!

A new approach to kettlebell lifting -

dissecting the swing!

by Kenneth Jay
Z-Health Master trainer

Author correspondence:
NeuroSig aps
Kenneth Jay
phone: +45 6170 1009
email: email@kennethjay.dk
www.kennethjay.dk

This free report made public April 2011 and the material presented herein merely reflects my own thoughts,
questions and observations during several years spent trying to understand and elucidate obvious
discrepancies in physical development. While the structure of this report resembles a scientific paper it
should NOT be viewed as such. Video of the described styles of swinging a kettlebell can be found at http://
vimeo.com/22640813. Finally, the report is both conceptually and textually dense so I recommend reading it
several times. Thank you!
 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

Introduction! 3

Methods ! 3

Test protocol! 3

Materials! 4

Maximal eccentric muscle strength! 4

Statistical analysis! 4

Results ! 4

Subjective feel! 4

Discussion! 5

Benefits of the Experimental swing style! 5

Adding more joints to the movement! 6

Bone rhythm! 7

Consequences of the PBS swing! 8

Short-term consequences! 8

Long-term consequences! 9

Too much focus on strength! 9

Limitations of the present experiment! 10

Conclusions! 10

Closing comments! 10

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

Introduction
As a scientist I find myself constantly analyzing the results I am seeing in my own training
and in the training of others. Not just if the goal of the training is accomplished but also
how it is accomplished and what consequences it carries. This is what this article is about:
The possible consequences of the foundation of the kettlebell ballistics in the most
typically used approach. More specifically, a style of swinging a kettlebell that is based on
the techniques of powerlifting.
The following questions will be discussed: 1) Is that approach the most advantageous in
relation to force production 2) force development 3) athletic movement and 4) health.
The data presented in this article compares powerlifting-based style (PBS) of swinging a
kettlebell to an experimental style (EXP).

Methods
Test protocol
A test population of 30 men and women all with a minimum of 3 months of kettlebell
experience were tested in maximal eccentric muscle strength of the Latissimus Dorsi m.,
the Gluteus Maximus m., the Gluteus Medius m. and the Biceps Femoris m. All test
subjects were tested in the powerlifting-based style swing (PBS) bottom position and the
bottom position for an experimental style (EXP) of swinging a kettlebell. Briefly, the PBS
style of swinging a kettlebell involves the following: 1) Maintenance of the box-squat
alignment, 2) zero elevation and protraction of the shoulders, 3) vertical, or as close to as
possible, shins at the bottom of the swing, 4) kettlebell above knee level at the bottom of
the swing, 5) no forward knee movement in the concentric phase, heels down and knees
tracking the toes at all times, 6) hip external rotation less than 45 degrees, 7) full hip/knee/
elbow extension at the top of the swing and 8) the use of the biomechanical breathing
match. The EXP style of swinging a kettlebell focuses on: 1) Stance width of 1 - 2 times
shoulder width, 2) knees tracking inside of the medial side of the foot, 3) matching knee
and hip flexion and thereby letting the knees go forward, 4) matching torso and shin angle
at the bottom of the swing and 5) feet aligned straight or almost straight ahead.

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

Materials
A Lafayette Instruments manual muscle tester (model: 01163) was used to record peak
Force/kgs and time/s to peak force. Testing procedure was standardized in accordance
with guidelines of the Lafayette testing system. The testing device (strain gauge-based)
and procedure has been validated as repeatable and reliable elsewhere in the literature.

Maximal eccentric muscle strength

Each muscle test was performed in the position specific to the two swing styles and in
accordance with the prime mover actions of the muscle in question. Three test attempts
were conducted on each muscle and the highest score was recorded along with the time it
took to develop it. If the third attempt showed more than a 5% increase compared to
attempt one or two- additional attempts were performed until no increase (< 5%) could be
detected. One minute of rest was given between attempts to recover.

Statistical analysis
A post hoc paired 2-tailed t-test was conducted in Microsoft Excel for Mac 2008 for
significance values (p=0.05). Results are reported as means.

Results
Subjective feel
All subjects reported that the
experimental style felt a lot more
solid, natural and stable regardless of
the individual results. Furthermore,
several people reported that they
would feel much more confident
swinging a heavier kettlebell in the
EXP style.

