I’ve received a number of questions on the possibility of kettlebell injuries and specifically if juggling is more dangerous then the rest.
Are kettlebells dangerous? Sure if you use them improperly. But so is anything, like your car, a knife or barbells and dumbbells. But if you use them properly you’re not likely to injure yourself.
I’ll will be the first to say that kettlebell juggling is more dangerous than just swinging a kettlebell. With the dynamic moves (especially the more advanced ones) there are more chances for things to go wrong. But it can be safely done. I, for one, have never injured myself with kettlebell juggling in any manner.
In fact, done properly I believe kettlebell juggling will better injury-proof your body then most other forms of exercise due to the chaotic yet controlled element of it.
To stay on the safe side you’ll want to do the more basic moves and progress slowly. If you don’t push the limits too hard you’ll do well. The biggest two points are 1) not to reach for kettlebells that you aren’t in position to catch and 2) have quick feet for when the bell does drop. I discuss these in more detail in The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling.
If you err on the side of using the lighter weights, even if you do find yourself in a less than optimal position you should be able to safely handle it. But your feet must be fast no matter the weight. 
Even a light bell could cause irreparable harm.
A big key is to stay focused whenever you engage in this practice. And by kettlebell juggling you should intrinsically understand the elements of risk involved.
The important thing is that everything is built on top of proper swing dynamics. Get that right and the rest virtually falls into place. With the proper bracing and breathing you can easily take a moderately heavy weight and ‘catch’ it from a free fall. Build up in skills overtime.
And, obviously, some moves are more dangerous than others. Going overhead with the kettlebell could result in injury or even death. But, truth be told, I’ve never heard of anything happening from throwing around kettlebells.
And if you’re wondering if I’m the right person to be teaching you kettlebell juggling here’s my qualifications.
I’ve been training with kettlebells for roughly six years now. First went through the RKC in September 2005. And I have served as an Assistant Instructor at the RKC on three separate occasions since then.
Since I’m always interested in expanding my knowledge I am also a certified coach with the AKC and have some experience with the competition kettlebell lifts. In addition to the certifications I have tons of books and DVD’s on kettlebells and other forms of training.
If the videos you’ve seen on this blog haven’t proved that I know what I’m doing than perhaps that will.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
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The Behind the Hip Flip is an intermediate move. Doing all kinds of kettlebell flips in front of the body is easily attainable by anyone, but once you put the kettlebell out of your line of sight things begin to change. When you’re good at this move you’ve moved up from being a kettlebell juggling beginner.
This video shows you how to do the behind the hip flip followed by a few combos you can string together.
Behind the Hip Kettlebell Video
The behind the back stuff if a bit trickier than most things done to the front, for obvious reasons, but with a little practice you can easily master this move.
In the video I am using a 16kg or 35 lb. kettlebell. And here’s a summary of what I say in the voice over.
Start with around the body passes. Use the legs primarily but also the arm to generate the rear flipping motion. The legs and arm generate the power but the wrist is the fine tuning for the flip.
Keep your other hand as close as possible to the handle. As soon as you let go with the first hand your second hand should be right there to grab the handle. Seriously, there is almost no ‘hang time’ in this move.
To begin with look at the kettlebell on your side so you can see what’s happening. Later on when you have the move down you won’t have to.
Just practice and you can add this flip to your arsenal.
The combo’s shown in the video include a side-to-side flip followed by the behind the hip flip. And a between the legs pass, to the uppercut flip, around the body and behind the hip.
The advanced combo is a repeated behind the hip flip done left to right, right to left. All these moves are detailed in The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
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Kettlebell juggling is probably the one of the most enjoyable ways to build strength and get in shape. If you get bored of doing just straight swings or snatches for hundreds of reps why not mix it up?
The benefits of doing so are more than just to break up the monotony. Kettlebell juggling will teach you explosive strength from every angle. In front, to the sides, from low, with arms overhead, and behind the back just to name a few. And you have to use your legs to help with all these moves especially as you move up in weight.
