The Ultimate Guide To

Kettlebell Training
About
If you wish to achieve the unparalleled results that training with kettlebells has become known for, you must
understand it is a step by step learning process. Many people that have a western viewpoint on weight lifting
arent familiar with this, at least not to the extent that kettlebell training requires. It is fair to say then, that
there is a greater investment into learning this method of training than with almost any other, but the rewards
make everything worthwhile. You will be learning proper lifting technique by using the right muscles for the job
and achieving ultimate efficiency in the way you move weight, the kind of skills that will make you stronger in
everything you do, and less likely to get injured doing daily tasks.

Once you get the basics down you will realize that you are now able to get far more results in your training in
much less time. This is because kettlebell training uses every muscle in your body simultaneously with certain
focal points within the various lifts. Because all of your muscles are working together, you will also get the heart
rate up and be able to keep it up while building muscle at the same time. Thats not it though, I already mentioned
how kettlebell training teaches and utilizes real world lifting patterns, but in doing so it also improves your
flexibility very quickly. Your core strength will be stronger than ever and you will have unity from head to toe, all
this can be achieved in about thirty minutes a day with a kettlebell and some willingness to learn.

Lets start off by selecting the right weight for you. Remember, you will increase in strength as you go and will end
up adding heavier bells to your collection. You can often get a good trade in value for old kettlebells if you wish to
sell them, however I always find the lighter bells come in handy for various exercises.

Kettlebell Weight Chart

Female
9lb/4kg Beginner, no athletic history, used only
to get basic movements down. Will have to move
up quickly
18lb/8kg Beginner, little to no athletic experience,
sedentary
26lb/12kg -Beginner, average strength level,
decent overall posture, some athletic history
35lb/16kg -Beginner but strong or advanced in
motor pattern awareness and flexibility from
athletic training
44lb/20kg -Prior kettlebell specific experience,
strong, flexible and smart
53lb/24kg -High level kettlebell practitioner, using
this weight primarily for low rep lifts
Male
26lb/12kg Small build, beginner, little to no
athletic experience, highly sedentary
35lb/16kg Beginner, little to no athletic
experience, highly sedentary
44lb/20kg Beginner, average strength level,
decent overall posture, some athletic history
53lb/24kg Beginner but strong or advanced in
motor pattern awareness and flexibility from
athletic training
62lb/28kg Prior kettlebell specific experience,
strong, flexible and smart.
70/32kg Experienced practitioner, Flexibility is
the key to moving beyond this point.
106lb/48kg -High level kettlebell practitioner,
using this weight primarily for low rep lifts.

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Take notice that the increments are all 4kg (8.8lb). I am aware that there are many in-between kettlebell weights available
these days. I only use the increments of true Russian kettlebells. I am not much of a traditionalist, but I think some things
should be left alone. A part of the reason for the big jumps in weight is that it promotes the use of the correct muscles to
lift the weight. Most people tend to use too light of a kettlebell at first. Remember when selecting your kettlebell weight,
this isnt muscle isolation. When your whole body works together as one it is far more capable of lifting heavier!

Cheap kettlebells will give you blisters because of rough handles and the coating will come off leading to rust. You may
also notice there is such a thing as Girevoy Sport (GS) style and hard style kettlebells. Choosing between the two is a
matter of personal preference. There are benefits to both, either one will work great for general kettle bell training. As you
move into more complex movements later on the hardstyle bell will prove more versatile because of your ability to grip
the bell portion more easily.

Basic Kettlebell Positions:

As you go through your teaching, you will learn the kettlebell basics, clean&press, snatch, and swing. However,
before you start lifting the bell in this way Im going to help you feel comfortable manipulating it in the various ending
positions of the clean, press and snatch.

You need to learn how to control the bell from the overhead loaded lat position, down to the rack, and back to the
dead position. You can practice this with very little weight, even a water bottle is fine. Once it feels consistent and
comfortable, you will be ready to learn the three primary kettlebell lifts. Remember, the essence of the kettlebell
clean&press and the kettlebell snatch is keeping the weight as close to your body as possible, where it is the lightest
and easiest to manipulate.

