If I am going to put myself up for comment and criticism, I might as well start at where kettlebell training begins – the swing. Every kettlebell lifter starts with the swing, but not every swing is the same.

If we trawl through YouTube we might see many different versions of the swing. Some will incorporate a squat, some will be very freeflowing and look effortless, others will be much more ballistic. I will avoid labelling these as “hard” or “soft”. Instead I will look at my aims in the swing, which are to work hard, train efficiently without cutting corners, and achieve a good score in the Pentathlon. For these aims, I look at the swing promoted by Valery Fedorenko, and I find all that I am looking for.

Fedorenko says about his swing: “No rest, gravity makes you move at a pace that varies very little, so I usually just pick a number and go for it. The way I do Swings, it works the back, all the legs, makes you breath hard, sweat, AND make the grip work like nothing else. Make no mistake, it’s a total body workout.”

What do we want to achieve from the swing? Well, I want to achieve WORK. I don’t want the crutch of a two handed swing, I don’t feel the need for showmanship nor for shortcuts,  I want each arm to perform work independently, and for progress to be made. As some of you will know, I can’t FEEL my legs working, but nonetheless I require them to work!

How will I measure the work? I am looking for a correct hand position, and a bell that stays still in the hand, and close to the body. I want to work at the swing, so that it becomes a movement my body totally understands and welcomes. My swing is still a work in progress, and I am determined to work hard at it. What do you want from YOUR swing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr9Xmbcudpc