Kettlebell One-handed swing grip advice
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Robert Noftz
Level 5 Valued Member
My grip was an issue when I first started swinging the 40kg kettlebell. The solution for me was to add the 40 kg in slowly. Now I can swing it explosively with no grip problems. I have recently started doing the same thing with the 48kg.
In regards to chalk, I have never used it. I practice in the apartment and don't want chalk getting all over. I use a Rogue kettlebell and I have heard the handles are a little rougher.
I think it would be interesting to see a video of how you do the swing. You said you are having trouble with the 32kg but once the 24 kg fell out of your hand. Even with sweaty hands that seems difficult to see how it would happen unless the 24 is still difficult for you or your grip was way too loose. I'm only commenting from my own experience. I have been practicing for about 1 year and have never had a kettlebell fly out of my hand. A few times when moving up to the heavier KB I stopped a set quickly when I felt my grip getting weak. Maybe that is a sign you need a tighter grip not chalk.
I ordered some grippers in the past but haven't used them. When I work with the heavier kettlebell on a one hand swing I'm already getting a lot of grip training. Grip is the limiting factor.
Best of luck
In regards to chalk, I have never used it. I practice in the apartment and don't want chalk getting all over. I use a Rogue kettlebell and I have heard the handles are a little rougher.
I think it would be interesting to see a video of how you do the swing. You said you are having trouble with the 32kg but once the 24 kg fell out of your hand. Even with sweaty hands that seems difficult to see how it would happen unless the 24 is still difficult for you or your grip was way too loose. I'm only commenting from my own experience. I have been practicing for about 1 year and have never had a kettlebell fly out of my hand. A few times when moving up to the heavier KB I stopped a set quickly when I felt my grip getting weak. Maybe that is a sign you need a tighter grip not chalk.
I ordered some grippers in the past but haven't used them. When I work with the heavier kettlebell on a one hand swing I'm already getting a lot of grip training. Grip is the limiting factor.
Best of luck
Robert Noftz
Level 5 Valued Member
This issue with grip got me thinking about another principle I learned from Pavel T. One of the things I have practiced diligently is stopping my sets short of failure and saving some energy for the next set or the next practice session. That includes my grip strength. If I failed on a set because my grip gave out then I pushed my grip to failure, and I don't train that way. I stop a set well before my grip gives out.
Robert Noftz
Level 5 Valued Member
In regards to goose necking, I stopped doing it but I have seen some videos of highly experienced practitioners doing swings and they are goose necking. I won't name any name. I saw one man doing it in his book but again, I won't name names.
HC77 Perry
First Post
I was going to write my own post about my re-entry into the kettlebell world and the rapid progress I've made. I'll probably still do that - standby for pain (Nah, I'm a decent writer). Instead, I'm starting by replying on this thread because I was also recently having issues moving from 2H to 1H swings with my preferred bell (24kg at the time).
T'was a scant couple or three weeks ago I decided to bring 1H swings back into the game, but your post really struck a chord with me and my rapid progress has made me very eager to share my experience with you. I am absolutely 100% sure I can help if you haven't already made these discoveries/assimilated the information in some of these replies in the days since your initial post. I'll start from the beginning i.e. my first attempts at 1H swings after being out of the game for awhile.
As an aside, I sprained my right thumb pretty badly a few years back. It was one of those injuries that would have been better if it had been worse. It wasn't bad enough for anything to show up on x-rays, but it's been severely debilitating.
10 sets of 10 2H with the 24kg is no problem for me with the proper amount of rest between sets, so I decided to give 1H a shot. I started with my stronger side (A. because of the injury B. I'm a southpaw). A few reps there, no problem. The injured side, however.....no way, dude. I was in control of the bell as far as safety aspects, but that was it. I'm glad no one was watching.
I gave it a rest for the day, but the first thing I did the next day was do a search about one side being way weaker on the 1H swings. Simple & Sinister: Getting from Two- To One-Hand Swings by Steve Freides (I believe this was the article referred to in ali's response) was the first thing that popped up. Not knowing what in the world I was going to do but knowing that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, this was as good a place to start as any....so that's exactly what I did. Out of deference to my injury, I dropped down to my 16kg (please don't laugh) for swing practice. I can barely feel that thing, so I knew it'd be a good way to train my body in the motions. I QUICKLY advanced through the progressions of interspersing 1H swings with 2H swings suggested in the article and earlier this week did 10x10 1H swings (5 sets each arm)....EASILY. Like I said, I can barely feel my 16kg.