When these movements are performed properly it gives your nervous system an awareness of what neutral
posture is. This will make it easier to maintain good posture throughout the day. By combining reprogramming of
the central nervous system with increased flexibility and tension in the muscle, you will see immediate and long
lasting changes to your posture when you train and develop these movements properly. The better the movement
becomes, the heavier you will find yourself wanting to go. As you use heavier weight your nervous system and
muscle flexibility become even more powerful, just remember to never sacrifice form to lift heavier.

Using a light weight there are three positions that you should know where to place/hold a kettlebell.

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The loaded lat
The overhead position. This requires flexibility in
the lat and shoulder girdle to get the weight directly
over its neutral balance point. Do not arch your back
in this position to accommodate for lat or shoulder
tightness! Drop the shoulder down (dont shrug)
sinking the shoulder blade into the lat and keep your
arm straight.

Rack position
The bell held static at the shoulder, keep the abdomen
tight, hips slightly extended under the weight and
your fist under your chin, elbow against the body. Your
knees are straight but not locked.

the dead position

Lined up to your heels, directly in the middle of your
body. This is where the weight will feel the lightest for
any lift with a vertical trajectory such as the deadlift,
clean&jerk or snatch. This is not the starting position
of a kettlebell swing, as the swing is a front-to-back
(horizontal) movement.

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deadlift
The deadlift is the most important exercise you will ever perform. It correlates directly to the most common of everyday
tasks, creates motor patterns, flexibility, and also helps people see the results they want faster than any other exercise.
This is because it utilizes every muscle of your body so you will build more muscle, burn more calories, increase
flexibility and turn on your nervous system all at once. Crunches, leg extensions and curls combined dont even come
close to doing what this lift will do for you, and honestly, theyre bad for your posture and for your joints. Take your time
to learn the basics and build from there, no hurry. Before you begin learning the basic kettlebell lifts swing, clean
and press, and snatch, we will develop the motor pattern of sitting back into your hips. You will need this motor pattern
in order to proceed safely. A deadlift is a strength phase lift, with virtually every muscle either performing a strength
movement, or holding steady in the stability phase. The primary three ballistic kettlebell lifts are power phase lifts, so
we want those motor patterns consistent and exact before progressing to that point.
The dead position is where the deadlift begins. You wont be lifting to your potential unless the weight is as close to
the neutral line of your bodies gravity. Remember, were trying to make heavy weight feel light. I often see people start
a set of deadlifts with the bell directly underneath them - great! However, as the set progresses they start putting it
progressively further in front of them and shifting weight into their knees and toes - ouch! Remember, the deadlift
movement starts moving hips back, not knees forward. As you move back into hip flexion, keep your back safe with
slight spine extension, or mildly arching the back, try not to crane your neck here. The idea is to start developing
strength in the glutes and hamstrings through a full range of motion. This will help create dominance in your posterior
chain and help get those tight hip flexors and quads to loosen up and lengthen out. Youll see amazing results doing
even the most basic lifts, create this motor pattern with bodyweight and move up from there you should be consistently
competent before moving on.

Deadlift Tips:
Breathe in, 70% breath capacity.
Sit back into your hips.
Keep your feet flat, grip the ground with your toes.
Feel the backward movement in the hips, the
lengthening glutes and hamstrings.
Feel the mid and lower back muscles having to
stabilize more, the deeper you go.
Go only as deep as your hips will allow, dont try
to go deeper by rounding your back or shoulders.
Feel the glutes and hamstrings shorten on the
way up, tight in the pelvic floor.
Come to standing tall and neutral. Get your hips
under you, but not out front and dont lean back.
No need to bend the arms at the elbows, or shrug
at the end, shoulders should be back and down. Many people can do one but not both of these moves
Exhale at the top. due to inflexibility in the hips, if that is the case for
Develop this motor pattern until the breathing and you, keep practicing whichever exercise is the most
movement is consistently flawless. challenging with little to no weight until
you create the flexibility. These exercises have an
The next exercise you should learn is the squat. amazing potential at doing just that, developing range
Remember, a deadlift uses a hip-hinge, or bend of motion. You will need to be able to perform both of
movement which is a backward movement in the hips, these moves to progress to your potential because
a squat on the other hand, is a downward movement sometimes weight needs to be lifted using a bend,
in the hips. and in other circumstances, a squat is the only way.

