Classic Kettlebells

Classic Kettlebells and Iron Edge

Kettlebells have been a signature product in the Iron Edge line up ever since our inception, and are directly related to why our company was created in the first place. Really though it’s not all that surprising, some tools and training methodologies just seem to transcend time with their antiquity, all because of the effectiveness they bring to the training table. Take kettlebells for example, sharing roots back to 17th century rural Russia1, they have been used to train and condition the soldiers of the Soviet army1, have been juggled and lifted by the incredible circus strongmen of old2, as well as forming a well-studied and researched3,4,5 strength and conditioning tool of the modern age. Really, due to their history and proven track record for results, it really is no wonder why they have become an integral part of our serious training ethos.

If It Ain't Broke, Don’t Fix It... Unless

Here at Iron Edge we pride ourselves on innovation and ongoing product development, which in certain situations can be very difficult to achieve, especially if you start looking into something as tried and true as the classic kettlebell. Not too long ago though, we saw a great product update to this stalwart product, seeing a subtle yet seamlessly smooth design change coupled with a fresh new powder coat and robust finish. Now from the outside, this may not seem like anything particularly special, or tremendously ground breaking for that matter, but you would be amazed at the subtle performance benefits that shape and texture can bring to the world of kettlebell lifting. Basically, with a shape that sits more comfortably in the rack and moves easily in the hands, cleans and snatches become more efficient with less wear and tear on the hands. Add to this the improved textured finish, and now you have a bell that can be gripped more effectively, adding reps to working sets and increasing the overall length of time that you can actually train with it. Essentially, by changing a couple of key important aspects, we can increase the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the training task, optimising the adaptation response of the method.

The Timeless Classics

While a lot of attention is paid to the swings, snatches and cleans of kettlebell lifting, there are in fact a treasure trove of other lifts that warrant just as much attention. Even standard or traditional exercises gain unique and challenging benefits when kettlebells are involved, drawing benefit from a design that is unbalanced by nature. Essentially, because the handle is located on top of the kettlebell and the main body or mass is located at the bottom, the kettlebell possess a displaced centre of mass, that is not as easily balanced or held like a dumbbell or barbell. This usually means that the body will have to recruit more stabilising muscles and increase overall muscular engagement when holding or racking the kettlebell, adding to the overall intensity of particular exercises that are being performed. Take a single kettlebell rack squat for example, once the kettlebell is sitting in the rack position, the load will sit asymmetrically on the front of the body and also further off to one side, increasing the work on the arm and the shoulder whilst holding it, while making the torso brace against lateral and anterior flexion. Not bad for a movement that is normally balanced and sagittal based.

The following movements are examples of some of the less performed exercises in the training room, aiming to highlight the importance of these often neglected and forgotten kettlebell exercises. Although the following exercises may appear less showy than some of the more popular snatch, swing and clean variations, don’t let this fool you into thinking that these movements are easy or less challenging. On the contrary, not only are these particular exercises challenging by nature, they can also bridge the gap in terms of strength, mobility and performance.

Figure Eights

Difficulty: Beginner

Kettlebell swings are a staple and quintessential exercise for kettlebell lifting after all they boast a whole treasure trove of benefits for those who add them into training programs. Take Andy Bolton for example, one of the world greatest powerlifters and one of the first powerlifters to deadlift over 1000 pounds, he has used Kettlebells to improve work capacity, strengthen his grip and build stronger glutes, hamstrings and lower back6 in his training past. Look a little further and kettlebells swings can be found to improve both maximal and explosive strength in healthy males through a 6 week block of biweekly training7. The question becomes though, where does someone start if they are looking to begin this kind of exercise? Of course strength and performance may be the ultimate goal here, but jumping straight to a kettlebell swing may end up being more of a problem without the right instruction and appropriate progression. This is where the Figure Eight comes in, serving as a simple and solid introduction to the swing, particularly the one arm swing, without the heavy bombardment of technical skill and detail. The Figure 8 is a progression from the Around the Body Pass, and involves passing the kettlebell from hand to hand, between and under the legs in a ‘figure of 8’ pattern, challenging the body in multiple planes and positions.

Purpose

  • Teaches and patterns the dynamic hip hinge required to perform both the 2 hand and single hand kettlebell swing.
  • This is a whole body exercise that raises the heart rate, contains sagittal, frontal and transverse elements, strengthens the posterior chain and postural muscles, whilst developing hip extension, upper back, shoulder and grip strength.

