Kettlebell basics: the swing before anything else

Every kettlebell class here starts with the swing, because it teaches the hinge — the movement behind a good deadlift — with a weight light enough to get wrong safely.

Three cues

• Hike it back like a football snap, high between the thighs.
• Stand up hard. The hips throw the bell; the arms just hold on.
• Let it float. The bell should feel weightless at chest height.

Get those right and the rest of the kettlebell syllabus comes quickly.