• Being ranked Master of Sport with the WKC and RGSF
• Being the only US woman to compete in 24kg snatch alongside the professional women in the IUKL, and winning a silver medal at the IUKL Open Cup of Europe in Russia and a bronze medal at the IUKL World Championships in New York
• Being ranked CMS in 24kg snatch only with the IUKL
• Holding record 20kg one arm jerk numbers

1.      How did you first find out about kettlebell sport?

I learned about kettlebells through the Ice Chamber. Not long after I had joined the IC Steven and Maya had begun to incorporate KB’s into many of the Core fitness classes. After several months training with bells for general conditioning Steve approached me and asked if I would be interested in training with Kettlebells for competition. At that time he and Maya were just forming the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls Team and I was very fortunate to be invited to join. We immediately began to train for our first WKC competition in Las Vegas in 2008.

2.       How do you account for your success in the sport (is it natural talent, hard work, good coaching etc)?

Without a doubt hard work and excellent coaching. While I wish I could answer natural talent it simply isn’t true. Out of all the ladies on the team I probably have the least amount of natural talent. I have had to work very hard to learn all aspects of this sport: technique, pace, conditioning, psychological preparation etc.  None of it has come easily to me. Thankfully I have coaches who are incredibly patient and who require the highest standards from their lifters.

Training toward my personal goals in KB sport has required a significant amount of personal time both in terms of sport specific training and also in terms of general physical conditioning. I train with KB’s 5-6 days a week in addition to daily running or spinning.

5.       How do you fit training around work and family?

There is no way I could compete in this sport without the support of both family and friends. My husband, parents, and dear friends have been incredibly generous in providing loving care to my kids while I am training.  KB’s are a hobby and come second to family and my business. That means creative scheduling and having patience in pursuing my dreams. I am sure I am not alone in daydreaming about what I could accomplish if I had the opportunity to train full time.

6.       What is your secret to competing in this sport long term when so many people burn out after a couple of years?

Patience and humility. 

7.       After competing in the IUKL professional division twice, what are your thoughts on women snatching 24kg?

The 24 is a heavy bell to snatch there is no getting around it. Snatching the 24 successfully  requires a high level of technical execution. I do not think that most lifters (outside the IUKL women) are ready to safely snatch the 24kg. Not yet, we still need more time training and competing with the 16kg and 20kg. We still have a lot of work to do in terms of displaying correct technique, having more women rank MS and MSWC with the 20kg, and make record amounts of reps with 20kg before we will be ready to truly compete with the women of the IUKL. 

Competing in the IUKL division has been an important part of my personal journey as a KB athlete. It is important to me to seek out opportunities to challenge myself even if that meant being completely out of my element. Stepping on the platform to snatch the 24kg along with women who are pulling out 2x the amount of reps I was were two of most humbling experiences I have ever had. These women are achieving these phenomenal numbers because they are patient and dedicated to their training and because they understand how critical technique is.  Many of them have been training for 7,8, 9 plus years much of that time with the 16kg perfecting and refining their technique.

Most of us are far too impatient to refine our technique that much. But in order for U.S. women to be able to truly compete against and earn the respect of IUKL greats like Ksenia Dedyukhina, Anastasia Zolotareva and Olga Yaremenka we are going to have to find patience and commit to technique. And of course we are going to have to snatch- which may seem obvious but with so many organizations creating so many varieties of ranking categories fewer and fewer women seem to be willing to take on the hard work of training for true 10 min snatch/biathalon. For me though mastering the snatch is the pinnacle of KB sport.  

8.       Who are your greatest influences in kettlebell sport?

Valery Fedorenko, Ivan Denisov, Cate Imes, Fedor Fuglev,  Ksenia Dedyukhina are those legendary athletes in KB history. They inspire me on a daily basis as do the mere mortal lifters like myself who have been in the game for years and who are still chasing their dreams – lifters such as my team mates, Sara, Maya and Jess, as well as lifters such as Emily Friedel , CDuff (Chris Duffey),  Ivana Goricki Ex Britvec  just to name a few. These are the faces that I saw at my first competitions and while many others have come and gone they still train and compete all while helping to grow the sport.

The information I got from the Ice Chamber coaches has come from their own vast experience and their work with great coaches and athletes such as Ivan Denisov and Valery Fedorenko.  This sort of information is gold and not all that easy to come by!

