Being Swung

Its very easy to try to manhandle the swing, especially when you get tired. For those like myself with relatively weaker hips, the desire to pull the weight is strong. I was thinking about this yesterday during the tabata sets and realized that I had to learn to let the kbs momentum do its share of the work; stomping when the time was right, not through the entire movement.

Gymnasts must realize that you dont have to work the entire part of a giant swing; instead you have to wait for the right part of the bottom of the swing to "tap" and use the momentum you have created in the downswing to go upwards. Same thing with the kettlebell. If you reach back properly and get into the right position, the stretched muscles of the hips, glutes and thighs will contract on their own reversing the kettlebell and starting it back on its upward path.

Trying to push too eary does not help, in fact it hinders the swing as you are not in the correct position to exert maximum force.I thought of the idea of "being swung" to try to focus on using this momentum to my advantage. Coach Sonnon talks about being "breathed" in his bodyflow exercises reacting to the breath movement instead of forcing it.Same thing here.

It does not mean being loose or passive, more like the idea of riding the diving board or trampoline up until its the right time to jump. Trying to jump too early; before the board is properly coming up gives you less height, not more.