Traditional kettlebell zealots favor the so-called Russian swing, where the weight is swung to around chest level with arms bent, while maverick coaches argue for the version that’s perhaps become more popular in America—swinging the weight clear overhead with arms extended.

We say both have their place and that, ultimately, the argument for one at the exclusion of the other is, like so many political debates, mere propaganda. We asked Onnit Director of Fitness Education, Shane Heins, to compare and contrast the two exercises so you can choose which side you wish to align yourself.

What’s The Difference Between The Russian Kettlebell Swing and The American Kettlebell Swing

(See 00:10 in the video above.)

“The father of modern kettlebell training who revitalized its use in the West is Pavel Tsatsouline,” says Heins. Beginning around the turn of the century, Tsatsouline—a coach of Eastern European origin—taught and popularized kettlebell training mechanics around the U.S. Pavel primarily demonstrated the Russian version of the swing, raising the bell to between waist and chest height, because that’s the way it was traditionally taught in Russia, the kettlebell’s motherland.

Heins notes that swinging in this fashion is less challenging to learn and more accessible to most people than swinging the weight overhead (the American style), and so this technique caught on. The swing in general gained a following because it was a simple way to add power to a training program—a quality that most general population fitness seekers ignore—as well as a good way to teach hip hinging. (Most of us bend at the waist and spine when we need to learn to drive our hips back).

“As awareness of kettlebell training grew, practitioners started exploring other variations of the swing,” says Heins, “with CrossFitters promoting a swing style where the arms travel overhead.” This has since come to be known as the American swing. “Naturally, controversy ensued about which version was the safest and most effective,” says Heins, “but if you really look at them, they’re essentially the same exercise, with some minor differences that make one a better choice for some people and the other the right choice for others.” To assure you that there really shouldn’t be any bad blood between the two sides, Heins notes that Pavel—the “Russian coach”—has also taught the American swing, and featured it in his programs. Peace at last…

How To Do The Russian Kettlebell Swing

For a really intricate look at the mechanics of the Russian swing (often just called the “kettlebell swing”), see our complete guide to the kettlebell swing. (Also, watch the video above, beginning at 3:30.) Once you’re familiar with the concept of the swing, it really boils down to two steps.

Step 1. Stand with feet between hip and shoulder width. You can place the kettlebell on the floor in front of you if you have experience hiking the weight back into position, or you can simply begin from a standing position—either are OK. In both cases, once the kettlebell is in hand, soften your knees and bend your hips back and allow the kettlebell to swing back in the triangular space between your knees and your crotch. You must begin each rep with the kettlebell in this triangle—any lower than your knees and you risk back injury and improper reps. Keep a long spine from the top of your head to your tailbone as you bend at the hips, and keep your head in neutral—focus your eyes on a spot about 10 feet in front of you on the floor.

Step 2. Drive your feet into the floor and extend your hips, tucking your pelvis under as you lock your hips and knees out and stand tall. Use your back muscles to keep your shoulders pulled down (away from your ears). Allow the power from your hips to raise the weight up to roughly chest level—don’t lift the weight with your shoulders. Your arms should stay tight to your sides at the top of the swing, but allow your elbows to bend as needed.

Take a few reps to gradually swing the kettlebell to its full height and find your rhythm.

Benefits of the Russian Kettlebell Swing

(See 14:30 in the video.)

The Russian kettlebell swing uses a shorter range of motion and doesn’t require good overhead body mechanics, so it’s ideal for using heavy weight and developing power. To be clear, you’ll be able to train heavier and build more hip extension strength and power with the Russian swing vs. the American one. Since it serves as a foundation for the American swing, it only makes sense for beginners to master the Russian version first.