A couple days after resuming my 1H swing practice with my 16kg, my ego needed to combat the emasculation of dropping down to such a light bell. Here's what I did: I resumed practice with my 24kg....but I went back to almost the beginning. I preceded my 1H swing practice with 5 sets of 5 1H deadlifts, but only on my strong side since my stronger side was already aces. It was actually easy for my to add a rep to each set every day until I got to 5x10 1H deadlifts. My strong side is strong; I just have to remind it.
Next step: hike pass practice. My method was to just actively pull the bell back and let it swing forward repeatedly as to avoid repeatedly setting the bell down on my hard wood floor and bug the heck out of the rest of the house. I began to include this on Thursday 30Nov17. I hope you're still with me, because here's where the story takes a turn...for the better. Here we go....hinge the hips, reach for the bell, use my lat to pull the slack out and pack my shoulder just like the book says. 3, 2, 1, ignition. There's nothing at all hard about a hike pass as long as you keep your shoulder packed unless you're using a bell that's just way too darn heavy. Here's the thing, though: I didn't actually do a hike pass. My reflexes took over and I forgot that I was just practicing the simple hike pass. The bell reached the back of the pass, my hips just kinda seemed to thrust forward on their own, and next thing I know, it EFFORTLESSLY is in the air just above my stomach. What....what was that? Was that....was that a 1H swing?....where it didn't feel like the bell was gonna fly out of my hand and finish the job my books have started on the cheap bookcase in front of me?....where it didn't at all feel like the bell is gonna dislocate my shoulder if I hang onto it in favor of said bookcase? Why YES!!!! YES IT WAS!!! Between that freaking me right out and somehow thinking quickly enough to realize that future attempts weren't likely to go as well, I parked the bell. I finished the rest of my hike pass practice, moved on to get-ups, and that was it for the day.
Today, I was a little bit more conscientious. I got the hike pass practice out of the way (only 5x5, and only on my strong side). I was supposed to build up to 5x10 before progressing (and I will include hike pass practice until I do so), but I did a set of 5 1H swings on my strong side just for the thrill of it. Got them done no problem, but I know when I'm about to hit a wall because I jumped the gun. After that, I went to the set/rep scheme I started with interspersing 1H with 2H swings a la the Steve Freides article and I'll work my way back up from there.
There's more. PLEASE bear with me. The following couple paragraphs are about a couple of other responses to your initial post and how they are directly pertinent to my experiences over the past 2-3 weeks.
Firstly, I'll cover Pavel Macek's 3-point response. 1) Use chalk. You've stated that you learned this the hard way. I know I need to get some. Messy, yes; but so much more convenient than drying my hands and the handle of the bell when I need to be focusing on breath control. 2) Use a lighter bell and insert sets with a heavier bell. It may not feel all that good, but even the S&S book says there's nothing wrong with going back to a lighter bell if you need to. Remember....the party is never wrong. Also, inserting sets with a heavier bell is exactly how the S&S book says to go about moving up in weight. 3) Don't overdo grip training....already covered by multiple responders, including another response by Pavel M. himself.
Then there's Steve W's response, also with multiple points. I'll paraphrase. 1) Heavier bells require an adjustment in technique. We've read in multiple places in S&S and possibly ETK as well that there's nothing like heavy weight to instruct the body. You can learn to listen to what it's telling you, even if you have to include single rep sets. 2) Be patient in the hole. The bell fights you. You're robbing yourself of power if you try to fight back. Work with it instead.....like aikido I guess. 3) Smooth hip drive. Chubbs had it right if you've ever seen Happy Gilmore: It's all in the hips. What REALLY drove this home for me is my accidental 1H swing the other day. I WASN'T EVEN TRYING!! It was the SMOOTHEST hip drive I have ever executed, and next thing I know, I'm standing straight up with the bell in front of me instead of still in the silverback position as I'd intended. This kind of goes back to point 1. Heavier bells require technique adjustments. True, no matter the weight of the kettlebell, the hip drive is explosive. There are different types of explosives for a reason (I was a combat engineer in the Marine Corps). Lighter bell - explode like C4. Heavier bell - explode like ammonium nitrate (it's slower, but builds more force). If you need to blow a door open (lighter kettlebell), use C4. If you need to take a wall down, that's where the ammonium nitrate comes in.
