TracyReifkindsKettlebellSwingsProgressions

Excerpted from the Kettlebell Swing Queens Kettlebell Swings Progressions DVD To catch up with more of Tracys training tips, visit her blog at http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/

Fortheabsolutebeginner:OntheMinuteTraining
For most people, learning how to do a proper kettlebell swing is a workout in itself. I find the average used to be somewhat fit person can only swing a kettlebell properly for about 10 reps. Once they practice sets of 10 or so, their work capacity increases quite fast and they usually work up to 20 repetitions within four practice sessions. Lets answer the question of how do you get to 20 reps and beyond, consistentlyand consistently means set after set for about 20 minutesand then the question becomes why should you, and how can you without getting bored or going insane. First you have to get to 20 reps, consistent reps, so before I go on, let's do a little exercise in pacing.....we will revisit pacing later, but for my style of high volume swing training, you must establish a 10 reps per 15 second pace. That translates into 1.5 seconds per swing. Pacing workout, starting at 4 sets of 10 speeding up to 11,12, slowing down to 9 and then combining them all for a total of 12 or so sets = only 3 minutes Now that we've established our 10 rep per 15 sec pace, on-the-minute training allows an individual, personalized progression to 20. Here's how. Each set starts on the minute, progressively increasing the number of reps until you or your client needs more rest. For instance: Start with 10 reps, do about 2-4 sets of 10 Now, increase the number of reps by 2 depending on ability (sometimes it's one rep at a time) At 12 reps, complete two sets, gauge if you are getting enough rest, or do you feel as if you're not getting enough rest? Always stop increasing the number of reps or even lower the number of reps when you feel as if you are not getting enough rest. Keep increasing until you get to 20 reps and then repeat 20-rep sets 5-10 times.

WorkintoRest
We have now established 20 reps, consistently, for at least 10 sets, and up to 20. How do we build the conditioning to train a minute long and longer sets? There are benefits to swinging the KB for minutes at a time, but make no mistake, 15-second sets can be just as hard, if not harder if you know how to scale them. Overloading your rest to work ratio increases your strength and your work capacity. Technique Set your gymboss for 30-second intervals, keeping your predetermined 10 reps per 15 second pace. Every rep past 10 reps, take away from your rest period. In other words, you will be overloading your rest periods, while increasing your work periods. Start with 10 reps and increase only one rep per set up to 15 reps total. This equals six sets (10,11,12,13,14,15.....3 minutes total). Now you have the option of laddering, progressing down, or starting at the beginning and then laddering, or progressing back up. Now do the same thing with one-minute intervals, starting with 20 reps, and adding two reps per set until you reach 30 reps.

SwingProgressions
The One Hand Swing One- hand swings are hard for people to get used to....not to learn, but most people are overthinkers and everything falls to crap when they have to let go of one hand, much less switch the KB between two hands in mid air. Drill: Touch the Handle Ironically, teaching one-hand swings and swing transfers is opposite to my workload swing progressions....here's why..... Using the touch the handle method, you or your client, must get used to the how fast the exchange happens. This method sets up the transfer, and practicing this method makes the timing almost automatic. I use what I call the speed skater visual to explain this method. In other words, the resting arm swings behind the body as the working arm is in the downstroke postion, then swings forward to meet the working arm at the top of the arc. Therefore the resting arm touches the handle, meeting the working arm simultaneously. Practice touch the handle technique. The benefits to speed skater method: thorasic mobility, complete use of the lats, more power, balance, grace, gait mechanics....dead arm ain't pretty.

One hand swings Pavel said at a recent RKC,The one-hand swing uses 50% more muscles than the two-hand swing. What? Did I just get solid facts about how much harder the one-hand swing is? Thank you! Increasing the number of one-hand swing repetitions increases the difficulty, which is why I incrementally increase the number of one-hand swings, and have calculated them into 10-20-4060-80-100+ reps combinations. Learning and training one-hand swing progressions are the same, but ironically are in the opposite order. Thank goodness when we practice, it's a workout in itself! My basic 20-rep swing workload progressions are as follows: 10/10 5/5 1 touch, one swing (swing transfers) transfers 2 hand swing Practicing these swing combinations teaches and trains a persons ability to do a super human workload in a very short period, while barely noticing time, effort or workload. The very first time I get a client to swing for an entire minute, they are so distracted by the goal of performing the combination right, they rarely notice the number of reps they are doing! The Roundabout Like many of our exercises and drills, the roundabout began an experiment. I needed to build my strength, progressively, once the 12kg was no longer challenging. But my only progressive weight option was the 16kg. The 16kg is quite a bit heavier in scale to a woman than a man plain and simple. You might as well have doubled the weight, specifically when swinging one handed. In my opinion, its the equivalent of a man swinging the 16kg and then going to work with the 24kg. The Roundabout was developed using my experience of workload progressions to enable me to experience a brief exposure of a heavier bell. Keats Snideman used the phrase brief exposure, and I love it as it explains perfectly the reasoning behind this combination of swing movements. The Roundabout uses all of the swing movements.and then some!

Hereistheprogression
Two-hand swing Drop one hand (two- to one-hand transfer) One-hand swing Two-hand grab (one- to two-hand swing)

Two-hand swing Drop one hand on the other side (two-hand transfer) One-hand swing Two-hand grab (one- to two-hand transfer) Repeat

There are a total of eight reps per one roundabout.could I get any luckier? Eight reps is easily multiplied five times for a total of 40 which equals one minute of swings!

Benefits
The Roundabout gives the athlete a brief exposure to single-hand swinging of a heavier bell. Because the roundabout uses the two-hand swing, which is a symmetrical movement at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the combination, it provides a stable and stronger base to support the heavier one hand swings. Although easy to learn with the help of a leader or a coach, you or your client becomes distracted from the effort of trying to perfect the combination. Many times, teaching this combination is the first time I get a client to swing for an entire minute without them being aware of the workload. Excerpted from the Kettlebell Swing Queens Kettlebell Swings Progressions DVD To catch up with more of Tracys training tips, visit her blog at http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/