Swing Form Check and Question

[Spikeman1444]

I tend to feel the swing almost all in my hamstrings but not so much in my glutes. Is this bad?

 

[Yogi Shlomo]

Looks like a good hip-hinge you got there. Most of the time my glutes are less sore than my hams - sometimes it takes either heavier swinging or higher volume for me to wake up with a sore ass! I am a novice teaching myself kettlebells and to my eye you have some of the same problems I have with my swing. Your knees are "rebounding" - locking and then slightly unlocking at the top of your swing. You can fix this with heavy kb deadlifting - it helped me a ton with this. Your shoulders are also rounded forward slightly which I think is asking for the front of the body to take over some work which is maybe why you are not getting a full perinnial chain activation ( i think I got that right - fancy way to say back of the body). Take more time on your hike position because your shoulders do not look properly packed from the get go. When I get in the hike position I think to myself, "head over hips, hips over knees, firm waist, shoulders down and back, lift the chest."

good luck!

 

[ad5ly]

Feeling the swing in hamstrings and or glutes is not bad provided it is a feeling that goes along with normal exercise. Shooting nerve pain or joint pain in the hip is bad. A heavier bell may wake up the glutes. Maybe one handed swings - try them too. Like what Yogi said you rushed your hike. Make sure you address the bell ( say hello to it..hehe!) get a good spinal alignment ( do not start the hike with a rounded lower back) and PACK the shoulders. Patterning drills like "touch the wall" with your butt prior to swinging is helpful and maybe necessary for some people..Dennis

 

[Spikeman1444]

Many thanks for the responses.

1. "Hello Kettlebell"
2. pack the shoudlers
3. Keep knees locked. Knees follow hips.

I'll practice the deadlifts on my off days on the PM.

 

[Yogi Shlomo]

My swing in September of this year - I am sort of forcing the movement here, my entire body seems wobbly and I am leaning back at the top of the swing. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J10XBtzNA-s

My swing today - I know it still needs work but I feel like I got into a good grove as I get warmed up..My main work is to learn how to stand up tall and straight rather than leaning into my heels which is what a lifetime of yoga practice did to me lol. still working on my own rebounding knees and not rushing the hike! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57fjjkgbgwc

 

[Spikeman1444]

awesome. Heres another video of me swinging. Does that look better than the first one?

 

[Yogi Shlomo]

Looks better man! Your shoulders need to be packed more starting from the hike position. When entering the hike position, take a full in-breath and out-breath while holding it, think to yourself, "shoulders down and back, chest up!" You have to actually push your shoulders down towards your hips hard! Make sure you are locked in solid before hiking and hike it for all you are worth! Dont stop working those deadlifts to minimize the knee-rebounding.

I also think you may benefit from training with a smaller bell. You look like you have a lot of muscle on you but this weight is causing a sort of full body vibration for you. I learned the most about my technique when I got injured recently and was forced to train with a 4 or 8kb bell for a few months. It felt weird at first but really cleaned up my technique with the bigger bellz.

It's been my experience that the more reps you practice the smoother the technique will become..gl!