How To Eliminate Kettlebell Lower Back Pain

We had an AWESOME ‘Kettlebells For Fat Loss’ workshop last Saturday at my gym in Sacramento, CA.  I love doing these workshops (I get to talk about one of my favorite things for hours on end!) – and it’s cool to see folks from 50, even 100 miles away come in for a half day of intensive, un-interupted kettlebell instruction.

Now like anything else that’s rapidly growing in popularity, there’s a lot of mis-information out there on kettlebell training/technique/etc.  And with folks at these events more often than not being self-taught, there’s some serious “re-learning” of the basics going on, to say the least

That being said, I see the same “kettlebell issues” pop up over and over again at these workshops – and with training clients in general – and one of the biggest ones is kettlebell lower back pain.  That is, people complain of their lower backs hurting during and/or after a kettlebell training session.

Plainly put, this is bad.  Because kettlebell exercises folks typically get back pain from doing – like swings, snatches, and cleans – aren’t exercises for your lower back! In fact, if you’re doing these exercises correctly, you shouldn’t feel them in your back at all.

Now while there are a variety of reasons why this can happen, in 90%+ of cases I see there are two main causes: 1) muscle (specifically core) weakness and 2) poor form.  In this article, I’m going to cover each of these KB LBP causes in a little more detail, and show you how to fix them.

Kettlebell lower back pain reason #1: muscle weakness

Lifting a kettlebell in a balistic fashion – as you do in a swing, snatch, or clean – will require your body to brace to stabilize the movement.  It will also place demands on the core muscles of your torso, including your lower back.

If your core muscles are weak, you won’t be able to brace effectively.  And you’ll get lower back pain.

Fix:

Check out this post for a quick test and my #1 exercise to improve your core strength:

How To Tell If Your Core Muscles Are Weak (plank test)

Kettlebell lower back pain reason #2: poor form

Poor form – specifically during KB movements where you flex forward at the hip – is another cause of kettlebell lower back pain.

Fix:

In a previous post on this blog, I covered two common kettlebell technique mistakes that cause lower back pain (and fixes to them as well) – click the link below to see that post now:

Lower Back Pain During The Kettlebell Swing – Causes & Fixes

In summary, kettlebell lower back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, but the two main ones are 1) muscle weakness and 2) poor form. The tips in this article will help you address both of these issues – use them to eliminate your lower back pain and accelerate your KB training results!

Train hard -

Forest Vance, RKC II

P.S. For more great tips and tricks like these delivered straight to your email inbox – and a free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training – just sign up for my newsletter by dropping your name and email address into the box at the upper right hand corner of the page!

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In part one of this “Kettlebell for Seniors” series, I outlined the benefits of kettlebell training for seniors and provided a sample KB workout …

(For the record, I also mentioned that I’m personally not a big fan of the term ‘senior’. The images it conjures up are far different than the folks in the 50+ age group that, for example, I’ve met and trained with at RKC events.  I have personal training and boot camp clients that defy ‘senior’ in every sense of the word.  And I certainly won’t be excited about being called a senior myself 20 or so years from now )

I still get emails almost daily, though, with questions about exercise progressions/regressions, modifications, technique pointers, etc. for this specific demographic … so I thought I’d put together a  list of the top 10 articles/videos/etc. on KettlebellBasics.net for seniors:

1. The Kettlebell Swing 

The most basic of HardStyle kettlebell moves – I start all of my kettlebell training clients, no matter their starting fitness level or goals, with some kind of variation of the swing.

2. The Turkish Get Up

Along with the swing, the TGU completes the core duo of HardStyle kettlebell moves.  This post includes a video showing the 1/2 get up as well … a valuable variation of the exercise when you’re just getting started.

3. A Beginner Kettlebell Workout 

Simple yet tough workout that incorporates the swing and TGU.

4. My Kettlebell Story

My personal story about how I got into kettlebell training, and how you can learn from the mistakes I made when starting out.

5. How To Select The Right Size Kettlebell

How to figure out the proper size kettlebell to start with.

6. The Kettlebell Squat 

The next kettlebell exercise you should learn after the swing and TGU.

7. Troubleshooting the Turkish Get Up 

A great post about common problems – and fixes – folks experience with the Turkish get up.

