Swinging For Fitness!

By Ross Titza :: More posts in Training and Exercise

One of the newest mainstream exercise tools is the kettlebell. While you may be seeing it for the first time now, it has been finding its way into gyms across America over the past 10 years or so.

Until now kettlebells have been reserved mostly for strongmen and ultimate fighters. Though they have been around for over 300 years in Russia, only recently have they been popularized in America.

It looks like a weapon strait out of the movie Braveheart, but is actually a versatile and useful lifting tool. It can deliver full body-workouts if used properly and is the standard fitness-testing tool for the Russian Military. But if used improperly, like any exercise or piece of equipment, it can cause injury and imbalance.

Start off with the basic swing, as demonstrated in the below video. The swing is taught through a combination of three exercises. First a Prone Cobra, which teaches you the slightly extended posture that will be maintained throughout the exercise. Next is the Romanian Deadlift, which teaches you how to bow from the hips while bending slightly at the knees. And the third exercise is the Vertical Jump which teaches you to explode properly on the lifting portion of the movement.

When you finally perform this exercise be sure to keep your head up, shoulders back, spine neutral or slightly extended and knees bent with abdominals tight. The kettlebell accelerates forward because of the explosive nature of the movement. Be sure to use the arms only to control the direction of the kettlebell and not to lift the bell. The hips, specifically the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and back muscles), will provide the power needed to move the kettlebell. Maintain a solid grip and exhale as the kettlebell explodes upward. Try repetitions for time-20 reps in 30 seconds is a good start.

Warning:Swinging will lead to excessive sweating, shortness of breath, tighter abs, glutes, increased strength in gripping muscles, as well as increased power in the hips! So like reading NewYorkPudding.com, it too can also be good for your social life. See Video Below.