Your Kettlebell Swing Preflight Checklist
By Jon Engum, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor |
| Before a pilot flies his plane, he must complete a preflight checklist. No matter how much experience he has, he must always use the checklist. We must do the same before we swing. This is known as the setup. It has been said, “Your setup should be considered your first rep.” Your routine should be the same before every set. This needs to become your preflight ritual. I have adapted the below setup routine from StrongFirst Certified Senior Instructor Woo Chae Yoon. In fact, Woo Chae has a cool mantra to help students remember the setup sequence and develop good habits:
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| Foot, foot… Hips… Hands... Lats.
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| First, be calm in front of the kettlebell. Many people are very excited to swing the kettlebell and they rush this part. They just mindlessly grab the kettlebell and start swinging. Before you grip the handle, take a moment to calm down. Focus on the lift you are about to do.
Second, set your feet. Firmly plant your feet in your swing stance at a proper distance from the kettlebell and leave them there. Your feet should not move at all during the setup. Say, “Foot, foot” as you plant them.
Third, hinge your hips. Place your “knife hands” on your hip creases and initiate your hip hinge by pushing your pelvis back with your hands. Say, “Hips.”
Fourth, grab the handle of the kettlebell with both hands while keeping your eyes on your focal point, which could be the horizon outdoors or the spot where the wall and the floor meet indoors. Say, “Hands.”
Fifth, activate your lats by trying to bend the handle of the kettlebell while keeping your elbows straight. Say, “Lats.”
Now you are ready to inhale and perform your back swing...
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