Execution

  • Pick up the kettlebell up, holding it in both hands so it rests in the front of the body with straight arms.
  • Stand up tall, locking your glutes tightly, whilst packing and setting the shoulders into a neutral position.
  • Nudge the kettlebell forward with the hips, lettingone hand go of the kettlebell.
  • Allow the kettlebell to swing backwards through the middle of your legs, hinging at the hips and softening at the knees.
  • Keeping a strong neutral posture, pass thekettlebell back and behind the knees, reaching the other hand around the outside of the leg.
  • Pass the Kettlebell from hand to hand, touching the outside of each index fingers main knuckle to main knuckle. This action of passing knuckle to knuckle allows you to know exactly where the kettlebell is without seeing it.
  • Let go of the inside hand and stand up as you swing the kettlebell around the back ofyour leg (the leg on the same side as the hand that’s holdingthe bell) and up into the front.
  • Aim to stand up completely, locking the glutes at the top and standing in a strong neutral posture.
  • Repeat the previous two steps, this time passing throughthe opposite leg so the kettlebell completes its figure of 8path.

Technique Points

  • Ensure you practice the Around the Body Pass to hone the knuckle to knuckle pass required to move the kettlebell from hand to hand.
  • Don’t worry about how high the Kettlebell swings, focus on bending and extending through the hips in a strong position.
  • It is very important to maintain neutral spine throughout thisexercise, be sure to keep the chest up and push the hips back.
  • Standing up between each pass is advisable for beginners asit will take the pressure off the lower back and teach the importance of fully extending the hips.
  • Breathe in as the kettlebell comes down, and out as you extend and stand up again.

Bottoms up Press

Difficulty: Intermediate

Heavy and serious strength training is an exercise in developing and maintaining tension, after all fundamental exercises like the squat, deadlift and military press require the whole body to stabilise from the ground up, and hold effective alignment as you move load through a specific range. Any flaws or breakdowns in the kinetic chain from foot to head, will see drastic repercussions to the success of the lift. The bottoms up press is a great example of this, requiring the whole body to stabilise and balance the up turned nature of the kettlebell in the grip as you press. Loose connection or move out of position, and the kettlebell will surely become unbalanced and fall. This creates great awareness in bodily position and engagement when pressing, allowing you to incorporate and practise high tension techniques whilst pressing the kettlebell to lockout, as well as developing high levels of grip strength in the process. Additionally, because of the continual squeeze and tension of the grip in the pressing hand, the rotator cuff will also increase its overall activation throughout the movement, improving the stability of the shoulder, so it can become stronger and more stable for a variety of other tasks.

Purpose

  • Bottoms-up presses are very good fortargeting crushing grip strength and for increasing activationof muscles downstream such as the rotator cuff muscles.
  • Great exercise for teaching the importance of posture, engagement and position.

Execution

  • When learning this exercise, make sure you have plenty of space and somewhere you can drop the kettlebell without damaging yourself or the floors.
  • This exercise can be performed from bottoms up clean, or placed in the hand and positioned correctly for the press.
  • Make sure that in either method that you use, that the hand sits in the middle of the kettlebell handle, evenly balanced and directly in line with the wrist.
  • Wrap your fingers all the way around the handle in a full grip, squeezing and crushing the handle as tightly as you can.
  • Keep your forearm as vertical as you can and directly under the weight of the kettlebell.
  • Lock your body into a strong position, by taking a strong breath in and locking the legs, glutes, and abdominals, whilst packing the shoulders strongly into their sockets.
  • Ball you opposite hand into a fist to help increase the overall tension.
  • Continue to squeeze the handle and press the bell straight upward. You can look at the kettlebell as you press just in case it falls, or if you have the confidence, keep looking forward and keeping neutral alignment.
  • Press to lock out, making sure the arm is straight and that your bicep is in line with your ear.
  • Keep holding your breath and squeezing the kettlebell tightly, and actively pull the kettlebell straight back down slowly and with control. Resist the temptation to rush, control and pull the bell back to the starting position for another repetition.
  • If you lose your balance and the kettlebell starts to fall, step out of the way and allow the kettlebell to drop to the floor. Don’t try to rescue a bad repetition.

Technique Points

  • Beginners should watch the kettlebell as they press it and spot with the other hand.
  • More experienced lifters can perform it as they would an overhead press.
  • Perform this lift somewhere you can drop or throw the kettlebell and get away it if you lose control.