I hope you're still here. There's a difference between simply relaying information and conveying information by relating personal experience. I'm just stoked that somebody else is going through kind of the same thing as me and that I had the tools to be able to help. Just be glad this didn't take as long to read as it did to write lol.
T'was a scant couple or three weeks ago I decided to bring 1H swings back into the game, but your post really struck a chord with me and my rapid progress has made me very eager to share my experience with you. I am absolutely 100% sure I can help if you haven't already made these discoveries/assimilated the information in some of these replies in the days since your initial post. I'll start from the beginning i.e. my first attempts at 1H swings after being out of the game for awhile.
As an aside, I sprained my right thumb pretty badly a few years back. It was one of those injuries that would have been better if it had been worse. It wasn't bad enough for anything to show up on x-rays, but it's been severely debilitating.
10 sets of 10 2H with the 24kg is no problem for me with the proper amount of rest between sets, so I decided to give 1H a shot. I started with my stronger side (A. because of the injury B. I'm a southpaw). A few reps there, no problem. The injured side, however.....no way, dude. I was in control of the bell as far as safety aspects, but that was it. I'm glad no one was watching.
I gave it a rest for the day, but the first thing I did the next day was do a search about one side being way weaker on the 1H swings. Simple & Sinister: Getting from Two- To One-Hand Swings by Steve Freides (I believe this was the article referred to in ali's response) was the first thing that popped up. Not knowing what in the world I was going to do but knowing that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, this was as good a place to start as any....so that's exactly what I did. Out of deference to my injury, I dropped down to my 16kg (please don't laugh) for swing practice. I can barely feel that thing, so I knew it'd be a good way to train my body in the motions. I QUICKLY advanced through the progressions of interspersing 1H swings with 2H swings suggested in the article and earlier this week did 10x10 1H swings (5 sets each arm)....EASILY. Like I said, I can barely feel my 16kg.
A couple days after resuming my 1H swing practice with my 16kg, my ego needed to combat the emasculation of dropping down to such a light bell. Here's what I did: I resumed practice with my 24kg....but I went back to almost the beginning. I preceded my 1H swing practice with 5 sets of 5 1H deadlifts, but only on my strong side since my stronger side was already aces. It was actually easy for my to add a rep to each set every day until I got to 5x10 1H deadlifts. My strong side is strong; I just have to remind it.
Next step: hike pass practice. My method was to just actively pull the bell back and let it swing forward repeatedly as to avoid repeatedly setting the bell down on my hard wood floor and bug the heck out of the rest of the house. I began to include this on Thursday 30Nov17. I hope you're still with me, because here's where the story takes a turn...for the better. Here we go....hinge the hips, reach for the bell, use my lat to pull the slack out and pack my shoulder just like the book says. 3, 2, 1, ignition. There's nothing at all hard about a hike pass as long as you keep your shoulder packed unless you're using a bell that's just way too darn heavy. Here's the thing, though: I didn't actually do a hike pass. My reflexes took over and I forgot that I was just practicing the simple hike pass. The bell reached the back of the pass, my hips just kinda seemed to thrust forward on their own, and next thing I know, it EFFORTLESSLY is in the air just above my stomach. What....what was that? Was that....was that a 1H swing?....where it didn't feel like the bell was gonna fly out of my hand and finish the job my books have started on the cheap bookcase in front of me?....where it didn't at all feel like the bell is gonna dislocate my shoulder if I hang onto it in favor of said bookcase? Why YES!!!! YES IT WAS!!! Between that freaking me right out and somehow thinking quickly enough to realize that future attempts weren't likely to go as well, I parked the bell. I finished the rest of my hike pass practice, moved on to get-ups, and that was it for the day.