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Squat
Squatting is very difficult for many people simply because they lack the necessary range of motion to move down
into their hips. If you have an anterior pelvic tilt, your tight quads and hip flexors will likely overpower your under
active glutes and hamstrings and cause your hips to shift back, not down. This will be accompanied by forward
lean of the torso and turn the movement into a bend. Bending is fine when done properly, but there are some
circumstances where a squat is the safest and most efficient movement. There are many variations of squats
using different kinds of equipment. Generally, squats will work your quads and glutes and arent usually too
abusive on the grip. Add them to your pull and pressing workouts and you wont overtrain any one area. The squat
is a downward movement of the hips, as opposed to a backward movement, and as a result requires much less
forward lean with the upper body. The bend to extend motion is best used for picking things up off the ground
and the squat is the best way to lift weight that is at shoulder level or overhead. You will minimize forward lean
when squatting compared to bend/extend and therefore you will prevent any weight being held at shoulder level
or higher from becoming excessively heavy. The forward lean of a bend to extend will move weight out front and
the squat is all about keeping centered over that plumb line of your body. Overhead squatting is one of the best
ways to develop excellent overall flexibility and realign daily posture. Learn this movement without weight until
you get it right, there are dozens of variations of a squat so you will have plenty to progress your training once
you learn.

Squatting Tips: So far, we have been focusing on exercises that develop

Feel the down movement, the lengthening glutes
and quads.
Resist the temptation to lean forward as you go
deeper, your forward lean should be about the
same angle as your shin.
Go only as deep as your hips will allow, dont try
to go deeper by rounding your back or shoulders.
Feel the glutes shorten on the way up, tight in the
pelvic floor.
Come to standing tall and neutral. Get your hips
under you, but not out front and dont lean back.
Develop this motor pattern until the breathing and
movement is consistently flawless.
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flexibility and motor pattern awareness, which is a
trend that will continue to the next step, the turkish
getup. The turkish getup is going to shift the focus of
the movement from hips to both hips and shoulders,
meaning we will prepare your entire kinetic chain for
the rigors of kettlebell training. Much like the bend
and squat, flexibility is going to be the key to success
with the TGU which is one of those exercises that has
the remarkable capability to both require as well as
create flexibility. In order to perform the TGU to your
true potential, you will need to develop excellent
mobility but in the meantime you may practice the
TGU with little to no weight and expect to see your
mobility improve with every practice.
The turkish getup
I am going to break this exercise down into six steps for you to practice one at a time. If you are just learning the
turkish get up you can start with light weight, a water bottle is fine. Regardless of the weight you are using, treat
it as though it is heavy, start with it close to your body and use both hands to press it up. Remember, you will bend
the knee and plant the foot on the same side of your body that you are holding the bell. Keep your eyes on the
bell until you begin phase six.

phase 1: chest press to lockout

The TGU is an exercise that involves the practitioner
beginning on the ground, next to the bell and pressing
it to lockout with one hand while laying flat on their
back. Bend the knee and put the foot flat on the
ground of whichever side you are holding the bell in
your grasp.

Phase 2: The getup sit up

Your flexibility in your back is your best asset here,
try to roll up by crunching the abdomen. Let the bell
dip slightly in the direction you want to go, slightly
forward as you move under it. Move sideways to your
free elbow, then hand. You may position your hand
slightly closer to your hip when you reach the neutral
position overhead.

Phase 3: Hip bridge

There are differing opinions on how high the hip
bridge needs to be, some people believe in the full
height hip bridge, whereas others teach a lower hip
bridge that allows more stability in the shoulder. I say,
do what feels right. The high hip bridge will give you
more room when you do phase three, passing the
leg under, personally I dont feel that I need the extra
room.

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Phase 4: The leg under
Dont drag the foot as you bring it back behind your
body, plant the knee in the most stable position
possible. Knee placement is crucial, and I often see
people placing the knee too far forward, backward, or
off to the side. Remember, you are going to move your
hand away in the next position and you will need that
knee in a place that it can stabilize. Practice until you
get it right.

Phase 5: Windmill
You will need to focus on the hips for this movement,
keep the midsection tight as you align your body and
maintain stability of the overhead weight. Make sure
your shoulder is packed down and back here as your
body aligns vertically, the range of motion that you are
taking your shoulder through in this phase is fantastic
for flexibility and stability.

