Exercise: One-Arm Swing Tutorial

Kettlebell Swing

The One-Arm Kettlebell Swing is the fundamental exercise of Kettlebells that everyone should start from. This exercise is excellent for developing hip explosive power and it targets your legs, hips, lower and upper back and your grip. Most importantly, it teaches your body how to move and coordinate as a single unit.

The Swing mimics similar movement seen in most sports. These include running, kicking, punching, lifting and dragging.

The Swing should not be aided by applying strength from your hands and arms. Power and momentum is generated by the hips.

Get proficient in the kettebell swing by practising it for a few minutes each day and this will help you to lose weight and become fitter! The swing is an essential move, so master it well before moving on to the kettlebell snatch.

Some pointers to take note when doing the swing:
1. Do not try to exert maximum tension on every rep. Swing at a level that is comfortable and allows anatomical breathing. We are not looking for all-out effort that will leave you gassed in less than a minute but rather going with the flow and exerting just sufficient tension. As a result, you will be able to last longer in a set and improve your work capacity as a result.

2. Grab the kettlebell at the left corner (if you’re working with the right hand) and apply the hook grip where the thumb is pressing down against the index finger leaving the rest of the fingers somehow relaxed. Always hold the bell with the fingers and do not grip it tightly with your whole palm. This will ensure that your forearm and grip do not get tired out easily and you will be able to last for longer sets.

3. Inhale when the kettlebell is travelling upwards and exhale on the backswing. If you find it difficult to do that and have to resort to power breathing (meaning bracing your core and tensing up), use a lower weight and get the breathing right first.

4.  Follow the kettlebell through on its backswing and let it finish its rearward motion. If the kettlebell shakes when you begin your upswing, it means it still has motion left in it and you pulled forward against the moving bell. This results in inefficient movement and wasted energy. Only explode upwards when the bell is finished with its backswing.

5. When done correctly, the kettlebell should feel weightless when it reached its natural height before dropping down again. In whole, it should be a smooth and fluid movement.

Start practising with 2-3 sets of 1-3 minutes per arm. The cadence is around 30-35 reps/minute.

Below is video on the one-arm swing, please watch and review your own technique.