Today, I was a little bit more conscientious. I got the hike pass practice out of the way (only 5x5, and only on my strong side). I was supposed to build up to 5x10 before progressing (and I will include hike pass practice until I do so), but I did a set of 5 1H swings on my strong side just for the thrill of it. Got them done no problem, but I know when I'm about to hit a wall because I jumped the gun. After that, I went to the set/rep scheme I started with interspersing 1H with 2H swings a la the Steve Freides article and I'll work my way back up from there.
There's more. PLEASE bear with me. The following couple paragraphs are about a couple of other responses to your initial post and how they are directly pertinent to my experiences over the past 2-3 weeks.
Firstly, I'll cover Pavel Macek's 3-point response. 1) Use chalk. You've stated that you learned this the hard way. I know I need to get some. Messy, yes; but so much more convenient than drying my hands and the handle of the bell when I need to be focusing on breath control. 2) Use a lighter bell and insert sets with a heavier bell. It may not feel all that good, but even the S&S book says there's nothing wrong with going back to a lighter bell if you need to. Remember....the party is never wrong. Also, inserting sets with a heavier bell is exactly how the S&S book says to go about moving up in weight. 3) Don't overdo grip training....already covered by multiple responders, including another response by Pavel M. himself.
Then there's Steve W's response, also with multiple points. I'll paraphrase. 1) Heavier bells require an adjustment in technique. We've read in multiple places in S&S and possibly ETK as well that there's nothing like heavy weight to instruct the body. You can learn to listen to what it's telling you, even if you have to include single rep sets. 2) Be patient in the hole. The bell fights you. You're robbing yourself of power if you try to fight back. Work with it instead.....like aikido I guess. 3) Smooth hip drive. Chubbs had it right if you've ever seen Happy Gilmore: It's all in the hips. What REALLY drove this home for me is my accidental 1H swing the other day. I WASN'T EVEN TRYING!! It was the SMOOTHEST hip drive I have ever executed, and next thing I know, I'm standing straight up with the bell in front of me instead of still in the silverback position as I'd intended. This kind of goes back to point 1. Heavier bells require technique adjustments. True, no matter the weight of the kettlebell, the hip drive is explosive. There are different types of explosives for a reason (I was a combat engineer in the Marine Corps). Lighter bell - explode like C4. Heavier bell - explode like ammonium nitrate (it's slower, but builds more force). If you need to blow a door open (lighter kettlebell), use C4. If you need to take a wall down, that's where the ammonium nitrate comes in.
I hope you're still here. There's a difference between simply relaying information and conveying information by relating personal experience. I'm just stoked that somebody else is going through kind of the same thing as me and that I had the tools to be able to help. Just be glad this didn't take as long to read as it did to write lol.
HC77 Perry
First Post
Thanx. Your article about switching from the 2H to the 1H swing was absolutely instrumental. I will keep you all posted!!
Two more things to say about mixing two- and one-handed swings: You don't need to use the same weight if you have more than one weight available to you, and you don't need to progress in a strictly linear fashion.
NB: Someone who is a relative novice will do best to follow the program "by the book" but someone who has been swinging kettlebells for years may appreciate, and benefit from, more variety.
My personal example - I just started doing swings again. I am swinging a 20 kg bell with one hand, and either a 32 or 44 kg with two hands. I have generally been doing a total of between 40 and 80 swings, and do them almost every day, typically 5-6 days per week. Some days it's all one-handed, some days it's all two-handed, and some days it's a mix.
E.g., I enjoy doing a set of 10 each hand, then switching to a heavier bell for two-handed swings and doing two sets of 10, and repeating that - that's 80 swings. Another example: 4 sets of 15 one-handed swings with an appropriately longer rest between for a total of 60 swings.
At all times, I keep my effort modulated - nothing done at 9 or 10 on the volume control - so that my recovery between sets and after the session is over is always nasal breathing only. My short-term goal is improving my form and getting used to doing this every day so that recovery becomes easier.
-S-
NB: Someone who is a relative novice will do best to follow the program "by the book" but someone who has been swinging kettlebells for years may appreciate, and benefit from, more variety.
My personal example - I just started doing swings again. I am swinging a 20 kg bell with one hand, and either a 32 or 44 kg with two hands. I have generally been doing a total of between 40 and 80 swings, and do them almost every day, typically 5-6 days per week. Some days it's all one-handed, some days it's all two-handed, and some days it's a mix.