How To Do The American Kettlebell Swing

The great challenge for many people when it comes to the American kettlebell swing is the overhead position. Can you raise your arms overhead without hyperextending your back? Can you get your arms vertical, or is your range of motion limited? Do you have any shoulder injuries that might make raising a weight straight overhead painful or uncomfortable? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then Heins suggests you hold off on the American swing for a bit while you work on shoulder and T-spine mobility and otherwise address any restrictions you have. Otherwise, if you’re good to go, here’s how to do it right (see 10:43 in the video).

Step 1. Set up exactly as you did for the Russian swing, and begin the exercise by swinging the weight back between your legs and then extending your hips.

Step 2. Instead of keeping your arms tight to your sides and bending the elbows, allow the power generated by your hips to let you drive the kettlebell overhead, extending your arms instead of holding the weight back. Let the kettlebell travel overhead—it should feel weightless as it goes vertical—and then control its descent back down.

Be careful that you keep your ribs pulled down, pelvis tucked, and core tight. If you allow your ribs to flare, you will hyperextend your back and will lose control of the swing as it moves overhead.

Benefits of the American Kettlebell Swing

The American swing takes the kettlebell over a greater range of motion, which is more challenging to total-body stability. Your core, as well as your overhead range, will be tested. It’s a great way to build strength in the shoulders as well as mobility that supplements any kettlebell pressing movements you do, and a fun variation to employ in general once you’ve got the Russian swing under your belt. What you sacrifice in power in the American swing you can make up for in work capacity. Because the range of motion is longer and the overhead position more precarious, the American swing doesn’t lend itself to heavy loads like the Russian one does. But it can be done for high reps and short rest periods, building your conditioning.

Should I Use The Russian or American Kettlebell Swing?

In the real Cold War between the U.S and the U.S.S.R., both sides were right… or, at least, thought they were right. The conflict between the Russian and American kettlebell swings, fortunately, is much easier to resolve. Try both, as both have their merits. If you’re a newbie to kettlebells, conquer the Russian swing. Likewise if you have shoulder troubles. But if you’re healthy and seeking a tougher conditioning workout with light weight, give the American version a go.

The post Kettlebell Cold War: American Vs. Russian Kettlebell Swing appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Dr. Andreo Spina is the creator of both the Functional Range Release (FR)® soft tissue management system and the Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)® mobility development system.

Naturally, we decided to team up with him to bring you this video containing a demonstration of a hip opening sequence you can use to help increase your hip mobility, and therefore, your functional fitness.

Hip Mobility Exercise #1: 90/90 Hip Stretch

To get into the 90/90 position, your lead leg should be directly in front of you, bent to 90 degrees. Line it up with your heel. The trail leg should be to the side also be bent to 90 degrees, with the heel lining up with the back leg.

When you’re in the position, extend your back. Try to get your belly button to hover over your knee. If you lean forward keeping your chest up high, you’ll get a deep stretch in your lead leg. What you’re stretching here is the gluteus minimus muscle.

Hip Mobility Exercise #2: 90/90 Trail Leg Stretch

From the same position, you can work on the trail leg. You’re going to work it into an internal rotation position. Put your hands on your chest. Square yourself off with the trail leg. If you can’t, post your arm behind you and walk yourself into the position.

This stretch is a good indicator of hip health. If you can’t get into this position or if you have a pinching pain in this position, you should talk with a professional to make sure there’s nothing intrinsically wrong.

Hip Mobility Exercise #3: Hinge

Keep all of your weight on your back leg. Post up on the toe, swing the leg open and keep the lead leg down as long as you can. Point your toes down and swing your leg back up to bring your hip back into internal position. After a few reps, do a 90/90 transfer so you end up in the same position on the opposite side.

The post 3 Hip Mobility Exercises & Why You Should Do Them appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Is The Hip-Opening Mountain Climber Bodyweight Exercise?

Most people do mountain climbers as a conditioning exercise—and they do them very inefficiently. They get into a pushup position and alternate driving their knees up to their chests, rounding their backs and twisting their hips. This may get the heart rate up, but it reinforces movement patterns that can lead to injury down the road.

