Kettlebell Simple & Sinister

by Pavel Tsatsouline

Two-Arm Swing When you have the hike pass down, start swinging. Hike and pendulum the bell for a few reps and then, once you find a rhythm, explosively straighten after finishing a hike pass. Look at the horizon for the duration of the drill. Keep your head up without jamming your neck. As before, do not think about the bell on the way up. Drive with your hips and let it freely pendulum. On the upswing the arms and shoulders only transfer the hips’ power, but they do not lift the kettlebell. The arms must be straight and loose to do the job—like ropes. If your technique is correct, the kettlebell will form an extension of the arms. Memorize this: In the swing the arms work on the negative, the hips on the positive. If you are doing everything right, the bell will naturally go up to a level somewhere between your stomach and shoulders. Do not try to swing it higher! Like a broad jump or a straight punch, the swing is an exercise in projecting power forward. On a related subject, do not lean back at the top of the swing. Let your glutes do the job; leave your back out of it. It is also very important to brace your abs. If your heels come up, release the kettlebell to protect your back! This applies to all swing evolutions. Soon you will learn to play a tug-of-war with the kettlebell and subtly change the weight distribution on your feet in response to the kettlebell’s shenanigans. Incidentally, being able to reflexively react to such perturbations is an important component o...