Beyond The Swing: 12 Kettlebell Experts Share Their Favorite Exercise

This exercise is the absolute best, because you are using every muscle group in your body.

• The Clean incorporates the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower back and biceps.
• The Jerk requires power from the hips along with calves, quadriceps, chest, shoulders, upper back and triceps.

Most Kettlebell exercises are superior to any other movement because of their ability to help us move better and more efficiently, strengthen our bodies and increase metabolic activity. My favorite is The Get Up. Before attempting to complete this movement on your own, get trained by a certified Kettlebell instructor. Although it is one of the best exercises, it can also be dangerous without proper instruction.

How to do

We will use the Kettlebell in the right hand.

• Begin on the ground in a supine position.
• Press the Kettlebell to a fully locked-out position holding the right arm at a perpendicular angle (while fully “screwing” your shoulder into its joint) to the body for the entirety of the movement.
• Put the right side foot down flat at a 45 degree angle and place the left arm at a 45 degree angle from the body.
• Hold your body in a perfectly tight “plank” position before slowly beginning to stand up by following the next positions.
• Move to your left elbow first by pressing your right foot into the ground, hinging your hips and bracing your core and pressing your left elbow into the ground. Remember: this is not a crunch as a crunch will frustrate you and you will not complete the vital and the most important first part of the movement.
• Next, move to a ‘Low sweep” where your left arm is locked out and your left knee is placed so you can form a 90 degree angle with your hips and right leg.
• Sweep your lower legs and move yourself safely so you are in the half kneeling position with your right foot and left knee forming what we call “railroad tracks” ** The kettle bell is still in the pressed position above your head with a locked out elbow.
• Push off with the right foot toes curled under and the right glute and stand up using your breathing technique to their fullest.
• To begin the descent, step back into a reverse lunge and place your left knee lightly and gently on the floor.
• Sweep your left lower leg so it forms a 90 degree angle just as it did when you were on the ascent portion.
• Using proper breathing and your core, pull your left leg “through” between your left hand and your right knee and place your bottom on the ground (preferably where it was on the ascent portion.
• Slowly allow your body to move downward by first stopping at the elbow and then back to the beginning position.

Check the video of the Get Up:
[youtube_advanced url=”http://youtu.be/XEV5rC6QHV8″]

• It is a huge challenge requiring strength, mobility and proper breathing technique.
• When done correctly, you can continue to build your load. Keep adding weight that will only make you stronger.
• It can give you a real heart pounding metabolic conditioning.

• Put them on the ground, get into push-up position, preform one push-up, then jump forward and push the leg through hands to hold L position in air.
• Get back to push-up position, jump up to squat position, clean kb to a shoulder position, squat down and preform push press over head.
• Bring kb to the shoulder and to the ground making squat, then jump back to the push-up position.

Preform 10-12 rep. For advance training preform up to 5 pers on each movement.  I do 5 sets.

• Great combo for the whole body.
• Improves shoulder, and hip mobility, stability and resilience.
• Gives great leg and back strength.

• Great for body awareness.
• Great cardio (if done over 20 min in a non-stop pace).
• Builds great body strength with heavy load.

The Press allowed me to break through the stereotype barrier that has been set for women. Presses don’t just strengthen your upper body. They also strengthen your back, hips, core and glutes through tension and stabilization. Presses have taught me where my weaknesses are in my upper body. I’ve learned to relax my neck while lifting and to breathe properly while performing the movements, as well as how to pack my shoulder to prevent injury.

Presses have made me strong, mentally and physically. I have worked my way from a single Kettlebell press with 18 lbs to 16 kg (roughly 35.2 lbs – almost double the weight) in about two years’ time.

It has developed my shoulders, biceps, triceps and back. It has taught me the importance of full-body tension and the power that tension, as a result of musculoskeletal stability, can give you while lifting. That tension has helped me to double-press weight that I didn’t think possible for someone my size.I also learned how to avoid injuring myself and how to spot incorrect technique in others. I learned how to press effectively…namely, how to generate power using my entire body, in order to press a very heavy object over my head multiple times. There is a certain amount of pride, achievement and independence I experience at the gym when I can double-press 14 kg Kettlebells of iron while the girl next to me is curling 3 lb hot pink dumbbells. I feel liberated!

It’s really hard to pick a single favorite, but I enjoy renegade rows.

Because it’s simple but not easy. I am a big fan of any sort of upper body pulling movement and this one is challenging yet safe for most people’s shoulders.
Just make sure to use kettlebells that have a stable base  or use a step bench for support and do all reps on one side instead of alternating sides.

It strengthens the upper back, the whole mid-section, grip and upper arm, and gets you breathing hard. It also teaches body awareness, stabilization, coordination and alignment. You might discover discrepancies on one side of your body. It’s important to strive towards a balance between both sides.

You can decide to work on strength by training on its own, or put it in a circuit or even in a complex. It’s very versatile, fun and a great addition to your  repertoire.