Old Forum KB Technique Critique

[Furo]

Hi chaps,

I was just wondering if you could please give me some advice on my technique on my single arm swing and Turkish get-up? I'm doing Simple and Sinister and I've got to the stage where I can do all reps with my current heaviest KB - 28kg. I'd like to work on my technique before I get a new KB.

Thanks in advance!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHj0ZQNXoaU

 

[Steve W.]

Hi Alistair,

Here's what I notice:

You are not fully extending your knees and hips at the top of each rep, and your neck is flexed dramatically. I'd like to see you "plank up" much more strongly at the top -- straight line from ankles to crown of head, quads flexed ("pull the kneecaps up"), glutes squeezed, abs braced and shoulder packed down.

The bent arm at the top is not necessarily a problem as long as your elbow is straight at the bottom. However, I like to see a straight arm throughout. Letting the KB pull your elbow straight under partial tension is a recipe for elbow tendinitis. Keeping a straight arm throughout ensures that this won't happen and is just one less moving part to worry about.

You set up with the KB on the floor farther in front of you than it should be, but that may just be a function of using a pad to keep the bell from scratching up the floor.

I'm not going to break down your getup step by step, but overall it is a little loose and rushed, and your elbow does not appear to be locked out throughout.

 

 

[Al Ciampa]

Alistair,

To piggyback off of Steve, the hip hinge is more of an athletic position, but a little less ... and much less than a squat.  You have severe hip flexion with not much else going on.  Bring your legs into it a bit more.

You're not at all connected to the bell in the plank.  Throw it into a tight plank ... and stab it.

Is that a 28 that you're swinging?  It looks small.

Get up:  you don't own any position before moving on.  Pause at least 2 seconds in each position and stabilize before repositioning.  To elbow, pause.  To post, pause.  Sweep to 3-point stance, pause. Release the ground, pause.  Stand up, pause.  Opposite leg rear lunge, pause.  3-point stance, pause.  Sweep to sit, pause.  To elbow, pause.  To back, pause.  Rinse and repeat.

 

[Furo]

Thank you so much for the help guys, I really appreciate it. I've never had any formal instruction before, just learnt from youtube videos and Pavel's books, so this advice is really invaluable.

 

Al - yeah it's a 28kg and I think it's normal size. I'm quite big - 6'3" and 97kg - so maybe it's just a perspective thing.

 

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[Lehrskov]

You're a brave man having that laptop just in the line-of-kettlebell-fire, Alistair

 

[Furo]

Haha yes Ulrik, hopefully I'll keep getting away with it. And I was a bit too close to the TV, but I don't usually train there - it was just to get everything in shot.

 

Thanks again for the advice Al and Steve. I incorporated it into today's session, particularly focusing on being more athletic, the plank and keeping my arms straight. It was definitely a little more challenging and I felt it required more whole body tension, but my time was similar to usual.

 

Cheers