GreenSoup
Level 6 Valued Member
I have questions about kettlebell swing height and strength. Lately I’ve been going heavier and decided I should only swing to float at shoulder height. I have Pavel’s original recommendations for what a male trainee might want (16,24,32kg) so more swing strength means uneven doubles until I decide to buy more. If the KBs float much more than 4-6 inches lower than with my arm parallel to the floor then the rep gets a no-count. If the KBs are too heavy to reach that point then I’ll only train with lighter ones. I saw a video of a guy “swinging” 300 pounds on a plate-loaded handle but it just looked less like a swing and more like a bad Elvis impersonator.
So a crisp shoulder height swing should avoid that kind of physical self-mockery. I thought this height meant I was using consistent force, and that if I either lost snap or went too low that meant I reached technical failure with that weight.
Then I read this article with a plan by Mark Reifkind and it messed me up:
www.kettlebellkings.com
“The kettlebell must be swung to anywhere between belt and lower sternum height and must be parked like a pro after every set.”
So it made me wonder about my current training plans.
I still presume a shoulder height swing uses more force, but that height needed to build swing strength? My swing can float at shoulder height with 16+24. My double swings with 16+32kg need a lot of elastic rebound so I get to shoulder height around rep 6-7 and rarely finish out to rep 10 with either the height or the snap I want. I still can keep the float at sternum height though.
If strength is the goal, is it a waste of time to swing higher than prescribed by Mr Reifkind?
As a second semi-related question, how heavy is too heavy? Years ago I believe I read that it can compromise form in some way to swing more than you weigh but I cannot find the link. If I buy a 40kg and a 48kg and swing them together as uneven doubles that would be slightly over my body weight.
So a crisp shoulder height swing should avoid that kind of physical self-mockery. I thought this height meant I was using consistent force, and that if I either lost snap or went too low that meant I reached technical failure with that weight.
Then I read this article with a plan by Mark Reifkind and it messed me up:
![www.kettlebellkings.com](/community/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kettlebellkings.com%2Fcdn%2Fshop%2Ffiles%2F1_kettlebells_in_the_US_kettlebellkings.png%3Fv%3D1702645785&hash=ec26c824042b24f5f117249ec9d4b12d&return_error=1)
The Ultimate Swing Program
If you’re looking to take your swing ability from OK to masterful while enjoying a plethora of accompanying performance improvements in other areas, this is for you.
![www.kettlebellkings.com](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kettlebellkings.com%2Fcdn%2Fshop%2Ffiles%2Ffavicon_96x96_e432cbb4-3b67-4e99-97af-9707602bed12_96x96.webp%3Fv%3D1678366937&hash=0ebab2425eaa36109547405242bbfabe&return_error=1)
So it made me wonder about my current training plans.
I still presume a shoulder height swing uses more force, but that height needed to build swing strength? My swing can float at shoulder height with 16+24. My double swings with 16+32kg need a lot of elastic rebound so I get to shoulder height around rep 6-7 and rarely finish out to rep 10 with either the height or the snap I want. I still can keep the float at sternum height though.
If strength is the goal, is it a waste of time to swing higher than prescribed by Mr Reifkind?
As a second semi-related question, how heavy is too heavy? Years ago I believe I read that it can compromise form in some way to swing more than you weigh but I cannot find the link. If I buy a 40kg and a 48kg and swing them together as uneven doubles that would be slightly over my body weight.