So I put together this short video on what I learnt for the athletes I coach online and anyone else who is looking to improve their kettlebell jerk technique:

You can look for the points I talk about in the video in this slow motion video of Denisov:

Kettlebell cleans are great for:

• Building grip endurance
• Getting many of the benefits of the one arm swing, such as developing power endurance in the posterior chain, with the added bonus of being able to regulate pace and resting the grip when need be (usually the limiting factor in swings)
• Combinations and complexes (eg clean and press, clean and jerk)
• Getting the kettlebell into rack position to perform a variety of other exercises
• Developing skill and coordination – the clean is particularly good for developing skills that transfer to the snatch such as releasing the grip at the correct time and landing the handle in the correct position on the hand.

Where to begin?

Before you start cleaning you need to have two kettlebell lifting essentials down pat: the one arm swing and the rack position.

I like to think about having two targets for the clean (the end of the backswing and the rack position), and then moving as directly as possible between the two.  Once you have your two targets established it becomes much simpler and you can reduce the movement to the bare essentials, which in turn results in greater efficiency and less room for error.

The one arm swing

The kettlebell sport or GS swing transfers best to the clean.  You can find plenty of info on one arm swing technique here.  There are some really important aspects of the one arm swing mentioned in the linked post that will help immensely with the clean, including:

• Holding the kettlebell on the inside corner of the handle – this makes it easier to land the kettlebell in the correct position on your palm when catching it in rack.
• The finger lock will help preserve your grip so you can clean heavier/longer and prevent shredding your hands.
• Rotating the kettlebell handle back on a 45 degree angle on the backswing – this creates a pre-stretch in the external rotators of the shoulder, which allows you to store elastic energy that helps to power the rotation of the kettlebell around your wrist into rack (stretch-shortening cycle).
• Rotating the handle back on a 45 degree angle on the backswing also translates most directly to the correct landing position in rack.
• Rotating the handle back on a 45 degree angle also helps preserve your grip.
• The upward trajectory of the kettlebell in the GS swing, keeping the kettlebell relatively close to the body, is most desirable for the clean (as opposed to a path where the bell swings outwards away from the body) and will help make the landing softer.

The rack position part 1: handle position

It is vital that you establish a stable and safe rack position with the kettlebell before attempting to clean.

The kettlebell cannot be racked like a barbell simply because it’s a completely different shape.  The principles of the rack, however are the same: it needs to be stable and there should be a connection to the body for both stability and transfer of power from the lower body.

The correct position of the handle on the hand is paramount for a safe and stable rack position.  I cannot emphasise enough how important this is and how many people (including scores of self-proclaimed kettlebell gurus) don’t get this right and don’t get how important it is for safety.

The handle should sit diagonally across your palm so that the pressure of the handle is on the heel of your hand and the handle is locked in on the forearm (there should be no gap between the handle and forearm).

You can’t hold the kettlebell in the same way you’d hold a dumbbell or barbell because it has what is called a displaced centre of mass (the centre of mass sits away from the handle rather than being in the middle of it as it is with a dumbbell).

If the handle sits too high, so that the pressure is above the heel of the hand, the body of the kettlebell will pull the wrist into a hyperextended position that is completely unsafe and unstable.  Even if you fight this hyperextended position by pushing against the kettlebell handle to keep your wrist in a neutral position, as you fatigue (and your forearm flexors will fatigue very quickly in this position) or if you lose concentration you increase your risk of having you hand yanked back and damaging your wrist.  Safety and reducing the risk of injury should always be your first priority with any training, so getting the correct hand position really is paramount.

This video illustrates the correct, safe hand position and contrasts it with the incorrect and unsafe position that is often seen in kettlebell lifting (sorry for the wind noise, it does die down fairly quickly).

The false grip

The false grip is a more advanced way of sitting the kettlebell on your hand to allow your wrist to relax completely (but safely).  The false grip still requires you to have the pressure of the kettlebell on the heel of your hand and to have the handle locked in on your forearm, the only difference is that you relax your wrist (as opposed to trying to keep it neutral, which requires activation of the forearm flexors).  Once your wrist is relaxed you can curl your middle, ring and pinkie fingers behind the handle to stabilise it and then wrap thumb and forefinger around the handle, also to stabilise.

The rack position part 2 – creating the “V”

The kettlebell should rest in the “V” created by your biceps and forearm.  When this “V” is set up properly it should be very stable and reasonably comfortable.    A good test is to apply downward pressure to the kettlebell – if it feels stable without you actively resisting the downward pressure you’ve likely got a solid position.

Aim to have your elbow in contact with your body – this is connection to your body in rack, with a barbell the equivalent is having the barbell resting on the front of your shoulders.  Some people will find this difficult at the beginning, but there are some adjustments that can help such as rotating the hand away from the body, which I’ll talk more about in a moment.

