I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who had confronted me about something she saw in the world of kettlebell swings.
“Did I miss some special kind of kettlebell swing, where you SQUAT while swinging? I have been witnessing a bunch of trainers show this weird looking sorta-swing. I am dead serious about this question.”
I have personally witnessed this squat swing phenomenon myself, but generally speaking this is more of the usual “beginner error” in technique that can be easily corrected with proper coaching. That being said, if you are being instructed by someone who is teaching a “Squat Swing” (which I will cover in this post), I suggest you check out strongfirst.com, dragondoor.com, and realstrengthmatters.com to be 110% adamant of training with a well qualified kettlebell professional. Today’s key teaching point is this:
Your kettlebell swing is NOT a squat. Your kettlebell squat is NOT a swing. There should be NO kettlebell swinging in your squat. There should be NO kettlebell squatting in your swing.
There are a number of reasons why the “Squatty Swing” may exist, and again, this is easily corrected with a few mobility drills as well as proper loading parameters. What I normally have come across with this (what I will call) “Squatter Syndrome” is a) improper hinging at the hips and b) hyper extension in the spine at the height of your swing and c) pulling the kettlebell down to the floor.
Below are some teaching points on how to correct the hinge at your hips as well as corrected a hyper extended back in the swing and how to properly swing your bell to fall in line with your body without you pulling it down. You may even recognize one of those videos from our previous post.
Now then, let’s get to work! 😉
If you want to train a proper hinge specifically, I recommend doing a ladder of deadlifts and swings. Set your timer for 15 minutes and do ladders of 1,2,3 with a heavier kettlebell. Ladies, I recommend the 20-24kgs, men I recommend the 28-32kgs. The heavier kettlebells will demand a proper hing technique on both the lifts being practiced, and it will add some fun strength training during your practice.
Just to clarify, you will perform ladders of the following:
1 Deadlit, 1 Swing
2 Deadlifts 2 Swings
3 Deadlifts 3 Swings
Here’s a video to demonstrate how to perform this routine.
I hope you find this post very helpful. If you still need some help with your kettlebell swing, you may email us here at info@primalfitensspittsburgh.com to schedule a free consultation. We have just launched our first kettlebell swing challenge to kick off in May and woudl LOVE to help you own your swing so you can win our Primal Grand Prize. Click this link for details.
Remember: Your Kettlebell swing is NOT a squat. Your kettlebell squat is NOT a swing. There should be NO kettlebell swinging in your squat. There should be NO kettlebell squat in your swing.
Thanks everyone! Until next time. . .
Master your instincts!
Janelle Pica is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. After having suffered through an autoimmune condition, Janelle was able to significantly improve her health by making dietary and lifestyle changes that put her condition into remission. Janelle is a dual certified kettlebell instructor through dragon door and Strong First, and she teaches calisthenics through Ground Force Method.