Phase 6: Overhead lunge

Use the windshield wiper technique here to align your
foot, and look forward, this will help your balance
as you stand from the overhead lunge. Drive your
overhead lunge off the ball of your toes of your back
foot, not the top or side of your foot. Stand forward,
not just upward, it will feel much stronger. When you
reach the top, you should feel the weight balancing in
neutral alignment with your entire body.

Reverse the overhead lunge, and put your eyes back on the bell and windshield wiper your back leg before you reverse
the windmill. The negative (down) phase of this windmill is something to practice, try not to reach to the side with your
hand and body, but slide your hips out from under the load instead, this will feel stronger, safer and more stable. Dont
drag the foot as you move it under and out front, set your pelvis in a controlled manner on the ground. Crunch your
stomach and try to roll down one inch at a time. When you get to the bottom, use two hands to put the bell to the ground
on the other side and now do the other arm! Low reps with high frequency is the key to developing strong turkish get
ups, and strong turkish get ups are the key to building a strong everything else. Take your time to practice this move,
and be methodical the entire time, sloppy technique is pointless. Now that you have developed focus, proper motor
patterns and solid mobility using the bend, squat and turkish get up, you are ready to progress into the power phase,
an area that the kettlebell is particularly suited. The swing is a bend movement in your hips, much like the deadlift
however the bell will move front to back, as opposed to up and down. Your hips will now accelerate and decelerate the
kettlebell, as it moves back and forth in a pendulum, driven by the power in your glutes and hamstrings. The kettlebell
swing utilizes a hip snap which you must learn to get the swing down, as well as the exercises that progress from there.

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Swing
Everyone will have a different path to this point. Thats one of the most challenging parts of conveying my teaching
to such a wide variety of people. Some people are swinging a kettlebell with me in their very first session,
others arent swinging anything for six weeks or more! Please remember to pay attention to the details and dont
perform any of these lifts unless you have dialed in all of the basics. Your first time swinging a kettlebell you may
notice not every repetition looks the same, thats fine for now. Use all of the keys for safety that you have learned
so far and keep the weight reasonable. The heavier weights will fix certain problems, but let your body tell you
when it is time to move up. We are looking for consistent competency, where every repetition looks the same.
This will happen naturally when all of the various thoughts become one sensation.

For now, here are some of things to focus on:

Start the bell out front, as far out front as you can
reach the bell without shifting your posture. If your
hands gripping the bell are in front of your hips, it
helps begin the backward motion of the pendulum
as you stand.
Assist the backward pendulum with your lats
pulling the bell down.
Think of a front to back movement, not up and
down.
On the backswing, keep the bell high, dont swing
it down by your knees.
Plank tall at the top, glutes, abs and lats.
Move through the hips!
Learn to accelerate and decelerate the weight
with your hips
Sit back into your hips, not down
Keep your knees aligned. Dont let them go out
over the ankle, or cave inward, dont let your
knees shift forward either.
Keep your back flat This technique will have massive carry over to other
Breathe in going down, exhale sharp at the top kettlebell movements, so get to know it well, turn all
The bell should be weightless at the top, a straight of these thoughts into a feeling.
line from your shoulder through the elbow, wrist
and fist to the center of the kettlebell mass. Dont The next step from here is the clean and press. The
swing the bell any higher than shoulder level! clean, much like the swing is a power phase exercise,
This is a power phase lift, not strength phase like but uses and upward trajectory instead of back to front.
a deadlift, develop a hip snap! The press will take the bell to the overhead loaded lat
position, which is why we practiced the TGU first.
The kettlebell swing will give you unbelievable
benefits, like nothing youve ever done. Be patient and The overhead position must be approached with
take your time to get it exact. a certain degree of respect, one must progress
carefully to this point and if so, be prepared for
Refer to the videos to make sure you can see how it awesome results. Overhead lifting does more to build
is supposed to look and then duplicate that with your core strength then almost anything else you will do,
own body. Using a mirror might help at first, better so follow the steps to get it right and perform it safely,
yet, work with a friend and help each other out. youll be glad you did.

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Clean & Press
The clean and press is one of the three fundamental lifts in kettlebell training, it can be performed from dead or
from the swing. The clean gets its name because the idea is to lift the weight in the cleanest movement possible,
from the ground or base of the swing to the rack position. I dont teach the clean until I have already taught the
rack position in addition to many other more basic lifts such as the deadlift. Please take your time to get your
hand position correct in the rack position, your fist should be under your chin, your arm and elbow close to your
body. As you increase the weight you are able to clean, you will begin to push your hips under the weight in hip
extension when you rack the bell, crunch your abdomen to prevent your back from arching.

