Kettlebells For Beginners – Tutorial 2

Hi guys,
Last time we focused on the 2-handed Kettlebell Swing and the Kettlebell Dead Clean.  Today we are advancing the Swing further by progressing to the Alternating Kettlebell Swing and the Kettlebell Vertical Swing.

The Alternating Kettlebell Swing advances the basic swing by shifting the body’s centre of balance.  On each downward movement, you have the kettlebell in one hand only.  This imbalance throws the body’s alignment off and, you therefore require more involvement from the core and other stabilising muscles in the hips, knees and shoulder.  By changing hands mid-air,  you require more mental focus and hand-eye co-ordination than with the 2-handed kettlebell swing.  Again this movement will prepare you for other lifts such as the clean and the snatch.

The Kettlebell Vertical Swing is not so much a swing, but a transfer of the load up the body at a right angle to the floor.  It is not an outward or horizontal swinging motion like the other two swings, but more of a lift from the ground to above the head in one swift movement.  The exercise requires power from the large muscle groups of the legs, but then it transfers that power to the shoulders and back.

Both of these kettlebell movements are cardiovascular in nature, but the vertical swing requires more strength from the upper body.  Great for sculpting the shoulders and arms.