You can burn calories and work your heart while also training safe, efficient movement with what we call the hip-opening mountain climber—one of he more advanced movements in the mountain climber series of our Durability curriculum.

The hip-opening mountain climber (sometimes called a “full mountain climber”) is just a slower-moving, more purposeful version of the movement you’ve probably done in many exercise classes. It trains you to maintain alignment from your mid back (T spine) to your pelvis when you flex and extend your hips, which helps prevent rounding the lower back on exercises like the squat and deadlift, and their many variations, as well as hyperextending the low back on overhead presses. You’ll develop mobility in the back and hips, and greater stability in the core and upper back/scapulae, resulting in safer training, better movement, and a reduced risk for lower-back pain.

How To Do The Hip-Opening Mountain Climber Bodyweight Exercise

Step 1. Get into a pushup position with hands directly beneath your shoulders and legs extended behind you, feet shoulder-width apart. Tuck your tailbone and brace your core—your head, spine, and pelvis should form a straight line. Draw your shoulder blades back together and downward. Think: “proud chest,” and “long spine.” Take a deep breath.

Step 2. Exhale your breath and, keeping your core braced, raise your right leg to the outside of your right arm, landing with your foot flat and the knee pointed straight ahead. Try to maintain your spine and pelvis alignment as you do this. It’s OK if you can’t do it perfectly now, but be aware of how you’re moving so you can correct it. When your leg is in position, pull it inward while driving your right arm out so it touches the outside of your arm firmly.

Step 3. Allow your hips to sink a bit and adjust so you re-establish your proud chest and long spine position. Hold for 3–5 seconds.

Step 4. Return your right leg back to the original pushup position, and repeat on the opposite leg.

Muscles Worked in the Hip-Opening Mountain Climber Bodyweight Exercise

– Hip flexors
– Quads
– Hamstrings
– Upper back
– Lats
– Glutes
– Core

Hip-Opening Mountain Climber Benefits

–Develops the ability to stabilize the spine and pelvis during movement.

– Improves hip strength, along with hip, hamstring, and T-spine mobility

– Strengthens T-spine extension (said another way: the ability to stand up straight and tall)

– Improves lat and scapular mobility (the ability to move and control your shoulder blades/upper back), contributing to good posture and structural control that will translate to many other exercises.

How To Use The Hip-Opening Mountain Climber

– Include the mountain climber in your warmup before a lower-body workout (it works best as part of a series of hip openers in a full mobility warmup). It’s especially helpful when done before any type of squat, split squat/lunge, or deadlift.

– Use the mountain climber as a work capacity exercise to build conditioning. Perform reps faster (but keep proper form) and see how many you can do in a given time. Or, use it as part of a circuit of bodyweight exercises.

– Mix it in between sets of your main strength exercises for extra mobility training. Done between sets of squat and deadlift movements, the mountain climber can improve your ability to activate your hips and hold your shoulders in place. This can mean deeper squatting and hinging without rounding your lower back.

Regression

If the full mountain climber is too challenging for you, start with the kneeling mountain climber, in which one knee rests on the floor. You can also practice working on the mountain climber’s beginning and end positions—the top of a pushup and a deep lunge. When you feel comfortable getting into and holding those postures for a few breaths, the movement in between will come more easily.

Progression

When you feel you’ve mastered doing the mountain climber slowly, increase the speed at which you perform reps. You can also add rotation to the end of the movement, as in the stacked bow/reverse stacked bow.

Sample Workouts

See the hip-opening mountain climber used as part of a bodyweight conditioning circuit HERE.

The hip-opening mountain climber also appears in the Onnit 6 Bodyweight program, a six-week transformation plan you can do in your home.

The post Master This Move: The Hip-Opening Mountain Climber Bodyweight Exercise appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The following simple hip strength mobility workout can be performed before a workout or during an off day. You will be performing 12 repetitions of the Forward Leg Swing followed by 12 repetitions of the Lateral Leg Lift.