8. Perfecting Your Kettlebell Swing 

A post that breaks down your kettlebell swing form further, covers some common mistakes and how to fix them.

9. Kettlebell Workout For Seniors 

Part one of this series that details a kettlebell workout specifically designed for seniors.

10. Two Easy Exercise Mods For KB Beginners 

Examples of two exercise modifications/regressions for kettlebell beginners – with video.

In conclusion, there are some special considerations older people should keep in mind when training with kettlebells.  This post points you towards the best information on this blog on the topic of kettlebell training for seniors.

That’s it for now – have a great week!

Forest Vance, RKC II

PS - Stay tuned for more details about a complete kettlebell workout program I have coming very soon designed specifically for seniors … and make sure to sign up for my email list if you haven’t yet to get first news of when it’ll be available!

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You’ve just bumped up a kettlebell weight/size for your presses.  You’re getting stuck at a specific rep count and can’t seem to get any higher …

Or, maybe you’re going for a new personal best on the kettlebell press, but can’t quite press the next weight up.

If either of the above scenarios describe you, your press/re-clean technique could be the key to unlocking extra pressing power …

In a post earlier this year, I talked about how to boost your kettlebell pressing power using whole-body muscle tension techniques … this concept is a follow-up on that idea and will further help you get more out of your KB pressing.

The idea is that for light weight/high rep/lower intensity sets, you can do your presses right from the shoulder for reps.  However, for heavy weight/low rep/higher intensity sets, try re-cleaning the ‘bell between each rep.  This will allow you to use some of the kinetic energy you generate with the clean to assist in ‘boosting up’ your press.

It’s amazing the difference this technique (combined with the tension principles discussed in the article I’ve already mentioned) can make in your strength and overall rep totals.

Check out this video where I discuss the re-clean principle in more detail:

That’s it for today – a simple but very effective technique for boosting your kettlebell pressing power.  If you’re looking for that edge to press more weight and make faster progress, add it to your training technique arsenal and enjoy the benefits!

Keep training hard and talk soon -

Forest Vance, RKC II

P.S.  If you liked this post, you can get kettlebell tips like this one delivered straight to your email inbox every week when you sign up for my email newsletter … just drop your name and best email into the box at the upper right of the page to do so now.

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It’s a great time to be a kettlebell enthusiast.

The popularity of kettlebell training has exploded over the last several years … and with this uptick in popularity has all kinds of cool gear to make your KB workouts more efficient and fun been created.

That being said, knowing exactly what to get for the KB lover in your life can still be tough … so I’ve come up with this list of 10 gift ideas for the kettlebell enthusiast to get your holiday/kettlebell gift-giving thoughts started:

Kettlebells, books, + DVD’s: A somewhat obvious starting point – but not to be overlooked.  Most folks have a new KB book or DVD they want – or a new kettlebell size they need for their collection.

Kettlebells, books, + DVD’s

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I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately from folks that are just getting started with kettlebell training …

And I’m realizing that a lot of the kettlebell routines I’ve put up over the last couple of months are geared towards intermediate or even advanced kettlebell enthusiasts.

So I thought I’d shoot a quick video to show you a couple of modifications I use every day with my training clients who are beginners, are still learning and perfecting their form, are dealing with an injury, etc.  You can use these mods with many more ‘advanced’ kettlebell workouts to get more out of them (or even be able to attempt them in the first place).

The two modifications I cover in the video are for the two ‘base’ HardStyle kettlebell moves, the swing and the Turkish get up.  I hope the video helps you out, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below the post:

P.S. The Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual is a great place to get started if you’re looking to learn the basics of kettlebell training the right way.  In it, I go over the sumo deadlift progression I discussed in the video above, along with a ton of additonal technique tips like it … it also takes you through a 12 week program designed for fat loss, lean muscle gain, and kettlebell swing mastery.  Learn more about it by clicking the link below:

http://kettlebellswingsforfatloss.net/

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As an incentive to get folks into my training studio, and to let them ‘try before they buy’, so to speak, I offer prospective new clients a complimentary trial session – they get to tour my facility and go through a short sample workout.  I’ve built my personal training and boot camp business around using this offer to get new clients in the door -

During this initial trial workout, I usually can tell within 60 seconds or so (many times even less) a person’s athletic ability, training experience, fitness level etc. One of the big indicators is their ability to effectively produce muscle tension/tightness during an exercise on cue.

Take a simple squatting movement for example:  Can the individual maintain midline stability – keep their chest up, shoulders back, and flat back – or do they collapse, round their back and loose tension in their core when they attempt the exercise?

In my opinion, the #1 kettlebell strength building skill is the ability to produce muscle tension and tightness during exercise. This ability will make you instantly stronger, will protect you from injury, and is transferable to many other strength activites.  Let’s further elaborate on each of these points:

1. Effectively producing muscle tension makes you stronger instantly

The ability to tense and contract muscles in your body on cue can result in instant strength increases.  The basic idea (covered beautifully and in much further detail in Pavel’s The Naked Warrior) is that the average person only contracts 20-30% of their muscles when trying their hardest; learning to effectively recruit muscle tension helps you use more of your available strength at any given time.

An example of this phenomenon is the mother who ‘activates’ a large percentage of muscle fibers (through adrenaline and other stress hormones) to lift a car off of her trapped child – but ends up ripping tendons and breaking bones in the process.

2. Muscle contraction – specifically the ability to brace the ‘core’ – protects you from injury

Relaxing your core during a heavy lift and losing your midline stability not only makes you weaker but it also makes you more susceptible to injury.  The core musculature is the like the body’s natural weight belt – and you’re in trouble if you don’t know how to use it.

3. Muscle tension techniques are transferable to all strength activities

Learning how to create maximal muscle tension at the right time is helpful for all strength activities – whether you’re doing pistol squats or heavy deadlifts.  And if you learn how to activate extra muscle and strength while performing, for example, a simple body weight – only push-up exercise, these techniques can be applied the next time you attempt a heavy kettlebell press.

Muscle Tension Exercise Example

Let’s do a basic exercise as an example of how to practice this technique -

Start by placing yourself in the down position of a push-up and and tense all of your muscles together before pushing up. If you practice once without pre-tensing and then practice again after pre-tensing all the core muscles you will see the huge benefit that developing maximal muscle tension in an exercise can give you.

The ability to effectively produce muscle tension at just the right time is critical for getting the most out of your kettlebell training. You’ll get stronger, protect yourself from injury, and be able to transfer the skill to all types of strength training. Train hard and talk soon -

Forest Vance, MS, RKC II, CPT

P.S. To learn more about tension techniques I discussed in this article, a great resource is the Naked Warrior by Pavel. The book is about getting strong using your own body weight, but the techniques he talks about are very easily applied to kettlebell training. For more info about the program and to order a copy of the book and/or DVD, click the link below:

The Naked Warrior Book

The Naked Warrior DVD

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Learn how to perform the basic kettlebell exercises

By far, the most popular posts on this blog are the free kettlebell workouts I share on a regular basis …

An important point to keep in mind, though, is that perfecting your kettlebell training technique should come before you start changing up your workouts.

I just went through and updated the kettlebell exercises page with 13 new articles on learning and perfecting all the basic kettlebell drills … click the link below to check it out:

http://kettlebellbasics.net/2010/05/18/kettlebell-exercises/

Keep lifting hard and talk to you soon!

Forest

P.S. Make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you haven’t yet … you’ll get new kettlebell training tips just like these delivered straight to your email inbox every week, PLUS a free copy of my ‘Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training’ just for signing up! Drop your name and best email into the box at the upper right hand corner of the page to do so now.

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Perusing the fitness/health/exercise section at the local bookstore last weekend, I stumbled upon a new kettlebell training guide I’d never seen before …

There were a huge variety of kettlebell exercises in the book – I’m talking like hundreds.

Sounds cool at first – lots of variety, lots of different kettlebell exercises to  impress your friends, etc. …

The problem, though, is that with this much exercise variety, it’s almost impossible to learn all the moves correctly in any reasonable amount of time – especially if you’re a kettlebell beginner.

I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve trained that have started with kettlebells in this info-overload, learn-many-exercises-but-master-none, no-real-structured-program fashion, and upon meeting with me and being put on a steady diet of swings and TGU’s for a month or two, have seen their progress go through the roof!

