How to push kettlebells to build endurance and strengthen muscles

What is a push of weights and what does it happen

The kettlebell jerk is a cyclic exercise in which you take the shells to the chest, and then push them up and take them on straight arms. When performed correctly, this movement not only loads the upper body, but also affects the core and legs.

In kettlebell lifting there isRules of the sport "kettlebell lifting" (approved by Order of the Ministry of Sports of Russia dated January 29, 2018 N 68 / Laws, codes and regulations in the Russian Federation two types of push weights:

1. Classical - a push of two projectiles from the chest, in which the athlete throws them on the chest only once, and then pushes the weights out and lowers the required number of times or minutes to the starting position.

2. Long cycle push - when the athlete each time starts the movement by throwing weights on the chest from the hanging position below. This exercise is much harder than the previous one.

The classic push and pull of two kettlebells is performed in competitions as part of the biathlon. Athletes work non-stop, trying to get as many reps as possible in 10 minutes. Then they rest for 30-60 minutes and start snatching one kettlebell.

The long cycle push is also a competition move and is performed for 10 minutes. However, this format requires considerable preparation.

At the same time, the jerk can also be performed by those who are not involved in kettlebell lifting. For example, this exercise can be used as an addition to your cardio and power loads.

Why you should include kettlebell jerking in your workouts

The push of weights is excellent in several ways at once. He helps:

• Strengthen many muscle groups. During the exercise, the legs get a good load - the quadriceps on the front side of the thigh and the calf muscles. The muscles of the body provide stabilization and transfer of power from the bottom up, and the arms and shoulders are included at the top of the exercise and are responsible for holding the projectiles above the head.
• Train strength endurance. The push develops the ability to work with projectiles for a long time about 50-70% of their body weight. This can be useful both for professional activities associated with physical activity, and for everyday situations. For example, when you need to carry a tired three-year-old child across the entire area or unload furniture when moving.
• Pump up explosive power. During the push, you move quickly and sharply to first push the kettlebell, and then get under it and take it on straight arms. it developsP. Manocchia, D. K. Spierer, A. K. S. Lufkin. Transference of kettlebell training to strength, power, and endurance / Journal of strength and conditioning research Power is the ability to apply maximum effort in minimum time.
• Upgrade overall stamina. During prolonged work with a kettlebell, the heart rate (HR) rises to the aerobic zone. In other words, the heart beats often and does it for a long time, which has a great effect on his health. If you can't stand the usual cardio without weight, the push will cope with the task just as well - and it will support the heart and strengthen the muscles.
• Develop willpower skills. The need to work with a heavy projectile for a long time, pain and burning in the muscles of the forearms makes us reconsider our views on the concepts of “hard” and “I can’t do it anymore”.

Who should not do the clean and jerk of the kettlebells

You should be careful if you have lower back problems, shoulder, elbow or wrist injuries. Until you master the technique, movement can exacerbate existing problems.

How to properly push kettlebells

Two variants of the push - classical and long cycle - have common features, but at the same time differ in the number of phases. Let's take a look at how to do these exercises one by one.

Classic push

To master the technique, choose the lightest weights available.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Place the weights between the feet. Bend over with a straight back, take the shells in your hands.

2. Swing the kettlebells between your legs back, then straighten sharply at the hips and knees, giving the projectiles momentum to fly forward.

When the weights fly up to chest level, squat down, bending your legs in knees, at the same time bend your arms at the elbow joints and insert your hands into the arms of the shells so that they lie on the outside of the forearms.

3. Check the position before pushing out. Straighten your legs, lower your elbows and press them to your body. Make sure that the body of the kettlebell is pressed against the forearm and shoulder, and the bow is pressed against the chest.

You can also fold your wrists into a "lock" - this will provide a more stable position of the kettlebells on your chest and allow you to rest between long sets.

To perform the “lock”, place one arm of the kettlebell on top of the other. Cover both with the fingers of one hand, and place the other on top. In this case, the arms should hang on the bases of the thumbs.

4. Gently bend your knees, lowering into the squat. At the same time, move not just down, but also a little forward to maintain the position of the body.

With a sharp and quick movement, straighten your legs and go out on your toes. Push the weights up, and when they fly up, sharply bend your legs, going into the squat, and at the same time straighten your arms.

Due to this movement, you will not have to press the weights at the top point - you will catch them on straightened arms and save strength.

5. Straighten your legs and fix the position. Slightly bend in the lower back and take the pelvis back - this will unload the muscles on the front side of the thigh. Also make sure that the weight is distributed throughout the foot, and not just on the toes. Otherwise, the calves will clog very quickly.

