Kettlebell Developing explosive hip power

[movestrength]

What are your favourite kettlebell exercises for training hip hinge and rotational hip power? Do you prefer kettlebells to Olympic lifts for building hip hinge power?

Thank you.

 

[Anna C]

What are your favourite kettlebell exercises for training hip hinge and rotational hip power? Do you prefer kettlebells to Olympic lifts for building hip hinge power?

Thank you.

I think the kettlebell swing is the best way to turn a beginner/non-athlete into more of an athletic person with some semblance of explosive hip power. Kettlebell deadlift first, kettlebell swing second. If progress is slow (given adequate volume), then strength and muscle mass is the gap; move to barbell squats and deadlifts for a while. Then back to heavier kettlebell swings. All great.

For someone who is already an athlete and has decent hip power, I think the Olympic lifts are a great way to further develop it. However, that's my second-hand observation, not first-hand experience as an athlete or coach. There are beginner weightlifting programs, too, so I suppose this could work for initial development. There are many regressions, strength-building exercises, drills within weightlifting training. So I would think that can work too, but would require considerable dedication and learning, not just logging the training time.

 

[coachnathanwhite]

What are your favourite kettlebell exercises for training hip hinge and rotational hip power?

Hinge -
1) 2H Swing
2) Double Cleans
3) Double Swing

Rotational Hip Power -
1) 1H Swing
2) 1H Snatch
3) Getup

Do you prefer kettlebells to Olympic lifts for building hip hinge power?

It depends on the athlete's training history, mileage, and skill level.

For "most" people, the kettlebell grinds and ballistics will be the way to go as they are low skill / high results. With proper instruction, such as a 1-day StrongFirst user course, the average person will be prepared to begin practicing daily right away.

For a younger person or athlete playing a specific sport, the barbell will be necessary to achieve the heavier loads in critical lifts such as the deadlift, which is critical to be proficient at prior to the O lifts. The barbell is also the opposite of kettlebells in skill transferability as they are high skill / high results, and thus not much of a realistic option for most people.

 

[pet']

Hello,

What are your favourite kettlebell exercises for training hip hinge and rotational hip power?

I would choose the same exercises as @natewhite39

However, I am less sure about the get up, which is a grind. Then I do not see a lot of power (but a lot of strength though). However, as he is way more knowledgeable than me, I'd trust him !

Regarding the weight, I think Kenny mentioned that 30% of the bodyweight seems to be optimal for power generation.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Deleted member 5559]

I like Mark Rippetoe's advice of doing a movement that you have to be explosive, not that you want to be explosive. He was comparing cleans to speed pulls.

Something you have to hit a specific height with just to complete is always going to be more explosive in my experience.

Snatches and cleans require explosiveness compared to swings that don't. I think a fully explosive swing is actually more advanced than a snatch because It lacks that sense of necessity and therefore is harder to fully engage.

 

[coachnathanwhite]

However, I am less sure about the get up, which is a grind. Then I do not see a lot of power (but a lot of strength though).

Thanks for your comment. I chose the getup because similar to when benching or squatting a heavy barbell, you may not be actually moving fast but if you are neurologically pushing as "fast" as possible then your nervous system begins to recruit more motor neurons, which over time increase strength without necessarily adding a lot of muscle mass. This training effect along with the multiple planes of motion that you move through make the getup a great compliment to anyone training for increased rotational power.

 

[watchnerd]

What are your favourite kettlebell exercises for training hip hinge and rotational hip power? Do you prefer kettlebells to Olympic lifts for building hip hinge power?

Thank you.

Barbell power cleans have a multi decade track record of being used to improve explosive performance from athletes ranging football to sprinters to rowers to track to volleyball athletes and more.

You don't need to learn the full lifts if your sport lies elsewhere.

 

[watchnerd]

I like Mark Rippetoe's advice of doing a movement that you have to be explosive, not that you want to be explosive. He was comparing cleans to speed pulls.

Something you have to hit a specific height with just to complete is always going to be more explosive in my experience.

Snatches and cleans require explosiveness compared to swings that don't. I think a fully explosive swing is actually more advanced than a snatch because It lacks that sense of necessity and therefore is harder to fully engage.

+1

You can't barbell power clean slow.

In the KB universe, I'm going to nominate heavy KB dead cleans as a decent approximation, although constrained by max weight.