Table 1: Table 1 shows the results of the muscle testing of

the Latissimus Dorsi (dominant side), Gluteus Maximus
(dominant side), Gluteus Medius (dominant side) and
Biceps Femoris (dominant side). ns = non-significant.

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

Discussion
The PBS style swing with limited ankle motion and knees tracking the feet (external hip
rotation) could possibly create a shear force in the calcaneous joints as well as in the 4th
and 5th metatarsal joints which could to trigger a gait reflex that inhibits extension on the
contra-lateral side. The problem seems to be solvable by changing the direction of force
application into the ground as well as aligning the body in a slightly more upright posture
while allowing the knees to move forward (increased ankle dorsi flexion). This is could be
obtained simply by applying force medially on the foot and having the knees track on the
inside of the proximal/distal phalanx of the hallux.

Benefits of the Experimental swing style

1) With a change in dynamic postural alignment to a slightly more upright torso (matching
torso and shin angle) in the bottom position of the swing will change the trajectory of the
kettlebell to a more vertical path as it is swung, cleaned or snatched overhead. This means
that more force can be generated and steered into the ground as the horizontal
displacement of the kettlebell is reduced. Furthermore, because of the angled knee
position as the result of taking off the pressure of the 4th and 5th metatarsal joints the knees
and thereby the force vectors are changed in favor of more force being applied directly into
the ground instead of being displaced laterally.
2) The Mm. Quadriceps and Mm. Triceps Surae will be able to add to the force production
during the swing as they will experience a greater stretch on the downswing. This will form
more actin/myosin cross bridges within each muscle fiber and ultimately enable the muscle
to contract with greater force without decreasing force production in the hip extensor
muscles.
3) By changing the posture and allowing the knees to move forward and having the shin
and torso angle match, the strength of the dynamic structural body position is increased,
hence the ability to distribute, generate and direct force is improved as well. The
argumentation is based on scientific principles of mathematics and geometry. Consider
this example from an architectural viewpoint: Figure 1 and 2 (see below) represents two
different geometrical structures. Figure 1 has three distinct angles and figure 2 has no
angles. If we apply load straight down on each structure the displacement of force will be
different and the structural capacity to support that load will also differ. As force is applied
to structure 1 it is split up into two vectors: AB and AC. That means that once force has
travelled through point A it no longer gets further distributed but is steered down a

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

straight line. Furthermore, if load (F) is applied slightly off the center (point A) of the
structure there is nowhere for the force to go other that straight down. If the force is great
enough it will go through the structure. Now, consider figure 2. If the same load (F) is
applied at the top of this structure the force will be distributed an infinite number of times
with the possibility of steering the force along the lines of the arch. This is possible
because an arch is simply the manifestation of an infinite number of angels in sequence.

Viewing athletic movement from this perspective and replacing the word angle with the
word joint it should become clear that the more joints you get involved in athletic
movement the better you will be able to steer and displace force during movement.
As force travels through a joint it has the potential to gain momentum and be amplified. If
there are more joints involved in the movement there is a greater potential for the force to
be amplified. This of course makes sense even without a background in biomechanics or
kinesiology. The joint is moved by muscle contraction that is greater than the internal
resistance otherwise no movement would occur.

Adding more joints to the movement

In short, trying to add more joints to the movement will likely give you the ability to the
following:
1) Direct/steer the force. Force generation is important but what does it matter if you
cannot steer it to where you want it to go? Consider the fact that the greatest athletes in
sports are rarely the ones who squat, bench and deadlift the highest numbers in the gym.

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

2) Force distribution. Force can be distributed throughout the body structure so no part of
the body is loaded excessively. In the PBS swing the hips are dominating the action which
means that overloading this structure can create movement restrictions in the hip and Si-
joint. By changing the structure to the experimental style it will be able handle greater
loads more safely and it will take a greater outside perturbation to compromise the
structure. Geometry tells us that the stability of an arch is superior compared to an angular
shape. In addition, using simple mathematics it can be shown that an arch will cover a
greater area than any other structure (the arch that covers the greatest area will be a circle
if viewed in 2D. In 3D it will be a sphere). This is directly related to stability of structure and
pose an important aspect in contact activities and everyday life.
3) More force can potentially be generated faster. Not only is it safer you will also be more
powerful.

