Do you enjoy kettlebell swings? Many people have a love hate relationship with them unless you learn how to approach them with confidence and strength. Swinging a kettlebell for many is easy in the sense that you don’t need to worry about it crushing you like a back squat would, now that weight you respect.
First thing first, change your attitude about your swings. Tell yourself you love to swing before you reach down to grab the bell. Get excited about it. Lie to yourself until it becomes the truth. Or you will dread it every time you see them in a WOD.
Use your feet as a connection point to the ground. Rocking to your toes causes you to lose your core. When your feet are connected you create some degree of tactile certainty and create balance. What drives the weight? Your hips !!! The hips, knees and abdominals are all supposed to engage at the exact same time.The hips need to be highly active, and the intention behind this drill is to develop speed and crispness. Therefore, your hips arrive first.
Your BIG toe has an important part in the kettlebell swing.
The big toe plays a major role in any movement requiring balance. And since the swing moves your center of gravity front to back versus up and down like in most lifts, balance is critical. When I engage my big toe and press it into the ground during swings without shifting my weight forward, my stability and balance go up.The sense of control increases, and this inevitably translates into my ability to produce power. Try it out !
Are you squeezing? Yes I am really asking you about squeezing your glutes so hard that you start to cramp! Now that your glutes are firing up, activate your abs ! In the swing, think about pulling your lower abs up as your glutes lock into position. It might take a little time. The entire abdominal wall locks into place, hello 6 pack abs !
Remember your neck is a part of your spine, and keeps your spine straight. Do not let the head move independently from the rest of the spine, regardless of position.Now Pack the shoulders down as your arms rise up directs hip and leg energy to the kettlebell.
Are you ready to swing? Too many athletes are timid when it comes to swinging the kettlebell. You can’t be shy to grab on and go ! Swing as hard as you can. If you can get yourself to redline on every rep, in every set, the swing will be iconic in your development. You will max out conditioning, fat loss, speed training, explosiveness, and power.