Your hand should be somewhere around the midline of your body, with the elbow positioned laterally to the hand so that you create the “V” shape with your arm.  Be careful to not let the hand come out too far to the side or position the hand laterally to the elbow as this will place a lot of stress on the shoulder and create an unstable rack.

The size of the body of the kettlebell will determine how close to the midline of your body your hand sits in rack.  With pro grade bells and larger classic bells (usually 32kg or above) the hand will be somewhere around the sternum.  With smaller classic bells the hand may be off to the side of the midline.  The downward pressure test will give you an indication of whether your “V” is correct with any sized bell.

The weight of the body of the kettlebell should be fairly evenly dispersed between bicep and forearm.

You can then adjust the distance between your hand and body for comfort and stability.  This can also help establish a better elbow-body connection.

This video should help you find a safe and comfortable “V” for your body type to sit the kettlebell in rack:

The rack part 3 – lower body

Once you have the upper body sorted you can start considering what’s happening with your lower body in rack.

You want to work towards getting the legs as straight as possible.  Having the legs locked will do a few things:

• Keep you stable
• Allow you to rest your quads
• Increase potential energy from the legs in lifts like push presses and jerks

Ideally, you want the weight of the kettlebell to sit over your hip and heel as this is the most stable position and allows you to use your lower body to help support the weight.

Starting the clean from the top down

One of the easiest ways to start learning the kettlebell clean, or correcting poor clean form, is to work on releasing the kettlebell from rack into the backswing.  This drill is helpful for a few reasons:

• This is the easier phase of the clean so is the best one to start working on while your build skill
• It will help you get the feeling of returning to a swing movement after letting go of the kettlebell and catching it – this is often quite difficult to begin with because the natural reaction is to hold onto the handle tightly throughout the movement or to catch it in a dead hang
• It will help you set up everything required to bring the kettlebell back up, such as the finger lock, angle of the handle on the backswing etc

To do this drill simply use both hands to get the kettlebell into the correct rack position, then let the kettlebell roll off your body into a swing.  You can do a couple of swings, then use both hands to bring the bell back up to rack and repeat.

Be careful to avoid the following:

• Having any tension in the arm or wrist when catching the kettlebell after releasing it from rack (doing this repeatedly can lead to problems like tendonitis)
• Dropping the kettlebell down and catching it in a dead hang with a crushing grip
• Pushing the kettlebell away from your body – you want to keep it as close to your body as possible for maximum efficiency

Bringing the bell back up to rack

Once you’ve mastered the top down drill and feel you’re able to release and catch the kettlebell in a one arm swing, it’s time to complete the movement by bringing the kettlebell back up to rack.

The biggest problem most people have with the clean is the kettlebell banging on their wrist when they land it in rack.  Not only is this uncomfortable, but it’s unsafe – repeated trauma to this relatively delicate and unpadded area can result in all sorts of problems, including ones as serious as stress fractures.

There are three keys to a comfortable landing with the clean:

• Bring the kettlebell up close to your body, rather than swinging it out in front of you then trying to pull it back into the rack
• You need to be able to completely release your grip in order to slide your hand through the handle, rather than having the kettlebell flip over your wrist and hit your forearm
• Bring your hand straight up the centreline of your body from the backswing into rack – the more direct this path and the less lateral movement there is the better

Wearing sweat bands or wrist wraps can help make learning the clean more comfortable, but bear in mind these are only making you more comfortable, they can’t protect against repeated impact on the forearm so are no substitute for good technique.

Breathing

As with the swing, there are basically 2 types of breathing you  can choose from: power breathing and anatomical breathing.  For the same reasons as with the swing (see this article) anatomical breathing is usually going to be the most appropriate for kettlebell cleans as you’re generally going to be working with what is a relatively light weight.

The anatomical breathing pattern for the kettlebell clean is the same as for the swing, except you add an extra exhale as the kettlebell lands in rack, then you can take as many breaths as you like in rack so long as you inhale before you drop the kettlebell into the backswing (so you can exhale on the backswing).

The power breathing patter is simple breathing in on the backswing and breathing out when the bell lands in rack.