High Windmill

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

Windmills can be performed in a variety of ways, either focusing on the movement without weight, or with a kettlebell in the top hand, or in the bottom hand or both hands, ultimately building core strength and stability as well as hip functionality and flexibility. In this case we are looking at the High Windmill, that focuses on stabilising a kettlebell above the head and causing the body to move through an asymmetrically loaded hip hinge as the shoulder moves and rotates around the stabilised load. This loading pattern not only challenges glute activation and hamstring mobility, but causes the torso to move transversely whilst staying strong through the frontal plane and bracing against lateral flexion. In a way, this exercise becomes an off axis or asymmetrically loaded goodmorning, strengthening, stabilising and mobilising the body as one unit, as you perform it.

As a very interesting side note, the high windmill can be dirrectly related to one of the key transitions that people often have trouble with in the Turkish get up. This position occurs after the knee has been brought through from the high bridge, placing the body in an asymmetrically loaded hip hinge before  moving into the half kneeling position and then standing up. Without the ability to stabalise the rotated torso against lateral flexion before hinging into the half kneeling position, many problems will occur all before the hinge starts to happen. Fail here and the Turkish get up will break down dramatically mid movement. By developing strength and stability with the high windmill, performance in the TGU can be accelarated and enhanced.

Purpose

  • Builds excellent mobility and stability in the shoulders and hips.
  • Develops core strength whilst dynamically stretching the hamstrings and activating the glutes.
  • Builds strength and movement patterning when transitioning to the half kneeling position in the Turkish get up.

Execution

  • Place the Kettlebell in the rack position, in a shoulder width or slightly wider than shoulder width stance.
  • With good engagement and position press the kettlebell to lock out.
  • Whichever hand you have the kettlebellin, you are going to turn your feet away and to 45 degrees of your original position. For example, if the weight is in your right hand, you will turn your feet 45 degrees to the left.
  • Look at the kettlebell.
  • Take a breath in and stabilise the body, keeping the arm straight and shoulder in position, and push your hip out and in the direction that your heels face.
  • As you hinge, keep watching the kettlebell in your hand.
  • Aim to keep the kettlebell pointed straight up and to the sky, so rotate the torso slightly so the chest opens slightly and toward the sky as well.
  • Control the descent maintaining good position, hinging at the hip in the direction of the heels, and keeping the back leg straight and front leg soft.
  • Slide you opposite hand down the inside of your front leg.
  • Only descend to a depth that you can still maintain good alignment through the spine. Aim to touch the floor if you can, but don’t force the range.
  • Remember to keep pointing the kettlebell to the sky, like someone has tied a rope around your wrist and is pulling your arm up.
  • Stay strong, and keep holding your breath, and hinge strongly, back into the top position.
  • Return to the top position, fully extending and standing up tall, breathing out at the top.

Technique points

  • Don’t be afraid to try this exercise a few times without weight, so you can get the pattern correct.
  • Watch the kettlebell throughout the hinging process.
  • Keep the arm locked, and focus on balancing the kettlebell with the shoulder.
  • Ensure you load and hinge at the hip, keeping tension and control in the hip at all times.
  • Maintain neutral spine at all times, even though there is a small degree of rotation as you move around the kettlebell, your body should be locked like someone has ties a pole from your butt to your head, keeping your spine and back neutral.

References

  • (2016). Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2016 from the Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopaedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebell
  • Father and Son workout. (2015) Kettlebell History. Retreived April 26, 2016 from http://fsworkout.com/kettlebell-history
  • Manocchia P, Spierer DK, Lufkin AK, Minichiello J, Castro J. (2013, February) Transference of kettlebell training to strength, power, and endurance. J Strength Cond Res. 27(2):477-84. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825770fe.
  • Otto WH 3rd, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Spiering BA. (2012, May) Effects of weightlifting vs. kettlebell training on vertical jump, strength, and body composition.J Strength Cond Res. 26(5):1199-202. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f233e.
  • Falatic JA, Plato PA, Holder C, Finch D, Han K, Cisar CJ. (2015, July) Effects of Kettlebell Training on Aerobic Capacity.J Strength Cond Res. 29(7):1943-7. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000845.
  • Andy Bolton. Kettlebells and deadlifting: a match made in heaven? Retrieved April 21, 2016 from http://www.strongfirst.com/kettlebells-and-powerlifting-a-match-made-in-heaven/.
  • Lake JP,Lauder MA. (2012, August) Kettlebell swing training improves maximal and explosive strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 26(8):2228-33. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2c9b.