Kettlebell Intro / Request for Critique

[TedM]

Timing—wait till the arms reconnect to the ribs before hinging out of the standing plank at the top. You are hinging too early.

How do you see this? Feel this? (for a rank beginner...)

Playing chicken with your crotch, wait till the last second that the bell will slam into it, then hinge.

I second everyone's comments on the most significant issue being the early hinging. The simplest way I know to address that is (on the downswing) to just focus on keeping the bell high in the triangle between the crotch and the knees. The "playing chicken" cue addresses this, but keeping the bell high addresses the same issue and gives you direct feedback on whether you're doing it successfully.

Gentlemen: I've been [trying to] work on this for the last weeks, but I don't seem to be making any consistent headway. Reviewing my videos, it seems that on the 9th swing of a set I briefly am not terribly early... but I'm not able to replicate.

I am toying with some visual cues - like white tape on the KB and adjusting my field of vision down a bit, so that when the white disappears from view, I hinge.

However - if there are other cues that you think would be helpful --> Please share!

 

[Mark Limbaga]

What has helped so far? Which visual, tactile auditory cues have helped?

If you have a more recent vid, that will help too..

 

[TedM]

What has helped so far? Which visual, tactile auditory cues have helped?

If you have a more recent vid, that will help too..

Well, just being aware that I'm doing it wrong and need to fix it is helpful, of course. *Trying* to wait till my arms go down lower before I hinge.
Auditory? hmmm. Haven't even thought of paying attention.

Here is a link to my swings: Swings #2

Thank you!

 

[Anna C]

Stay standing tall and in a tight standing plank until upper arms reconnect to torso on the way down. Keep shoulders packed.

Engrain the pattern slowly, without a kettlebell, before each set of swings.

 

[TedM]

Thanks, Anna

And thanks for bringing up another question mark of mine:

Keep shoulders packed.

i've been trying to understand exactly what is meant/how this is to feel. "Anti shrug"... I'm probabaly not getting this exactly. What i think it means/is supposed to feel like is -- pulling my shoulders down and in and kind of engaging the lats and pecs some. (I am only looking at this from a Swing perspective... i've not started with getups yet.)

 

[Anna C]

What i think it means/is supposed to feel like is -- pulling my shoulders down and in and kind of engaging the lats and pecs some. (I am only looking at this from a Swing perspective... i've not started with getups yet.)

Yes, that's it!

 

[Pete L]

How do you see this? Feel this? (for a rank beginner...)





Gentlemen: I've been [trying to] work on this for the last weeks, but I don't seem to be making any consistent headway. Reviewing my videos, it seems that on the 9th swing of a set I briefly am not terribly early... but I'm not able to replicate.

I am toying with some visual cues - like white tape on the KB and adjusting my field of vision down a bit, so that when the white disappears from view, I hinge.

However - if there are other cues that you think would be helpful --> Please share!

Have you tried a towel swing?
I don't think this wholly addresses the waiting element but it reinforces the hip movement moves the weight and not the arms.
Alternatively, perhaps try a much lighter bell and don't pivot. Let the arms land and see how the body reacts to the bell wanting to swing between the legs.
Don't play chicken- let the car hit you.
The above sounds ridiculous when read back so apologies if I've just confused you further.
I do think improving the up swing will help with your mastery of the down swing though. Good luck

 

[Steve Freides]

@TedM, the thing that I personally don't like about the cue to wait until your arms reconnect with your rib cage before hip hinging is - it can be scary. That might sound silly to some, but I prefer to think of it differently and in a way that allows me to make gradual progress towards what @Brett Jones and @Anna C are suggesting.

My cue is to try to changing directions at the back of the swing as quickly as possible, IOW, to be sure I'm not just slowing the kettlebell down and then restarting it with hip drive but rather than I'm loading up my hips and hamstrings in the same way as bouncing on a trampoline - the back of the swing is what happens as you come down from being in the air on a trampoline, and there's really no such thing as stopping there, you just have to turn it around quickly. Your hips and hamstrings become the trampoline, the place where energy is quickly stored and quickly released.

It ends up being as Brett and Anna are suggesting, but it's a different visualization that I find works better.

-S-

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Here's another drill you can try to address that issue

using the goat bag swing and heartbeat to dial in the downswing of the Kettlebell swing

youtube.com

 

[TedM]

For the actual swing, just focus on one cue or intention at a time for a given set.

2) Timing—wait till the arms reconnect to the ribs before hinging out of the standing plank at the top. You are hinging too early.

Playing chicken with your crotch, wait till the last second that the bell will slam into it, then hinge.

What has helped so far? Which visual, tactile auditory cues have helped?

All - Greetings from the "Remedial Swing" program.... I've been trying really hard to hinge later. But, I'm still far from getting there.

I'm trying to keep my glutes tight til the hinge - thanks @Anna C for that suggestion - and I'm trying to also work on nasal breathing on the downswing, also as a cue to hinging. Very uneven results.

Nonetheless, I want to get some feedback to my current progress, and so I'm posting two videos from today and welcome any and all feedback. (I still cringe a bit at showing these, but we're all family here...)