6. Bend your elbows and lower the weights to your chest, extinguishing momentum with a small squat. Make sure that the elbows move in front of the body, do not place them on the sides.

Over time, try to make the drop of weights sharp so that the arms are tensed as little as possible - smooth lowering wastes a lot of strength and overloads the shoulders.

Rest your elbows on your stomach again above the iliac crests. Try to relax your shoulders as much as possible before the next push.

7. Repeat all points, starting with the fourth. Do not hold your breath while working.

Long cycle push

This version of the kettlebell push is similar to the previous one, but there is a significant difference - you need to lower the shells each time in order to re-throw them on the chest.

The beginning of the exercise completely coincides with the classic push, the differences begin after the sixth point.

Instead of pushing the weights again, lower them down by intercepting the arms. Bend at the hips, tilt the body with a straight back and swing two projectiles between the legs. After that, sharply straighten the body again and throw the weights on the chest.

There are two important points here:

• Make sure you have the right grip while swinging. The handle of the kettlebell should be on the fingers folded like a hook, and not lie in the middle of the palm. In addition, do not squeeze the projectile too much, as this will overload the forearms and reduce the time of work.

• Throw weights on the chest due to the movement of the body and legs. When the shells go down, the legs bend at the hip and knee joints, and the body leans forward.

Then, when the weights reach the extreme point of the swing, you need to perform another short squat, straighten up in the back and throw the shells on the chest.

After throwing the weights, push out, fix the shells at the top, drop to the chest and repeat the cycle from the beginning.

What mistakes should be avoided

Beginners can make a lot of mistakes that will make pushing kettlebells difficult, tire their arms, and can lead to back pain. Therefore, you should not take heavy shells before you make sure that there are no such inaccuracies in the technique.

Wrist fracture

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not reaching enough into the handle of the kettlebell. If the projectile hangs in the middle of the palm, the hand unbends under its weight, the joints experience excessive stress, and pushing becomes more difficult.

In the correct position, the weight hangs at the base of the thumb, and the hand is in line with the forearm.

By holding the projectile in this way, you will not have to grab it, which will unload your forearms and prolong your sets.

Weak footwork

If the legs work too weakly or smoothly, the weights will not fly up and you will have to press them. This increases the stress on the hands and shoulders, prevents you from doing long sets and getting all the benefits from the exercise.

Make sure that there is a powerful extension of the legs and body in the movement, followed by an exit to the toes, and the arms remain relaxed until the weights are received at the top point.

Shoulder tension while squatting

When the weights are on the chest, and the elbows are on the stomach, the arms should be as relaxed as possible. If you strain them, the muscles will quickly get tired, and the approach will end earlier than you plan.

At the moment of the squat, when the legs are gaining momentum for the subsequent expulsion, the elbows should not come off the body. They seem to be slightly pressed into the stomach and only after a sharp extension go up.

Watch this moment and intentionally relax your shoulders while holding the kettlebells on your chest.

Excessive back kink on the squat

When you hold kettlebells on your chest, the upper back is slightly rounded and the lower back is arched. This is a normal position that makes it possible to rest with the elbows on the stomach.

But if the back curves sharply at the lower back during the squat, this can harm the spine and reduce the power of the movement. Therefore, make sure that the position of the back does not change before pushing out the weights.

Holding your breath

To work for a long time, it is important to catch the correct rhythm of breathing. In each of the phases of the push, there should be one respiratory cycle (inhalation and exhalation).

In the video below, international master of sports Ivan Denisov shows how to breathe when pushing through a long cycle. Turn on the sound to hear the exhalations.

How to add push and pull kettlebells to your workouts

If you decide to do weightlifting, you should find a coach. He will give you technique, correct mistakes and give you exercises to work out weak points.

If you are going to use the kettlebell jerk as an additional exercise, try doing it in circuit complexes along with other movements. Below we present two options for such training.

Complex for the gym

Perform 5 rounds of the following exercises:

• 15 deadlifts with 50 kg for women and 70 kg for men;
• 15 leg raises to the horizontal bar;
• 15 swings of a 24 kg kettlebell for women and 32 kg for men;
• 15 jerks of two kettlebells at 16 kg for women and 24–32 for men.

Do exercises in a row, try to rest as little as possible.

Projectile weight is approximate. Choose the right one, focusing on your level of training - in the first round you must complete all the exercises in one approach. If you had to put the projectile earlier, take barbell or a lighter weight.

Circuit training for home

This complex does not require much space - it can be performed even on the balcony. Set a timer for an hour and do the following:

• 1 minute push of two weights;
• 1 minute snatch of one kettlebell;

Rest for one minute and start again. Repeat this cycle until the time runs out.

Select the weight of the kettlebells in such a way that you can work for a minute without rest.