Let me confess right off the bat that I enjoy pressing tremendously. Single bells, double bells, I love them both! If I could meet all my goals by working on only one lift, it would more than likely be the kettlebell press. I enjoy coaching the push press and jerk, but there is just something utterly primal and enjoyable about strict pressing a big bell over your head. (And by “big” I mean half your body weight or more.)

As with any true joy in life, some work must be done beforehand. The joy of pressing heavy can only be attained by learning how to press properly and repetition of correct technique. There are a number of details that go into the proper technique for the press which we will dive into at a later date, but for this article we will focus on the most common mistake I see people make when they press: improper wrist alignment.

Why Wrist Alignment Is Important

Most people who are new to kettlebell training, or who come to it with a barbell or dumbbell background, support the weight of the bell on their palm, as below.

This is a natural instinct given their previous training, but it causes the wrist to extend so the palm faces upward and the back of their hand moves closer to their forearm. This change places the bell in a mechanically disadvantageous position making it harder to support. More on this detail in a moment, for now I will admit this is not a deal breaker, at least when pressing not-so-heavy. Technical errors can be pushed past when the weight is not challenging. But hopefully your goal is to press a “big” bell, as defined earlier, and to do so, you must press well. Pressing well requires you to support the load with your skeletal system and if you keep your wrist in straight alignment with your forearm, that mission will be accomplished.

The principle difference between a kettlebell and a barbell or dumbbell is clearly its offset handle design. When pressing a barbell or dumbbell the lifter grabs the center of mass so the wrist must extend a small amount when putting either of these tools overhead or the load will not be sufficiently supported. This is not the case with the kettlebell. The offset handle of the kettlebell, in fact, does not allow the lifter to control the center of mass so the lifter is always forced to move a bell from a disadvantageous position making it pound for pound more challenging to stabilize than a bar or dumbbell. Also, with the bell we are literally putting our hand through the weight which allows and requires us to modify the wrist position.

Keep a Neutral Wrist

There’s a saying in martial arts that there are “no wrists” in punching. This means you want to keep your wrist neutral when striking with the fist, maintaining a straight line from your knuckles to your elbow and/or shoulder (depending on the punch) in order to deliver maximum force upon impact. Flexing or extending the wrist will minimize power and potentially cause some self-inflicted and easily avoidable injury—this saying also applies to kettlebells. Bending the wrist out of alignment with the forearm will move an already hard to stabilize weight further off-line making it even harder to control and taking energy that we could otherwise use to press the bell. In short, we must have a straight wrist when we press the kettlebell, as below.

We can cheat through bad form with a light bell, but remember that “practice does not make perfect, practice makes habit.” Why build a bad habit on your lighter reps when you can continue to learn proper technique? (That’s a rhetorical question. There’s no good reason, so don’t do it.)

So how does one accomplish this preferred, efficient neutral wrist position? There are a couple of tactics you can employ to dial in the proper wrist alignment for pressing the kettlebell. The first is simply to not allow the bell to extend your wrist, pulling your palm to the sky. Simply crank down on the handle of the bell (like throttling down on a motorcycle) so you feel like you’re pulling your palm toward the inside of your forearm. Below is an exaggerated example so you can see what I mean. As the bell gets heavier and heavier, this action will probably not be visible, but the effort and effect will still be there.

Another choice is to shove your hand deep into the handle of the bell and angle the handle diagonally across your palm from just above your thumb to the outer corner of your hand.

This angle will reduce the amount of pressure pulling your palm to the sky. If you grab the bell and allow the handle to run side to side, across your palm just under your fingers, (as in the example below) you will be in a dramatically more disadvantageous position to support the weight.

Get in there deep instead and you will feel much less pull on the palm. Go ahead and try both versions now with your max press weight bell (or heavier) and feel the difference.

Put It All Together

These two things done in concert will allow you to get the optimal wrist angle for pressing the kettlebell. Try them both in your next training session and feel the difference. And finally, remember that pressing well and heavy brings joy to your life, so do these things purely in the pursuit of happiness. You’ll be glad you did. Now get to pressing!

The post The Proper Wrist Position for the Kettlebell Press appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As a martial artist and instructor with decades under my belt, one of the hurdles I struggled with when I started training with kettlebells was my thoracic spine mobility, or rather, my lack thereof. Despite my mother telling me I was special, in this regard I am the rule among martial artists, not the exception. Years upon years of training for hours and hours in a boxing or kickboxing stance had encouraged my back and shoulders to retain that tight, rounded, defensive position, even when not necessary during the rest of my day.

When you stress the body in a consistent way over time, it will adapt to that stress as the new normal, a concept enshrined in the SAID principle. In other words, if you sit or stand with poor posture (shoulders rounded forward, upper back slumped, head pushed in front of the shoulders) for extended periods of time, your body will adapt to that position.

Time to Call In a Pro

I’m not a medical professional, so let’s ask my good friend Dr. Ira Schneider what he thinks. Dr. Schneider is a former international-level athlete who has been a private practice chiropractor for 25 years, and works regularly with high-level athletes.

Dr. Schneider: Our basic human posture is indeed changing for the worse. Constant and unconscious use of cell phones is creating a forward and downward head position adding additional and unnatural load onto the neck, over-stretching the back and compressing the front. Add to that the use of computers, almost always in a seated position, creating a shortening of the muscles and fascia of the front of the body and often causing a forward glide of the neck, and you have the recipe for neck, upper back, shoulder, and low back pain, as well as headaches.

How can we address these existing and growing postural issues that already negatively affect so many people? Like most problems, there are a number of solutions: the foam roller, chiropractic treatment, and massage therapy are all good choices, depending on the issue and how you respond to the treatment. Brett Jones, the chief instructor for StrongFirst, uses some simple and remarkably effective bodyweight movements in his recent article on T-spine mobility and its impact on shoulder health.

Today, we will look at another outstanding method to correct postural issues of the upper back and shoulder: kettlebell corrective exercises. Dr. Schneider and I will explain the benefits that a few kettlebell exercises can provide in this arena.

Progress to the Bent Press

If you’re reading Breaking Muscle and have been around for more than five minutes, you have heard of the kettlebell and Pavel Tsatsouline, the man who introduced them to the West. Like most things in strength training, opinions are strong and varied. While I do my best to steer clear of politics (difficult in both martial arts and strength), I will stick to my personal experience with these exercises, as both an athlete and instructor.

Simply put, each and every one of us has seen exponential improvement in T-spine mobility from the movements below. This improved mobility invariably leads to better posture. Better posture leads to more efficient and natural movement of the body, and more important, a better mental attitude and outlook. And a better mental attitude and outlook lead to a better life. Suffice it to say, this handful of kettlebell exercises will fix your life. Really!

I learned this progression toward the bent press from David Whitley, who spent a lot of time studying this quintessential “old time strongman” lift. Arthur Saxon, the king of the bent press, could put 350lb overhead at a bodyweight of just 200lb! The bent press is still done today, albeit without the singlet and handlebar mustache.

The bent press is an amazing lift, no doubt about it. “But,” you ask, “with my upper back locked up after years of _______________ (fill in the blank: cycling, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu jitsu, wing chun, sitting in front of a computer…), how can I safely execute a bent press without risking injury, due to compensation and/or poor form?”

I would answer that question with a question, “What do you do when a student can’t do a pull up?” Yelling at them to do a pull up isn’t going to magically get their chest to the bar. Naturally, you assist them, by hand or with a band, or you use a regression like ring rows. You find a way to require less strength until more strength can be generated.

That’s what we will do today. We will improve T-spine mobility with a progression of movements that are invaluable on their own, and can build up to a bent press down the road, should you choose to learn this amazing lift.

Kettlebell Corrective #1: The Arm Bar

Safety Tip: Do not take your eye off the bell during any of these exercises.

Dr. Schneider: The kettlebell arm bar, when done correctly, is a major shoulder girdle stabilizing exercise. The position and weight of the bell causes the contraction of muscles surrounding the arm and shoulder, creating coordination and strengthening of those muscles. That effect will benefit anyone doing this movement. Additionally, working the kettlebell into the right position also necessitates the opening of the chest in relation to the shoulders and biceps.

Kettlebell Corrective #2: Bent Arm Bar

Safety Tip: This is an awkward position to press from, so start light.

Dr. Schneider: The bent arm bar requires separate movements of the pelvis and thorax, and will create a coordinated contraction for the intercostal, paravertebral, and muscles of the lateral pelvis, among other intrinsic muscles. As you abduct the shoulder and extend the elbow, you contract the muscles of the upper arm. The biceps and triceps balance each other, as do the flexors and extensors of the forearm. Also, the shoulder stabilizers are put to use contracting at different rates to maintain balance of the weight. This means a large number of muscles are being used for both concentric and isometric contractions, first to move a weight, and then to hold it in place.

Kettlebell Corrective #3: Half-Kneeling Bent Arm Bar

Same safety tips apply.

Dr. Schneider: The additional points of contact with the ground that the half-kneeling bent arm bar requires challenges the balance differently. Sensory proprioception of the feet, hips, alternate arm, and thighs will now be involved in the movement of the kettlebell. The biggest difference between this exercise and the previous two will be in the core, as almost all the muscles will fire to keep the kettlebell controlled. The muscles of the lower leg of the foot on the floor will increase the stability at the ankle and knee, and the intrinsic muscles of the foot will gain strength and be less likely to break down under load. The muscles of the inner thigh of the leg on the ground will engage to keep the pelvis centered under the kettlebell. The isometric contraction of the muscles of the hand on the floor will involve musculature all the way up to the neck of that side. Now add the pressing of the kettlebell, and you have a controlled concentric and eccentric contraction from forearm down to the pelvis and grounded foot.

Kettlebell Rehab for a Better Life

Limited T-spine mobility is a widespread problem for vast numbers of people, athlete or not, with ramifications inside and outside of training. These three simple movements, the arm bar, bent arm bar, and half-kneeling bent arm bar, produce a powerful rehabilitative effect on the T-Spine, chest, and shoulders with only a light kettlebell. They have helped me and my students make tremendous progress in the area of spinal mobility, and I highly recommend you try them out so you can experience the same incredible benefits.

The post Kettlebell Correctives for T-Spine, Chest and Shoulder Health appeared first on Breaking Muscle.