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<h2 class="p3">Remember my post about The Windmill V’s The Triangle?</h2>
<p class="p3">My goal was to clarify how naming moves from a specific context doesn’t mean that the moves cannot be performed differently for a different set of circumstances or a specific goal, in other words if it can be justified!</p>
<p class="p3">The Kettlebell swing is another example of a move, like the Windmill &amp; the Triangle, that has roots. It is also a move that can be performed in such a way that the lifter loses much of the benefit/s they are aiming for, or in a way that they may increase their risk of an injury due to where the loads are placed. in respect of their tissue tolerance to that load.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Before we get into this I would just like to make the point that like any move done ‘badly’ (I am using this term very loosely to make this point by the way) - when done just once, twice or even for a few weeks, maybe even months - things wont just break.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">It takes time to cause damage because our bodies are FANTASTIC MASTERS of compensations!</p>
<p class="p3">They will adapt &amp; alter in micro moves/positions to protect while performing the moves we perform….even bad ones!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Consider how you move day to day…’perfect technique’ 100%of the time?</p>
<p class="p3">So swinging a KB ‘badly’ wont break you unless you are either already susceptible (has previous compensation already happening) OR you have been doing it without appropriate preparation of the load<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>being applied to the tissues involved.</p>
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<h1 class="p3"><b>The Original KB Swing</b></h1>
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https://youtu.be/Z8KrxCh3Gzo

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<p class="p3">The ‘original modern’ presentation of the KB Swing might be argued as being from Pavel Tsatsouline. However revisit my Turkish Get Up post for information around a researcher called Felkar for what she learned about the history of the Kettlebell itself &amp; probably the true roots of the Swing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Performed with a hip hinge, the Swing is often deemed to be done ‘wrong’ or at least performed ‘badly’, by the lifter performing more of a squat. Now there is nothing wrong with squatting so be careful how you present this argument particularly without obtaining the full case history of the lifter along with their aims &amp; goals. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">The proposed aim of the KB Swing is the action should be more of a hip hinge than a squat, the bell coming to its apex at around chest to torso height, with the elbows relatively soft &amp; relaxed to ‘allow the bell to swing’ &amp; congruency between the swing &amp; hip hinge that includes (&amp; allows for) a snap up from the hip, knee extension. A cue like you are shooting a bow and arrow might be used to coach the snap up.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">To initiate the first swing it is suggested that the lifter</p>
<p class="p3">steps back from the bell &amp; hinges with a flat in back to reach out to the bell so as to initiate momentum into the lift as it is lifted from the floor. This then allows for the ’Swing’ to continue from the hip hinge snapping through creating the force that generates the load through to move the bell.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
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<h2 class="p3"><b>Alternatives<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></h2>
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<p class="p3"><img class="size-medium wp-image-30651 alignright" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/sergio-pedemonte-LqtHvyd80Mo-unsplash-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />Without understanding this concept new lifters may perform more of a squat while ‘lifting’ the bell (since there is no momentum from the hips). This often results in a much lighter load due to shoulder flexors<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>having less strength than the big ol’ hip extensors. The movement will usually have less speed or snap as the new lifter may not realise this is the point of the swing action.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
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<h2 class="p3"><b>So What?</b></h2>
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<p class="p3">Well why not do it with a squat?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Ok well we should always, I repeat ALWAYS, add context. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should not do it with a squat style of technique instead. Unless the reason they are doing the movement doesn’t match the performance of it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Considering the load difference between (in this example) the ‘hinge’ swing &amp; the squat swing, both load the back extensors. If both are performed with a stiff/neutral spine, the hinge swing loads them at a higher speed than the squat version.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">However the squat version has more knee bend, working the knee extensors more.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">It certainly works the shoulder flexors more, due to them actually lifting the bell rather than momentum lifting it.</p>
<p class="p3">The hinge swing loads the knee flexors more than the squat due to a more extended knee throughout the movement. Also there is a greater hip flexion angle adding more load into the hip extensors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">It also puts less load on the shoulders due to the swing ‘lifting’ the bell through momentum as oppose to the shoulder flexors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">Each style of performance will likely dictate how heavy the bell can be. For example the hip extensors being the prime movers in the hinge swing are a much bigger stronger muscle group than the shoulder flexors involved in the actual lifting of the bell in the squat version. This would mean most lifters are more likely to be able to move more weight in the hinge swing than the squat version.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
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<h2 class="p3"><b>The above in application….?</b></h2>
<p class="p3"><img class="size-medium wp-image-30653 alignright" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ivan-pergasi-7IB2ifwA21Y-unsplash-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" />The point of the above is to offer insight into how we can analyse movement, load, force etc &amp; could argue for or against any version we choose to perform a movement or that we give to our client.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p3">BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY….</p>
<p class="p3">…you know why you are doing it that way no matter what the keyboard warriors say!!!</p>
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