Kettlebells & Preventing Injury

The Role Of Kettlebells In Preventing Injury.

Kettlebell or as it was called the Russian kettlebell is a kettle shape metal weight that was first used by the Russian back in the 18th century. That is where the name/idea came from.

Kettlebell Swings Should Be Implemented In Our Weekly Workout. Why?

In our modern world we spend the majority of our days doing things in front of us with terrible posture. We crouch over keyboards while our chests cave in and our hips shorten from sitting. We drive for hours and not move with our arms in front of us while, again, we’re seated with shortened hip flexors.

We arrive home and slouch on the couch further tightening the front of our bodies. This being said most people try to get an easy fix and think that an adjustment at the chiropractor is the solution. What if? I tell you 1 exercise can help fix you.

Kettlebell Swings

The problem is that the way most people do the kettlebell swing is wrong.

In any gym and you’ll see inexperienced exercisers turning a swing into a front squat and shoulder raise exercise further tightening our hips, quads, chest and shoulders and just adding to the anterior dominance issue that I told you about above.

Improper movement simply just adds fuel to the already burning fire of postural imbalance. The right kettlebell swing will work your posterior chain muscles (back, abs, butt, hamstrings) and combat all the ill-effects of our anterior dominant Western Society.

It is, a hinge and NOT a squat movement. A hip hinge (like a deadlift movement) forces you to use those posterior chain muscles to move the kettlebell.

It will allow you to loosen your tight hips and strengthen your core.

• Kettlebell swings seem to activate the hamstrings which are a group of muscles located in the back of our legs and can generate a lot of force in many movements and exercises.
• Kettlebells can help athletes with better vertical jumps more than a squat exercise.
• Kettlebell swings will give you a strong core and strengthen your hips.
• Kettlebell swings crate peak gluteal activation (strong glutes with strong mid-section will save you from many injuries and will stabilize your pelvis) at a point near full hip extension the degree of hip flexion in which gluteal activity is the highest during maximum voluntary contraction.

Even if you do it once a week during your workout or as part of your dynamic warm up kettlebell swings will be your saver.