Instantly Boost Your Kettlebell Pressing Power (revisited)

You’ve just bumped up a kettlebell weight/size for your presses. You’re getting stuck at a specific rep count and can’t seem to get any higher …

Or, maybe you’re going for a new personal best on the kettlebell press, but can’t quite press the next weight up.

If either of the above scenarios describe you, your press/re-clean technique could be the key to unlocking extra pressing power …

In a post earlier this year, I talked about how to boost your kettlebell pressing power using whole-body muscle tension techniques … this concept is a follow-up on that idea and will further help you get more out of your KB pressing.

The idea is that for light weight/high rep/lower intensity sets, you can do your presses right from the shoulder for reps. However, for heavy weight/low rep/higher intensity sets, try re-cleaning the ‘bell between each rep. This will allow you to use some of the kinetic energy you generate with the clean to assist in ‘boosting up’ your press.

It’s amazing the difference this technique (combined with the tension principles discussed in the article I’ve already mentioned) can make in your strength and overall rep totals.

That’s it for today – a simple but very effective technique for boosting your kettlebell pressing power. If you’re looking for that edge to press more weight and make faster progress, add it to your training technique arsenal and enjoy the benefits!

Keep training hard and talk soon -

Forest Vance, RKC II

P.S. If you liked this post, you are sure to like kettlebell exercises posted at http://kettlebellbasics.net/2010/05/25/kettlebell-routines/.

How To Avoid Kettlebell Injuries (3 tips)

The first step to avoiding kettlebell injuries is avoiding kettlebell exercises like this one

Mastering the basic kettlebell drills takes a lot of practice. And if your form is sloppy – or you make some of the other common training mistakes I mention in this article – it’s very possible to get injured. Here are three tips to help you avoid kettlebell injuries:

1. Be aware of your surroundings

Swinging around heavy iron kettlebells requires 1) open space and 2) a durable surface underfoot.

One would think this goes without saying, but very time I’m perusing kettlebell videos on the ‘net it seems I see someone swinging around a ‘bell in really close quarters, over their hardwood floor, inches away from their giant flat screen TV, family cat, etc. -

As a rule, use common sense, and be aware of your surroundings to avoid injury to yourself/objects/animals/humans around you.

2. Abort safely

If you’re doing a kettlebell exercise and you feel something weird, get into an awkward position, etc. – abort! Just drop the ‘bell (and move those feet ) Trying to ‘save a lift’ has caused countless tweaked backs, wrists, shoulders, etc.

3. Learn good kettlebell lifting technique

Good technique is always important when you’re lifting weights. But it’s extra important when you’re training with kettlebells – there’s a lot higher chance you’ll get hurt doing a kettlebell swing the wrong way than, say, using improper form doing a bicep curl with 10 pound dumbbells.

Make sure you take time to learn proper form from the very beginning – ideally working with a RKC certified instructor, and at minimum using something like the Kettlebell Basics Swing Manual.

In conclusion, kettlebells are fantastic training tools – but it’s very important to be aware of your surroundings when training with them, to know when to bail out of a failed lift, and to focus on using great technique to avoid kettlebell injuries.

Keep training hard and talk soon -

Forest Vance

P.S. If you liked this post, you’ll be interested in the information personal trainers Sacramento has to offer at http://www.forestvancetraining.com/personal-trainers-sacramento.