VIP KETTLEBELLS

VIP Technique Tips

GS Two Hand Kettlebell Swing

Place one kettlebell between your feet with the handle in a horizontal position. Push back with your butt and bend your knees (like a short stop position) to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully as if you are passing a football to someone behind you. Quickly reverse the direction and drive through with your hips explosively concentrating on moving the kettlebell straight out in front of you.  Relax and hike the kettlebell back between the legs and repeat. Remember that the swing is primarily a hamstring exercise and that's where all the power is generated from. The kettlebell is not to be lifted with the arms like a front raise. To avoid this try to keep the arm sucked into its socket like a turtle in its shell and do not let the bicep disconnect with the chest. *Imagine a towel underneath your armpit that you do not want to drop.


Hard Style Two Hand Kettlebell Swing

One-Arm Hardstyle Kettlebell Swing

Place one kettlebell between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully as if you are passing a football to someone behind you. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips explosively taking the kettlebell straight out. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat. Switch arms with each set. Remember that the swing is primarily a hamstring exercise and that is where all of the power is generated from. It is not a front raise.


One-Arm Kettlebell Clean

Place a kettlebell between your feet. Bend your knees and get you squat underneath of you as you bend down to grab the kettlebell. Grab the bell lightly with your forefinger and your thumb in the middle of the bell with an "ok" thumb and forefinger grip. The other fingers only rest lightly on the bell. Push your butt back and keep your eyes looking forward. Swing the kettlebell between your legs as if you are passing a football behind you (or start the lift directly from the floor). Quickly reverse the direction of your hips and drive through forcefully to start the momentum of the bell upward. Keep your elbow connected to your side and focus on not letting the bell get too far away from your body (the closer the better). Open your hand and bring your arm upwards in a windshield wiper or uppercut motion, getting your hand through the handle while the bell rolls around the wrist...rather than letting the bell flip over and bang your wrist. This is not a bicep curl motion, but will turn into one if you go too slow. 

 


Single Kettlebell Military Press

Clean a kettlebell to your shoulder. Breathe in as you clean the bell to the rack position. Let the kettlebell sit tight against your core as if it were an infant cuddling to your chest and keep your core tight as if you are a boxer bracing for a punch. Try to touch your elbow to your midsection so that you have a strong foundation to press off of. The shortest distance between two locations is a straight line. Remember that when you do the overhead press, let the bell take a path that is natural for your shoulders range of motion. Press the bell up and lock the arm straight with the bicep being right next to your ear (not out in front of your head or hanging out to the side) to complete the exercise. Squeeze the bell handle hard on the overhead lifts and also keep tension in the other arm for transference of power. 


Kettlebell Windmill

Clean and press or snatch a kettlebell overhead with one arm. Keeping the kettlebell that is overhead locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the locked out kettlebell. Lower yourself until your non-working hand touches the floor or front foot. Pause for a second and reverse the motion back to the starting position.




Get Up Sit Up




Kettlebell Turkish Get Up

Lie on your back and use two hands to position a kettlebell to the lockout position of one arm. Lets use the right side as an example to discuss proper performance. Keep the bell locked out at all times. Bring your right leg in and use your right leg to pivot to the left. Roll onto your left triceps and keep rolling until your hand touches the floor. Use your left hand and right leg to drive forward. As you are driving forward, bring your left leg in and take your right leg forwar. Now keep driving forward until you are in the bottom position of a lunge. Take a second to gather yourself and then stand up. To complete the rep, reverse the movement to get back to the starting position. Do a lunge back to the bottom, then place your left hand behind your back until you feel the ground. Bring your legs forward and use you left arm to guide you back to the starting position. Take a second to gather yourself and then proceed to another repetition. 


Double Kettlebell Military Press

Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Breathe in as you clean the bells to the rack position. Hold the kettlebells in tight against your core as if you are a boxer bracing for a punch. Try to touch your elbows to your midsection so that you have a strong foundation to press off of. The shortest distance between two locations is a straight line. Remember that when you do the overhead press. Imagine that the bells are connected and that you are pressing a barbell. Press the bells up and out only as much as necessary to complete the exercise. As the kettlebells pass your head, lean into the bells slightly so that they are locked out behind your head. Take a bench press tip from legendary powerlifting coach Louie Simmons and lower the kettlebells with your lats. Your lats are much stronger muscles than your shoulders and will assist in stabilizing the shoulders for maximum strength. Lowering two kettlebells is your chance to get your lats loaded up for the next press.