Kettlebell Clean
The kettlebell clean is an upward acceleration of
weight, not a forward movement, and not jerking the
bell off the ground. Use the deadlift pattern that you
have developed to make sure you are using the right
muscles and float the kettlebell to the rack with your
hips. Grip the bell at the base of the lift with your thumb
back, as the bell climbs to about waist height, the bell
will corkscrew to the outside of your arm. At first, you
may notice the bell bangs your wrist as you develop
proper technique, wearing some sweat bands on your
wrist can help this. Cleaning the bell isnt about how
much muscle you have, but how well you use it. You
will get much better with practice. As I mentioned, the
clean can be done in two primary ways, from dead/
hang, or from a swing. The traditional kettlebell clean
would be done based on a kettlebell swing, with the
bell traveling backward in a backswing with each rep.
Lets focus on that type of clean to begin with.

Tips for cleaning a kettlebell:

Begin with the kettlebell on the ground out front, grip it with one hand and swing it backwards, as it travels
forward, you will pull it upward the moment it clears your body.
Keep the bell close to your body as it floats upward under the power of the hip snap that you developed in the
swing.
Breathe in, 70% breath capacity at the top of the movement, as you begin to drop the bell from the rack.
Sit back into your hips.
Keep your feet flat, grip the ground with your toes.
Dont think of it as lifting the bell upward, rather, driving your hips forward.
Make sure the bell moves in an up and down trajectory and not front to back!
Feel the glutes and hamstrings shorten on the way up, tight in the pelvic floor.
Come to standing in the rack position, get your hips under young even shifted slightly under the weight of the
bell.
Exhale at the top.
Develop this motor pattern until the breathing and movement is consistently flawless.

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The press, push press and jerk are three progressively stronger ways to lift a kettlebell overhead from a rack
position, which is where you end up after you have performed a clean. The variation you choose will be determined
primarily by the weight you are attempting to lift overhead. The hips will do more work as we progress each
variation and you will find that you are able to lift a greater load. That said, you will notice that each progression,
although giving you more lifting ability, will require more flexibility and coordination than the previous version.
You should have already learned the clean, the rack and overhead loaded lat position before attempting these
exercises.

Kettlebell Press
To press the kettlebell from the rack position you will
rotate your palm forward as you use a J pattern to the
outside of your body to press the bell overhead. The
first variation we will learn is the press. Lightly pull
the bell back to the rack in a straight line, this will
provide a stable path for the bell to follow as it descends
to the rack. Rotate your palm inward and push your
hips slightly out front, engage your abdomen as
you catch the bell in the rack position.

Kettlebell Press Tips:

Sink your shoulder down and back, engage your
lat and dont allow your back to arch.
Push the bell to its neutral gravity line and lock your
elbow. Make sure to maintain a tight midsection
Make sure your shoulder is still sunk down and
back, dont try to press the weight by shrugging
your shoulder, keep your fist straight.
After lock out at neutral, pull the weight back to
the rack position.
Rotate your hand inward on the way down just as
you rotated it outward on the way up, the J pattern
isnt as obvious coming down, the motion can be
more direct from top to bottom.
Lightly pull the bell back to the rack in a straight
line, this will provide a stable path for the bell to
follow as it descends to the rack.
Rotate your palm inward and push your hips
slightly out front, engage your abdomen as you
catch the bell in the rack position.

The strict military press relies on the strength of the

shoulder and tightness in the core. Tight shoulders
make it difficult to get the bell overhead and into a
neutral position. If the bell feels hard to maintain in
the overhead loaded lat you may need to open your
shoulders.

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The Push Press
The push press utilizes strength from your hips to
get the bell past the sticking point then is followed
through with a shoulder press. The push press is
much more vertical in a straight line than a strict
military press; as you will not need the leverage that
you gain by moving the weight off to the side in the
J pattern. With your hips out front, slightly bend the
knees and push the bell with your legs to the loaded
lat position. Neutralize under the bell and lower it
back to the rack the same way you would in a military
press.

