Everything You Need to Know About the Russian Kettlebell Swing
The Benefits, Mistakes to Avoid, and How-To of Russian KB Swings
The Russian Kettlebell Swing (Russian KB Swing) is an excellent exercise for the entire body. It’s an efficient and effective way to work your glutes, hamstrings, core muscles, back, arms and shoulders. It will help you build muscle and lose fat, and is a great workout for your cardiovascular system.
Benefits of Russian KB Swings
The Russian KB Swing is one of those exercises that you’ll love immediately. Not only because it’s fun to do and easy to execute, but because it reaches so many muscle groups in a full-body workout that:
Strengthens your core
Builds functional strength
Helps develop your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity
Develops your grip strength
On top of this, kettlebell swings can be done anywhere, and you don’t need a ton of equipment or the space to store and use it. Kettlebells are versatile and portable, and you only need a few to do many different exercises.
And, of course, a kettlebell workout is low-impact but high-intensity.
What muscles do kettlebell swings work out?
Kettlebell swing variations can be used to work every muscle in the body, but the Russian KB Swing mostly targets the posterior chain: your glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, and abdominals. In addition, you’ll also feel benefits to your feet, quads, forearms, and more.
How to perform a perfect Russian KB Swing
The kettlebell swing is a ballistic exercise that trains the entire body explosively. The movement goes from the hips to the shoulders in one fluid motion with no pauses in between. Here’s how to perform a perfect Russian Kettlebell Swing in eight steps:
Stand directly over the kettlebell, feet apart and the kettlebell between your heels.
Step back with each foot, so that your feet and the kettlebell form a triangle, with the kettlebell as its tip.
Overhand grip the kettlebell with two hands, and tilt it toward you. Pull your shoulders down and back. Engage your lats as if you are trying to break the kettlebell in half.
Pull the kettlebell back between your legs into the hike pass position, while keeping your chest up and the kettlebell close to your inner thighs.
Drive down onto your feet, to stand up tall as you cast the bell forward and away to shoulder height. Your position here should look like a standing plank, with arms out straight ahead of you. Your hips should arrive at the standing position ahead of the bell reaching its high point. The bell should feel weightless at the top of the swing.
Allow the kettlebell to fall back. Stay tall until the kettlebell is almost at your inner thighs.
Hinge your hips back, bending your legs at the knees to ‘catch’ the kettlebell, remaining focused on the horizon with a tall chest.
Repeat the swing for your set number of reps.
Watch our Kettlebell Swing video tutorial
Common kettlebell mistakes to avoid
One of the best things about exercising with kettlebells is that the exercises are easy to master. However, it’s also easy to make mistakes that could either lead to less-than-optimal results or, worse, cause you injury. Here are the main mistakes to avoid when performing hard-style kettlebell swings like the Russian KB Swing.
T-Rex Arms
Don’t keep your arms bent in like a T-Rex. Allow them to extend out and straight at the top of the swing as you cast the bell away from you.
Lifting with your arms
The swing should be driven by the action of your lower body, pushing through your feet, and driving with your hips. Your arms and shoulders do not do the driving work in these exercises.
Leaning back
Pushing your hips too far forward so that you lean back will place excessive pressure on your lower back. If you are feeling lower back pain during your swings, this is the most likely reason. Instead, make sure that at the top of the swing you are in a tall, standing plank position.
Leaning forward
Cutting the swing short will force you to lean forward. To avoid this, ensure that your hips fully extend.
Excessive squatting (not enough hinge)
A kettlebell swing is not a squat with an arm lift. It’s a smooth motion that requires enough hinge at the hip and knees.
Excessive hinging (not enough squat)
By keeping your legs almost straight, you limit the power you can produce in the snap to the standing position. It’s crucial to get deep into the hinge and squat to drive through your feet and hips and produce the power to swing the kettlebell.
Rounding your back
Rounding your back will reduce the effectiveness of the swing and risk injury. Your back should remain straight throughout the swing.
Not keeping the bell close to your body
This is also known as citing the bell too far in front of you. It’s important to let the bell fall back (not down), keeping the bell close to your inner thighs on the swing back.
Swinging too high or too low
Ensure that the bell ‘floats’ at shoulder height.
Not starting and ending in the same position
The setup and finish of a swing are equally important as the swing itself, and the kettlebell should start and finish in the same position on each rep. If your starting position is sloppy, so will your swing be.
Using the wrong weight
Use a weight that is too heavy, and you risk injury. Use a weight that is too light, and the exercise will miss its maximum impact. Therefore, choose an appropriate weight for your body. Learn the technique. Increase the weight when it’s appropriate to do so.
We do not advise that you attempt any kettlebell exercise without experience. Instead, pay heed to these tips:
Learn from a coach who is well versed in kettlebells and experienced in kettlebell training (SFG or RKC certified).
Learn from step one… hike pass, then dead-stop swing, then continuous swing.
Don’t start swinging super heavy if you’re not comfortable with the form.
Be patient and breathe! Let the bell float at the top.
Kettlebell swings are NOT bad for your back
A common misconception is that kettlebell swings are bad for your back. They’re not.
What can be bad for your back is any exercise that is performed incorrectly. Poor form or technique, or using the wrong weight, can be dangerous to your body and detrimental to your health and fitness.
As Tim Gabbet says:
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, but the load you’re not prepared for.”
Therefore it’s crucial to learn kettlebell swings from a coach who is experienced and qualified in kettlebells. You’ll learn the correct technique to target and use your glutes, hamstrings, and core so that your body is not overloaded. This way, you should never feel any pain in your lower back.
Are there kettlebell swing variations to use?
There is always a kettlebell swing alternative, and some common variations include:
2-hand continuous swing (standard kettlebell swing)
Single-arm continuous swing
Hand-to-hand swings
Dead stop swings (1 and 2 hands)
No counter-movement swings
However, once more we recommend that you take professional advice before considering alternatives.
It’s important that you perform kettlebell exercises that are designed to target the specific muscle groups you need to strengthen, and that you perform them with the correct weight and intensity to achieve your personal fitness goals.
Where should you start? For a prescriptive adaptation to your personal situation, book an appointment with us to start a comprehensive 90-minute body evaluation.
