Originally published May 9, 2021. Updated February 2026 with peer-reviewed research. In This Article There I said it. The kettlebell swing is not a hip hinge. It is not a Hardstyle swing. It is not a freestyle swing. It is not a sportstyle swing. It is not a squat. A kettlebell swing is an exercise […]
The Kettlebell Swing Is Not a Hip Hinge Read More »
I first met Moses Dungca in December of 2019 at the Seattle Kettlebell Club Pro-Am competition. He stood at the junction of the chalking station and the lifting platforms where the energy of the athletes was most palpable. The area was lit with ultraviolet lamps that clung to fluorescence, and you could feel the cool,
Kettlebells For Kids: Back to the Future—The Kettlebell Athlete of Tomorrow Read More »
So, you see a badly executed kettlebell swing, a bad kettlebell snatch, a bad kettlebell deadlift, and you feel compelled to say something. Should you say something?
Should you provide feedback on bad kettlebell technique? Read More »
During more than a decade of teaching, designing courses, and running workshops, I have covered many different paths to kettlebell training for a beginner. When I first started I regurgitated what I heard. Learn the hip hinge. Learn to swing. As I started thinking more for myself and analyzing, I found that the correct answer
Beginners: It’s NOT The Kettlebell Swing or Hip Hinge You Should Learn First Read More »
Learn how to use nothing but your body to lose weight and get strong at home. To help people out that are stuck inside during the strangest time of our life, I have put together a bodyweight workout course where you need nothing other than your own body and the will to train. Learn how
6 Bodyweight Exercises For Working Out At-home Read More »
If life is a proverbial boxing match, “the Captain” was the guy that cleaned up your wounds between the rounds and with his words had the ability to inspire enough determination from within that you would beg to face another round against a formidable opponent. It’s not often in life that one has the unique
Heart of Gold-Legacy of a Kettlebell Sport Athlete Read More »
The benefits of kettlebell juggling are plenty, but here is a summary of some of the benefits one can expect when picking up the art of kettlebell juggling. One can expect increased and improved: Proprioception Agility Reaction time Reflexes Timing Coordination Force absorption Power generation Explosive power Movement Plus everything else that transfers from the
The Benefits of Kettlebell Juggling Read More »
Learn how to perform the basic double-arm kettlebell swing with a hip hinge and avoid lower back problems commonly experienced when the swing is performed incorrectly. Once you learn the kettlebell swing you can include it in your training for cardio with higher reps and lower weight, or for strength and power with lower reps
How to Kettlebell Swing Read More »
A major cause for blisters from incorrect kettlebell swings is what we call kettlebell bobbing. Bobbing is the short quick jerky movement often seen at the end of an incorrect backswing. Bobbing causes friction in the hands, which in turn is cause for blisters. Bobbing is a short abrupt movement that can occur at
Kettlebell Swing Incorrect Form: Bobbing Read More »
One major indication of an incorrect kettlebell swing is a drooping kettlebell. The kettlebell is no longer an extension of the arms but droops, i.e. the base of the kettlebell is pointing down rather than forward (away from the body). The cause of a drooping kettlebell is an incorrect powering of the movement. The shoulders
Kettlebell Swing Incorrect Form Read More »
What is the kettlebell swing good for? The benefits of the all popular kettlebell swing are plenty, but here are some of the main ones: Cardiovascular endurance Muscular endurance Muscular strength Flexibility Power Grip strength Improved core strength Stronger back And many more. Cardiovascular endurance Using a light to medium weight you can increase
Kettlebell swing benefits? Read More »
There is an incorrect way to insert the hand into the window of the kettlebell and there is a correct way. The incorrect way is a huge contributor to some new people to kettlebells giving up. The infographic below demonstrates the incorrect and common way beginners hold the kettlebell. This grip is called the ‘broken
Correct Kettlebell Hand Insert and Broken Wrist Grip Read More »
The kettlebell dead snatch is the snatch variation that requires the most power in variations where the grip remains on the weight. With the dead snatch, you need to control your power output to get the height it travels correctly. In other words, if you pull the dead snatch too high then it will bang
Dead Release Snatch—Maximum Short Burst Power Read More »
The cast versus drop for the kettlebell swing clean is a simple adjustment that can drastically improve your kettlebell clean and reduce the chance of injury. The cast versus drop is covered very detailed in our book Kettlebell Training Fundamentals. The following are some points from that book. Casting the Kettlebell To cast a
Correcting The Kettlebell Clean: Cast vs Drop Read More »
The kettlebell rack position is a position that each and every person working with kettlebells needs to use, whether for the press, jerk, front squat, racked walks, etc. Kettlebell rack position What is the kettlebell rack position? How to properly rack a kettlebell? How to find your racking position There is a correct way
Kettlebell Rack Position Read More »
My name is Jame F. Wolcott and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis when I was 17 years old. My orthopedic surgeon told me the best way to beat arthritis was to never stop moving and being active. I took that to heart as I did not want to face knee replacement surgery in my 20’s
My Spine Is No Longer Curved Due to Kettlebells Read More »
You are literally what you eat—everything we swallow eventually ends up as resources for repairing damage, maintaining homeostasis, and forming new cells. Whatever we eat is broken down and processed in the gut, in the intestines where live bacteria cultures aid in the digestion process, and the way we absorb nutrients. In a nutshell, probiotics
The Role of Probiotics in Boosting Athleticism Read More »
The Cavemanator Challenge is performed with one kettlebell and involves the following exercises going for maximum reps per arm and only one switch: Clean and strict press (strict for the up phase) Clean and jerk Half snatch The total amount of reps times weight equals your total score. When posting your score include KG for
The Cavemanator Challenge—A Kettlebell Challenge Read More »
This workout is a good demonstration of how you can take awesome kettlebell complexes from our book and mix and match them to create a completely different workout. The workout is: Warm-up 2 minutes: Bodyweight squat Hip hinge Alternating reverse lunge 6 minutes: Half UKC Halo The UKC combo as explained in the book Kettlebell
Ragnarök High-Intensity Tough Fat Burning Workout Read More »
Would you deal with a business that is not contactable? In the first instance your response would probably be “no”, yet billions of people do every day. More than likely you are one of those people.