In short, the following benefits are revealed:

1) In order to form arches mobility is required,
2) when the body is a 3D arch the greatest stability is obtained and
3) the 3D curved dynamic structural alignment allows the display of greater force
generation and steering- hence strength/power is increased.

Bone rhythm
Bone rhythm is a concept that
goes hand in hand with arches in
movement and the validation is
also to be found in basic
geometry. As simple as the
concept is, it is much overlooked
and yet a fundamental part of
efficient movement. Basically,
bone rhythm refers to the skill of
reaching end-position extension
and flexion in muliti-joint
Figure 3: Summation of force illustration from a baseball bat
movements at the same time. swing (www.baseballanalysts.com). The principle remains the
same when swinging a kettlebell.
Combining that with the arches
vs. angles principle you will find that the bone rhythm of movement happens much more
fluently if the joints in question have similar distances to cover. If the angular distances are
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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

the same (or close to) the joints can move at the same speed (or close to) in order to
reach end-position at the same time. If this does not occur and one joint locks out before
the other joint there is no summation of force but instead a decrease in net torque with the
result of a decreased weight lifted and possible overload of individual body structures.

Summation of force is only optimized if:

1) joints are allowed to move and
2) the structure of the body is a 3D arch.

Being a performance coach and having a degree in exercise physiology from the
University of Copenhagen Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences I have seen and
analyzed the best athletes across sports. One thing that stands out whether looking at
Michael Jordan, Sotomayor, Bruce Lee, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Manny Pacman
Pacquaio, Michael Laudrup, Karelin or Ronaldo is that their structure when performing, is
the embodiment of a three dimensional arch. The greatest athletes seem to be
incorporating as many joints as possible in a rhythmic fashion whenever they move. It is
also interesting to think about that these athletes are usually also the ones with the longest
careers and the least amount of injuries. As the kettlebell, and the PBS approach to lifting
it, has become increasingly popular in football (i.e. the NFL), fighting sports (i.e. the UFC)
as well as other sports, the argument could be made that keeping the movement of the
kettlebell ballistics true to powerlifting might be an acceptable approach from a pure
strength perspective but from a movement perspective focusing on health (not interfering
with primitive reflexes) and dynamic structural athleticism (actually practicing positions
relevant to the way the body moves most efficient forward/lateral/vertical) proposes a
nuanced, neurological and SAID-principle based alternative that might very well be worth
practicing.

Consequences of the PBS swing

Short-term consequences
The restriction of ankle dorsi flexion can possibly lead to a loss of mobility and a
subsequent arthrokinetic reflex (AR) response from the immobile joints. Given the amount
of swing-based repetitions even in a single training session (several hundreds) with body
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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

loading up to 6-8 times the kettlebell weight at relatively high speeds this loss of mobility
and AR response can occur instantaneously.

Long-term consequences
Potential long term ramifications of repeatedly executing PBS swing lifts and thereby
triggering primitive gait reflexes without gait occurring could be considered quite severe.
This is indicated by longitudinal unofficial observations of the impaired gait mechanics
(more specifically the SI joint function) of people who have tens or even hundreds of
thousands repetitions of PBS swing practice in their training history. The discrepancy
between the triggered reflex and the actual action of the body for repeated repetitions
under significant load and speed is of serious concern, as altering a primitive reflex will
potentially interfere with the bodys neurological hardwiring. As the brain is anticipatory in
nature, triggering of the aforementioned gait reflex will cause the ocular motor reflexes to
anticipate locomotion. When locomotion does not occur but the brain thinks it does it will
cause confusion in signal interpretation in Central Command. Central Command will in turn
increase the sensitivity of central and peripheral protective mechanisms (Golgi tendon
organs etc.) thereby limiting force production, force direction, ROM, flexibility etc. The
obvious question then has to be asked: Could this be the reason why an increasing
number of people as they gain experience and accumulate repetitions in a PBS setting
also develop movement restrictions (decreased mobility) that ultimately causes pain and in
some cases structural injury?

