Kettlebell Swings: one handed vs two handed.

[NormanOsborn]

I know I can get more power, obviously, Swinging with both hands. And equally as obviously, a one-handed Swing feels more difficult. But what is the difference in regards to results? Are double-handed Swings better for conditioning, because they're more explosive, but one-handed yields better strength gains?

I would appreciate reading your thoughts on this, ladies and gentlemen.

Thanks.

 

[Kev]

I know I can get more power, obviously, Swinging with both hands. And equally as obviously, a one-handed Swing feels more difficult. But what is the difference in regards to results? Are double-handed Swings better for conditioning, because they're more explosive, but one-handed yields better strength gains?

I would appreciate reading your thoughts on this, ladies and gentlemen.

Thanks.

Apparently 2 handers constrict the rib cage making them harder. One handed you aren’t sharing a load so technically they can be strength biased but some of the hardest swing programs I’ve done for being gassed out where 1 hand swing programs. Guys who want to get great at snatching will use a lot of 1 arm swings as it gets work done with less likelihood of hand tears. They both can be tailored to either strength or conditioning. Also and Mark Reifkind has talked about this, he is injured and has a time with 2 handers but he can swing 1 handed very heavy. So again you can do both with both.

 

[Steve Freides]

@NormanOsborn, this is discussed in the S&S book, beginning at page 34 in the print edition. Short answer: you get more power with the 2-hand swing, more muscle recruitment with the 1-hand swing. If you had to pick one, I'd pick the 1-hand version. S&S advises you to do both on a regular basis. In my own, relatively minimalist powerlifting training, I stick to the 1-hand swing even though the 2-hand version is supposed to be a better deadlift assistance exercise according to many people.

Apparently 2 handers constrict the rib cage making them harder.

@Kev, this is the first time I'm hearing this - do you find this to be the case? Perhaps it might be for people with a bigger rib cage than mine, but I feel no such constriction - long arms, thin build in my case.

-S-

 

[Kev]

@NormanOsborn, this is discussed in the S&S book, beginning at page 34 in the print edition. Short answer: you get more power with the 2-hand swing, more muscle recruitment with the 1-hand swing. If you had to pick one, I'd pick the 1-hand version. S&S advises you to do both on a regular basis. In my own, relatively minimalist powerlifting training, I stick to the 1-hand swing even though the 2-hand version is supposed to be a better deadlift assistance exercise according to many people.


@Kev, this is the first time I'm hearing this - do you find this to be the case? Perhaps it might be for people with a bigger rib cage than mine, but I feel no such constriction - long arms, thin build in my case.

-S-

It’s a “Pavelism”. First mentioned in “The Russian Kettlebell challenge” and “Simple and Sinister” if I remember correctly. As to my own experience I do feel it’s harder than a 1 hander to get a breath. Edit. After quickly reading S+S I did in fact remember wrongly so it’s from The RKC.

 

[NormanOsborn]

Time to light up the @Geoff Neupert Signal.



What say you, Dark Knight of the Kettlebells? For example, Swing 1.0: once I've completed that with two-handed Swings, would there be a significant benefit to going back and doing it with the same weight but single-handed?

 

[rwleonard]

Here are a couple of takes on the theme:

Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? | StrongFirst

There are many excellent exercises with a kettlebell, but I have stuck to the two-hand swing. As an assistance exercise for deadlifting it is amazing.

www.strongfirst.com

Military Deployment Prep: A Program for Hardening the Soldier | StrongFirst

Preparing for deployment is what I do professionally, so I'm providing an overview of my philosophy. Here's how I train for military deployment prep.

www.strongfirst.com

 

[rwleonard]

Here are a couple of takes on the theme:

Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? | StrongFirst

There are many excellent exercises with a kettlebell, but I have stuck to the two-hand swing. As an assistance exercise for deadlifting it is amazing.

www.strongfirst.com

Military Deployment Prep: A Program for Hardening the Soldier | StrongFirst

Preparing for deployment is what I do professionally, so I'm providing an overview of my philosophy. Here's how I train for military deployment prep.

www.strongfirst.com

My take, FWIW, is that if your are doing them as part of a larger program, you might pick one or the other to either fill gaps (which is what I think Steve is doing) or as a targeted assistance to something else (like Any Bolton). If you are doing them as a key part of a minimalist program, you might want to do both, ala S&S. In addition to the different effects already noted above, Pavel has written that they also serve as "same but different" variants for each other.