So, that being said, the best kettlebell exercises for beginners are the swing and the Turkish get up. In this article, I’m going to talk about exactly why these exercises are the best for beginners, explain how to do them, and give you a sample beginner kettlebell workout.

Why the swing and the Turkish get up are the two best kettlebell exercises for beginners

In the HardStyle kettlebell system, everything is built upon mastery of the swing and the Turkish get up. The swing is the ‘base’ balistic exercise, and the get up is the ‘base’ grind.

And this makes perfect sense when you analyse the rest of the basic kettlebell moves (the goblet squat, the clean, the press, and the snatch). For example, in the clean and the snatch, the ‘bottom’ position is identical to the swing; so if you don’t really, really have the swing down, your clean and snatch are going to be jacked up.

The Turkish get up is fantastic for strengthening your wrists, conditioning your forearms, and building the necessary shoulder mobility and stability for doing a great press and snatch. If you can’t lock out the ‘bell overhead at the top position of a get up properly, you sure as heck won’t be able to while you’re doing a clean or a snatch.

How to perform the Turkish get up and the HardStyle swing

Here are two videos I made that show you how to do the swing and the Turkish get up:

Also, here are more detailed descriptions of each exercise that I covered in previous blog posts:

The Kettlebell Swing

How To Do A Turkish Get Up

Sample swing and Turkish get up workout

The best workout you’ll find that uses these two exercises is Pavel’s Program Minimum from Enter the Kettlebell. If you don’t have the book yet, and you’re a beginning kettlebell trainee, I highly, highly recomend you pick up a copy.

(For a ‘sneak peek’ of the Program Minimum, check out this blog post from fellow RKC Adrienne Harvey: Variation on Program Minimum)

In short, the best kettlebell exercises for beginners are the Turkish get up and the swing. All other basic kettlebell exercises are built upon these two, so make sure you take your time to master and perfect them before moving on to more advanced drills; you’ll be glad you did.  Good luck and keep training hard -

Forest

P.S. Signed up for my weekly newsletter yet? You’ll get a free copy of my Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training when you do … just drop your name and email into the box at the upper right of the page to sign up now!

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One of the most often asked questions folks have when getting started with KB training is what size kettlebell to use -

Here’s a video from Anthony DiLugo of www.artofstrength.com – he does a great job of explaining what size kettlebell to start with based on your fitness level, athletic training experience, etc. – I’ve also provided a recap of the points he touches on in the video in the bullet points below it:

Video Recap

• Kettlebells, unlike American weights, go up incrementally in kilos – 4 kilos, 8 kilos, 12 kilos, 16 kilos, 20 kilos, 24 kilos, etc.
• Your activity level, fitness level, weight, and size are all factors that go into what size kettlebell you should use.
• Most inactive women starting out will use an 8 kil0 ‘bell.
• Active women, who are, for example, runners or used to having their legs loaded with some kind of resistance, could bump up to a 12 kilo or even 16 kilo to start.
• An inactive man – for example, a 40-year-old who hasn’t worked out in several years, who’s been worried about his family, his career, etc. and not focused on staying in shape, should probably start out with a 16 kilo kettlebell. Very quickly that same individual will graduate up to a 20 or 24 kilo KB.
• An athletic guy – maybe a runner, a cyclist, an individual who participates in recreational sports – will start with either the 20 or 24 kilo, and at some point may even work up to the 32 kilo (or more).
• You need to feel your body being loaded with resistance to get proper benefit from kettlebell training. If you are a 120 pound woman and you are in good shape, have strong legs, etc., you cannot properly load your body with a 8 kilo kettlebell – it just won’t work.

After watching the video above, hopefully any questions you have about what size kettlebell to use when starting out have been answered; if you have any further questions, input, etc., please put in your two cents in the comment section below.

Keep training hard and thanks for reading -

Forest

Learn more about what size kettlebell to use, the best kettlebell brands, and more additional resources:

Dragon Door Kettlebells – my preferred source for top-notch KB’s

The Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual – my own beginner’s guide to getting started with kettlebells right

Kettlebell + DVD Quick Start Kit

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The first step to avoiding kettlebell injuries is avoiding kettlebell exercises like this one

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:

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