After performing these two you will be performing Leg Circles, 8 in each direction forward followed by 8 in each direction to the side.

Perform all four drills on one leg before repeating on the other side to complete one round of the circuit. Perform the series from 3-5 rounds to feel the burn.

A1: Forward Leg Swing 3-5 rounds x 12 reps (each leg)
A2: Lateral Leg Lift 3-5 rounds x 12 reps (each leg)
A3: Forward Leg Circles 3-5 rounds x 8 reps (each leg)
A4: Lateral Leg Circles 3-5 rounds x 8 reps (each leg)

Top 4 Hip Exercises to Increase Hip Strength & Alleviate Back Pain

I have found that to be true in many areas of life. Simple things like eating well consistently, consistently staying in touch with loved ones, and getting enough sleep can all become difficult to accomplish at one time or another.

It seems like adding that simple word, “consistently” to anything can all of a sudden make a simple task very challenging.

One of the greatest detriments towards one’s strength goals is a lack of hip mobility. The number one cause of this lack of hip mobility is sitting. Sitting at work all day, sitting on the couch in front of the television, sitting at dinner, sitting in traffic on your work commute.

Most of your every day life is spent sitting. This causes lack of hip function and mobility, which in turn can contribute to lower back pain. This reality often results in a lack of desired strength gains, or a lack of realization of your current potential strength.

The most effective way to get your clients to perform hip mobility moves is to explain the effect a poor range of motion has on performance.

The commitment to being a better mover with a focus on functional hip mobility and hip strength, rather than on simply performing movements with more weight or more reps is another one of those simple sounding, yet profoundly challenging, tasks.

While it is very hard to quantify movement quality, it is often too easy to measure improvement in reps or pounds. At times, it’s just gratifying; who doesn’t like the feeling of setting a new personal record?

What I have found in my previous years of chasing bigger numbers in reps or pounds, without regard for movement quality, is that you will eventually sacrifice that which you are not aspiring towards. In a simpler way, you will lose those things that are not within your line of sight.

If you only wish to increase the number of reps you can perform of a certain push up, then at some point in time you will likely be sacrificing technique to get those reps.

If you want to move bigger weight, and that is your only measure of success, then you will likely do so, but create a structure that is hyper rigid and lacks the ability to move freely.

In short, you do not have to sacrifice your hip mobility in the pursuit of hip strength. In fact, quite the opposite is actually true: if you wish to realize your greatest strength potential, you need to find a balance between these two seemingly opposing goals: hip strength and hip mobility.

I am not recommending that you spend countless hours working towards achieving difficult postures or mobility sequences. Sometimes keeping it simple is best observed if we want to get results without overwhelming ourselves.

The 4 hip exercises in the hip strength mobility workout provided in this article, that is our goal: to keep it simple, increase hip strength, and alleviate back pain.

There are only four hip exercises to perform which require no equipment and very little space. All you might want to have in order to perform the hip exercises is a wall or a stable prop that will allow you to make small postural corrections while performing these drills as you will be doing so on a single leg.

Though the following hip mobility exercises  may be easy to perform, my goal is to make sure that you find them both challenging and rewarding. I would like you to perform the drills in the sequence and rep scheme provided while paying very close attention to the cues.

You should find that by limiting the amount of accessory movements, you will greatly enhance each drill in creating dynamic stability.

In addition, if you are able to effectively create the intended motion using these hip exercises, while also stabilizing the rest of your body, you will help yourself develop a high level of kinesthetic awareness and coordinated strength.

By training in this manner you will also develop the ability to better refine your positioning in various hip strength skills, thereby improving the likelihood of your ability to perform them successfully.

Hip Exercise #1: Forward Leg Swing

The first drill is a forward leg swing. I would say that most of you would classify this drill as pretty simple and easy. GREAT! Now as you perform the drill, focus on driving your base foot heel into the ground and lifting your crown as high as possible to stand tall.