 

[Stephen B.]

I think at it’s simplest, the 2H builds more hip strength, and 1H builds more grip strength and anti rotation/trunk strength.

Personally, my grip is challenged even by two-handed swings, so if that’s all I do I only miss the anti-rotation, which a suitcase carry/deadlift can take care of. I’d rather swing 32kg with two hands than swing 16kg with one hand.

I think that they both can focus more on either stength or conditioning, but it’s the volume and density matters more than the variation.

 

[Geoff Neupert]

Time to light up the @Geoff Neupert Signal.

View attachment 16484

What say you, Dark Knight of the Kettlebells? For example, Swing 1.0: once I've completed that with two-handed Swings, would there be a significant benefit to going back and doing it with the same weight but single-handed?

"Dark Knight of the Kettlebells" -

Yes, there would be a significant advantage to doing them 1-handed with the same weight.

You will train(at a minimum):

• Anti-rotation of the midsection
• Grip
• SPP for the Snatch

I also recently read that the more reflexive stabilization demand placed upon the body by an exercise, the stronger and more muscular you will get. The 1H Swing places more reflexive stabilization demand on the body than the 2H Swing. Therefore...

I personally prefer the 1H Swing over the 2H Swing. I rarely if ever do 2H Swings.

Hope this helps.

 

[NormanOsborn]

"Dark Knight of the Kettlebells" -

Yes, there would be a significant advantage to doing them 1-handed with the same weight.

You will train(at a minimum):

• Anti-rotation of the midsection
• Grip
• SPP for the Snatch

I also recently read that the more reflexive stabilization demand placed upon the body by an exercise, the stronger and more muscular you will get. The 1H Swing places more reflexive stabilization demand on the body than the 2H Swing. Therefore...

I personally prefer the 1H Swing over the 2H Swing. I rarely if ever do 2H Swings.

Hope this helps.

Holy Great Reply, Batman!

(While I'd personally love to read a new program by you called, The Dark Kettlebell Rises, I fear DC would sue you into oblivion.)

 

[NormanOsborn]

Here are a couple of takes on the theme:

Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? | StrongFirst

There are many excellent exercises with a kettlebell, but I have stuck to the two-hand swing. As an assistance exercise for deadlifting it is amazing.

www.strongfirst.com

Military Deployment Prep: A Program for Hardening the Soldier | StrongFirst

Preparing for deployment is what I do professionally, so I'm providing an overview of my philosophy. Here's how I train for military deployment prep.

www.strongfirst.com

My take, FWIW, is that if your are doing them as part of a larger program, you might pick one or the other to either fill gaps (which is what I think Steve is doing) or as a targeted assistance to something else (like Any Bolton). If you are doing them as a key part of a minimalist program, you might want to do both, ala S&S. In addition to the different effects already noted above, Pavel has written that they also serve as "same but different" variants for each other.

For me, it's definitely part of a larger program. Specifically, Barbell and Martial Arts(BJJ and Kali).

 

[NormanOsborn]

Reality Check for Mr Osborn's table...

It's been a few weeks since I trained with Kettlebells, but I finished off Swing Hard 1.1 with two-handers on the 24. While it was tough enough to give me a real workout, at no point did I feel like I was going to fail.

Fast forward to this evening and I thought I'd try a few sets one handed with the 24.

Yeah, not going to happen. The first few reps made it very clear that I wasn't doing one-handed sets with the 24. I could barely lift the bell to the horizontal.

So if I run SW 1.0 again, but one-handed, it will be with the 16.

 

[Starlord]

I personally only use 2 handed swings when I am using a loadable KB handle from Watson barbell to do immensely heavy swings. Which is something I've not done I'm a long while.

Like @Kev mentioned, people who do snatches will do a lot of 1h swings and I was no exception. Before I did snatches I did 1h swings.

I have VERY broad shoulders for someone my height. So 2h swings don't feel comfortable for me.

