Common Kettlebell Swing Form Mistakes
Kettlebell too close or too far away.
Where you set the kettlebell has a major impact on how well you can perform the swing. If the kettlebell is too close, you’ll have to bend your knees, making your swing squatty, Fleming says. But if the kettlebell is too far away, you’ll have to lean forward on your toes to reach it, throwing you off balance once you swing.
Upper back disengaged.
Keeping your upper back relaxed can make it more challenging to transfer power from your hips to propel the weight up. In such cases people often end up using their arms to lift the kettlebell.
Weight unevenly distributed.
It’s common to shift too much weight onto one area of the feet. If there’s too much weight on your toes, your heels may lift off the ground at the top of the swing, causing you to fall forward. Similarly, too much weight on the heels can cause the toes to lift when you hike the kettlebell between your legs, sending you backward.
How to Set Up for the Kettlebell Swing
Set the kettlebell two 1-foot lengths in front of you.
Where you set the kettlebell depends on the length of your limbs. You want the kettlebell far enough in front of your body for you to grip it in a hinged-hip position with your arms straight. A good starting point for most people is to set the kettlebell about two 1-foot lengths in front of their body, Fleming says.
Squeeze that orange.
The same cue you use to engage your upper back during a deadlift works great for the kettlebell swing, Gaudreau notes. Imagining that you’re holding an orange in each armpit helps create upper-back tension and keeps your arms close to your body.
(Master the kettlebell swing with these technique tips to build full-body strength and power.)
Use a tripod foot.
To keep your weight evenly distributed in your feet, focus on keeping three points of contact: the ball of your foot by your big toe, the meat of the foot outside the pinky toe, and the heel, Fleming recommends. “If you can keep those three points in contact with the ground, you should strike a nice balance between stability and power production.”
Strong Starts
Are you setting up correctly while lifting? Get expert guidance on perfecting your setup for several common strength moves at “9 Strength Moves You May Be Setting Up Wrong (and How to Fix Them),” from which this article was excerpted.
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