deadlift. Moving in this manner results in a

combination of two SLOW lifts the squat and the front raise.

As shown here, this is not dangerous, but it is not a swing.

Incorrect Lockout

Because the knees are not completing the movement the lifter is forced to compensate with hyperextension of the lower back. The kettlebell is hanging. This is usually the result of weak glutes or slow hip drive forcing the lifter to drag the kettlebell upwward with a front raise.