 

[BJJ Shawn]

Reality Check for Mr Osborn's table...

It's been a few weeks since I trained with Kettlebells, but I finished off Swing Hard 1.1 with two-handers on the 24. While it was tough enough to give me a real workout, at no point did I feel like I was going to fail.

Fast forward to this evening and I thought I'd try a few sets one handed with the 24.

Yeah, not going to happen. The first few reps made it very clear that I wasn't doing one-handed sets with the 24. I could barely lift the bell to the horizontal.

So if I run SW 1.0 again, but one-handed, it will be with the 16.

Sounds like you may have found an issue. You should not be lifting the bell with your arms, can you post a video so we can see? I just finished watching The Big 6 and and of Geoff's corrections for 2HS when you are trying to muscle the bell up is to use 1HS because you have no choice but to use more hips.

 

[NormanOsborn]

Sounds like you may have found an issue. You should not be lifting the bell with your arms, can you post a video so we can see? I just finished watching The Big 6 and and of Geoff's corrections for 2HS when you are trying to muscle the bell up is to use 1HS because you have no choice but to use more hips.

I was definitely lifting with my hips, not my arm. But obviously one still has to use the arm to stabilise and control the movement. It was very clear that I couldn't do that with the 24. It was controlling me rather than the other way around.

 

[Benjamin Renaud]

I was definitely lifting with my hips, not my arm. But obviously one still has to use the arm to stabilise and control the movement. It was very clear that I couldn't do that with the 24. It was controlling me rather than the other way around.

I was personally able to 2HS a 32kg bell comfortably before I could 1HS the 24kg comfortably. There 's definitely a big gap in terms of core stability and grip strength requirements between the 2. The 20kg was way more manageable than the 24kg for some reason, more than one would think for a 4kg difference. It was in part due to elbow issues but still, 1H kettlebell drills will be more demanding on the forearms, especially with a beginner technique. You could try getting a 20kg to run swing hard with 1HS.

 

[Gypsyplumber]

I

I was personally able to 2HS a 32kg bell comfortably before I could 1HS the 24kg comfortably. There 's definitely a big gap in terms of core stability and grip strength requirements between the 2. The 20kg was way more manageable than the 24kg for some reason, more than one would think for a 4kg difference. It was in part due to elbow issues but still, 1H kettlebell drills will be more demanding on the forearms, especially with a beginner technique. You could try getting a 20kg to run swing hard with 1HS.

I was able to do 40kg swings with two hands no problem. But struggled with 24s one handed a few years ago. And actually hurt my low back trying to do 1 hand swings with the 28 too soon, I let the bell get too low and didn’t have enough tension.

 

[Benjamin Renaud]

I let the bell get too low and didn’t have enough tension.

1HS definitely require more focus/attention. 2HS are more forgiving.

This is certainly a good thing to teach awareness. The balance/stability requirements of unilateral drills force us to be more attentive.

 

[Keep Lifting]

Doing heavy 2h swings taught me how to really use my glutes to drive the bell forward after an aggressive hike. I took the cues I got from the SFG1 cert and focused on that hip drive and float. Not until I really dialed this in was I able to do a proper heavy 1h swing, using my glutes to drive the bell. So, I still use 2h swings to bring that feeling back. That glute contraction is paramount, and for me, personally, I was never able to feel it properly in 1h swings until I made it a habit of swinging a big bell with two hands and a an aggressive glute contraction. Squeeze your arse, focus your mind and it will all be fine.

 

[Kozushi]

Kind of like training with a one handed or a two handed sword. The two handed sword is a lot easier to use.
The science in the S&S books says that you are getting more done with one handed swings. The big selling point for me is the anti-rotational strength system getting activated. This is a huge selling point. You can get more explosive with two handed swings, but less muscles are being engaged, and it is a less "chaotic" move. To be sure, training to do deadlifts or symmetrically balanced lifts of any kind would more closely resemble a 2 handed swing. In the sports I do I'm always in an asymmetrical load situation in terms of my strength systems, so the 1 hand swings are the obvious choice. I probably should but don't do 2 handed swings any more. I definitely got some specific benefits from them when I used to do them, and to be sure explosiveness was one of them!