- I have moved up from the 16K 2H to 24K 2H (for two sets only right now) and the others i'm doing 16Kg 1H

So, my training looks like this:
2 sets: 2H-16KG
2 sets: 2H - 24KG
2 sets: 1H L/R - 16 KG
2 sets: 2H - 16 KG
2 sets: 1H L/R - 16 KG

One handed - using 16K

KB 16k 1H June 9,2022

youtube.com

2H - 24K

KB 24K 2H June 9, 2022

youtube.com

I guess I'm progressing in general: the 16KG seems light now.
-> My question is, should I keep what I'm doing now and do the 24KG 2H for 4 weeks, or can I start to substitute the 24KG for all the 2H 16KG?

Many thanks!!

 

[Mark Limbaga]

I'd start exploring a few 1h swing sets and some heavier 2h swing sets..

Good job

 

[Anna C]

@TedM

You're still hinging a little early, but you have improved a LOT! Great job!

I guess I'm progressing in general: the 16KG seems light now.
-> My question is, should I keep what I'm doing now and do the 24KG 2H for 4 weeks, or can I start to substitute the 24KG for all the 2H 16KG?

I would say 24 kg for all your 2H swings.

 

[TedM]

I'd start exploring a few 1h swing sets and some heavier 2h swing sets..

I would say 24 kg for all your 2H swings.

Thank you both so very much for the feedback.

The last two days I moved to just 2H 24KG - 8 X10 reps and then 9 X 10 reps. Started to feel my lower back so I stopped.

• How would you suggest that I program my swings? 2 days 1H 16KG and 1day 2H 24KG? or something else?

- I'm training 6 days a week.

• With respect the the "four weeks at a step up" - should I stay w/whatever you suggest for a month - or until I can properly do a 1H 24K?

My getups are lagging, but now that I'm getting more traction with the swings, I'm adding more time for them.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Thank you both so very much for the feedback.

The last two days I moved to just 2H 24KG - 8 X10 reps and then 9 X 10 reps. Started to feel my lower back so I stopped.

• How would you suggest that I program my swings? 2 days 1H 16KG and 1day 2H 24KG? or something else?

- I'm training 6 days a week.

• With respect the the "four weeks at a step up" - should I stay w/whatever you suggest for a month - or until I can properly do a 1H 24K?

My getups are lagging, but now that I'm getting more traction with the swings, I'm adding more time for them.

Ok perhaps focus more on exploring the 1h swing for now..

My hunch is your lower back is starting to act up since Anna did mention you tend to hinge a bit early on the downswing.. fix that and I'm sure your lower back will feel better

 

[TedM]

My hunch is your lower back is starting to act up since Anna did mention you tend to hinge a bit early on the downswing.. fix that and I'm sure your lower back will feel better

Thanks for answering my un-asked question on *why* when you hinge makes a difference....

 

[Anna C]

• How would you suggest that I program my swings? 2 days 1H 16KG and 1day 2H 24KG? or something else?

- I'm training 6 days a week.

• With respect the the "four weeks at a step up" - should I stay w/whatever you suggest for a month - or until I can properly do a 1H 24K?

My getups are lagging, but now that I'm getting more traction with the swings, I'm adding more time for them.

Assuming you're still following the S&S program per the book, pg 61 - 63 for swing progression... where are you relative to that?

Also with get-ups, are you doing 10 per session? No worries on lagging -- just do whatever weight you can do well for 10 reps.

 

[wexford]

@TedM - I am a newbie also so have nothing to add except to say that I just came across this thread and checked the first video you posted and the later ones and you are making great progress. Keep at it!

 

[TedM]

Assuming you're still following the S&S program per the book, pg 61 - 63 for swing progression... where are you relative to that?

Also with get-ups, are you doing 10 per session? No worries on lagging -- just do whatever weight you can do well for 10 reps.

Anna, first - thank you for the follow up!

As far as swing progression.... I understand the progression in the book to be starting once I'm able to do 1H 24KG. That's where the program explicitly starts (on pg. 64).
I just picked up swinging the 24K w/2H - May 25 was my first day.

After your encouragement last Thursday - I got to a 9 X 10 2H 24Kg and today did:
2 X 10 - 2H 24KG
6 X 10 - 1H 16 Kg
2 X 10 - 2H 24 KG

For get-ups - I just started a few weeks ago, and was shocked at my almost inability to roll left to elbow - with just my Croc perched on my hand. So now I am doing 10 or 15 to elbow on left, and 5 or 10 to elbow on right (much more "normal" feeling). Now with a 7KG weight.
I've done a few "to Hand" but really I'm just focussing on getting the "to elbow" on the left to a good place.

 

[TedM]

@TedM - I am a newbie also so have nothing to add except to say that I just came across this thread and checked the first video you posted and the later ones and you are making great progress. Keep at it!

Thank you! Slow and steady!

 

[Catherine Buck Le]

hmmm. ok. let's try this:

@TedM- Nice work!

Late to the party, but this thread just showed up in my forum feed.

A few others have mentioned these same pointers, which are:

In your deadlift, the toes on your right foot are peeling up off the floor. Work on rooting your feet into the earth during deadlifts and swings.

This video shows and explains what "rooting" means, and it has a drill for fixing this issue of the feet or toes coming up during the swing or deadlift (at 6:12 in the video):




For your swing, this video has a drill to learn the timing of the swing, specific to fixing the issue of hinging back too early (at 10:20 in the video). It's called the Velcro drill:




I hope these help. Keep up the strong skill practice! Great work!