Exercise Spotlight: Kettlebell Swings

Image Courtesy of Fitness Generator

START POSITION

• Hold one kettlebell between your legs with knees bent and chest up.
• Body in bent over position with a staight back.

MOVEMENT

• Begin by squatting down and swinging the kettlebell backwards between legs
• Then forcefully swing the kettlebell forward to about chest height
• By pushing the hips forward by squeezing the glutes.
• There should be triple extension in hips, knees, and ankles.

COACHING/SAFETY POINTS

• This is NOT a shoulder exercise. Moving the weight comes from the legs, glutes, and core musculature.
• Focus on keeping the core musculature drawn in or braced.
• Maintain controlled breathing throughout the movement
• Start will slow movements then progress speed as your abilities increase.
• During the movement keep the chest up and spine neutral.
• Focus on using the glutes to extend the hips and NOT hyper extending the back.
• A dumbbell can be used in place of a kettlebell if not available.
• Focus on movement quality before increasing resistance.

TARGET

• This is a total body exercise which can improve your conditioning, in addition burns a lot of calories.
• You will feel it in the muscles of your glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, and upper back
• This is a great portable exercise that you can pretty much do anywhere you have enough space.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Beginners - Light KB / 15-20 Reps / Slow Tempo / 1-2 Sets
• Intermediate - Medium KB / 12-15 Reps / Medium Tempo / 2-3 Sets
• Advanced - Heavy KB / 6-8 Reps / Fast Tempo / 3-5 Sets

Give it a try and give me some feedback.

Remember that EDUCATION and SAFETY always leads to RESULTS.

Be Well.