The Most Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
We wrote about the benefits of adding weights to training and how to exercise with weights increases the strength of your legs . Now a word of caution: It’s hard to do kettlebell swings correctly, people make small mistakes that put them at risk of injury. Learn to avoid the resentment world by knowing what not to do.
In this video, Pat Flynn lists these five common mistakes people make when swinging kettlebells:
- You swing with a rounded back. This increases the likelihood of injury to the lower back. There are two fixes here: keep your chest up and proud as if you want to show your shirt logo, and straighten your back, imagining that you need to balance with a broom on your back.
- You squat with a kettlebell swing. At their core, swings are very similar to deadlifts. You need to lean on your hips, not squat. In other words, the stock moves back instead of down.
- You use your hands too much. All the strength in a kettlebell swing is achieved by throwing the hips back and pushing forward. Your hands only guide and control the kettlebell. Your hands don’t really lift anything.
- Your heels come off the ground. Your feet should be on the ground at all times, but you should focus on moving your heels to push your hips forward.
- Your swing is too high. Lifting the kettlebell over your head usually twists your back. Think of swinging a kettlebell as a forward and backward motion. There should be no “lift” unless you are doing a kettlebell snatch .
These errors are not unique to kettlebell swings. A round back or heels off the ground are bad qualities in about 99% of exercises. When practicing kettlebell swings, be sure to use a weight that allows you to control the swing, but is heavy enough for you to practice this movement with your hips.
5 Most Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes (And How To Fix Them) | Pat Flynn