Yesterday, concerned about all the horrible things I heard on the news about radioactive substances and people falling off cliffs in India, I went into the gym to do some swings and to clear my head.
I had a long talk with my grandmother, too, who, being equally stunned and concerned from hearing the news that somebody fell off a cliff in India, wanted to check in and make sure that person wasn’t me. I assured her I was perfectly safe, giving thanks to the baby Jesus, and still the same 7,800 miles from the source of danger as I was yesterday and the day before. Following that discussion we scheduled dinner at Olive Garden, shooting for next Tuesday at 4:30.
I’ve been working on a new style of swings using Rubberbanditz. The purpose is to mimic the effects you can get from having a partner spike the bell between your legs like a baked potato. It adds additional upward resistance, too.
I wouldn’t recommend that you swing like this all the time, but doubtless this is a very useful drill for teaching a number of helpful lessons about the swing. Included: how to derive power from the hips, how to reduce power from the hips; how to stretch the posterior chain and wedge deeply into the hinge; how to time the pendulum attentively and not sack yourself.
The set up is simple and quick. Take a band and loop it around the handle of the kettlebell, then lower the hoops down around the horns (the sides of the handle). Get the remainder of the band, spread it, and step on it with whatever stance affords you a base for the comfortable execution for swings. Then swing.
Here, I put a video together of this movement for you:
Anyway, with all things going wrong on this sad mud-pie, I think we should learn to take our news from the birds rather than CNN. Their news is always good news, and chipper, and has nothing to do with the price of gasoline at the pump, people falling off cliffs in India, or cancerous tumors. Aside, if there is ever anything of danger that I think you should be made aware of I will let you know as soon as I hear about it from my grandmother.
– Pat
PS – I highly recommend Rubberbanditz. High quality bands, and a rather reasonable price.
ATTN: 2 Male Clients Wanted for Summer Case Study
If you’re a male, and interested in working with me for the next three months through private online coaching, email me at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com with the subject line of “Summer Case Study”.
I am looking to take on two new male clients who meet the following criteria:
- Specifically, you want to put on lean muscle mass and strength using solely kettlebells (and bodyweight), and…
- …You have ONE very specific strength-based goal that you want to achieve (a heavier deadlift, a muscle up, one arm chin, whatever-it just needs to be one specific and measurable thing).
Online coaching is expensive, but whenever I take on new clients in this form, I offer a pretty big case study discount. Serious folks only. No schleppizoids. And the deadline to apply is this friday.
Great drill, use this a lot with my clients to help them to stop squatting their swings. Also helps with people who tend to lift the kettlebell too much from their arms.