Three Thousands Swings. 3,000 done towards my Got Milk and 10,000 Swings? challenge. The challenge is to perform 10,000+ Kettlebell Swings during the month and consume 32 oz of milk each day. The challenge gets the “fat burning” and refuels the body. Today I wanted to focus on how high do you swing when doing the kettlebell swing?
Kettlebell Swing
The kettlebell swing is a fundamental movement with the kettlebell and utilizes your entire posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, and calves). To get the kettlebell to swing you drive, snapping your hips to fully extend your lower body. This explosive extension is what get the kettlebell moving.
But How High Do You Swing?
For my last two April Challenge workouts (1000 Down and 2000 Down) I realized that I wasn’t driving enough with my hips to get the kettlebell as high as I want. I wanted to see the kettlebell coming up until my arms are at least parallel to the ground. When I thought through my past two workouts I thought hard about how high do you swing and had to admit I was barely exceeding 60 degrees. Something had to change.
For a little background here is an article in Men’s Health, Exercise of the Week: Kettlebell Swing where Steve Cotter demonstrates the importance of driving with your entire posterior chain, especially your hips, to get the kettlebell moving.
How High is Too High?
CrossFit has developed an extension to the kettlebell swing called the american kettlebell swing. The Crossfit American Kettlebell Swing pushes the extension of the arms to vertical where the kettlebell is directly overhead. The Crossfit Journal from September 2004 describes the movement in detail.
I believe the full extension of the American Kettlebell Swing is too high. If I want to train overhead I’ll do kettlebell snatches, clean and press, or straight military presses. The dynamic motion of the swing seems to put too much strain when done with the swing.
Here is a quote from Rick Huse Russian vs American Swing:
The second element of serious concern of the CF kettlebell swing is the straight arm overhead finish. For the body to allow the arms to go past the normal chest level stopping point and to finish overhead, it requires a lost of core activation which puts lumbar spine at risk, reduces power output because energy is leaking out of the unstable core and with the shoulder complex under unnecessary load at a very weak mechanical position, the risk of shoulder injury grows exponentially.
10,000+ Swings in April – 3000 Down
So back to my April Challenge. I dropped down to my 20kg kettlebell and focused on really driving with my hips. I was thinking how high do you swing for every rep. My target to was to get my arms to at least parallel with the ground. In the video you can see Steve is driving just past that point. The workout was awesome, I could definitely feel the difference. When I drove harder through the extension my body was working hard to get 25 reps completed in 40 second intervals and struggling to recover in the 20 second rest. Still I managed to complete 1,000 reps by doing 40 intervals.
But the April Challenge is Got Milk and 10,000 Swings? so it isn’t just about the swings. I’m still slamming the 1% chocolate milk twice a day. Just finished my 16 oz for this morning.
How are you challenging yourself this spring? And How high do you swing?
About Troy Pesola
Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside fo work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
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Agreed. The high swing is pointless and an unnecessary injury risk.
It was “fun” to try, but I like your words better “pointless and … unnecessary”.
I continue to find the kettelbell snatch is better. But then again I love a move that has some depth to perform – requires a focus on mastery. Exercise and focused improvement builds the brain and discipline at the same time.
This is a great challenge to yourself. Wow, I wish i could do this as well but I’m afraid I can’t.
Ann, Start with a light weight and work your way there.
Have you tried using kettlebells already?
-Troy
When you trying to complete a lot of reps you should not swing too high. Instead you should do girya sport style or soft style swings which are kind of a energy saving swings. What is the point of trying to exhaust yourself with explosive swings if you trying to complete 500 in one workout?
Kari,
I guess it really depends on your goals. For me I wanted to push my strength and cardiovascular system to prepare for the types of weekend adventures that I enjoy. Girevoy sport seems to focus on conservation and efficiency, which is great if your goal it to run a marathon or other endurance sports.
I was envisioning snowboarding a long run of steep moguls. I may take short breaks, but I need my legs, but, and back to be strong and I can’t have my cardiovascular system stalling out. I am aiming for intensity that I can sustain through the run.
But you are right that adjusting the height of the swing can very the intensity of the workout tremendously. I should have talked more about that in the post. Great catch.
Do you compete in Girevoy?
-Troy