If you think normal swings are winding you don’t know how much harder it is move a kettlebell through all these positions. Because you’re working from less advantageous positions and often at a quicker pace you’ll feel it faster. This means more benefit in less time.
Plus the kettlebell moves on a non set path. With a regular swing, clean or snatch the move follows the same arch for each move. Not so with kettlebell juggling. The kettlebell can and will go every which way. It will improve your coordination and mobility just being able to release and catch the bell’s handle as it flips and rotates.
Back in the day I wasn’t the most coordinated fellow. But now having practiced this I feel I’m better able to pick up on any physical task be it simple or complex. This really only scratches the surface of some of the many benefits kettlebell juggling offers.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get started. Just start with the basics and progress from there. Some moves you’ll be able to pick up instantly and others you’ll have to spend a bit of time practicing.
Its actually amazing how quickly you can make progress in this field. Just the other day for example my friend asked me if I could do an Over-the-Shoulder Flip and catch it in the same hand. I had never thought about doing this but with a little practice I had a new trick in my repertoire.
Just add one or two moves each time and you’ll improve big time. With the new kettlebells juggling tricks comes more fun, and more strength.
I’m proud to offer what I believe (and have heard from others) is the best instruction on kettlebell juggling in The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
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The other day I was on the phone with Senior RKC, David Whitley recording the interview that is part of The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling. One of the things that came up regarding kettlebell juggling was how you really need to have the basic kettlebell moves down first. Mainly the swing. Secondly the clean and snatch.
I addressed this yesterday in the last post aimed at Kettlebell Beginners and hope you got the message.
But on top of that, all kettlebell juggling moves are based on a few fundamentals. Nothing is more fundamental than the regular kettlebell flip. You get that and every other move is just built right on top of it.
In the spirit of that here’s a video that will give you the steps necessary to master your first two-handed flip. From there you can move on to a one hand kettlebell flip.
The swing is the basis of the flip which is the basis of all kettlebell juggling. Learn it and learn it well.
How to do your first kettlebell flip video
If you give it a try I guarantee you will be able to pull this move off in one day. In fact, it probably won’t take more than half an hour at most for you to do it with ease.
This is a bit of footage from the actual Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling (of course, its lower quality here online). If you want more you know what to do
In strength,
Logan Christopher
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Are you a kettlebell beginner? Because before we get started with any kettlebell juggling I need to talk about one thing: your kettlebell swing.
You see, ALL kettlebell juggling has its foundation in the basic swing movement. Even the more complex moves, going to the sides, etc. is all moved by the hips and the rest of the body. The arms and hands are just used to guide the bell where you want it to go.
If your swing is not great, you really shouldn’t begin juggling kettlebells. I choose not to cover this basic move in my DVD’s because so many other products do. And they do it well. Make no mistake about it The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling is not for kettlebell beginners. You should have at least a couple months experience under your belt before starting juggling.
If you don’t have much experience with kettlebells I recommend you start with Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell. Both the book and DVD are great though I’d get the DVD if nothing else so you can really learn,understand and practice this move.
I can’t be strong enough on this point. You must have a good swing BEFORE you begin juggling kettlebells. Because of the nature of the dynamic moves you don’t want to have to worry about your form. It should be automatic.
You can get started with Enter the Kettlebell, any other number of great kettlebell produtcs, or best of all, seek out a qualified instructor in your area and they’ll have you swinging like a pro in not time.
Secondly, I want to address the kettlebells themselves.
If you’re interested in kettlebell juggling you probably already own a few kettlebells. Whatever you have is great and will work. But if you don’t and what to find out which kettlebells I recommend most for juggling click on the ‘Get Kettlebells‘ page.
Alright, that’s enough for today. In the next post we will really begin, starting with your first flip…
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Kettlebell Exercise, Kettlebell Juggling by on . 1 Comment.
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