Some tips for the kettlebell clean

Here are some tips that will help you get the clean right and most importantly make sure you’re doing it safely:

• Try to keep your elbow close to your body at all times during the clean
• Releasing the grip early when bringing the kettlebell back up to rack is very important, and if you find you’re having trouble letting go you can go back to alternating swings to practice
• Try to land the clean with an open hand, particularly at the beginning, as this will help the handle land in the correct position
• Clean directly to rack position with straight legs – there is no need to dip the legs under the kettlebell as you would with a barbell
• Don’t catch the kettlebell on the forearm and then bring it back to the rack position – this may look smooth but can lead to stress fractures, let the biceps take the brunt of the clean
• Only apply as much power as you need, if you over power the movement you’re wasting energy and have less control over the kettlebell
• Don’t wear weight training gloves when performing cleans, it’s really important that you can feel what is going on in your hand so you can land the kettlebell in a safe position
• You still want to use your lower body to power the clean, the arm does very little work and you want to avoid trying to lift the kettlebell into rack or bicep curl it
• Chalking the bell handle and your hands will help preserve grip for longer or heavier sets

Double cleans

Once you’ve mastered the single clean, you can try double cleans.  Basically double cleans are the same as single cleans, however there are a few things that change now you’re introducing a second bell:

• With two bells you can change the handle position on the swing.  Some people (particularly those with short legs) prefer to have the handles 90 degrees to their body and parallel to each other.
• Double rack position is less forgiving than single rack position and requires a bit more hip flexor flexibility.  You may also want to overlap the handles in double rack position.
• You want to clean both kettlebells up close to the midline of your body and directly into rack position as you would with a single bell, which means that you need to be careful to keep your fingers out of the way so they don’t get squished between the handles – be sure you can either clean with an open hand or false grip before attempting doubles

This video of world champion kettlebell sport athlete, and absolute world record holder, Ivan Denisov gives you a really clear view of what the clean (and double clean) should look like – notice how directly he gets the bells to rack, how close his elbows stay to his body and how little extraneous movement there, the epitome of efficiency.

Getting cleans into your training

Kettlebell cleans are a great exercise and can be used in several different ways.

Cleans are a ballistic pulling exercise powered by the posterior chain, so are perfect for combining with exercises that focus more on the anterior chain and are pushing movements, particularly those that have an overhead component such as the jerk/push press – the kettlebell clean and jerk/push press are very balanced combinations that work the entire body.

The clean is great for active rest because the ballistic nature allows you to keep your heart rate up, while the rack position gives you an opportunity to regulate the intensity.

Of course, the clean is also one of the easiest and safest ways to get the kettlebell into rack (especially with two bells) to perform other exercises.

So, get cleaning!

It’s not as well known that the Ice Chamber has been responsible for the strength and conditioning training for several elite athletes, including martial artists such as Newton Casemiro, currently one of America’s top BJJ fighters, and Sayaka Matsumoto who was a 2008 Judo Olympian.

Their clientele isn’t just limited to athletes, though.  Amongst the Ice Chamber trainees you will find big-shot lawyers, famous Chefs, award winning investigative journalists and everything in between.  You’ll also find plenty of regular people who just want to get fit.

So what’s the secret to their success?  How do they attract everyday clients as well as champion athletes and the rich and famous?  How do they manage to get 30-40 people into their 6am classes?

I put it down to two things:

1. Great knowledge

Founders and head Coaches Steven Khuong and Maya Garcia have never stopped learning, they are constantly seeking knowledge from the best in the world.  The day after the WKC Kettlebell Sport World Championships I saw Steven in the hotel at breakfast having a very animated conversation about the finer points of jerk technique with World Champion kettlebell sport athlete Ivan Denisov – he never misses an opportunity to learn.

Importantly, the Ice Chamber coaches are smart about how they apply their knowledge, they don’t just parrot what they’ve been taught, they strive to understand the whys and this is a quality that separates great trainers from average ones.

2. Great equipment

You won’t find any weight machines or recumbent bikes at the Ice Chamber.  You will find ropes, rage balls, gymnastic rings, Pro Grade kettlebells, squat racks, barbells, chin-up bars, skipping ropes, weighted vests, sleds and resistance bands.  Simple, effective, versatile training equipment that can be stored easily when it’s not being used to preserve floor space.

The combination of intelligent training with simple equipment really is a powerful one and has enabled the Ice Chamber to build a highly successful business on word of mouth alone.

So to all those trainers out there looking for success like the Ice Chamber’s, the next time you book in for a course to get CEC’s really research the quality of the information you’ll be receiving (empty CEC’s are like empty calories, they’ll keep you going for the short term but long term can do more harm than good).

It’s also worth asking yourself if the equipment you’re using ties in well with your areas of expertise and they types of clients you train – it seems that simple oldschool training equipment is proving time and time again not only to be the most useful for a wide range of clients but also the most enjoyable, which keeps them coming back.

And if you’re ever in San Francisco definitely check the Ice Chamber out!  They really have a great facility and whether you go as a trainer or client, you’ll be able to learn a lot from them.

