Kettlebell Swings: How to do, Techniques, Benefits & Variations

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May 18, 2022

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What is the kettlebell swing?

The conventional kettlebell swing, also known as KB swing or the American kettlebell swing, is a basic ballistic exercise that is used to activate and strengthen the muscles in your posterior chain.

The KB swing is based on the movement pattern of deadlifts and recruits and activates almost all the muscles in your body, and not just the posterior chain.

How to do kettlebell swings?

Since it is a high-intensity weighted exercise, you need to be careful of using the correct technique and form while doing the KB swing workout.

Here is how you can do this exercise using the proper kettlebell swing form:

To begin this swings exercise, stand behind a kettlebell. Stand tall keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees must be slightly bent.
Your shoulders must be over your hips and your neck and head must be stable and in a neutral position.
Keep your chin tucked in throughout the movements.
Maintain stability by distributing your weight between the feet.
Your arms must be at your sides and your elbows must have a slight bend.
Engage your hips, shoulders, and core.
Now, slowly hinge from your hips and grab the kettlebell with both hands. At this point, your shoulders must be higher than your hips and your hips must be over your knees.
Do this while engaging your lats and rotating your arms till your inner elbows face forward.
Your lower arm must be between your inner thigh area and above your knees. Keeping your shins vertical and stretching your glutes and hamstrings, powerfully drive your hips forward to swing the kettlebell.
Squeeze your glutes and allow your hips to go forward. Let the kettlebell float to the height of your chest.
Your arms must be fully extended at this point.
Lower the kettlebell to your stomach level by engaging your core.

Sets and reps of the kettlebell swing exercise: You can start with 3-5 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Kettlebell Swings Video Exercise Guide By Cult Fit

Kettlebell Swings instruction video & exercise guide! Learn how to do Kettlebell Swings using correct technique for maximum results!

What are some variations of the kettlebell swing?

There are some excellent variations of the swings exercise that keep you engaged and build stimulus.

Here are some of the most effective kettlebell swing workout variations for you to try:

Russian kettlebell swing: This is a variation that minimises the use of your arms and puts the focus on your hips. The Russian kettlebell swing is a quick movement in which the lifting movement starts just below your groin or thigh. In this exercise, the kettlebell is swung to your chest level and not overhead as in the traditional form of the exercise. This is an effective kettle swing exercise to strengthen your lats. Another advantage of this variation is that it allows you to lift heavier loads more than the American kettlebell swing. This means improved strength gains.
One arm kettlebell swing: Also known as the single arm kettlebell swing, this exercise is an advanced version of the traditional exercise done with both your arms. This is also the natural progression of the standard exercise. The one arm kettlebell swing puts more tension on your shoulders and core and makes them stronger. This is also a good exercise to enhance your grip strength. to do the single arm kettlebell swing, follow the same steps as in the traditional exercise, except use one arm.
Kettlebell swing with dumbbell: This variation comes in handy when you don’t have access to a kettlebell. That’s not all, kettlebell swing with dumbbell offers benefits such as better hip movement, strengthening of the glutes and hamstrings, and better conditioning. The movements in this exercise remain the same as the standard KB swing workout except that you do it with a single dumbbell.

What are the benefits of kettlebell swing?

When done with the proper kettlebell swing form, this exercise has immense benefits for your fitness and health.

Here are some great reasons to include the kettle swing exercise in your workout regime:

This is one of the best kettlebell exercises that give you a full-body exercise. It recruits and strengthens muscles all over the body including your posterior chain, glutes, calves, hamstrings, and lower back.
One of the most important kettlebell swings benefits is that it is one of the best bets for people who want to lose weight. Did you know that this weight loss exercise targets over 600 muscles at the same time? This means burning as many calories. This leads to fat loss and prevents obesity-related chronic disorders.
One of the best kettlebell swing benefits is that it is an excellent cardio-respiratory workout. This helps make your heart and lungs stronger and prevents conditions such as heart diseases, asthma, and COPD.
Since the swing workout requires you to use powerful explosive movements, it helps improve your sports performance.
The kettlebell swing workout is a great way to improve your balance and coordination.
Kettlebell swing form requires you to engage your glutes and hip flexors, it helps enhance your flexibility and agility.
Unlike a lot of exercises that need an elaborate setup, the kettlebell swing workout is done using just a kettlebell and a little space. This makes it a great addition to your workouts at home.

How to do kettlebell swing safely?

Here are some tips to maintain the proper kettlebell swing form:

Never start using heavyweights at the outset. Start with lighter weights and gradually build your practice.
Keep your back in a neutral and stable position.
Make sure you breathe properly during the exercise.
Let your hips lead the movements.
Don’t start doing this exercise on your own but learn it from an experienced trainer. This is especially beneficial for kettlebell swings for beginners.

Takeaway

The kettlebell swing exercise is a great exercise for overall physical strength and fitness. However, it is not sufficient not just to know how to do kettlebell swings. The key is to be consistent with your workouts and maintain variety in your swing workouts.

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