Do You Even Swing?

Magda busting out "Russian" swings with a 100b bell.

Kettlebell swings are a great exercise to incorporate a lot of muscle activation, timing, and co-ordination. With that being said you need to make sure you are swinging the appropriate weight to to get something out of the exercise.

When choosing a weight you need to make sure that you can pick it up and put it down with correct form. I see people with great swings then look like an angry cat when they pick up and put the bell down. Make sure your pick up and put down are solid before going too heavy.

Once you have good mechanics for the pick up and put down make sure you warm up with the appropriate weight especially since this is such a dynamic movement.

LETS GO HEAVY!!! Ok so now you're ready for some weight. If you use a 25# bell over and over you are not going to get much out of the swings (especially if you are capable of doing more). Swings are a full body exercise and to stimulate the body you need enough weight & intensity to create change and progress.

Moving more weight recruits more muscle fibres. More muscle fibre recruitment means that you will get stronger with that challenging weight and cause some more damage to your tissues (this is a good thing and stimulates growth). This will also create more of an EPOC effect (Excess post exercise oxygen consumption) also known as the "afterburn" effect. That "afterburn" effect requires fuel where fat stores are broken down into the bloodstream and those free fatty acids are used as fuel (also a good thing).

In short. Go heavy, go hard, burn more!

Now ask yourself, Do I even Swing?

Paul