One-arm Kettlebell Bottom Up Clean (Hang Position)

Hold a kettlebell like a suitcase. Swing it back and then forward and crush grip the handle to hold it in place in the rack position. Keep a loose grip until you reach the rack position and then crush grip the handle and flex your entire body to hold the bell in place.

Squatting Kettlebell Sots Press

Clean a kettlebell and go into a full squat. Stay in the bottom position of the front squat and press the kettlebell overhead until it is locked out completely. Lower the kettlebell back to the starting position and repeat. Stay in the bottom position of the squat for the entire duration of the set. Make sure you push your glutes into your calves and contract your midsection for increases stability and power. If you cannot do a full squat, then you cannot do the Sots Press.

Double Kettlebell Push Press

Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders. Squat down a few inches and reverse the motion rapidly. Use the momentum from the legs to drive the kettlebells overhead. Once the kettlebells are locked out, lower the kettlebells to your shoulders and repeat. Stay very tight upon cleaning the kettlebells and when you squat down a few inches to power up the leg drive. However, when you reverse the direction get loose in order to move quickly and then get tight again once the bells are locked out overhead.

One-Arm Kettlebell Snatch

Place a kettlebell between your feet. Bend your knees and push your butt back to get in the proper starting position. Look straight ahead and swing the kettlebell back between your legs as if you are passing a football to someone behind you. Immediately reverse the direction and drive through explosively with your hips. Pull the kettlebell towards your body as if you are starting a lawn mower. The trajectory of the kettlebell will resemble a J Curve rather than an arc. As the kettlebell rises to your shoulder open your hand and get your hand around the bell rather than letting the bell flip over and bang up your wrist. Punch through straight overhead to complete the snatch.


Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row

Place two kettlebells between your feet. Bend your knees slightly and then push your butt out as much as possible as you bend over to get in the starting position. Imagine that you are trying to sit in a chair behind you. Arc your back and hold your chest high as you sit back to get into the optimal pulling position (Imagine that you are a Venice Beach bodybuilder if you are having difficulty with this). Grab both kettlebells and pull them to your stomach. Lower the bells back to the floor under control and repeat

Renegade Kettlebell Row

Get into the top position of the pushup holding on to two kettlebells that are less than shoulder width apart. Take a shoulder width stance and push one kettlebell into the floor forcefully while you pull the other kettlebell in the working arm. Hold the kettlebell in the working arm in the top position for a second and then lower the kettlebell under control back to the floor. Switch arms after each repetition.

Kettlebell Pistol (One-Legged Squat)

Hold a kettlebell close to your chest like a steering wheel. Hold the non- working leg up and squat all the way down with the working leg. Pause at the bottom for a second and then stand up. Pull yourself down slowly with your hamstrings and contract your abs, glutes, and quads for maximum tension and stability.

Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Clean two kettlebells to your shoulders and take a stance that you find comfortable for your body type. As you squat down, push your butt out. Looking straight ahead at all times, squat as low as you can and pause at the bottom. Rise back up and repeat. Pull yourself down with your hamstring and breathe in as your lower yourself down to the bottom. Hold your breath and stand up.

Kettlebell Side Press

Clean a kettlebell with one arm. Push your hip out in the direction of the cleaned kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell. While you are sitting back and lowering yourself, actively press the kettlebell at the same time. Continue to bend to the side until the kettlebell is locked out.

Kettlebell Bent Press

Clean a kettlebell with one arm. Push your hip out in the direction of the cleaned kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a forty-five degree angle from the arm with the kettlebell. While you are sitting back and lowering yourself, contract your lat as hard as possible and move your body away from the kettlebell. Continue to bend to the side until the kettlebell is locked out. The difference between the Bent Press and the Side Press is that there is no press with the Bent Press. You simply hold the bell in position and extend your forearm as you shift your weight away from the kettlebell.





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