Kettlebell Basics

The Kettlebell Swing forms the foundation of kettlebell training.  It hits almost all of your major muscle groups, especially those of the all-so-critical posterior chain (a fancy term for the back of the body): the glutes, hamstrings, back extensors, and lats.  It can be used for a wide variety of applications, including fat loss, conditioning, building explosive strength, and much more.  First, watch this video to see how the movement is done:

Now we’ll break it down into steps:

1. Before you attempt the full kettlebell swing, do a kettlebell sumo deadlift.  Start with the kettlebell between the feet.  Initiate the movement by pulling the hips back.  This is different from a squat; you should feel a stretch in the back of the legs if you’re doing it right.

2. The swing is simply an extension of the deadlift.  Start with the weight about a foot or so in front of you; hike it back between the legs and use the legs and hips to snap it up.  Remember that the swing is a lower-body driven movement, not a squat and front raise.  When the ‘bell reaches the top of the swing, it should float for a second if you’re doing it right; snap the weight back down and repeat for reps.

Those are the basics of a kettlebell swing.  Refine this movement until you’ve got it down before moving on – you must perfect the swing before moving on to more advanced drills like the clean and press and the snatch.  Good luck!