E.g., I enjoy doing a set of 10 each hand, then switching to a heavier bell for two-handed swings and doing two sets of 10, and repeating that - that's 80 swings. Another example: 4 sets of 15 one-handed swings with an appropriately longer rest between for a total of 60 swings.
At all times, I keep my effort modulated - nothing done at 9 or 10 on the volume control - so that my recovery between sets and after the session is over is always nasal breathing only. My short-term goal is improving my form and getting used to doing this every day so that recovery becomes easier.
-S-
Steve W.
Level 8 Valued Member
@HC77 Perry's post also illustrates an important point about practice as a learning experience. Every rep is an experiment. Sometimes you might purposely experiment with a new cue or technique variation, but variation naturally happens unintentionally as well. Be mindful of "happy accidents." Try to reverse-engineer and replicate the especially good reps, and then try to replicate them consistently.
Forget about "Perfect practice makes perfect." Mindful imperfect practice makes progress.
Forget about "Perfect practice makes perfect." Mindful imperfect practice makes progress.
Chrisdavisjr
Level 7 Valued Member
@Robert Noftz @HC77 Perry
Great posts, guys; there's loads of food for thought in there. I've definitely found that getting the 'hike pass' right is ony of the many critical keys to nailing the swing.
I found @Steve Freides' article about progressing from the 2H to the 1H swing (Click here to read it) and I wished I'd found it sooner! It always felt like a significant 'jump' going from sets of 10 2H swings to sets of 10 1H swings, even when dropping down a kettlebell size and, honestly, I feel a little silly for not having given any serious thought to incorporating multiple types of swing into a single set.
In spite of the progress I've been making swinging the 32kg, I'm actually excited at the idea of 'regressing' and trying this new approach to power-up my swings and make my 1H swings feel as good as my 2H swings.
Great posts, guys; there's loads of food for thought in there. I've definitely found that getting the 'hike pass' right is ony of the many critical keys to nailing the swing.
I found @Steve Freides' article about progressing from the 2H to the 1H swing (Click here to read it) and I wished I'd found it sooner! It always felt like a significant 'jump' going from sets of 10 2H swings to sets of 10 1H swings, even when dropping down a kettlebell size and, honestly, I feel a little silly for not having given any serious thought to incorporating multiple types of swing into a single set.
In spite of the progress I've been making swinging the 32kg, I'm actually excited at the idea of 'regressing' and trying this new approach to power-up my swings and make my 1H swings feel as good as my 2H swings.
Matts
Level 3 Valued Member
Why would anyone laugh cause you did such a smart thing? Right tool for the right job...
HC77 Perry
First Post
I was actually trying to elicit laughs. . Trying to be colorful while following community standards is tough lol.
HC77 Perry
First Post
Yet another couple thoughts...I should have also referred to @Robert Noftz's replies about diligently stopping before reaching failure. One of my favorite sayings I picked up in articles on this site is that if you're always testing yourself, you're never training. Also...safety. You said it yourself about the bell flying into the sofa...it's a good thing nobody was sitting there. This isn't the same as gassing out on a set of push-ups or pull-ups where the only safety repercussion is falling a couple feet to the floor. Iron is dangerous, especially if the name of said iron includes the word "bell." Ever get trapped under the bar when you're doing heavy bench presses without a spotter? Yeah...I'm dumb, but I'm lucky.
@Steve W. 's reply about reverse-engineering the especially good reps....I've been doing that since my happy accident with my first successful 1H swing the other day. Here's what I've come up with so far:
There's a section in S&S where Pavel T talks about people actually not striking their hardest when they're trying their hardest (page 63 if you have the physical copy). Why that hits home is with my accidental first successful 1H swing, I WASN'T EVEN TRYING. MY BODY JUST DID IT!! (I'm talking in all caps because I'm still shocked). My hip thrust wasn't.....I don't want to say it wasn't explosive. It obviously was. It did propel a 24kg kettlebell to near chest level, after all.
Here's what I've figured out: When my hip thrust was more explosive and forceful, it generated too much force for me to maintain a comfortable grip. I started doing slower, more deliberate hip thrusts. Force=Mass x Acceleration. Simple solution - generate a little less force with a slower, more deliberate hip thrust. The heavy weight will instruct your body and your grip will be able to match the force generated by your hip thrust in no time. I've noticed improvements in just two days.