The Jerk
The jerk is by far the most challenging of the three
methods of lifting weight overhead from the rack
position. That said, it also provides you with the most
lifting potential, both for overall weight and muscle
endurance. The jerk begins with a push press,
however, instead of continuing by pushing the bell up,
you learn to move under the weight as it floats in the air
momentarily. Where the push press begins to challenge
your hip flexor lengthening capability, the jerk will also
challenge your flexibility in your shoulders and your
ability to use your hips to lift the weight. Practicing your
single arm overhead squats will help you to develop
the flexibility, strength and coordination for this lift.

With all three variations, you should be paying

attention to a tight core, flat feet on the ground and
your breathing. Hold yourself to a high standard when
it comes to your technique. Start with light weight and
move up gradually.

Kettlebells are great for a variety of exercises and the

many variations and tweaks that can be done with
each lift to make them more challenging in one way
or another. In the core group of kettlebell exercises,
however, there is only one more lift that a practitioner
must learn, the snatch. The deadlift is a strength
phase move that lifts the bell to just below hip height.
A swing and clean are power phase lifts that take the
bell to shoulder level and a clean and press is from the
ground to overhead, using two movements. A snatch is
the ultimate kettlebell lift, as it involves lifting the bell
from the ground to the overhead lockout in just one
powerful move.

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Snatch
The kettlebell snatch is my favorite power exercise.
It can be performed from the dead position or from a
swing (ballistic snatch). The snatch is a full explosion
of hip strength combined with deep bracing in the core
to drive a weight from the ground to overhead in one
movement. Before you begin training this exercise, I
would recommend that you practice deadlifts with at
least three times the weight you are going to snatch, with
virtually flawless technique. You should be able to refer to
my instructions not only for deadlifts, but also kettlebell
swings, which are a precursor to the snatch.

Taming the arc with a backward shoulder shrug during

lift As you swing the bell upward, shrug the shoulder
backward, this pulls the bell closer to your body, making
it feel lighter when it reaches the punch-point. Shrugging
your shoulder backward as opposed to upward is the
magic ingredient when it comes to snatching safely
and at your maximum potential. To get the shoulder to
shrug backward instead of upward, at the end of your hip
explosion, your hips should be in front of your body (hip
extension). Do this with a tightly flexed abdomen and you
will tilt your pelvis up in the front and down in the back the
same moment that you hip-snap and shrug back. That tilt
in the pelvis will angle your upper body backward, pulling
the weight towards your bodies line of neutral
gravity. This results in your shoulders being slightly
behind, and the kettlebell being slightly in front, of your
pelvis at the point of the hip snap, as opposed to the
shoulders above the hip and the bell way out front.

Now, aligning those three points (hips, shoulder, kettlebell)

over your feet doesnt require you pulling the bell to your
body, but bringing your upper body forward, over your
pelvis. Keeping the weight closer to the plumb line of your
body like this will make it feel much lighter. It will require
and create excellent mobility in your hip flexors, and get
those glutes using every last bit of their potential.
Peter is the most knowledgeable and thorough
trainer I have ever known.
Align the kettlebell and torso over your hips at overhead
As the bell reaches waist height, it begins to float upward, -Wendy M.
you punch through the bell, at around the ten oclock mark,
or just over shoulder height. Move your hand around the
bell, instead of letting the bell move around your hand. It
is similar to the motion of cracking a whip, there should
be no banging on the back of the wrist whatsoever. That
said, it isnt a bad idea to wear sweat bands on your wrists

