Mastering the basic kettlebell drills takes a lot of practice. And if your form is sloppy – or you make some of the other common training mistakes I mention in this article – it’s very possible to get injured. Here are three tips to help you avoid kettlebell injuries:
1. Be aware of your surroundings
Swinging around heavy iron kettlebells requires 1) open space and 2) a durable surface underfoot.
One would think this goes without saying, but very time I’m perusing kettlebell videos on the ‘net it seems I see someone swinging around a ‘bell in really close quarters, over their hardwood floor, inches away from their giant flat screen TV, family cat, etc. –
As a rule, use common sense, and be aware of your surroundings to avoid injury to yourself/objects/animals/humans around you.
2. Abort safely
If you’re doing a kettlebell exercise and you feel something weird, get into an awkward position, etc. – abort! Just drop the ‘bell (and move those feet 🙂 ) Trying to ‘save a lift’ has caused countless tweaked backs, wrists, shoulders, etc.
3. Learn good kettlebell lifting technique
Good technique is always important when you’re lifting weights. But it’s extra important when you’re training with kettlebells – there’s a lot higher chance you’ll get hurt doing a kettlebell swing the wrong way than, say, using improper form doing a bicep curl with 10 pound dumbbells.
Make sure you take time to learn proper form from the very beginning – ideally working with a RKC certified instructor, and at minimum using something like the Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual.
In conclusion, kettlebells are fantastic training tools – but it’s very important to be aware of your surroundings when training with them, to know when to bail out of a failed lift, and to focus on using great technique to avoid kettlebell injuries.
Keep training hard and talk soon –
Forest Vance
P.S. If you’re still looking to master the basics of proper kettlebell training technique, check out my Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual course – it’s a great starting point and is designed to take you from swing newbie to HardStyle kettlebell swing master in just 12 weeks – click the image below for more info and to sign up:
