One of my favorite
ways to use a
kettlebell is just to throw it around. A series of flips, catches,
spins and whatnot will have you huffing and puffing in no time. Not to
mention it hits just about every muscle and at odd angles. Don’t be
surprised if you wake up the next day sore in places you didn’t know
existed.
I don't practice this all the time. Just whenever I am at the park or
beach and have a kettlebell on hand. If you want to break the monotony
of your routine and add some extra fun I can hardly think of a better
way. This video was taking a while back and, even in my limited
training, I have gotten better.
I've gotten better even with a little practice here and there. But you
can get even greater results if you decide to practice it regularly.
That is just what I did after I met Jeff Martone. His display of
throwing around a 53 lb. kettlebell while talking and not losing a step
inspired me to learn these skills. Perhaps you will be motivated as
well?
You can check out his excellent DVD's from his site at
Tactical
Athlete. His Hand to Hand Collection will set you on the fast track
to kettlebell juggling.
Watching those videos is what got me started and if you are serious
about learning how to do this then you need to get your hands on them.
But if you wanted to get started right away I have a couple tips for
you.
All the moves are really based off of the swing. If your swing is in
good shape then you are ready to get started. The arms are merely used
to guide and control the kettlebell. All the power comes from your legs
and back.
This is one of the reasons these drills are so amazing to other people.
They usually try to do some sort of arm lift with the kettlebell and
the weight will feel heavy. Your legs are much stronger than your arms
so use them.
Don’t forget to practice outside or in an area where the kettlebell can
drop if it needs to. Start swinging and let your hand go at the
top. You may notice the kettlebell naturally wants to spin. By
giving it some help in that direction you can do a flip. Pushing the
kettlebell the other way will cause it to do a reverse flip.
You need to time it right so that you can grab the handle once again.
Kettlebell juggling improves your hand-eye coordination in a big way.
With practice you can get to the point of throwing the bell over your
shoulder and catching it without even looking.
If there ever was truth in the words “play instead of workout” this is
it.
In fact, I've had so much fun with kettlebell juggling that I devoted a
site to it.
Check
out KettlebellJuggling.com.
