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Kettlebell Swing form check

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Nice! looks good! two suggestions
1 maybe a smidge more knee bend.
2 more weight. looks like you own that weight so I would move up.
 
Hi @maurice197

I agree, more weight!

But you could, alternatively (and this might be more advisable) stay with that weight and dial back the power. Try to make it smoother as you go from a hinge directly to a vertical standing plank. If you watch your video in slow motion you'll see quite a bit of lean-back at the top of the swing, as well as some extra movement on both ends of the swing. Try to take the noise out it, and don't think about making the kettlebell move, just let it move as a consequence of your body's crisp movement from hinge to plank.

Good work, keep at it!
 
Hi @maurice197!

Looks really solid - better than 99.9% of the swings out there! Few things I saw:

1. Initial setup needs a little work since you aren't engaging your lats. Think about "dragging" the bell to you and crushing an orange in your armpits before you hike, while looking out at the horizon - you're currently looking down at the bell to start. If you're looking down with a heavy bell, you may end up falling forward... or at the very best, not having a strong enough hike. Check out this video (also note the knee bend):



2. Also agree that the bell looks a bit light for you, but that's OK because you can dial it in this way. Though notice how your toes and heels are coming up at times. "Make the 16kg look like the 48kg" ;) Dial down the power a little and smooth it out. Try going from a "1" to a "10" in terms of power output by counting up and then back down or having someone randomly yell a number. The towel swing drill from Enter the Kettlebell may help as well.

3. Really make sure you plank at the top (freeze frame at 0:15) - ensure you're firing your glutes to prevent the lean. Brace your abs. No need to swing the bell over your head which may be part of the reason it's happening; chest level is good.

4. Breathe! Didn't hear any breathing until the 5th rep and then it was arriving a little late, almost like you were waiting for the apex of the swing to exhale. Sniff in on the way down, forcefully exhale/brace on the transition back up. It's OK to grunt, be loud, do a Karate "kiai" sound, whatever.

Great job!
 
@maurice197

Nice improvement. You clearly implemented the feedback you received. There's a lot less "noise," you're not overextending at the top, and your feet are much more solidly rooted (which is also indicative of better balance).

The next thing I would suggest is to be a little more patient in your timing. On the down swing, hold the plank and delay your hinge a little longer while your arms are coming down. Don't start your hinge in anticipation of the bell; wait as long as possible and keep the bell high in the triangle between your knees and crotch ("play chicken with the bell"/"attack the zipper").

Then, on the up swing, wait until the back swing fully completes before you start driving the hips forward. Wait until the bell is just about to start passively penduluming forward, then start your hip drive. This way all your forward hip drive goes into propelling the bell forward, and none gets wasted braking and reversing the backward movement of the bell. Think about keeping your arms locked down to your body as you drive your hips forward. Don't think about pulling the bell out of the hole; think about keeping your arms coupled to your body until momentum launches the bell away. Then think about planking up as you reach full extension, and enjoy the float.

Finally, experiment to find the best timing for ramping up the force of your hip drive. Trying to fire full power out of the hole is usually not the strongest way, especially with heavier bells. Instead of starting you hip drive as strongly as possible, think about finishing it strongly. The best "power ramp" will vary by individual and bell size, so experiment and find what works best for you. A lot of the time, the best timing will subjectively feel more patient and relaxed, but the bell will fly up. It's like a baseball pitcher trying to overthrow. If you try to too hard to muscle it, your velocity actually goes down. When the mechanics are smooth, the fastball pops.
 
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Wow, awesome job, @maurice197 ! I'm not sure I ever recall someone dialing in the swing so well after one round of feedback. Those look really good.

I agree with @Steve W. , the only thing that jumps out at me that could be improved is a bit more patience loading the hinge in the backswing before exploding back up.

It's great to see such an improvement -- thanks for posting!
 
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