The Problem(s):
- A weak press
- Bad snatch form
- Poor shoulder mobility
The Fix:
The Overhead Kettlebell Walk
I’ve done a lot of bench pressing in my day. And while I got pretty strong at this specific exercise (I benched 455 for a single at my peak), it left me with some big time upper body imbalances – one being tight a@@ shoulders.
So when I first started training seriously with kettlebells a few years ago – which naturally comes with a lot of overhead work – my weakness was pathetically exposed! And all of my overhead work/exercises – presses, snatches, etc. – suffered because of it.
The kettlebell overhead walk exercise (combined with a steady diet of TGU’s) was largely responsible for restoring health and natural range of motion to my upper body. It’s a simple drill I first learned at the Russian Kettlebell Challenge. And now, I use it almost every day in my own training and with personal training/boot camp clients. It’s fantastic for improving your pressing/snatching form, teaching you how to ‘suck the shoulder into the socket’, improving shoulder mobility, and a whole lot more. Check out this video to learn how to do it:
I hope the kettlebell overhead walk is a valuable addition to your training program!
Thanks
Forest Vance, RKC II
PS – If you’re just getting started with kettlebell training and want to learn the basics right, you should check out my Lifetime Kettlebell Fitness program. This lesser-known (I’ve really not done much to promote it) program includes what I feel to be my best stuff – in written and video format – on learning kettlebells from the ‘ground up’. Check it out here:
=== >> Lifetime Kettlebell Fitness