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GUIDE TO THEKETTLEBELLSWINGByLouka Kurcer, StrongFirst Team LeaderCopyright 2019

DISCLAIMER:The author is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through followingthe instructions contained in this material. The activities may be too strenuous or dangerous for somepeople. It is advisable to consult a physician before engaging in them.SAFETY 101:RESPECT YOUR KETTLEBELL!1.Get a medical clearance.Kettlebell training can be extremely intense. We recommend getting clearancefrom your health practitioner before beginning any physical fitness program.2.Always be aware of your surroundings.Find a training area with a non-slippery surface on which you are not afraid todrop a kettlebell. The area must be clear of objects you might trip over (includingother kettlebells) or hit with a kettlebell. There should be no people in a radiuswhere you could injure them, should you drop a kettlebell.3.Train barefoot or wear shoes with a flat, thin sole and room for the toesto spread.Training barefoot is superior for health and performance. If you must wear shoes,wear Converse Chuck Taylors, Vibram Five Fingers, or similar shoes that have thinsoles and do not pinch the toes together. You have specialized sensory receptorsin the bottom of your feet, which make you stronger and improve your balanceand coordination. Wearing traditional shoes diminishes the ability of thesereceptors to work properly, and therefore impedes your performance and canincrease your risk of injury. Furthermore, being able to engage the toes and footwill translate to better performance.Copyright 2019

4.Never contest for space with a kettlebell.Don’t try to save a rep that has gone wrong. Guide the kettlebell to fallharmlessly and move out of the way if necessary. And remember that “quick feetare happy feet.”5.Practice all safety measures at all times.Respect every kettlebell, even the lightest one. Always use perfect form whenpicking up and setting down a kettlebell. The set is not over until the bell is safelyparked.6.Focus on quality, not quantity.Gray Cook, a premier sports physical therapist, has pointed out that your motorcontrol goes south as you fatigue and “the body will always sacrifice quality.” InStrongFirst style kettlebell training, like in weightlifting and powerlifting, reps arenot the end goal. We emphasize speed in your quick lifts and tension in your“grinds” and we don’t worry about reps too much. An important step towardsimproving training safety, productivity, and recovery is to terminate your setswhen your speed is about to decrease compared to the first rep— not when yourmuscles are giving out or you cannot catch your breath. Think “speedendurance.”7.Keep moving once your heart rate is high.After a hard set, keep moving, e.g. walking, shadow boxing, etc., to help yourheart pump the blood. Stop only when your heart rate is halfway down tonormal. Consider getting a heart rate monitor.8.Don’t put your spine into flexion during or after training.Forward spine flexion stretches and even slouching after training, harmless asthey seem, could injure your back. Unless counter-indicated, back extension typestretches like the cobra are recommended following training.Copyright 2019

9.Build up the training load gradually using common sense and listen toyour body.Always complete each set under control, stopping before high levels of fatigueoccur. Never train to failure.10.Instruction cannot cover all contingencies and there is no substitute forgood judgment.THE SWING STEPS1. LEARN THE HIP HINGESet up: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out. Place adowel down the middle of your back with three points of contact: top of thehead, mid-back and tailbone While maintaining those three points of contact, sitback, allowing the knees to bend. Imagine reaching for the wall behind you withyour glutes. Maintain a neutral spine and neck. Allow the hamstrings to stretchCopyright 2019

like a bow as you sit back. Keep your feet planted and rooted down. The hipsmust be higher than the knees, (this is NOT a squat), and the shoulders higherthan the hips.Stand back up and perform the drill until you are comfortable with themovement.Copyright 2019

2. LEARN HOW TO DEADLIFT Click HERE to watch the video You will apply everything you have learned from the Hip Hinge to the Deadlift.Set up: stand directly over the kettlebell. The handle should be in line with yourankle bones. Pull your shoulders down and away from your ears. Lower the ribcage and keep and abdominal “brace”. Hinge back and reach down with yourarms for the kettlebell. Keep about 60% of the weight on your heels. Keep youreyes at the horizon during the lift, however, avoid over extending the neck. Onceyou grip the handle firmly with both hands, stand up ramrod straight like a“plank”.To bring the kettlebell back down, push your butt back aiming for an imaginarywall behind you. Guide the kettlebell back using your lats, as if you are aiming foryour heels, until it reaches the floor. Repeat for reps.Copyright 2019

While Deadlifting, you must practice FULL BODY TENSION: Contract both the abs and the glutes as if bracing for a punch. Perform aposterior pelvic tilt. Pack the shoulders: force the shoulders down towards the feet. “Anti-shrug”to engage the lats. Crush the handle with your hands. Try to break it in half (thumbs are trying topoint up). Breathe shallow and stay tight. Breathe “behind the shield”. Pull up your kneecaps and contract your quads. Grip the floor with your toes. Stand tall and DO NOT lean back.While practicing, you may do these techniques all at once or one at a time inseparate sets. Take your time to develop these “skills”.3. LEARN POWER BREATHINGTake a sharp inhalation through your nose and breathe into your stomach. About45-65% air capacity. Do not let the air go higher into your chest, keep the air low.Imagine breathing into your groin. Now compress the air out by exhaling. Stickyour tongue between your teeth and push the air out making a (Tsssssst) sound asyou push the air out through the teeth.Create a small passageway for the air to escape. Imagine pumping air in a tireusing a machine with a small hose. Try blowing up a balloon lying on your back.Pressurize the air using your abs.Copyright 2019