Neutralize you pelvic position to make sure you are not arching your back as you bring your heel close to your butt on the backswing.

Keep your toes pointing either forward or back to avoid opening the hip into external rotation and swing away while maintaining your tall structure and keeping your naval firmly fixed forward. You will be performing 12 repetitions as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

Hip Exercise #2: Standing Lateral Lift

The next drill is just as simple but might not be as easy since most people find that their hips are restricted in this range of motion. For this drill you will be doing a standing lateral leg swing, but since I would like to avoid using too much momentum as part of the drill, we will call it a lift rather than swing.

While maintaining the same posture we defined in the first drill, you will lift your leg directly out to the side while prioritizing the ankle projecting upward.

Actively pull the foot back towards you, trying to create a flat horizontal edge with the lifted foot and press hard into the heel of the supporting foot. Do not forget to stay tall and minimize any unnecessary movement!

The rest of your body is to remain as still as can be with the naval still fixed forward while minimizing any spinal flexion to relieve the hip of its duties. Perform 12 repetitions.

Now it is time to take it up a notch. While maintaining all of the postural cues in the previous drills, the following two drills will challenge your ability to remain stable while being challenged in multiple planes of motion.

Though these drills are not harder to grasp, they should prove to be more engaging than the previous drills.

Hip Exercise #3: Forward Leg Circles

First, you will extend your leg forward driving your heel away from you while pulling the top of the foot back towards you. The goal is to envision here is to touch the wall across from you with the heel, but not the toes.

This will be the top position of the drill. From this position you will draw a circle in front of you at approximately shoulder width while resisting any urge to rotate the hips or torso. Perform 8 repetitions in each direction as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

Hip Exercise #4: Lateral Leg Circles

The last drill of the series will take the circle we just performed to the side. Perform the lateral lift and hold the top position. This will be the top position of this lateral circle.

The motion should also be approximately shoulder width from front to back and terminate with both ankles coming close to touching. Perform 8 repetitions in each direction as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

The post Top 4 Hip Exercises That Help Back Pain appeared first on Onnit Academy.

 
This movement is a precursor to the swing with rotation without adding a ballistic component. It will help build your posterior chain along with your core while adding flexibility in your hips. It is a fantastic movement to build body awareness in an awkward position.

Step 1: Two hand clean a kettlebell and hold it by the horns close to your chest.

Step 2: Pulling your shoulders back and maintaining a wide, proud chest, focus on bringing your left hip back first as you hinge.

Step 3: This will cause you to straighten your left leg slightly while bending your right leg more.

Step 4: Maintaining core tension pull yourself back to the starting position. Repeat.

Tips and Safety: Maintain a long spine throughout this movement. Even with the slight twist do not round. This will ensure a safe spine throughout the exercise. Focus on retracting your shoulder blades as tightly as you can to keep from your shoulders rounding.

The post Kettlebell Twisting Hip Hinge Exercise appeared first on Onnit Academy.

More specifically, the industry has focused largely on both foot strike and footwear as major causes of running ailments. It turns out, however, that there’s another culprit that runners often overlook: hip weakness.

As we have seen in the past, hip strength is essential for a runner to maintain power and health. The hip muscles control the mechanics of your knee, so if you have insufficient hip abduction and external rotation strength, your knee is at a higher risk of injury from patellofemoral pain syndrome and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome.

When utilizing mobility bands, there are a wide variety of hip exercises to choose from, ranging from simple ones, like leg lifts, to complicated side-stepping and squatting variations.

Additionally, insufficient hip strength has been linked to a host of other running injuries, though less definitively. So, we must ask the question…Which exercises are the best for strengthening the hip muscles?

When utilizing mobility bands, there are a wide variety of hip exercises to choose from, ranging from simple ones, like leg lifts, to complicated side-stepping and squatting variations.