Three Australians competed in the competition: me, David Tabain and Natalie Turner.  Despite the jet-lag and nerves, each Aussie placed first in their event.

It was an exciting day with several athletes hitting Master of Sport, including Scott Tighe who is only the second male MS in biathlon (pictured above).  There were also quite a few Candidate for Master of Sport ranks given out, one of which was awarded to William Metcalf who underwent brain surgery only 15 weeks before the competition – and he was able to achieve this largely because his all-round fitness from kettlebell sport training prior to the operation made his recovery miraculously quick.

Ivan Denisov, absolute world record holder in all kettlebell sport events, was there to judge then showcased his incredible athletic prowess in the Pentathlon.  Watching Denisov lift is always mind boggling: not only is he precise and powerful, but he is so relaxed even under extreme duress that his eyelids get heavy and he looks like he might nod off at any moment.

You can see the full table of results from the competition here.

Here are some highlights from the competition:

It wasn’t that long ago 10kg and 14kg kettlebells were introduced to the Pro Grade range and this has made a huge difference to the rate of progression of many of my clients and kettlebell sport athletes (I really wish they’d been around when I’d started training with kettlebells).  The addition of 18kg and 22kg bells now means from 8kg to 24kg you can move up in weight in 2kg, rather than 4kg, increments.

Not only do the 2kg increments make for faster progressions in kettlebell training, they also make for safer ones.  Hands, forearms and elbows are usually the last parts of the body to adapt to a particular weight in kettlblebell training (especially for ballistic lifts such as cleans, jerks and snatches).

With a 4kg increment between weights you often have to build up a lot of volume with one weight before moving up to the next, and even then moving up to the next weight can be a bit of a shock to the system.  The 2kg increments give the connective tissue and smaller muscles in your hands and arms a much gentler increase in load, reducing the risk of problems such as tendinitis in the elbow or pain on the back of the forearm where the kettlebell rests.  (There is a blog post on smart progressions in kettlebell training here if you want to read more about this).

From personal experience, I have found that the 4kg jump can be too much and an invitation for injury if you’re not very careful, particularly when you’re getting close to your upper weight limits (you can read more about that here).

The Russians have access to kettlebells that go up in 1kg increments, and the ability to progress so smoothly from one weight to the next, and to move between a greater variety of weights, certainly hasn’t hurt their training:

I bought my 18kg last week and can already feel that it’s going to make an immense difference in my training, especially snatch training.  Plus, it’s going to enable me to vary the microcycles of my training more effectively (and alleviate a bit of the boredom of working with the same one or two weights all the time in preparation for competition).  I’m also hoping these smaller weight increments will make kettlebell sport training seem a little less daunting to people and encourage more people to give it a shot.  Fingers crossed!

So for anyone who trains regularly with kettlebells, or trainers who use kettlebells with their clients, I highly recommend having these intermediate weights for safer progressions, variety and faster advances in training.

What aren’t they good for?!  Kettlebell swings enable you to train power, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and mobility all in one hit.

One of the great advantages of the kettlebell swing is that it can be used to develop strength and power in the posterior chain muscles (hamstrings, glutes and back).  For those of us who have desk jobs, the posterior chain spends a lot of time wasting away in the seated position, which often leads to poor posture and back pain.  And for many athletes the posterior chain is what powers their desired movements – running, kicking, jumping, striking, serving etc.  So developing strength and power in the posterior chain is going to benefit pretty much anyone.

Importantly, the kettlebell swing can also be used to develop muscular endurance in those all-important posterior chain muscles.  If you’re sitting for long periods you will require endurance in your back to combat slouching.  For many athletes, being able to repeatedly and consistently generate power via the posterior chain over a period of time is crucial, and this is exactly what the kettlebell swing teaches the body to do.

Kettlebell swings can also improve hamstring and hip mobility by providing a dynamic stretch of the hamstrings and glutes.  Further, the dynamic stretching under load for the hamstrings can help protect them against tears in sports where the hamstring needs to work quickly and powerfully through a relatively large range of motion, such as AFL.

In terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, a study by Truman State University in the US found that a simple kettlebell swing protocol (just doing as many 2 arm swings as possible in a 12 minute window, self-regulating rest) was sufficient to increase VO2 max and more challenging than traditional weight training circuits.  For more information on this study click here.

For those who train for aesthetics, the kettlebell swing is a great way to not only tone your butt, it will burn a lot of calories too (because it uses the whole body and increases heart rate very effectively) so is great for programs geared towards fatloss.

