Kettlebells seem to be a crowd pleaser. People who use them like to use use them often, and people who are not familiar with them seem to have a good time when using them. Kettle bells are ideal for core stability, glute activation, and heavy lifting 🙂

It’s a discipline within a discipline. Working out is it’s own thing, but getting familiar with kettle bells can open up a whole new world in fitness. Here is a simple, but technical combination using a kettle bell.

The windmill will challenge your shoulder/core stability as well as your hip hinge (the king of all form). You must lock your grip, position your shoulder, and engage the core & hips to execute properly. If you slack through the shoulder, your windmill will lose all integrity. In order to position the shoulder you must engage the core, open the chest, and lock in the shoulder blades. A proper overhead hold will be stacked over the shoulder blade (not the anterior deltoid). It should be lined up with your ear and your fist should be reaching vertical (not at a forward angle). Keep the kb and fist stacked and vertical as you kick your hips back and reach for the floor with the opposite hand. Make sure your core is engaged and your back is straight. Remember it’s a hip hinge. Reach for the ceiling as you reverse your movement. It’s very important that you don’t go too heavy with this. However, if your weight is not heavy enough, you will not properly stack. Start on the light side and work your way up. You have to investigate the proper weight for you.

Before switching sides, go into an alternating kettle bell swing. This weight will be much lighter than what you would normally use for a swing, so give your hips and core a little challenge and alternate the swinging arm.