Recent research on hip strengthening exercises has shown a direct link between hip weakness and these three muscles — the gluteus medius, the gluteus maximus, and the tensor fascia lata (TFL).

These three muscles are of interest because they have distinct and significant roles.

● The gluteus medius is the main abductor and external rotator of the hip
● The gluteus maximus extends the hip and assists with abduction and external rotation
● The TFL is an abductor of the hip, but because of its positioning, it can also contribute to internal rotation

Hip weakness has become prevalent as a result of the sitting we do in our daily lives. When you consider how important proper hip strength is for runners and the fact that most runners don’t do the specific strength exercises that bolster the hip muscles, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Indeed, there is plenty of research to back up the contention that sitting leads to weak hips, which can ultimately lead to injuries. When the hip over-rotates and collapses inwards during the gait cycle, iliotibial band syndrome often results.

While sitting can cause injuries through underuse of the hips, there is an association between overuse injuries in the lower extremities and poor strength in the muscles around the hip region, including the hip abductor, adductor and flexor.

Either way, these injuries could be avoided if more attention was placed on hip strengthening exercises. So, here are the top 4 hip strengthening exercises for runners:

The post The Top 4 Hip Strengthening Exercises for Runners appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Other Exercise Info

Tip Writer: Mark de Grasse
Demonstrator: Stephanie Schechter

The post Form at a Glance: Lateral Mobility Band Walk appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The kettlebell windmill from the ground will allow you to not only strengthen your core tremendously, but will help increase your hip flexibility and range of motion. Practice this exercise by progressing from the windmill from the ground to the double kettlebell windmill. Be sure to add this exercise for the perfect combination of strength and balance.

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The Kettlebell Windmill is a key exercise that will both strengthen your core while enhancing your hip flexibility at the same time. It requires a level of shoulder stability that few exercises can match. Add in elements of full body coordination and hip and leg flexibility and you have one of the top kettlebell exercises around. Be sure to use the Kettlebell from Ground variation if you don’t have the ability to perform this drill with precision and confidence.

Exercise Steps

Step 1: Standing with your feet forward and slightly wider than shoulder width apart, Clean and Press the kettlebell overhead. Stabilize the kettlebell in a locked out position, then turn your feet 45 degrees away from the kettlebell.

Step 2: While seeking to keep your back leg as vertical as possible, begin to hinge at the hips while tracking the inside of your front leg with the back of your unloaded arm. If you don’t have the flexibility to do this, you may start leaning, in which case, soften your back knee to keep your back hip in line with your back ankle.

Step 3: Try to touch the ground while getting your upper body into a parallel position to the ground. Keep your shoulder packed as you descend and ascend. Keep your eye on the kettlebell; if it starts to fall at any point, get out of the way.

Tips & Safety: Don’t put your feet into the final position until you have the kettlebell locked out overhead; attempting to Clean the kettlebell while in the final position puts your back at risk.

The post Kettlebell Exercise: Windmill appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The Barbell Loaded Hip Extension is the Barbell equivalent to the Kettlebell Swing.  The Barbell Loaded Hip Extension teaches you to generate power from the core outward to the object you’re attempting to manipulate. Instead of learning to move a weight from point A to point B, you learn to generate force from your body’s center. Building hip strength and explosiveness is the key to an athletes athletic ability.

Exercise Steps

Step 1:  Find a plyo box of bench that is approximately between 12-18″ high.

Step 2: With your feet flat on the ground, place the edge of said object under your shoulder blades.

Step 3: Grab the barbell with an overhand thumb grip and bring it to the top of your quads.

Step 4: Explosively thrust your hips through the barbell creating a bridge with your body.

Step 5: Pause for a second at the top and return to the start.

Tips & Safety:  Keep your back straight and your glutes tight throughout the duration of the Barbell exercise. Keep your heels down and your core tight throughout the duration. It is very important you do not start with to heavy of a weight.

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