“Bells will be swinging!” 🎵

Tis’ the season to be adding Christmas themes to the articles I write here and one of my personal training clients had recommended I write lists. No not the naughty or nice list either, we’ll leave that for the other guy 🎅

It is no secret that I love the kettlebell swing. Love kettlebells so much that I included it in my logo, and the kettlebell swing is one of if not the best exercise you can do with them. Here is a list of reasons why…#7 will shock you (jk…but not really…it might, that’s a play on clickbait articles)

On the first day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me, and my training clients.

A better butt. The swing when done properly is hip driven, ie a forceful contraction of the glutes. I used this with Jana (in addition to other exercises) and the results speak for themselves.

On the second day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to both me, and my training clients.

Abs, when done correctly the abs help brace the spine and work the way they were intended. You don’t feel them working, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t. A properly performed kettlebell swing can be described as a dynamic plank.

On the 3rd day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Fat loss. Kettlebell training became famous for helping weight loss. A study done by the American Council on Exercise found certain protocols to burn 20 calories per minute. A friend of mine once got connected to pipes and tubes that can help determine how many calories it burns and burned up to 24 calories per minute. Below is a video of my friend Dave “The Iron Tamer” Whitley talking about it.

On the 4th day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me.

A stronger back, pain free. When Neal had been hit by a bus, the nature of his injuries forced him into a sedentary lifestyle. The kettlebell swing was the main thing that strengthened his back getting him out of pain and giving him his life back.

On the 5th day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Cardiovascular fitness. The swing uniquely challenges the body in a way that doesn’t overload 1 single muscle group allowing the body to keep going without muscular failure, stopping only to catch your breath. You’ll find yourself with a full body pump and a tremendous cardiovascular workout.

On the 6th day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Full body explosive power. The rhythm and hip drive in the kettlebell swing promotes explosive power without the impact of plyometric training. Like plyometrics the rhythm plays off of something called the myotatic stretch reflex, but without the impact and risk of box jumps. The explosive strength is phenomenal in areas of athletics and was a main stay with the athletes I train.

On the 7th day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Full body strength especially grip. The swing is a great way to strengthen your body head to toe especially grip due to the unique challenges from centripetal force. The kettlebell swing is trying to pull you this way and that, trying to pull free from you hands causing your muscles to react and subjected loads it can safely handle. In fact, I used heavy swings as a way to work up to holding back a high performance motorcycle.

On the 8th day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to me,

Stronger hamstrings. The hamstrings along with the glutes and abs work as a team in a properly performed kettlebell swing.

On the 9th day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to me

Incredible work capacity. For many of the reasons I mentioned so far, the kettlebell swing is phenomenal at giving you functional strength that lasts. I noticed this the first time when I helped a friend move. In fact now that I think of it, today (the day of writing this) is his birthday. Too bad I lost touch with him.

On the 10th day of Christmas, the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Fun workouts. The kettlebell swing when I first learned how to do it was a breath of fresh air from the same old same old that I was doing in my workouts. It added a spark into my training that helped reignite my love of training.

On the 11th day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to me.

Camaraderie. It’s hard to explain, but there is a camaraderie among both kettlebell instructors and those who like to train with them with hard style methods. I have made many friendships with swingers…no not the wife swapping kind either.

On the 12 day of Christmas the kettlebell swing gave to me.

A great way to train people in a new and interesting way that can help them become superhuman. When you swing a kettlebell properly you’ll know exactly how it can help you become the best version of you.

If you would like help with this, I have a free trial available at 973 476 5328. Just text me and introduce yourself sometime after the holidays. As important as this stuff is, it’s also important to enjoy your time with your family, eating, drinking and being merry. We can take care of the rest when the New Year hits.

Have a great holiday everyone!

Eric Moss is a personal trainer in Boonton and moonlights as a world-record-holding modern-day professional performing strongman, author, and motivational speaker. In the tradition of the strongmen more common during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a live show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, associations, nonprofits, and government entities as well as for schools and universities. His personal training studio is located on Main Street in Boonton New Jersey and is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, Montville, Butler, and Parsippany New Jersey.