I have received many questions in the past asking me to explain the kettlebell swing in more detail and even some asking to critique their form.  This lift is so important to get right the first time that I think it is appropriate to take another look at it. 

The problem I most often see with this lift is that people tend to squat down more then they should.  Yes, you need to squat down to pick up the kettlbell but the swing requires that you fold at the waist and keep the shins verticle to the floor.  A great way to practice this without a bell is to do a box squat.  Simply stand if front of a chair or a bench and sit back and down.  You want to be sure that your back is straight and that you stick your butt out.  It helps if you stand slightly farther away from the chair then you normally would to sit down.  This forces you to fold at the waist and push your butt out.  To get up, drive your heels into the floor and pop up.  Also, don’t forget to keep your chin up and your eyes looking straight ahead at the horizon.

The folding at the waist and bending of the knees that is indicative of the swing is practically the same motion that you would use if you were to perform a deadlift.  Because of the placement of the barbell in relation to you shins, you must fold at the waist and keep the shins vertical to the floor.  If you don’t, you will not be able to get the barbell past your knees.  Once the bar is past your knees, you would thrust your hips out and stand tall.  Same with the kettlbell during the swing. 

As you know, the force used to drive the kettlbell up and out during a swing is derived for the hips and thighs, not the arms.  When you perform the swing much like a squat, meaning you squat down and remain too upright instead of folding at the waist, there is a tendency to pull with the arms to get the bell moving out.  I think this problem is primarily created once somebody starts to perform other lifts like the clean and the snatch.  In these lifts, the grivik must pull up with the arm to “tame the arc”.  This becomes a habit that eventually bleeds over into the swing.  

The other thing that lead to bad swing form is that we have been told all of our lives to never bend over to pick something up.  While this is true, if you keep your spine flat and you sit back during the swing, you will not have any issues with your back.  On the contrary, you will develp a steel back that is resilient to injury. 

Yours in Health,

Dennis 

This post is meant to give you some ideas and get you pointed in the right direction as it relates to using a kettlebell.  You will obviously not master the kettlebell just by reading this post.  I would strongly suggest you seek out quality instruction either with a certified trainer or through the use of books and videos.  The best in the business is Pavel Tsatsouline.  I would suggest to you “Enter the Kettlebell“  by Pavel.  As with any fitness routine, check with your doctor first.

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