At first, I thought the kettlebell swing was a combination of both strange and useless. 

But 3+ years and who-knows-how-many-swings later (tens and tens of thousands?) I’m convinced it’s one of the best movements I’ve ever done. 

It’s the one of the exercises that I plan on doing for decades.

Here are some of the benefits of the KB swing.

#1 – Strengthens the posterior chain

The posterior chain is the network of muscles that go from your neck to your ankles.

The KB swing strengthens this group of muscles and here are some of the benefits of a strong PC: 

• Helps with daily life activities: moving, walking, bending, jumping, running, etc…

• Improves posture (especially for desk workers who sit all day)

• Some studies show it reduces lower back pain

#2 – Low impact cardiovascular exercise

Swings strengthen your cardiovascular system, without having to lace up your shoes and go for a run. 

This exercise elevates your heart rate in just a few minutes, sometimes less, all without the pounding of your knees. 

#3 – Improves grip strength 

The swings require a strong grip, especially as the weights increase (12kg, 16kg, 24kg, 32kg, 40kg, 48kg, etc…)

There are several ways to strengthen the grip with swings, like heavier two-hand swings, one hand swings, alternating one-hand swings, etc… 

Some other benefits 

These are anecdotal, but when you study the KB swing here’s the stuff that comes up: 

• One of the best fat loss exercises

• Can fix deadlift plateaus

• Improves athletic performance

The body God created is a gift. Exercise is just one method to increase your energy and strengthen it so that you can serve Him and others.

And I’ve just found that Kettlebell Swings accomplish a lot for your body in a very short amount of time. 

P.S. Swinging your younger kids when playing with them becomes a lot easier after training with some kettlebell swings. 

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