Which Muscle Groups Does the Kettlebell Swing Work? Is single arm russian swings Kettlebell Swing Good for Cardio?
Few exercises work almost every major muscle in your body to develop strength, power and balance together. Each muscle group has its specific job. Some generate force while others stabilize your body. The Posterior Chain The posterior chain is a network of muscles and fasciae that extends from your calves and hamstrings into your buttocks and lower back.
These muscles work together to coordinate movement when you throw, swing, run and jump. During a kettlebell swing, your hips move like a door hinge. In a study published in the January 2012 issue of “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,” researchers Dr. Core Power As you breathe and swing, your core is constantly activated throughout the exercise, which includes your transversus abdominis, external and internal obliques, multifidi and diaphragm. The core works with the posterior chain to stabilize your torso and control the rate and direction of the downward swing phase.
The stabilization of the core allows your lower back to handle the compressive forces that the swing generates. Leg Drive The leg drive refers to your legs’ ability to generate force to swing the kettlebell upward. By shifting your weight toward your heels and extending your knees and hips slightly as you swing up, your hips can thrust forward to produce the swing. Different types of swings emphasize different leg muscles. Shoulder Stability Like your core, your shoulder girdle muscles, which include your deltoids, rotator cuffs, rhomboids and trapezius, stabilize your shoulders, arms and neck to avoid the rotation of your upper spine as you swing. These muscles stabilize the scapulae in order to control the swing without injuring your arms or shoulders, just like in a deadlift exercise. Your shoulders should be relaxed during most of the swinging phase.
About the Author Nick Ng has been writing fitness articles since 2003, focusing on injury prevention and exercise strategies. Ng received his Bachelor of Arts in communications from San Diego State University in 2001 and has been a certified fitness coach with the National Academy of Sports Medicine since 2002. Does Using Dumbbells Instead of Kettlebells Burn the Same Calories? If you were looking for the single perfect exercise—one that would not only burn a ton of calories, scorch fat, build muscle, boost your endurance, as well as improve your posture and keep you from getting low back pain—you’d need to look no further than the kettlebell swing. Kettlebell Swing Origins Kettlebells are nothing new in the world of fitness. Folklore has it that kettlebells were first used as counterweights in Russian markets, and at the end of the day the farmers would swing, toss, and juggle the weights for fun and exercise.
