Swing 2.0: An Athletic and Accessible Approach
By Troy Anderson, RKC Instructor, and DVRT Master Instructor
Nowadays, "game changer" is basically a throw-away term—like "epic", "knowledge bomb", etc.
Very FEW things are actual g-a-m-e c-h-a-n-g-e-r-s:
- The Forward Pass
- The Fosbry Flop
- Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI)
- The iPhone
Right along with those "game-changers" is the kettlebell—and even more, the kettlebell swing.
Both the
kettlebell and the kettlebell swing are GREAT and have truly changed the fitness industry for the
BETTER.
I remember back in PKB(pre-kettlebell) times, first hearing about the wonders of the kettlebell swing from my good friend Josh Henkin.
This was also right around the same time that I met Dan—who has been very influential in showing how the kettlebell is especially useful for:
- Accessible fat loss methods
- Developing power and athleticism
- General long-term fitness protocols.
Since kettlebells are more accessible than ever—and with more people using them—now is the time to see what else can we do with them.
Kettlebell swings and swing challenges are great, well documented options for introducing people to the kettlebell lifestyle. But, at some point they will need to start learning about progressions and the millions of possibilities.
As an admittedly-biased
kettlebell advocate, I’d like to see you keep that kettlebell in your sweaty little hands.
I’d like to introduce the
Sprinter Swing. With this simple 8" body position manipulation and a switch from using two hands to only one, you can have an almost endless array of progressions.
Why choose the sprinter swing as a progression for yourself or your clients?
- You don’t need to buy more kettlebells or bigger kettlebells—you can get more value from the smaller kettlebells you already have without sacrificing any training effects.
- It’s called a sprinter swing because of the offset stance similar to a sprinter’s starting stance—and sprinters are definitely power athletes. This stance is also not very different from the stance I used as college offensive lineman. The sprinter swing is an opportunity for you to train a little more athletically in the gym without resorting to circus tricks!
- You can use lighter kettlebells and keep progressing because your body will be exposed to demands outside of pure load. These demands are often neglected and include things like resisting rotation, and creating power using a hip hinge in one plane while resisting flexion in another. The sprinter swing is like eating your vegetables covered in melted cheese, only better…
The progressions are endless, especially if you add a second kettlebell—even if the kettlebells are different sizes—as in the video below.
I hope you will try the sprinter swing, especially if your kettlebell regimen has gotten a little stagnant or has lapsed because you didn’t know what to do next.
I hope the sprinter swing be a little shot of nitrous oxide to turn your kettlebell swing workout back into the game changer that it should be.
Troy M Anderson, RKC Instructor, DVRT Master Instructor is a farm kid driven to spread the good word of the ACCESSIBILITY of kettlebells, sandbags, bodyweight training, and UN-Apologetic Living. His website, Alpha Kettlebell also features many kettlebell workouts: https://alphakettlebell.leadpages.net/kbwod/
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