Why kettlebell swings are the best exercise and how to do a proper repetition
By: Logan Allen
Tags: Kettlebell Training, Kettlebell Workout, Exercise, Kettlebell Swings, Training

Kettlebells have been exponentially growing in popularity recently, they now populate everything from corporate gyms to backyard gyms. The kettlebell is unique in the fact that it offers fast results, is extremely portable, and provides a vast variety of exercises. However, in my opinion, the best exercise that the kettlebell offers is the kettlebell swing and the best part is that all you need is yourself and a kettlebell.

The kettlebell swing will help strengthen your core and glutes, strengthening this set of muscles (known as the posterior chain) will help improve posture and help alleviate some of the aches and pains that tend to develop from sitting hunched over continuously. Although the swing targets the posterior chain there is no doubt that it will also provide you with an intense full-body workout as well. The swing utilizes both power and endurance due to its rapid and repetitive nature, meaning that you can train for a variety of things with one exercise. If your goal is to gain endurance or to burn fat, do a lot of reps at a lightweight, and if your goal is to get more powerful and strong, do fewer reps at a higher weight.

The problem is that most people do them incorrectly. It is extremely important to remember that this movement is a hip hinge and not a squat, meaning that it is more closely related to a deadlift than to a squat. When done correctly this exercise is extremely valuable and can help strengthen some often forgotten muscles in the posterior chain and has the potential to keep you injury-free by improving your form on other exercises.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width with the kettlebell about a foot in front of you. Grab the kettlebell with both hands by hinging at the hips and only bending the knees slightly. Pull your shoulders back and tighten your core. If this is your first time working with kettlebells, I recommend starting light and focusing on the form over everything else. I recommend women start with an 8 kg or 18 lb bell and men start with 16 kg or 35 lbs. This weight is heavy enough that you will feel it but still be able to maintain proper form.

Step 2: It is extremely important to remember that this movement is a hip hinge and not a squat, meaning that at the lowest part of the swing your hips will be pushed back and staying high and your knees will only be slightly bent. In this step, you pick up the kettlebell and hip hinge as the kettlebell swings back and through your legs.

Step 3: This step occurs when the kettlebell has reached its apex of the backward swing and is about to start swinging forward. When this happens, your job is to hip hinge back up and to tighten your glutes as hard as you can, pull your shoulders back, and tighten your core. If you are doing the hinge correctly the weight will automatically go up and out just like you want it to.

Step 4: In this step, the kettlebell will reach the apex of the height of its swing and start to come back down, your goal is to essentially cushion the kettlebells decent by hip hinging. The hip hinge will soften the blow by bringing the hips back with the kettlebell until it reaches the apex of its return and starts to go back forward.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2–4. Make sure to maintain a tight and braced core, and tight glutes at the top of the swing, as well as maintaining a hip hinge and not a squat.