Work Your Entire Backside With the Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is the most effective exercises around which you’ll be able to program a circuit workout. The exercise targets the posterior chain and quickly raises your heart rate, making it a full-body strength and cardio exercise. But to reap the advantages of the kettlebell swing (and never get injured), you might want to learn proper form.

Kettlebell Swing: Step-by-Step Instructions

Place the kettlebell a couple of foot in front of you and stand together with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your back flat, core engaged, arms straight, and a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back and grip the kettlebell’s handle in each hands.
“Hike” the kettlebell to initiate the movement, swinging it back between your legs before swinging it as much as chest height as you thrust your hips forward to return to a standing position.
Hike the kettlebell back between your legs to start your next rep.

Make it easier: Use a lighter weight.
Make it harder: Use a heavier weight, or do a single-arm kettlebell swing, using the identical form to perform equal reps on all sides.

Mistakes to Avoid for the Kettlebell Swing

Dr. Jordan Duncan, DC, owner of Silverdale Sport & Spine in Silverdale, Washington, cautions against a couple of common kettlebell swing mistakes.

1. Squatting as an alternative of hip hinging

“Make sure your hips move primarily back as an alternative of down, as that will turn the exercise right into a squat,” Duncan says. “You can practice the hinge movement and not using a kettlebell by standing a foot or so in front of a wall (together with your back to the wall) and moving your hips straight back (with minimal knee bend) until your hips contact the wall.”

2. Swinging together with your arms

“As your arms contact your body (corresponding to the time while you start the hip hinge), you would like them to remain connected to your body until you explode up and let the kettlebell float throughout the upswing,” Duncan says. “Some people lose this contact between their arms and body, leading to a loose, floppy swing.”

Also, avoid using your arms or shoulders to initiate the kettlebell swing; the facility of your kettlebell swing should come out of your hip extension.

3. A downswing that’s too short

“Another common mistake is just not allowing the kettlebell to travel back far enough between the thighs on the terminal point of the downswing,” Duncan says. He suggests having someone hold a clipboard a couple of foot behind your hips so that you could hit the clipboard with the kettlebell in your downswing, ensuring that the kettlebell has traveled far enough.

Benefits of Kettlebell Swings

When you think about the kettlebell swing’s advantages, it’s easy to grasp why it’s one of the popular kettlebell exercises.

Works your complete backside of your body

The kettlebell swing is good for strengthening the posterior chain, or all of the muscles that run along the back of your body, from the bottom of your skull to the backs of your feet. And in case you’re thinking about improving your power and maximal strength, research shows that the kettlebell swing is a superb option.

Improves cardiovascular endurance

The kettlebell swing can even get your heart pumping, making it a go-to cardio move for HIIT and circuit workouts.

What Muscles Do Kettlebell Swings Work

Similar to a deadlift, you’ll feel kettlebell swings working most of your body, including your:

The kettlebell swing’s hip hinge “requires powerful contraction of the gluteus maximus and hamstrings to increase the hip on the upswing,” Duncan explains. Your core muscles provide stability throughout the movement. “Athletes are taught to ‘break the handle’ of the kettlebell throughout the swing, which prompts the latissimus dorsi muscles,” Duncan says.

Where to Buy Kettlebells

You should buy kettlebells (including soft and adjustable options) at most fitness equipment and online retailers. Here are a couple of popular options: