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Kettlebell Form check

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Well ive gone back to 2 handed swing to try and get my form better, i feel like it is but i find squeezing my glutes is harder now while tring to jump rather than thrust

 
Looking better, Gary, you're on the right track.

Focus next: TIGHT PLANK. Your legs are slightly bent there in the first capture. Pull up the kneecaps so the legs are tight. Brace the abs to go along with the glute squeeze. That will help protect your back.

Then, HOLD the plank as the bell falls. Second capture is as the bell is falling -- at that point, you should still be in the plank. "Play chicken with the kettlebell" -- hold it as long as you can while it falls, then quickly hinge. (keeping your eyes out on the horizon may help... looks like you're watching the bell which tends to make your body follow it).

As @Pavel Macek teaches in his excellent video, think of the swing as a 4-part movement (explosive hinge-to-plank, bell finishes the float up, bell falls, plank to hinge to complete the backswing), intead of a 2-part (body and bell up, body and bell down).

upload_2019-9-9_11-44-14.png upload_2019-9-9_11-43-47.png
 
Theres so much to thnk about!

I did notice that I wasn't standing tall with my knees locked so I'll spend the next few weeks focusing on that and being tight in the plank position.

It definitely feels better on my back now though but I'm not going to try one arm swings until I really got my form nailed down with the two hand swings
 
Looking better, Gary, you're on the right track.

Focus next: TIGHT PLANK. Your legs are slightly bent there in the first capture. Pull up the kneecaps so the legs are tight. Brace the abs to go along with the glute squeeze. That will help protect your back.

Then, HOLD the plank as the bell falls. Second capture is as the bell is falling -- at that point, you should still be in the plank. "Play chicken with the kettlebell" -- hold it as long as you can while it falls, then quickly hinge. (keeping your eyes out on the horizon may help... looks like you're watching the bell which tends to make your body follow it).

As @Pavel Macek teaches in his excellent video, think of the swing as a 4-part movement (explosive hinge-to-plank, bell finishes the float up, bell falls, plank to hinge to complete the backswing), intead of a 2-part (body and bell up, body and bell down).

View attachment 9044 View attachment 9043

Over 87.000 views, 1.600 likes, and 98 comments - didn't expected that :) I am glad it is useful.

 
Looking better and as noted—work on finishing tall with extended hips and knees (standing plank) and wait for the arms to reconnect to the ribs before hinging.
There is more time during the swing then most people allow for so give each rep its full time.

To the question of thrusting the hips and "pushing" the arms with the hips—it is not explicitly discussed by myself and StrongFirst because we don't teach either of those things.
We may want to add them to a list of things a swing "isn't."
 
Ive been paying close attention to when my back starts to hurt and im sure its started from the warm up squats and then not helped from poor form swings

Its got me thinking, should i be doing the prying squat with just enough weight for balance (10kg) to loosen my hips?
Or
Should i be doing the squat just low enough untill my back starts to not be straight anymore, with a bigger weight. where i feel a lot of stretch in my low back?

At the moment im doing the prying squat with 24kg but im going into "prying" but my back/bum is tucking under and im sure this is causing alot of the problems

On the swing front i feel its getting alot better, i really need to try and get tight abs and glutes which im finding difficult but will keep working on it
 
Gary,
You should not feel a stretch in your lower back during a goblet squat and should limit the range to where you maintain a good back position.
I would go lighter and limit the range.
Video of your Goblet squat (2 from the side and 2 from the front)?

Good news on the swings

Brett
 
Theres a clip in this thread of my goblet, from the side.

I feel the stretch as im trying to keep my back straight and the lower i go the harder that becomes, once im down just to the point my back wouldn't be straight if i kept going i feel it stretching my low back
 
Limit the range where you do not feel the stretch in your lower back.
Do you have a StrongFirst Certified Instructor in your area?
 
I saw one yesterday, he help a bit, but basicly told me all the things i kind of knew i was doing wrong anyway, getting glutes and abs tight, pushing up through my legs rather than thrusting my hips, basicly all the stuff ive been told in this thread anyways
 
@Gary Wilson, I just watched your goblet squat video. That shouldn't hurt. But the way you picked up the bell might.

I want to second Brett’s suggestion of a movement screen.

-S-
 
Ok so ive been doing for over a month since this post and although it doesn't hurt my back now i still feel like i just cant do a decent swing, i LOVE the getups on the other hand.

Im really struggling to get the timing right, i feel like i am letting the bell come to a stop and trying not to bend my knees untill the bell is a bit lower but it just feels so unnatural and watching it back im clearly not doing it!

Any more tips guys?


 
Glad your back's not hurting!

You're using a bit of arm flexion to achieve bell height. Keep your arms straight and make your HIPS throw the bell. Try to throw the kettlebell out -- project power forward and let your relaxed arm get pulled straight by the bell's outward force.

Your plank could be tighter... and a bit of timing issue on the downswing, but get the arms straight and let's see what that does first. Going heavier will help also, when you're ready.
 
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