Why your kettlebell won’t swing…part #2

Another common issue that stops us from reaching full…powerful hip extension during our kettlebell training workouts and exercises are tight hip flexors.

Tight hip flexors are just a symptom of our modern lifestyle. Below is a simple hip flexor stretch that should be done prior to your kettlebell training session. There are many, more advanced hip flexor stretches that you can do, this drill is just skimming the surface.

Why Your Kettlebell Won’t Swing

If you’re having a hard time with your kettlebell swings there may be several reasons or causes to your lack of kettlebell swinging power.

Please watch the kettlebell training video below to uncover cause number #1…gluteal amnesia and how to correct it!

Kettlebell Workout- Lateral Kettlebell Complexes

Sticking with our kettlebell training theme of “Same but Different” we simply apply some lateral movement to traditional kettlebell exercises.

Basically when we take our kettlebell training outside we prefer to have fun with our kettlebell exercises and training. You can be serious but sometimes just the joy of human movement is a much more rewarding experience than how many kettlebell snatches you busted out in 10 minutes.

Kettlebell training outside is also a great training environment for sport and athletics. It’s really a sad story that many people are very uncomfortable training outside in a natural setting, barefoot or not. It almost scares them.

Please try out these Lateral Kettlebell Complexes and enjoy your kettlebell training!

 

These 2 Kettlebell Swings Work Like Crazy!

I’ve always been a believer in sticking with the basic kettlebell exercises. The most bang for your buck will always come from a steady diet of traditional kettlebell exercises, Snatches, Cleans, Jerks, Presses and Swings.

That being said, once you have your basic kettlebell swings under control for example, there’s nothing stopping your from exploring other variations of kettlebell swings.

We call this “Same but Different” and it works very well for keeping your kettlebell training and workouts fresh while still seeing progress on the most important kettlebell exercises.

These 2 kettlebell swing variations are some of my favorite variations. Please try them out and report back to headquarters.

Kettlebell Exercises…Overhead Throws

Two of the greatest features of the Russian Kettlebell is their durability and their portable. Kettlebell throws are an excellent way to train with your kettlebells. No need to get very technical…just have fun and get some work done.

Kettlebell Swing Ladders

Jason and I are big fans of Kettlebell swings, especially for our general population training clients.  Kettlebell swings get a lot of work done in a little bit of time.  To keep them interested and to change the training stimulus slightly, we incorporate a variety of kettlebell swings into our training programs.

Here’s one example of something unique that we do with Kettlebell swings using a height ladder.  In this variation you perform three swings at ascending heights to equal one rep.  You’ll notice in the highest swing I still don’t go directly overhead, as most people’s form will tend to breakdown.

Give it a try and let us know what you think below…

The Golden Kettlebell Award Goes To???

At the end of each Kettlebell Athletics Kettlebell Certification we hand out a Golden Kettlebell Award. At the last kettlebell certification we had participants challenging each other for their chance to win.

Congratulations this time to Nikki Layton.

When 2 Kettlebell Clowns Compete!

Just a little backround on this video.

Zach even-Esh and I are great friends but very competitive.

The 1st event was bowling in which I crushed Zach by 120 points on several games. Then…

The 2nd event was who could overhead press the thickest band…I beat him at that.

Then we had a double kettlebell one-arm overhead anyhow comp. I beat him that !

In Zach’s defense he would crush me at deadlifts and pull-ups everyday of the week.

Please Note: Pamela is on Zach’s side the entire time.

Kettlebell Rack Holds

We’ve always said there are hundereds of different kettlebell exercises.  One kettlebell exercise that is often overlooked, as most don’t even think of it as an exercise, is the kettlebell rack hold.  There’s a huge amount of static strength necessary to be able to hold one and especially two kettlebells in the rack position for any period of time, particulary after doing a complimentary kettlebell exercise prior to the rack hold.

In the video below, instead of an actual rest period, I use the rack hold position as an active rest period.  It is 2 and 1/2 minutes of work with 30 seconds of rest.  A beginner should use only one kettlebell, and anyone using doubles who has never trained like this before will want to start with lighter kettlebells for 3-5 rounds.  You can work your way up to more rounds and heavier kettlebells over a period of time.

Give it a try and let us know what you think.