Daily RAW + Kettlebell Swings Do Amazing Things

Greetings RAW Warriors,

First, here is today's FitRanX BW Workout for the day:

Level 0-2

30 min TABATA - 20 sec Doing Exercise, 10 sec Rest - Do this 8 times, then switch to the next exercise.

1. Push-Up or Kneeling Push-Up x8
2. Side Plank on Knees x4 each side
3. Squat Thrust x8
4. Walking Lunges x8
5. Sit-Ups x8
6. Seal Jacks x8

Level 3-5

30 min TABATA - 20 sec Doing Exercise, 10 sec Rest - Do this 8 times, then switch to the next exercise.

1. Fireflies w/ Push-Ups x8
2. Russian Twist x8
3. Army Crawl x8
4. Side Lunge x4 each side
5. Side Plank Pulse x4 on each side
6. Run in Place w/ High Knees x8

Kettlebell Swings Do Amazing Things:

The topic of today's post centers around the kettlebell swing exercise.  Since 2005, I have been a solid promoter of the kettlebell swing and its effectiveness for developing power, strength, and stamina. 

To perform the swing, there are multiple variations to choose from, but from my standing, doing 1-arm swings gets you a little deeper, and allows you to alternate arms and go longer with your sets, as each arm gets a little breather as the other arm holds onto the kettlebell. 

Taking a stance about shoulder-width apart, you squat down to grab the k-bell and keep your hips low and back flat. Once you pick up the kettlebell, you rock it back, similar to hiking a football. Once it reaches its farthest point 'hiking' it back, you then extend upward with extending the hips and knees to a straight line with your upper body.  The kettlebell should move & swing up naturally to your chest height, and your arm is simply along for the ride, much like a rope or chain connected from your shoulder to the kettlebell.  Let it drop naturally and squat back down, passing it back between your legs and repeating again with another powerful swing. 

Too many people make the mistake of trying to use their arms to lift the kettlebell high, after it floats up to chest/shoulder height from the power generated by your legs.  Do not attempt to lift it any higher.  If you remember my post about Jillian Michaels and her atrocious kettlebell swing demonstration, she will lift it higher than chest height and even go above her head.  This is highly dangerous and if you want to play it safe with kettlebells, use common sense and keep it under control.   A popular exercise system/protocol also uses this overhead swing style and I think its highly dangerous to do. 

Once the swing is mastered and you have the movement down with a decent weight, its a great conditioning exercise.  What are the right weights?  Well, start out light and move up from there in your collection.  I started with kettlebell handles with adjustable standard weight plates to put on them. I then graduated to kettlebells themselves in 20 and 25 pound sizes.  Then I moved to a 35.  I then later bought 40, 45, and 52 pound ones.  The right weight for me in doing swings seems to be 40# for my needs.  35# is almost too light but its light enough to do for extended swing workouts over time.  In my training experiences, 15-20 pound ones feel about right for most HS athletes who are girls, and for beginner ladies to use.  10 pound ones seem too light for them.  25 to 35 pounds is about right for most HS boys, as well as men who exercise a lot.

I've seen the swings work great in developing power in runners to volleyball players and basketball players.  the 'hip snap' they work on with kettlebell swings is like jumping without all the jumping & landing.  The body gets used to absorbing & redirecting the forces that are placed upon it with the kettlebell swing exercise, and its that absorbing and redirecting of force that I believe is a huge difference. 

In traditional training, the exercises of Power Cleans, Snatches, and the like with barbells have been seen as the missing link between strength & power.  I feel the kettelbell swing alone brings this but in a more functional and easier to apply method for athletes.  It is also great for general fitness and health needs for the same reasons.  Why buy a $3000 elliptical cross-trainer when a $60-70 good sized kettlebell and $10 jump rope could offer you a higher calorie burn per minute!   KB Swings have been shown in studies to burn 20 calories/minute, even while resting between sets.  This is equivalent to running a 7-minute mile pace for most people.  Its no wonder I discovered the KB Swing's benefits with runners as a coach, because it helps cross-train at such a speed & level consistent with most runners needs.

If you want to learn more about Kettlebell Swings and other power exercises, my "Just the Workouts" guide for Kindle has a section called "KettleBolics", where I go into more of this and give you plans to implement.  My newest guide, "Just Swing It!" is my 24,000 KB Swing Journey that produced 18 pounds of weight loss for me in 2 months.  These guides are available at:

Just The Workouts: http://tinyurl.com/asapjtw
Just Swing It!: http://tinyurl.com/jsiasap

Whether for running needs or just to get in better shape, the Kettlebell Swing as an exercise cannot be overlooked for its effectiveness! 

Lift. Dominate. Repeat.
Rats Alley Barbell Club
Coach Rick Karboviak