Kettlebell US Army Kettlebell Training

[Boosh32]

Kettlebells were added to US Army physical fitness training publications in 2010, TC 3-22.20. In 2012 FM 7-22 was published with the same information and additional doctrinal guidance. There is no kettlebell safety or technique information in either publication.

There are two lifts in the manuals that show double kettlebells in unsafe positions over ones face and top of the head. The lifts are the 'Supine Chest Press', the face smasher, and 'Overhead Push Press', the skull crusher. The drill is 10 stations, eight with kettlebell tasks, performed in 60 seconds each with three reparations of the stations.

There is a major revision to the physical fitness testing being phased in over the next two years. More body weight tasks will be tested as well as a barbell dead lift.

 

[Al Ciampa]

Kettlebells were added to US Army physical fitness training publications in 2010, TC 3-22.20. In 2012 FM 7-22 was published with the same information and additional doctrinal guidance. There is no kettlebell safety or technique information in either publication.

There are two lifts in the manuals that show double kettlebells in unsafe positions over ones face and top of the head. The lifts are the 'Supine Chest Press', the face smasher, and 'Overhead Push Press', the skull crusher. The drill is 10 stations, eight with kettlebell tasks, performed in 60 seconds each with three reparations of the stations.

There is a major revision to the physical fitness testing being phased in over the next two years. More body weight tasks will be tested as well as a barbell dead lift. View attachment 8760 View attachment 8761 View attachment 8762

I am not advocating the content, but what is unsafe about the two positions that you pointed out?

 

[Boosh32]

I am not advocating the content, but what is unsafe about the two positions that you pointed out?

In both on the back and standing photos the kettlebells are over the soldier's head due to rotating the arms inward. In both S&S and ETK the kettlebells are rotated outward from the head. This makes the exercise safer. I attached photos from ETK. The weights available for the Supine Chest Press are 15 and 40 pounds. Most soldiers will try the 40 pounders even if they are not ready.

 

[Tom Flint]

The pics are slightly unclear but the soldier also looks to have his wrists fairly substantially extended, especially in the push press demo.