Too much focus on strength

When single factoring out strength as the end all attribute to develop it has
consequences for the all the other equally important attributes that contribute to increased
performance. The late Dr. Mel C. Siff poses an interesting model in his classic book
Supertraining where he outlines several other attributes to equally focus on. Attributes like
speed and quickness, flexibility/mobility, individual style and endurance are all attributes
that needs to be developed, practiced and integrated in order to maintain homeostasis and
a balanced whole. The strength attribute is fine but with everything else if it is not balanced
and integrated with other attributes it will dominate the athlete in such a way that every
task/challenge is met by playing the strength card. This will in time create an imbalance
in athletic homeostasis. Imbalances can often be masked in the beginning but as time
progress it becomes increasingly difficult and movement restrictions, pain and injury
becomes a reality. This is of course confusing because that same focus on strength for
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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

most beginners often times actually decrease pain sensation and increases movement
ability. There is a thing as having too little strength but there is also the issue of having too
much strength without the ability to display it throughout the structure and it could appear
that is what happens to dedicated PBS swing practitioners.

Limitations of the present experiment

The experiment and the results reported in this article does NOT qualify as peer review
level material. Plenty of factors can be pointed out as lacking in this experiment if going for
scientific publication (eg. no control group, no EMG, no video analysis, no intervention
period, not being randomized/blinded etc.) but that does not undermine the initial observed
results of changing the stance in the kettlebell swing. Furthermore, it has to be recognized
that almost all strength training technique and its instruction is purely based on experience
of the instructor and has little or no scientific backing. Plenty examples of this are to be
found on the internet and in books by self-proclaimed gurus. Hopefully, this will change so
an independent knowledge-base can guide the instruction of strength and conditioning
resulting in less pain, discomfort and injuries among the athletes.
The present experiment was conducted merely to illustrate points made in regard to the
problems observed with the traditional powerlifting-based swing style and its confounding
factors. Nevertheless the results are interesting and are backed up by anecdotal
observations made by other strength and conditioning professionals with a background in
the PBS swing methodology.

Conclusions
In this limited and initial experiment on differences in force output by changing swing
stances it was shown that for this test group the EXP style of the bottom position of the
swing was noteworthy and in some cases significantly better compared to the PBS
kettlebell swing position. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this are not clear,
however the triggering of primitive gait reflexes may play a role and further research
should investigate this.

Closing comments
While this is only an experiment and not a sanctioned study the results and the
extrapolations made in relation to discomfort, pain and possible injury are definitely
plausible based on current neuroscience. A lot of traditional rehab with corrective drills

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 A new approach to kettlebell lifting - dissecting the swing! by Kenneth Jay

designed for building strength in specific muscles and positions have failed miserably
throughout the years and that is unlikely to change. The idea of just get stronger if there
is something you cant do - something advocated by many strength coaches around the
world - is an outdated ineffective approach to dealing with movement related discomfort,
pain and injury.
Being athletic is much more than being strong. Strength is one attribute that is important
but it is a mistake to make it the single factor in athleticism. Many more attributes exist and
should be equally acknowledged. What the strongest people do in a given setting is
usually not the most athletic to anyone else not competing in events based on strength as
the main necessary attribute. Well rounded athleticism and being able to move like an
athlete is so much more that displaying strength.

This article is for information purposes in an area that are dominated by a PBS
methodology and is meant as new inspiration and will hopefully inspire more people to
question what they are told in regards to lifting kettlebells. Further research can hopefully
clarify these observations in more detail so scientifically peer-reviewed articles can be
published and change the mindset of dedicated kettlebell athletes. As more research is
coming out on kettlebells I hope we will see more questioning of the classic/traditional
ways of lifting a kettlebell.

If you would like more information on this or have any questions please do not hesitate to
email me or stop by my website www.kennethjay.dk. Here you will find plenty more
information as well as the most recent peer-reviewed scientific articles on kettlebell training
as they are published.

You can friend me on facebook at www.facebook.com/coachkennethjay or follow me on

twitter @kenneth_jay. I am also available for workshops, lectures and seminars on
everything from kettlebell training to neuroscience. learn more at www.kennethjay.dk.

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