Kettlebell Foundations

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor between your feet, aligned with your mid-feet. Hinge your hips back and bend your knees to grip the handle with both hands. Set your back flat, your chest up, and brace your core.

1. Inhale — brace your core and set your shoulders back over the kettlebell.
2. Exhale — drive through your feet and extend your hips and knees together to stand tall, keeping the kettlebell close to your body.
3. Stand tall at the top with your hips fully extended.
4. Inhale — hinge your hips back and bend your knees to lower the kettlebell to the floor with control.

• Keep the kettlebell close to your body as it rises and lowers.
• Keep your back flat and your chest up, hinging from the hips.
• Push the floor away with your feet to stand.
• Extend your hips and knees together rather than leading with the hips.

Stand tall with your feet a little wider than hip-width and your toes turned slightly out. Hold a kettlebell by the horns against your chest with your elbows pointing down. Draw your ribs down and set your weight across the middle of each foot.

1. Inhale — send your hips back and down, bending your knees to lower into the squat while keeping the kettlebell close to your chest.
2. Lower until your elbows travel toward the inside of your knees or to a depth that suits you, keeping your chest tall.
3. Exhale — drive through both feet to extend your hips and knees back to standing.

• Keep the kettlebell close to your chest with your elbows pointing down.
• Let your knees track outward in line with your toes.
• Keep your torso upright and your chest lifted throughout.
• Keep your heels grounded and drive up evenly.

Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width and a kettlebell on the floor a short distance in front of you. Hinge your hips back and grip the handle with both hands, arms long. Set your back flat, your chest up, and brace your core.

1. Inhale — hike the kettlebell back between your legs, hinging your hips back and keeping your arms relaxed.
2. Exhale — snap your hips forward, driving through your feet to swing the kettlebell up to about chest height with straight arms.
3. Let the kettlebell float at the top, then let it fall as you hinge your hips back again for the next rep.
4. Continue swinging with a steady rhythm, letting your hips power each swing.

• Power each swing from a sharp hip hinge, not by lifting with your arms.
• Keep your arms relaxed; they guide the kettlebell rather than lift it.
• Keep your back flat and your core braced throughout.
• Snap your hips through to stand tall at the top of each swing.

Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and drawn close to your hips. Rest your arms by your sides with your palms down. Set your lower back into a neutral position.

1. Inhale — press your feet into the floor and settle your ribs down.
2. Exhale — drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
3. Pause at the top and squeeze your glutes.
4. Inhale — lower your hips back down to the mat with control.

• Drive through your heels to lift the hips.
• Stop rising when your body is in a straight line rather than overarching your lower back.
• Keep your knees pointing forward, in line with your feet.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of each lift.

Start face-down and set your forearms on the mat with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your forearms pointing forward. Tuck your toes under and lift your hips until your body forms one long line from the crown of your head to your heels. Draw your belly gently in and set your gaze at the floor just ahead of your hands.

1. Press your forearms and toes into the floor and lift your knees, holding your body in one straight line.
2. Draw your navel toward your spine and squeeze your glutes so your hips neither sag toward the floor nor pike up toward the ceiling.
3. Hold the position, breathing steadily into your ribs and keeping your midsection from dropping.

• Keep your neck long by gazing just ahead of your hands rather than dropping your head or lifting your chin.
• Press the floor away through your forearms so your shoulders stay broad, not collapsed between the blades.
• Hold one straight line from head to heels; if your hips start to sag or lift, reset the position.
• Breathe evenly throughout rather than holding your breath to brace.
• To reduce the load, lower your knees to the mat and hold the same straight line from head to knees.