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Snatch CONTINUED
while you develop the technique to prevent bruising. Align
your upper body over your hips as you punch through and
feel the bell reach the plum line at the same time as your
upper body. Exhale sharply through the mouth.
Load your shoulder blade down your back, into your lat,
lock your elbow and ensure your fist is straight up and
down. The weight shouldnt feel heavy here, it should be
resting in neutral, sinking down your back. Tight lats and
shoulders will force it off of its plumb line and make it feel This is the best information and instruction out there. Ive
heavy, if this is you, the turkish getup is your best friend. learned more from Peters writings and videos
Control the drop and decelerate the weight with your hips than I did at an 8-hour global kettlebell enterprise.
You will want to tame the arc on the way down the same -Ray G.
way you did on the way up, move your body slightly back
from the plumb line and shrug the shoulder backward
as the weight falls slightly out front. Inhale through the
nose into the stomach. Sit back into your hips, the way
you learned in the kettlebell swing, and decelerate the
momentum of the bell with a flat back into your glutes and
hamstrings. Make sure the knees dont move backward
and forward as you snatch the weight, this lift should
happen only in your hips, keep your feet planted flat,
weight back, toes gripping lightly down. Make sure your
back stays flat in the backswing and try not to crane your
neck up and down with each swing, keep your head in
neutral alignment regardless of the position of the swing. The kettlebell snatch is the pinnacle of power and
technique and probably the most mentally and physically
rewarding lift you will ever do! As with everything, practice
until you get it right, dont make any substitutions. Use my
videos, pictures and written words to guide you until you
know youve nailed it, then keep practicing until you cant
get it wrong! Take a full week to practice short but frequent
sessions with this lift and you will improve immensely.
If you are feeling any sign of pain or discomfort (beyond
normal muscle burning and soreness) revert back to
more basic lifts, or talk to a doctor if it feels serious. If you
are doing all of your progressions properly, this should
not be a problem.

The kettlebell snatch is likely to bang your wrists

when you are first learning and may even give you
blisters, especially if you do too many. Snatching
from dead is a nice alternative that will likely
result in less blisters, practice both techniques
with moderation at first. This exercise is commonly
performed in competition for extremely high reps, I
usually prefer lower reps with heavier weight but enjoy
both methods to mix things up.

14 www.KettlebellMovement.com
general advice
Dont skip steps and dont accept sloppy form. If you are
unsure, use a mirror or have a friend help you using the

free
instructions in this guide. If you are still unsure, hire a
highly qualified trainer that knows these lifts thoroughly
and can help you learn them safely.

High rep count weight lifting is often discouraged because

it is more likely to cause injury than using a heavier
weight but doing less reps. My take on it is that if you
develop excellent technique with lower reps and always
exercise good judgement, the higher rep count workouts
can be a lot of fun and challenge you in different ways.
Kettlebell workout
Consistency trumps intensity. Frequent practice is much Turkish Getup
more important than pushing your body to the limit every
day. In fact, I discourage working out until you have left Three TGU per hand, switching hands with every rep
everything in the gym as it results in a limited capacity to
regenerate and detracts from tomorrows practice. Leave
the gym feeling like you can go take on the world. deadlift
Ten regular deadlifts
There is plenty more that can be done with a kettlebell, but Ten Straight leg deadlift
these are the basics and also the ones that give you the Ten one leg deadlift (five per leg)
greatest benefit. Keep a good balance between squatting
and bending exercises (deadlift, swing, clean and snatch)
and also add lunges for hip mobility. After developing an swing
excellent base with these fundamentals, you will be
ready to experiment and attempt new lifts that will Twelve Two handed Swing
challenge you in different and wonderful ways. Eight one handed Swings per hand
Twelve Alternating Swings

clean
Five cleans from dead per hand
Five ballistic cleans per hand

clean & press

Five clean & Press per hand
Five Clean and push-press per hand
Five clean & jerk per hand

snatch
Five snatches from dead per hand
Peter hirsh Five ballistic snatches per hand

15 www.KettlebellMovement.com
Now What? I have been a trainer for 12 years now and
have pretty much seen it all. Over the years I have
discovered one recipe for success that when combined
with motivation, works every time. That recipe is:
structure + community + knowledge.
Structure because without it you may be working
out an hour every day and not seeing the results you
want because you dont have a targeted plan to train
your whole body methodically and safely.
Community because ultimately the motivation comes
down to you but having a community of people there
to support you and cheer you on may make the
difference between working out today and not.
Knowledge because there are a whole lot of people
out there trying to teach you how to workout and use
your body and unfortunately a large percentage of
them are not teaching proper form and at the least
you wont see results and at the worst you will injure
yourself using poor technique.
16
I have combined all three of these components and
created the Kettlebell Gym. A place where you will get
structure in the form of a
weekly workout calendar, community in a private
Facebook group with hundreds of amazing individuals
and the knowledge in a library of over 100 videos where
I teach you HOW to use your body the right way. Any
kettlebell or functional exercise you can think of, its
happening in the gym.
If you havent signed up,
its time to join us.
I am 48 years old and am in better shape and
look better than I have in a very long time.
-Arianna F.
www.KettlebellMovement.com