I enjoy odd lifts, or circus lift as I call them jokingly. The kettlebell windmill is such a lift. It gives me a change of pace, and I enjoy the technical challenge. Not only that, I feel my mid section, back and hips benefit from those weird looking positions, especially if I have been focusing on more conventional lifts like deadlifts and squats.
Everyone has (or should have) their reasons for performing a certain lift, so the video tutorial is for those people interested in learning the kettlebell windmill and avoiding the common mistakes.
The kettlebell windmill can be a great exercise to increase mobility, flexibility and core strength. It increases shoulder stability as long as you pay attention. You also get to move your body in all 3 planes of motion, which is where I feel the benefits come from. I am not denying the potential for injury with odd lifts, so approach the kettlebell windmill with respect and caution.
I am aware that there’s always going to be tons of opinion as to how and what is the perfect kettlebell windmill.
Most practionners keep the back leg straight and some even do it with both legs straight, and they all go fully to the floor. Good for them.
Ask yourself where you are with your flexibility, stability and strength levels. Instead of blindly doing things a certain way, start with the easiest variation and experiment from there.
If you’re going to argue it’s cheating, I am going to ask you to show me your official police badge, and also prove me you how you know more about my body than I do.
Most practionners keep the back leg straight and some even do it with both legs straight, and they all go fully to the floor. Good for them.
Ask yourself where you are with your flexibility, stability and strength levels. Instead of blindly doing things a certain way, start with the easiest variation and experiment from there.
If you’re going to argue it’s cheating, I am going to ask you to show me your official police badge, and also prove me you how you know more about my body than I do.
I am no biomechanical expert, but I know for example that I can safely lift more weight and go deeper in a Romanian deadlift or even a good morning with a slight bend in my knees that I can with stiff legs. I can do both.
Without going into detail as to what muscle group (ex: glutes or hamstrings) is more involved as I straighten up my hips, a slight bend in my legs feel better and stronger.
Just because the windmill looks exotic, it does not mean that general principles you know from other exercises suddenly do no longer apply.
I am still getting the benefits of the windmill the way I do it, regardless of how close of far from pure perfection my technique is. It does not matter, I am not trying to set world records or entering a perfection contest in this lift. It ‘s just an exercise that I view and treat as a supplement.
Without going into detail as to what muscle group (ex: glutes or hamstrings) is more involved as I straighten up my hips, a slight bend in my legs feel better and stronger.
Just because the windmill looks exotic, it does not mean that general principles you know from other exercises suddenly do no longer apply.
I am still getting the benefits of the windmill the way I do it, regardless of how close of far from pure perfection my technique is. It does not matter, I am not trying to set world records or entering a perfection contest in this lift. It ‘s just an exercise that I view and treat as a supplement.
If you can do a kettlebell Turkish Get Up, you have already done a windmill – without thinking much about it – during one of the transitions. In the get up, the windmill portion is done from a kneeling stance, with a relatively short range of motion. When doing a kettlebell windmill from standing there are more opportunities to make mistakes that can end up in an injury.
A few quick words…
The kettlebell windmill is a great assessment tool. You can learn a lot of things about how your client moves from watching them attempt this exercise without weight. As with all unilateral (single limb) exercises, asymmetries and restrictions are easily revealed.
Work through your functional range of motion, and do not be afraid of using a little box between your feet to raise the floor to you.
The kettlebell windmill is a good exercise to master should you wish to go on to learning the 2 hand anyhow or bent press.
The kettlebell windmill is a great assessment tool. You can learn a lot of things about how your client moves from watching them attempt this exercise without weight. As with all unilateral (single limb) exercises, asymmetries and restrictions are easily revealed.
Work through your functional range of motion, and do not be afraid of using a little box between your feet to raise the floor to you.
The kettlebell windmill is a good exercise to master should you wish to go on to learning the 2 hand anyhow or bent press.
Common sense
- Warm up well
- Start unloaded
- Follow the progressions
- Listen you your body and common sense
- Stick to the 5-8 rep range even if you can do more
- Do not rush to find how many kilos you can lift
- Always start with your weak and just match the volume on your strong side
Here are the key points to remember
- Stand shoulder width apart, feet pointing away from the arm that is up
- Maintain a straight arm with the kettlebell centered over your shoulder, and let the weight settle through the skeleton
- Keep your eyes on the kettlebell to keep good posture and alignment though the upper body
- Keep the mid section tight to stabilize the spine
- Push your hip under your shoulder
- Keep a slight bend in both legs as you descend
- Push the hips back as you fold forward, trying to keep your navel as much as possible between your feet the whole time
You may find that you can easily stabilize the kettlebell on one side, but it has a tendency to rotate forward on the other side. Just be aware and work on it to achieve full control before you add more weight!
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий