Core Training With Kettlebells

  https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/core-training-with-kettlebells/

What is your “CORE”?

As a trainer for over 15 years, I cannot count the times I have been asked about “core” or “ab” exercises. I hear comments and questions like the following over and over.

• “I want a six-pack!”
• “What ab exercises should I do?”
• “Can you help me lose my love handles/muffin top?”
• “What should I do to get strong abs?”

It often seems that people are confused. Because many think of their abs as thecore, I start by educating my students that their core is their trunk, not just a visible six-pack. I then teach them skills to strengthen their core.

It can be a process to change the way they think about this. For far too many years we have been seeing magazines advertising “Amazing abs in just 3 weeks,” “Try these ab exercises for a flat stomach! ”—and a zillion crazy, crunching exercises.

Master StrongFirst Instructor and GGS Advisory Board Member, Karen McDowell Smith.

Don’t get me wrong—there are many exercises that can help you increase core strength. There are also many pointless “core” exercises out there. I love a good burn from time to time for the good ol’ abbies, but I prefer to stick to a few bodyweight exercises and my kettlebell skills.

One of my favorite things about the kettlebell is that pretty much all the skills, if done correctly, work to strengthen your core. Yet another reason why training with kettlebells is so efficient!

I want to teach you 5 of my favorite kettlebell skils! 

If you’re doing these correctly, each of these skills will strengthen your core. I included some intermediate/advanced level drills to some of the basic kettlebell skills. If you are new to kettlebells, work at the beginner level skill before moving on to the intermediate and advanced variations. I have also added a bonus for those who might enjoy something a little less traditional.

• Heavy Half Turkish Get-Up (Get-Up or TGU for short)
• Static Stop Deadlift
• Hardstyle Kettlebell Swing
• Bottoms-Up Clean
• Front Squat
• Bonus: Half-Kneeling Military Press & Wood Chop

HEAVY HALF TURKISH GET-UP

Step-by-Step:

1. Lie on the ground with a heavy kettlebell by your side. Roll toward the bell in a fetal position and scoop the bell in your hands with a straight wrist. Roll back until your back is on the floor.
2. Press the bell overhead, lock out the elbow, and keep the shoulder packed.
3. Place your opposite arm and leg on the ground at 45 degrees. Press into the ground with your non-working arm and both feet, and lead with your chest until you are propped up on your elbow.
4. Then extend the down arm until it is straight and you are in the tall sitting position. Pause in the tall sit and then reverse the move.

STATIC STOP DEADLIFT

Step-by-Step:

1. Stand with a kettlebell placed between your feet in a shoulder-width stance. Press your feet hard into the floor as if you are making roots into the ground.
2. Hinge at the hips and push them back as far as possible, while trying to keep the shins vertical or mostly vertical (minimal ankle flexion).
3. Keeping a neutral spine, reach for the bell. Grip the bell and visualize “breaking” the handle—this will load your lats.
4. Keep the shoulders packed and push hard into the ground to stand up with the bell.
5. Finish the deadlift in a standing plank. Remember you should keep the shoulders packed, don’t shrug them up toward your ears.

HARDSTYLE KETTLEBELL SWING

Step-by-step:

1. Stand with a kettlebell placed about a foot or so in front of you. Your feet should be about shoulder-width or slightly wider.
2. Press your feet hard into the ground and hinge your hips back as far as possible, keeping your shins vertical or mostly vertical (minimal ankle flexion).
3. Keeping a neutral spine, reach for the bell and grip it with both hands, tilting it toward you in preparation for the hike.
   Note: I like to do what I call the PRE-LOAD before the hike pass. Pre-load by pressing your hips back behind you until you feel your glutes and hamstrings engaged, then “break the handle” to feel the tension in your lats and keep your shoulders packed.
4. At this point take a big inhalation and hike the bell, as the bell begins to come back up, snap your hips with a matched power breath and allow the bell to float.
5. As the bell floats your body should form a standing plank.
6. After the bell floats, power the bell back down. Right before it gets to your body, “punch” your hips back and repeat this movement.

Swings can be done for higher volume with a lighter bell, or heavier for a bit less volume. Either way, they are great for your “core” and your posterior chain. ADDED BONUS: a nice “BELL BUTT” 

BOTTOMS-UP CLEAN

Step-by-Step:

1. Stand in the same starting positon as the Hardstyle Swing and continue with the same setup and hike. There are a few differences, though.
2. First, you will grip the bell with only one hand, but make sure you still keep your shoulders square. I often see people grip the bell, drop the working shoulder, and pull the other arm back really far as if “riding a bull”.
3. Second, after you hike the bell and it begins to come back up, keep it closer to your body.

Here are a few visualizations of the kettlebell’s path:

1. A wall very close in front of you that you do not want to hit.
2. Zipping up a body suit or coat, think of your thumb pointing back behind you on the hike and then following up toward your shoulder at the top of the clean.
3. “BUTT to BRA STRAP” (ladies)
4. “GLUTES to GLENOHUMERAL/SHOULDER JOINT”

At the top of the Bottoms-Up Clean, the bell will be upside down from the regular clean. Both are great but what I love about the Bottoms-Up version it that it works your “core” a bit more as you have to balance the bell upside down, which requires more tension and balance. Plus, it also works your grip for greater strength gains. You will find that if you do not maintain your tension in a standing plank the bell will flop over. If you can balance it without any effort the bell is way too light.

FRONT SQUAT

Step-by-Step:

1. Stand in the same staring position as the Bottoms-Up Clean. Hike the bell and clean it to the rack position.
2. Once you are in a standing plank, with the bell in the rack position, pull yourself down into a squat.
3. Inhale on the way down, exhale with a power breath at the top, and repeat.  By focusing on pulling down rather than just dropping into a squat you will engage your hip flexors and gain greater depth in your squat.
4. Stop just short of relaxing in the bottom.

There are several ways to advance this exercise for greater core tension and strength gains. After you have the proper technique for the Front Squat, you can try double Front Squats or Bottoms-Up Squats.

BONUS – HALF-KNEELING MILITARY PRESS & WOOD CHOP

Step-by-Step:

1. Start in a half-kneeling position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Pick up the kettlebell with both hands and place it in the rack position on the side of the front leg. Make sure that your hips are in neutral/level (avoid kicking out one hip to the side).
3. Tilt your hips up, pointing your belly button toward your face, and tense your glutes (“crush a walnut”).
4. Stay tight and press the bell overhead.
5. Pull the bell back down and repeat the reps.
6. After the final press, pull the bell back down to the rack position and grip the bell with both hands.
7. Throw the bell toward the back hip. Your arms should be semi-relaxed and straight as you reach the hip. Stay tall, keeping your core and glutes engaged. Do not hinge at the hips. By staying tall and tight, you will feel tension in your core from the slight rotation.

I prefer to program these skills into my training with a heavy bell and a low rep/set scheme. Depending on the goal of those I coach, I will add them with a medium weight and prescribe higher volume.

Give these exercises a try in your workouts, and let me know what you think in the comments below!