This morning while leading my kettlebell workout group, I noticed a mistake that several people were making when doing their swings.
I gave them a simple cue, and it improved their form in seconds.
I got this cue at the first RKC I attended in 2009, and have used it since with great success.
It’s great because it gets your neck neutral with your spine when you are doing hinging movements like the swing, instantly making the move safer and more efficient.
The cue is:
“Look where the wall meets the floor.”
You see, one common mistake is that people look up when they swing.
I remember when I was in high school, our coach would tell us to do this when we were doing back squats. “Look at the ceiling, get your chest up!”, he’d scream.
Maybe that’s where it comes from, who knows.
But you don’t want to look up when you are swinging or doing other hinging movements, because it puts extra stress on your neck, and makes the movement far less efficient.
Another common mistake is that people look down swing they swing.
This is also bad because it tends to cause more rounding in the back, and turns off the muscles in the core.
The great happy medium is to think about looking where the wall meets the floor. So you’re not looking up, you’re not looking down, you’re kind of looking straight ahead and down slightly.
If you are training outside, another similar cue is to “look down at the horizon”.
It gets your neck right where it needs to be for a safe and effective movement. And I find it works for the majority of people as a fast fix.
Give it a try at your next KB workout, and see if it helps.
And keep in mind – this is just one little coaching tip.
But it’s tips and cues like these – for the right person, at the right time – that can make ALL the difference in keeping your workouts safe, and you getting results.
These are the kind of tips you’ll get when you participate in our 42 Day Kettlebell Challenge, that starts today.
The direct link for info and to sign up is below:
I normally don’t send the direct link to sign up without having folks apply first, but since we are starting today, and you would have to sign up within the next few hours if you still want to participate, I’m just going to do it.
When you sign up, you verify that you meet the requirements listed on the page below:
And that you are in healthy and fit condition to participate in an intensive program like this one.
This is likely the last Challenge we are doing like this in 2019, so if you’ve been thinking about getting in on one, now is the time.
Details and sign up using the link below:
Look forward to hearing from you!
– Forest and the FVT Team