Thursday, October 3, 2013

The Kettlebell Craze: Learning to "Clean"

In my previous posts, I discussed the important, as well as beneficial, effects of using kettlebells (The Ultimate Fitness Tool) and the first progression of using this tool, a swing (The Skinny on the Bell).
Mark Crawford wrote an article in the Journal of the American Chiropractor Association saying ”Kettlebell drills have historically focused on working many muscle groups in unison, while dumbbells are more commonly used for isolation drills like curls and lateral raises in traditional weight training techniques.”  So the beauty of kettlebells is that they are functional and workouts with them are full body. Originally, the purpose of a clean with a kettlebell was to find a way to lift them safely overhead. According to kettlebellscience.com, “The clean can be used by itself as an exercise for strength and endurance or in combination with bodyweight exercises or other high-repetition kettlebell exercises.”
 
I often use kettlebells when training my clients, and teaching my clients how to clean is always a difficult task. When teaching a clean, here are my cues:
1.       First, begin feet hip-width apart, kettlebell in hand between your legs like you would for a swing; hinge at the hips and knees slightly; make sure to not completely squat down
2.       Second, start to swing the kettlebell upwards but instead of a semicircle motion like a swing, bring the kettlebell at a more vertical, straight up angle
3.       With the elbow at almost a 90 degree angle and pulling upwards towards the ceiling, this is where you begin to flip the kettlebell over; make sure to always have your back straight and never hunched over at any part of the clean
4.       While flipping the kettlebell over, bring the elbow down and towards your side
5.       Make sure to control the flip so that the kettlebell does not slam into your forearm; once the kettlebell is still and your elbow is against your side, this is called the “racked” position
 
Once you begin to master the clean, you should never feel pain or see bruising in your forearms or shoulders. With that said, it is a difficult task to flip a kettlebell onto your forearm if you’ve never done it before, but it should land “light as a feather” at the end of the move. If bruising or pain becomes an issue, take a step back and notice your technique; are you doing each movement properly? This information, ways to fix issues with the clean, and much more can be found on kettlebellscience.com! http://www.kettlebellscience.com/clean.html
Stay tuned for the next progression on my next post… J

2 comments:

  1. This article is a great aid for personal trainers. I have a habit of demonstrating these lifts and talking through them that way, it is my learning style. However, I know I am going to come across clients that will need to hear it explained. The 5 steps included in this post include exact cues that I would use.
    Your posts make me feel more comfortable about incorporating kettlebells into mine and my clients routines. Keep them coming!

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  2. I was one of those people who would never use the kettlebells. I will now be using them based off of the information above. I use to think that it was a waste of time. I though you just bend and swing your arms using a small weight. I thought it was just another weight to do curls. I like the fact that if I am doing it right it could help out my breathing and increase my endurance. Another thing I liked was you could lose up to 1,000 calories by using them. So it is a defiant yes that I will be using the kettlebells now.

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