I guess if I had to distill it down to a single point....we've just been trying to dang hard. The more you can do without trying naturally correlates to being able to do more when you're put to the test.
@Steve W. 's reply about reverse-engineering the especially good reps....I've been doing that since my happy accident with my first successful 1H swing the other day. Here's what I've come up with so far:
There's a section in S&S where Pavel T talks about people actually not striking their hardest when they're trying their hardest (page 63 if you have the physical copy). Why that hits home is with my accidental first successful 1H swing, I WASN'T EVEN TRYING. MY BODY JUST DID IT!! (I'm talking in all caps because I'm still shocked). My hip thrust wasn't.....I don't want to say it wasn't explosive. It obviously was. It did propel a 24kg kettlebell to near chest level, after all.
Here's what I've figured out: When my hip thrust was more explosive and forceful, it generated too much force for me to maintain a comfortable grip. I started doing slower, more deliberate hip thrusts. Force=Mass x Acceleration. Simple solution - generate a little less force with a slower, more deliberate hip thrust. The heavy weight will instruct your body and your grip will be able to match the force generated by your hip thrust in no time. I've noticed improvements in just two days.
I guess if I had to distill it down to a single point....we've just been trying to dang hard. The more you can do without trying naturally correlates to being able to do more when you're put to the test.
Chrisdavisjr
Level 7 Valued Member
As if by magic: Essential Details for Proper Swing Grip and the Kettlebell Halo
Brett Jones
StrongFirst Director of Education
Master Certified Instructor
Elite Certified Instructor
Beast Tamer
Magic ;-)
North Coast Miller
Level 9 Valued Member
As someone who has had invasive wrist surgery on both wrists, I did not think I'd ever be able to swing the 32 for more than two or three reps. The norm for the procedure I had is about 75% pre onset of symptoms - can now hit 10+ and grip is not the limiting factor.
Two things really helped - I found my old rehab rubber grip ring thing, and did a combination of reps and static holds throughout the day.
The bigger factor is that I manage to give my grip a break at the very top of each swing and for the first bit of the downhill. Then I tighten it up good as it drops to the bottom and for the upswing until I feel it float, then give it a slight break. If it does come lose it should go up, not out and away. If I didn't adopt this strategy, I'd have real trouble.
Two things really helped - I found my old rehab rubber grip ring thing, and did a combination of reps and static holds throughout the day.
The bigger factor is that I manage to give my grip a break at the very top of each swing and for the first bit of the downhill. Then I tighten it up good as it drops to the bottom and for the upswing until I feel it float, then give it a slight break. If it does come lose it should go up, not out and away. If I didn't adopt this strategy, I'd have real trouble.
Chrisdavisjr
Level 7 Valued Member
Oscar
Level 7 Valued Member
I'm progressing to 1HS with the 32 as well, and I'm also finding grip as the limiting factor. So I remembered reading about covering the kb handle with soapy water in one of those old DragonDoor articles by Pavel, to challenge the grip and get "Popeye forearms " (also @Steve Freides suggested this somewhere).
I thought that wetting the KB was kind of inconvenient, so I came up with the idea of putting my hand in a plastic bag before gripping the KB. It eliminates friction between the skin and the KB, so all the force to prevent the KB from flying away is done by the grip muscles. It also makes the KB slip into the hook of the fingers, the suggested grip. As an additional benefit, stress on the skin is zero, so it's good for calluses.
I'm also doing some carries with the 32 kg using the bag. It makes them very challenging for the grip.
I have only started now, so I can't report results. But the grip for swings with 24 kg is significantly more challenging
I thought that wetting the KB was kind of inconvenient, so I came up with the idea of putting my hand in a plastic bag before gripping the KB. It eliminates friction between the skin and the KB, so all the force to prevent the KB from flying away is done by the grip muscles. It also makes the KB slip into the hook of the fingers, the suggested grip. As an additional benefit, stress on the skin is zero, so it's good for calluses.
I'm also doing some carries with the 32 kg using the bag. It makes them very challenging for the grip.
I have only started now, so I can't report results. But the grip for swings with 24 kg is significantly more challenging
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