Apply Power Breathing to the Deadlift. Apply all the tension techniques listed inthe Deadlift section.Here’s how. Breathe in sharply on the way down and “hiss” on the way up. If youget light headed, gently park the kettlebell and breathe normally. Relax and walkaround. You are not used to this much pressure. Go back when you feel ready.6. PERFORM THE HARDSTYLE PLANK Click HERE to watch the video Assume a plank position on the floor. Tense your whole body from the neckdown. Strongly contract the abs and glutes. Pack the shoulders down and make white knuckled fists. Squeeze the legs together, pull up the kneecaps, and push the toeshard into the ground. “Pack” your neck and get a “double chin” Breathe shallowCopyright 2019

Hold this position while slowly building up the tension like a volume knob. Onceyou reach peak contraction, stop, relax and shake it off. The Hardstyle Plankshould only be held for 5-10 seconds4. PERFORM FAST AND LOOSE DRILLSTension/Relaxation. Ying/Yang.Loose Fast; Tension Slow“You must work both extremes forstrength and for health.” -PavelAfter you perform a set where there is extreme muscular tension (e.g. Deadlift,Plank, Swing), you must learn to relax your body as soon as possible, as fast aspossible.“Shake” out the tension from your muscles by jogging around loosely andperforming Fast and Loose drills:FAST and LOOSE: Imagine shaking water off your limbs. Play with the frequencyand speed. Start with the shoulders, then arms, hands, hips, and legs. Wigglearound like you are dancing. Just like a boxer. Let go of any muscular tension andtotally relax. Take a few deep breaths and let out some sigh of relief until you areready for another set.Copyright 2019

THE SWING:5. PERFORM THE PENDULUM SWING and HIKE PASSDeadlift a kettlebell a few inches above the ground and practice the hike pass.Strongly spike the kettlebell behind you as if aiming for a target. The forearmsmust connect with the inner thighs.Actively throw the kettlebell behind you using your lats and arms. Then let thearms passively swing forward on their own while keeping the shoulders packed.Do not let the hamstrings unload. Stay mostly on your heels and keep your feetplanted. Stay braced during the pendulum. Practice in sets of 5-10 reps.Copyright 2019

7. TWO-ARM SWING Click HERE to watch the video Once you have the Hike Pass down, you no longer need to Pendulum Swing thekettlebell for reps.Set-up inn a triangle stance with the kettlebell. Both your feet and the kettlebellwill be the points of the triangle. Extend your arms forward to reach for thehandle with both hands. Grab the handle, anti-shrug and tilt it down towards you.Now sit back to load the hamstrings even more. Keep your eyes looking at thehorizon. You are in the “Silverback” position.Strongly hike the kettlebell back between your legs. Once you feel yourhamstrings load up like a bow, explosively stand up to a Plank position. Thekettlebell will surge forward on its own. DO NOT LIFT THE KETTLEBELL WITHYOUR ARMS! The movement should happen from explosively “snapping” yourhips into a Plank.Copyright 2019

Do not let the kettlebell go higher than your chest. “Stop” it with your lats. Yourarms and your body should form an inverted “L”. The top of the Swing is the“Plank” position.On the downswing, you will be bringing the kettlebell back through your legs. Bepatient and do not rush the decent. Stay in the plank position until the kettlebellpractically “hits” you in the groin on the way down. Think of “Attacking yourzipper!”At the very last moment, get out of the way by pushing your hips back and guidethe kettlebell back between your legs. The bell should pass above the knees.If on the way down it passes below the knees, you are going down too soon. Itshould feel like the kettlebell is pulling you back and not down. You will end up inthe same position as in the hike pass. Repeat in sets of 5-10 reps.Copyright 2019

On the top of the Swing:-The abs and glutes must visibly contract-The kneecaps must be pulled up-The shoulders must remain down and packed-The body forms a straight line-The arms form a straight line with the kettlebell-The eyes are looking at the horizon-The kettlebell must not go higher than the chest-The feet are pushing through the floorOn the downswing:-The abs are semi-braced-The eyes are looking at the horizon-The hips are sitting back-The forearms are up against the thighs-The shins are almost vertical, and the knees are slightly bent-The shoulders are slightly higher than the hips-The hips are higher than the kneesCopyright 2019

Troubleshooting the SwingProblems that may occur in the Swing and the corrective strategy.Do not try to fix all at once but fix the problem that stands out the most.Apply one corrective at a time for one problem. See what works, and feel free todo different correctives for the same problem. Everyone will respond differentlyfor each corrective.PROBLEMSquatting, failing to load thehamstringsFIXHinge, Deadlift, Cable/Band PullThrough, Clip board drill, Good MorningFailing to lockout at the top, lacksexplosiveness.Failing to contract the glutes at thetop.Failing to contract the abs at top.Shoulders shrug upDeadlift, Hardstyle Plank, Static StompDeadlift, Hardstyle Hip BridgeHardstyle Plank, Hardstyle Hip BridgeWrong timing, going down too soonLifting with the armsNot hinging enoughLeaning back at the topHardstyle Plank, Static Stomp DeadliftShoulder packing drills, Static StompDeadlift with anti-shrugTowel SwingTowel SwingClipboard drill, Good-Morning,Cable/Band Pull-ThroughStatic Stop DL, Hardstyle Plank, Plankagainst the wallCopyright 2019