The kettlebell swing really is an all-round great exercise.  To make sure you get all of the above mentioned benefits from your kettlebell swings, read on for some pointers on technique.

To squat or not – using a hip dominant action

There are basically two ways you can swing while maintaining a neutral spine position (which is of course vital for safety): using a knee dominant (squatting type) action or a hip dominant (Romanian deadlift type) action.

The hip dominant swing is preferable if you are aiming to target the posterior chain (and as we’ve discussed above there are good reasons you’d want to do this).  There is a great article on Eric Cressey’s site on the importance of glute dominance for improving speed, quickness and explosiveness in athletes for even more reasons to focus on the posterior chain.  Click here for the article.

The hip dominant swing is also a far more efficient swing.  Efficiency of movement will translate directly to the load that is able to be moved in terms of a single repetition or over the course of a set or training session.  Take Olympic lifting, any power leaks (for example any deviation of the bar path from vertical) in a lift will result in reduced efficiency of the movement, which results in a reduced capacity to move a heavy weight.  At the other end of the spectrum, an inefficient running gait in a distance runner will result in premature fatigue and reduced pace.  So whatever your goals, efficiency is paramount.

A squat style swing isn’t necessarily wrong, but you always want to know why you’re doing something and as a general rule the hip dominant swing will be more beneficial for most people.  To train squatting movements, just squat!

Technique for the 2 arm swing

• Stance: have your feet roughly shoulder width or a bit wider (make sure the bell won’t take your knees out on the way through).  Feet should be pointing forward.  Start with the kettlebell between your feet so the handle is in line with your heels.
• Picking up: soften your knees and hinge at the hips, keep your spine neutral (everything from head to hip should stay in a line, imagine you have a broomstick glued to your back).
• Stand up: fully extend your legs and hips, in the same way you would lock out a deadlift.  Make sure you squeeze your glutes as you do this.
• To start swinging: you can go to put the kettlebell back in its start position between your feet but only go halfway so the bell stops just behind your knees and then stand up again.
• Repeat: keep pushing the kettlebell back behind your knees and standing up, getting progressively faster and the kettlebell should start swinging.
• Power with the hips: the quicker and more forcefully you extend your hips, the higher the kettlebell will go.  Keep your arms relaxed and only swing the kettlebell as high as your hips can get it (this will usually be around face or chest height).

This video takes you through the main technique points of the swing.  Note that when I say your knees should be soft throughout the movement I mean they should be soft except at the end of the upward phase of the swing where you extend your legs – sometimes to keep the “hips on rails” people try to keep their legs locked throughout the whole movement and that’s no good…

Breathing for the swing

There are basically two types of breathing you can use when swinging kettlebells: power breathing or anatomical breathing.

Power breathing involves exhaling forcefully on the concentric phase (the upward phase of the swing) and inhaling on the eccentric phase (the backswing).  Power breathing is the type of breathing you would use for most of your traditional weight training and is the type of breathing most people are familiar with.  Power breathing is better suited to heavy weights and lower reps – the idea is that inhaling will create intra-abdominal pressure to stabilise the spine when it is in a more vulnerable position.

Anatomical breathing is pretty much the exact opposite of power breathing.  Anatomical breathing is designed to work with the body as much as possible to promote efficiency.  So, on the upward phase of the swing (when the torso is opening up and creating a natural vacuum in your lungs) you inhale, and on the backswing (when diaphragm and lungs are compressed) you exhale.

As a general rule, because kettlebells aren’t ideal for very low repetition work (you’re much better off grabbing a barbell and doing some powerlifting or Olympic lifting if you want to lift very heavy and work within a 1-5RM range safely) anatomical breathing tends to be more appropriate for kettlebell swings.  I often get asked if anatomical breathing is dangerous for your back and the answer is no, if you are working with a weight suitable for a moderate to high rep range and maintain a neutral spine, anatomical breathing  is perfectly safe – providing you have no back problems or injuries the muscles that protect your spine will automatically switch on.

Some tips for swinging

• Be very careful of your spine position, any sort of flexion (rounding) in the upper or lower back is dangerous.
• Only apply tension when you need to, you don’t want to be tense throughout the whole movement as this will reduce efficiency and power.  When you extend your hips and legs, that’s when you want to apply tension.
• If you’re after that hip dominant swing, pretend your hips are locked on horizontal rails and that they can only move backwards and forwards.
• Make sure you fully extend your hips and active your glutes so that they do the work rather than your lower back.
• Allow your chest to come forward when you hinge at the hips, rather than trying to keep it upright as you would in a squat.
• Keep your arms relaxed, rather than trying to lift the bell with them.
• Stand up, rather than leaning back at the top of the swing.
• When you get comfortable with the swing you can start with a “pre-swing”: have the kettlebell a foot or so in front of your feet, pick it up hinging at the hips and being careful to maintain a neutral spine and immediately swing it back between your legs.

