Part XIV · Kettlebell exercises
Kettlebell Swing
The foundational ballistic hip hinge. Force produced fast from the hips, with the arms doing almost nothing — the movement the rest of the ballistic work is built on.
Part I
Become capable of going anywhere, anytime.Part II
Move well through the worldPart III
How you train for it
Part IV
Keep movingPart V
The body at work
Part VI
Make it a practice
Part VII
Nutrition for endurance athletesPart VIII
Choose a challengePart IX
Running workoutsPart X
Swim workoutsPart XI
Swim drillsPart XII
Cycling workoutsPart XIII
Kettlebell routinesPart XIV
Kettlebell exercisesPart XV
Yoga routinesPart XVI
Yoga posesPart XIV · Kettlebell exercises
The foundational ballistic hip hinge. Force produced fast from the hips, with the arms doing almost nothing — the movement the rest of the ballistic work is built on.
Bell about a foot in front of you, feet a little wider than your shoulders. Push your hips back — backside travelling away from you, shins near vertical, back flat — reach out, and tip the handle back toward you.
Snap the bell back between your legs like a rugby pass — high and tight, forearms driven into your inner thighs, bell well above knee height.
Stand up hard and fast. Your hips throw the bell; your arms are hooks that never pull.
Glutes tight, ribs down, one sharp breath out. The bell floats to about chest height on its own.
Wait for the bell to drop back to you before your hips go back. Hinging early is what turns a swing into a squat.
At the top the bell should go weightless for a beat — you're guiding it, not lifting it. If it feels heavy the whole way up, your arms are doing the work. Next-day soreness belongs in your backside, not your lower back.
To finish, let one swing die to about waist height, hinge, and set the bell down in front of you.