The tips below apply to any sort of swing, I’ve just used the 2 arm swing to demonstrate:

To swing overhead or not?

A variation of the 2 arm swing involves swinging the kettlebell overhead, so that it finishes upside down over your head.  This is a legitimate exercise but I tend to avoid it, particularly with beginners, because it’s quite a vulnerable position for your back and shoulders to be in and requires very good shoulder mobility and stability to do safely.

Again, knowing why you’re applying something is all-important and if increased shoulder and upper back activation is the aim of the game then the 1 arm swing is a better, safer option for most people than trying to go overhead in the swing.  If more overhead work is what you’re after then pair the swing with something like an overhead press or push press, again to achieve a similar result but in a safer manner.  If you’re looking for a single overhead ballistic movement targeting the posterior chain then the snatch (when performed properly) may also provide a better alternative.

The 1 arm swing

The 2 arm swing and 1 arm swing are fundamentally the same, however now that the load is transferred to one arm there are a few differences.

With the 1 arm swing the will be some rotation of the torso on the backswing (the shoulder swinging the kettlebell will drop a bit lower than the other shoulder), however you still need to be careful to maintain a neutral spine.  At the top of the swing, your chest should be square and the shoulder blade of the swinging arm should be retracted.

The 1 arm swing is far more taxing on your grip, and grip endurance is usually the weakest link.  If you want your grip to last longer so the rest of your body gets more of a workout then grip saving techniques are your friend.  Grip saving techniques will also help prevent you tearing your hands when swinging.  The following can make an enormous difference to how long you can hold onto the kettlebell when swinging:

• Hold the kettlebell close to the inside corner (so if you’re picking the kettlebell up with your left hand, your hand will be closer to the right side of the handle).
• Focus your grip on the “finger lock”: thumb over forefinger.  This is very strong and will remove the need to crush the handle with your whole hand, which will tire out your forearm muscles very quickly.
• Internally rotate your shoulder on the backswing so that the handle swings back on roughly a 45 degree angle (thumb pointing backwards).

To keep the movement flowing, the non-lifting arm should also swing and mirror the lifting arm.

The 1 arm swing uses much more of the upper back and shoulder than the 2 arm swing, so really completes that use of the posterior chain.  The 1 arm swing is also what carries over to other lifts such as the clean and snatch (the 2 arm swing doesn’t really carry over to these movements).  For those reasons I find the 1 arm swing more useful for my own training and that of my clients and I tend to use the 2 arm swing more in the warm up.  However, that’s just my personal preference and as mentioned before the most important thing is always knowing why you’re applying a particular movement.

The alternating swing

The alternating swing simply involves passing the kettlebell from hand to hand at the top of the swing.  There are many ways you can pass from hand to hand, but a simple one is to slide one hand over the top of the other.

The alternating swing is a great drill for a few reasons:

• By changing hands you can save your grip, and therefore swing for longer.
• You can get a bit of air time and so throw and catch the bell – done with a moderately heavy bell this is fantastic for developing strong connective tissue in the wrists and elbows.
• The alternating swing enables you to change hands without putting the kettlebell down, so if you are trying to work continuously for extended periods of time it’s very useful.
• The alternating swing teaches you to relax and contract your grip at the appropriate time, which is an essential skill for kettlebell training, particularly for the more difficult lifts such as cleans and snatches.
• The alternating swing is a precursor to juggling.

The GS swing

The GS (Girevoy Sport, aka Kettlebell Sport) swing is designed for maximum efficiency for high repetition work.  The GS swing has a sort of rocking motion and a very relaxed look, which is achieved by doing the following:

• Extend the legs on the backswing (they don’t need to go into full lock), this will enable you to take advantage of the stretch shortening reflex in your hamstrings (basically when you stretch them like this under load they will automatically shorten providing you with more power for “free”).
• When the kettlebell swings back just in front of your knees, extend your legs – this will get the kettlebell moving upwards, rather than outwards, which is a more efficient pathway.
• Keep the lifting arm very relaxed and let it follow the bell, rather than trying to pull the bell.
• Use anatomical breathing and really emphasise a long, deep exhale on the backswing to empty your lungs as much as possible (this will allow you to get more air in when the kettlebell swings back up).

Swinging for cleaning and snatching and juggling

The GS swing has the best carryover to cleaning and snatching, because the bell moves up close to the body rather than out in front.  The upwards bell path means a greater efficiency and softer landings when you catch the bell on your forearm.

The GS swing is also the best option for alternating swing and juggling, again due to the upwards bell path.

Swinging and lower back soreness

A lot of people experience lower back soreness when swinging, particularly when they start.  Obviously, if you have any sort of back injury you should consult a suitable medical professional before trying to swing a kettlebell.

If you don’t have any injuries but lower back fatigue/soreness continues to plague you when doing swings there are a few things you might want to consider:

• First and foremost make sure your spine is neutral at all times throughout the swing, flexion will lead to back pain and can lead to worse injuries such as disc bulges.
• You should always build up volume incrementally to allow the body to adapt.  For many people, a hip dominant, ballistic movement such as the swing isn’t something they’ve trained so it can be a bit of a shock to the body at the beginning.
• Check that you are fully extending the hips and legs at the top of the swing, if you don’t have fully extension then your lower back will be taking on too much of the work rather than your hamstrings and glutes.
• If your spine position and hip extension are good but you still experience problems it’s likely that your glutes aren’t activating properly (this is a very common problem).  The video below can give you some ideas on how to get them working again however it is always worth consulting a suitable medical professional to get an accurate diagnosis first.

The best bells for swinging?

Pro Grade or competition bells are specifically designed for high repetition ballistic lifting, which means they are well-balanced and move nicely through the air when swinging (particularly for any variations of 1 arm swings).  The handle on the competition bells can also be chalked, which makes them easier to hold onto for longer or heavier swing sets.

Classic kettlebells are also fine for swinging, and with the heavier Classic bells (from 16kg upwards) the handle is thicker, which is good for those who specifically want to work their grip.  Some people also prefer to use the Classic kettlebells for 2 arm swings because they have a wider handle making it easier to fit two hands.

So get swinging!

The kettlebell swing really is a great addition to almost any training program and can be used in many different ways:

• Use swings as a light warm up to activate the posterior chain before movements requiring the posterior chain such as deadlifts or sprints
• Have swings as a focus for power endurance sessions
• Use one arm swings as a great finisher and some additional cardio
• Put in alternating swings for coordination and a bit of fun
• Do light swings on rest days for mobility and recovery

So grab a bell, use the tips above to make sure you’re doing it right, and start swinging…

This video gives you some simple tips to keep your hands healthly when training with kettlebells.

Give it a shot, your hips and back will feel amazing!

Now, as you probably know there are many ways to skin a cat and many ways to swing a kettlebell.  There are plently of debates about “styles” and whatnot, but to cut through the BS if you want to swing for the purpose of improving your snatch style isn’t really an issue – physics and efficiency of movement are what you need to focus on.

Just like with a barbell snatch, the most efficient path for the kettlebell to move in the kettlebell snatch is upwards, rather than outwards.  An efficient path is one that doesn’t waste energy, therefore will be beneficial regardless of your goal (whether you want more reps or to snatch heavier).  So, with your swing you want to learn how to get the bell to move up reasonably close to your body, rather swinging out in front.

It may also help to think about the kettlebell snatch in similar terms to a barbell snatch.  With the barbell there are two “pulls”, there is the first pull (slower) and the second pull (this is the fast one).  You can see this here (watch how the barbell gets just above the knees relatively slowly, then after that the movement is very fast):

With the kettlebell snatch the principle is the same, it just looks a bit different.  From the end of the backswing until the kettlebell swings just out in front of the knees, that’s analagous to the first pull in the barbell snatch.  Once the kettlebell passes in front of the knees, that’s where you want to apply power to get it moving quickly and moving up.  A quick leg extension as soon as the bell passes in front of your knees will achieve this.

The angle of the handle on the backswing is also extremely important.  A roughly 45 degree angle is best for taking the pressure off your grip (grip is usually what gives out first in snatches) and this angle also translates perfectly to where the bell should be landing on your hand in overhead lockout – the more direct the path from backswing to overhead lockout, the less room there is for error.  Too much rotation on the backswing and you have to rotate too much overhead to compensate, which will tire you grip and shoulder and makes it more difficult to land the bell in the right spot on your hand.

Learning to release your grip slightly at the top of the swing when the bell is weightless, then regripping before the kettlebell drops back down will also help with snatching – a key skill with the snatch is the ability to relax and apply pressure with the grip only when necessary and a lot of people fatigue their grip more than necessary when catching the bell when bringing it back down from overhead lockout.

Hopefully the video below will clarify some of the technique points and help get you swinging to snatch better: