Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches - StrongFirst

05/05/2018 Heads Up!
The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches | StrongFirst
HEADS UP! THE NECK POSITION IN KETTLEBELL SWINGS

AND SNATCHES
By Pavel Tsatsouline (https://www.strong rst.com/author/pavel/) 0
Like
CEO
Posted on November 30, 2014. 26 Comments. (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comments)
 Twitter
(http://twitter com/share?
text=Heads%20Up%21%20The%20Neck%20Position%20in%20Kettlebell%20Swings%20and%20Snatches&url=https%3A%2F%2
up%2F&via=)
 Google+ 4
(https://plus google com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww strong rst com%2Fheads-
up%2F&t=Heads%20Up%21%20The%20Neck%20Position%20in%20Kettlebell%20Swings%20and%20Snatches)
 Share 2.2k
(http://www facebook com/sharer php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww strong rst com%2Fheads-
A few years ago, a strange idea emerged from the clinical world: the insect head. White coats started telling lifters to lock their heads
onto their torsos during hip hinge lifts — deadlifts, swings, cleans, and snatches, both barbell and kettlebell.
I urge you not to get bogged down by the science and the pseudo-science of their arguments. Instead, ask yourself these two
questions.
1. Is there an epidemic of neck problems from the traditional technique — the

head up and the neck in extension — among powerlifters, weightlifters, and
hard style gireviks?
The answer is: No.
Sure, some athletes from any sport have neck issues, but good luck correlating them to neck extension in hinge lifts. Some powerlifters
have neck problems — mostly from driving the head hard into the bench on the bench press. Some weightlifters and gireviks tweak
their necks — usually by whipping them inappropriately. But from a simple act of keeping their heads up, the way they have been
doing it since they were crawling babies? I do not think so.
https://www.strongﬁrst.com/heads-up/ 1/16
05/05/2018 Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches | StrongFirst
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/pavel-tsatsouline-swing.jpg)Brett Jones, Master SFG, has

pointed out that some folks can have problems when their thoracic extension is limited. The neck has to compensate to keep the eyes
on the horizon and goes into hyperextension. Indeed. So what is the answer? Fixing the lack of mobility with professionally applied
corrective exercise. Medical intervention, if there are medical issues.
The answer is not dumbing down the classic technique to accommodate dysfunction. That would be akin to our government lowering
the PT standards for the military and re ghters when fewer recruits are able to pass the existing standards.
Indeed, there may be a particular medical case when the doctor tells the patient that he or she must keep the neck neutral throughout
a hip hinge exercise. If that is your doctor’s order — follow it. But if this is a prescription for another patient, don’t you understand the
risks of taking someone else’s drugs? Medical Rx for one patient ought to never be confused with the standard operating procedure for
healthy people.
Now to the second question:
2. Has the new technique improved the performance of top lifters?

The answer is: for some. And the technique is far from being new.
Hugh Cassidy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Cassidy) and Franco Columbu (http://columbu.com/) used it four decades ago. A
review of championship deadlift techniques reveals a remarkable variety of head positions. Andy Bolton cracked the mystical 1,000-
pound barrier with a neutral neck — he looks at a spot six to ten feet in front of him at the start of the pull. Lamar Gant
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Gant), the rst man to pull ve times his bodyweight, 661 at 132 pounds, did it with an extremely
hyperextended neck.
Moving your body into one position or another is often a trade-off. Extending the neck helps to activate the posterior chain — while
weakening the abs and the quads. A talented powerlifter, with the help of his coach or just through great body awareness, will
eventually gure out the optimal amount of trade-off for himself. (Only competitive powerlifters should do this. Recreational lifters
and athletes from other sports should follow the Olympic lifting and kettlebell lifting guidelines below.)
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2014/11/lamar-gant-andy-bolton-
deadlifts.jpg)
Deadlift kings – Lamar Gant (left) and Andy Bolton (right)
Unlike the slow-moving deadlift, quick “pulls” (barbell or kettlebell) tolerate no variety in neck alignment. There is only one way —
head up!
If a champion weightlifter cleans 500 pounds, you know he can easily deadlift a couple of hundred pounds more. That means his quads
and abs are not greatly challenged by the rst pull (the deadlift part of the clean or snatch). So robbing Peter (the posterior chain) to
pay Paul (the quads and the abs) would be wasteful as Peter is the one doing most of the work in quick pulls.
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2014/11/yurik-
vardanyan-neck-position.jpg)
How to hold your neck in quick pulls – in

extension. Soviet weightlifting legend
Yurik Vardanyan from Armenia shows
how it is done. His 1980 world record of
the snatch and clean and jerk total is
still untouchable.
The same applies to a hard style girevik. He has no trouble breaking the kettlebell off the platform and his spine is not crushed by
enormous loads. His mission is to accelerate the relatively light kettlebell to 10G and it is the job of his posterior chain. So he needs to
maximally reinforce it, and neck extension does exactly that. Lift your head up — extend, not hyperextend — on the bottom of your
pull and your entire back side will immediately light up, vibrating with stored energy like a bow.
From Supertraining (http://amzn.to/1cYUH7f), a fundamental text on strength:
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/supertraining-mel-siff.jpg)The position of the head

has a powerful effect on overall posture… As it is well known, in gymnastics a dropping of the head forward initiates the
forward somersault, just as the backward throwing of the head initiates the back ip in gymnastics and diving… It is vital to
use a de nitive extension of the neck to facilitate powerful contraction of the postural muscles of the trunk during all lifting
movements from the ground. This facilitating action of the head should not be done so as to cause a pronounced hollowing of
the back…[but] in such a way as to maintain as closely as possible the neutral spinal disposition, with its three natural
curvatures… Correct positioning of the head will ensure that the back assumes the posture where trunk stabilization is
shared between the erector muscles and the spinal ligaments… Action of the eyes is closely related to the action of the head,
so it is essential to facilitate correct…posture by using the eyes to guide the head into the position which is most appropriate
for each stage of the given movement. Generally, the neutral spine position is maintained most easily if the eyes are looking
almost directly ahead and xed on a distant object.
We accept the above as the SFG standard.
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/pavel-neck-position.jpg)The only person I have ever seen

manage a perfect hard style swing, powerful and graceful, while keeping his neck close to neutral is Master SFG Brett Jones. He adds
some nuances to the standard recommendation and offers an option for some:
If you are getting yanked into extension during the eccentric catch of the kettlebell, then it is a bad thing. If the arms are
connected to the body and you choose to hold the extension, it can be a very good thing. When I try to keep my eyes on the
wall in front of me I feel like I am jerked into a bit of cervical extension and it doesn’t feel good. For me it is much better having
a focal point closer to me (four to six feet in front of me).
Brett adds that he does have a slight cervical extension, even though he is looking at the oor four to six feet in front of him. He
observes that most people who think they are neutral are actually in exion.
(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/brett-jones-neck-position.jpg)The Master SFG also warns

against hyperextension. It is easy to get into if you are doing your swings almost stiff-legged. If your knees are almost straight on the
bottom of the swing, your torso is bound to be almost parallel to the ground. That means looking straight ahead will automatically
hyperextend your neck. Remember that the hard style swing is related to a jump and as such demands some knee exion — not to
the point of squatting, but enough to activate the glutes.
In Summary
1. The standard recommendation for swings is to keep your eyes on the horizon, which will place your neck into mild extension on
the bottom of the swings — provided you have healthy thoracic extension and you are not stiff-legging your swings. In the gym
the “horizon” can be where the wall and the oor meet if you stand far from the wall, an electric outlet, etc. Note that the
“horizon” is lower than your eye level.
2. If your upper back is too immobile to allow you to look straight ahead on the bottom of the swing without hyperextending your
neck, see a specialist to correct it before swinging kettlebells.
3. If you have the required mobility, are not stiff-legging your swings and your neck is still not comfortable on the bottom of the
swing, rst make sure it is your lats and not your traps and neck that absorb the force of the kettlebell backswing. If your
technique is correct, you are healthy, and your neck is still not comfortable, experiment with a lower focal point on the bottom of
the swing — typically ve to ten feet in front of you.
4. Never whip your neck into extension on the bottom and/or into the protracted “chicken” position on the top of the swing (the
“bobble head”).
Heads up and power to your swings, ladies and gentlemen!
 Twitter
(http://twitter com/share?
text=Heads%20Up%21%20The%20Neck%20Position%20in%20Kettlebell%20Swings%20and%20Snatches&url=https%3A%2F%2
up%2F&via=)
 Google+ 4
(https://plus google com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww strong rst com%2Fheads-
 Share 2.2k
(http://www facebook com/sharer php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww strong rst com%2Fheads-
Related Articles
Everything (and Every Trainee) Is A Nail
(https://www.strong rst.com/everything-is-a-nail/)
At a recent SFG Kettlebell Certi cation, Dan John and I were waxing poetic about the sheer perfection
of a program of swings, goblet squats, and get-...
(https://www.strong rst.com/everything-is-a-nail/)
Should
Kettlebells
be Used in
(https://www.strong rst.com/should-kettlebells-be-used-in-the-clinic-considerations-and-applications-for-clinicians/) the Clinic?
(Considerati
and
Applicat...
(https://www
kettlebells-
be-used-in-
the-clinic-
consideratio
and-
applications
for-
clinicians/)
Kettlebells. Do they have a role in the clinical setting? Should they be used in a rehabilitation for patients in the outpatient physical therapy clin...
Simple & Sinister in a Rehabilitation Setting

(https://www.strong rst.com/simple-and-sinister-
in-a-rehabilitation-setting/)
In December 2013, I was a t and spry 32 years old. I had decided to
(https://www.strong rst.com/simple-and-sinister-in-a-rehabilitation-setting/) volunteer with our local high school and youth wrestling programs. I
wrestled fo...
What to Do With Your Free Hand During a One-arm Swing

(https://www.strong rst.com/free-hand-one-arm-swing/)
It is one of the enduring questions of inquiring minds. What do I do with my free hand during a
one-arm swing? (That, and if you are doing nothing, ho...
(https://www.strong rst.com/free-hand-one-arm-swing/)
Pavel Tsatsouline (https://www.strong rst.com/author/pavel/)
(https://www.strong rst.com/author/pavel/) CEO

Pavel Tsatsouline is the Chairman of StrongFirst, Inc.
 KETTLEBELLS (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/KETTLEBELLS/)
 DEADLIFT (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/DEADLIFT-2/)  HIP HINGE (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/HIP-HINGE/)
 POSTURE (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/POSTURE/)  POWERLIFTING (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/POWERLIFTING/)
 SWING (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/SWING/)
 SFG Level I Certi cation: 3 + 6 = Excellence Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? 
(https://www.strong rst.com/3-6-excellence/)
26 thoughts on “Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and

Snatches”
Skylar Pond (http://www.sportsmednw.com) says:

April 8, 2016 at 11:07 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-189603)
I just came across this logical and elegant article. Early 2014 was a frustrating time as the “white coats” marched out of weekend seminars to their
keyboards to preach the perils of “breaking the canister” with traditional kettlebell swing technique. I wrote a similar post at that time in response
to the push-back that my coaches were getting from novice lifters who were taking that cautionary advice as gospel. My post throws a few jabs at
the opposition and gets into a few elements of the bene ts of mild cervical extension at the bottom of the swing.
http://sportsmednw.com/neck-injuries-with-kettlebells- x-your-gaze- x-your-swing/ (http://sportsmednw.com/neck-injuries-with-kettlebells-

x-your-gaze- x-your-swing/)
Reply
Todd (http://www.ToddCambio.com) says:

March 30, 2016 at 7:54 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-189205)
So happy to see this issue addressed by you personally Pavel. I feel the “Corrective experts” seem to push this packed neck thing which takes a
tremendous amount of strength and power away from the athlete IMO. I call it the “Drinking Bird” swing when talking KB swings. They actually
look as though they are losing their lat activation when swinging with a truly packed neck, but that is simply my observations. Stay Strong.
Todd
Reply
peter lakatos says:

March 28, 2016 at 3:08 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-189077)
Great article.
With a herniated neck, for me close to neutral was and still very important, but that was a very speci c situation, and needed speci c solution. But
if we see two natural athletic movement – vertical and horizontal jump – they both require some neck extensions.
Reply
Fred Barbe (http://www.santeperformance.com) says:

June 14, 2015 at 8:02 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-165056)
I tried neutral position doing the swing and it feels very awkward… Thanks for the clari cations, it makes perfect sense!
Reply
Reneta Music (http://www.hardstylebody.com) says:

January 24, 2015 at 6:37 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-148697)
Great article!! One of our principles of Shurite Kempo, is gaze, feet, hands. The body goes where the eyes lead. This principle is applied to our
kata, like the TGU look at the bell for safety, the bell goes where the eyes go.
Reply
noe pacheco says:

December 7, 2014 at 12:00 am (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-95929)
your the best pavel
Reply
Frank Zedar says:

Regarding Yurik Vandanyan’s records… It’s a good thing steroid use was not an issue in the Soviet Block in 1980:-)
Reply
Pavel Tsatsouline says:

December 3, 2014 at 1:28 pm (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-89476)
Frank, it is a good thing all lifters are suddenly clean now.
Reply
Aleks Salkin (http://alekssalkin.com) says:

Zing!
Reply
Daniele Barbieri DC says:

Great article,
Thank you Pavel. It reminds everybody once again that the body works as a unit and if some parts of it could be working better, well our job is to
x them in order for the movement itself to be more ef cient..
Heads up!
Daniele
Reply

Thank you, Daniele!
Reply
peter lakatos (http://www.peterlakatos.hu) says:

Oh, and one more thing. With a herniated C6/C7 I had to modify my head position a bit, from more to less extension, but never to completely
neutral.
Reply
peter lakatos (http://www.peterlakatos.hu) says:

Chris – stick drill was always only one drill out of many.
Most people can’t hinge the hip while keeping the spine motionless, plus 3 point touch emphasize the pelvis travel back. Stick drill is only a
walking stick here, when hip hinge created – we don’t need it anymore. Pushing the hip back to the wall can be next step, since this is still
unloaded pattern, but emphasize the pelvis move back.
Reply
Kurt says:
I have found that keeping the neck in extension relults in “shorting” the swing in many cases- poor hinge at the hip, a lot of ipping of the KB at the
“back” of the swing. I coach “eyes down” but in reality it is not directly down but rather 65-7 feet in front on the oor. It takes a lot of discipline to
keep the neck in extension and have proper swing mechanics for many clients. Thank you for the article and information!
Reply
Craig Liebenson (http://Www.craigliebenson.com) says:

Important article Pavel. Even the baby at 3 months in prone sphinx or 8-9 months quadruped extends his/her neck putting a wrinkle in the back of
the neck. This is driven by function. If the goal is to move forward the infant must see what’s in front not just what’s underneath. The functional
approach usually leads us down the correct path. An overdue reminder Pavel.
Thanks
Craig
Reply

Thank you, Craig!
I watched Chris’ deadlift video; very impressive! Looks just like a kettlebell swing.
Reply
Ariel Couceiro (http://corposao.blogspot.com.ar/) says:

January 9, 2015 at 7:57 pm (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-145704)
Craig, who thinks of those who ascribe to the symmetric tonic neck re ex inhibiting hip extensors, while overstimulate spine extensors ??
You think of the rule strength of the spine that says this is as tough as: (number of mobile curvatures in neutral x number of mobile curvatures
in neutral) +1 .. ??
Reply
Steve Horwitz DC (http://www.DallasSportsAcademy.com) says:

November 30, 2014 at 7:07 pm (https://www.strong rst.com/heads-up/#comment-88297)
Great article as always Pavel. Learning to properly hinge your hips (I love Dan John’s Hip Assessment Tool video: http://youtu.be/34saz57cxjs
(http://youtu.be/34saz57cxjs)), mobilizing your thoracic spine (http://youtu.be/LC3AFMXYYyw?list=UULSV-sAkPLX_lJP0N1gNVzg
(http://youtu.be/LC3AFMXYYyw?list=UULSV-sAkPLX_lJP0N1gNVzg)), and keeping your neck in the neutral or slightly extended position by
focusing gaze on the horizon are all great pointers. Excessive cervical and lumbar extension are a great way to end up in my (or a colleague’s)
of ce. This is the last thing I want to happen – these exercises are supposed to keep you out of my of ce for injury care!
Reply

Thank you, Steve!
Reply
John the Drunkard says:

Head position is relatively unimportant. The head/neck/eyes/middle ear all work together to help coordinate balance and extensor tone. ANY
position can be ‘wrong’ if it is clenched or braced in a way that cuts out the responsiveness of the poising mechanisms. Trying to ‘keep the neck
relaxed’ doesn’t work either.
In my teaching experience, students need to get over these persnickety imposed attitudes and let things work re exively. I found myself
constantly reminding people to avoid closing their eyes, glazing over, or xedly staring. I would usually cue them with ‘eyes bright,’ as a reminder
to stay engaged. With the eyes really seeing, the head and neck tend to stay alert and responsive. With that overall quality of activity, speci c
positions can be experimented with. THEN, the possible bene ts of ‘position’ advice can be gained. Otherwize ddling with head position can be
just one more distraction.
Reply

John, the head position will remain important until we see Olympic lifting records set with all sorts of head positions. And my prediction is that
we will not.
Reply
Tyler Satnick says:

Pavel, have you seen this??? Neutral working pretty well…

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8MgotTQagxo (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8MgotTQagxo)
Reply
John the Drunkard says:

But, staring at the ground to ‘keep neutral’ or gross hyperextension to avoid rounding the upper back aren’t the solutions people think they
are. Obviously there are speci c technical reasons to ‘position’ in speci c ways.
But a LOT of advice seems to involved misplaced attempts to control directly, physiological responses that aren’t under direct voluntary
control. There were people advocating a ‘neck lock position’ based on a misunderstanding of Alexander’s ‘directions’ which were only about
preventing stiffening/collapse.
Reply
Tyler Satnick says:

Alexanders directions? Also the video was designed to prove other dad positions have been used to great success nothing more.
Reply
Chris Gross says:

So does this mean that “stick drills” are no longer recommended as a teaching tool?
Thanks for great information,
Chris
Reply

Chris, the stick drill remains a valuable tool for immobilizing the spine and learning to move from the hips. Eventually the stick is removed and a
slight neck extension is introduced.
Reply
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required elds are marked *
Comment
You may use these HTML (HyperText Markup Language) tags and attributes:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime="">
<em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
Name *
Email *
Website
Post Comment
Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? (https://www.strong rst.com/kettlebells-and-powerlifting-a-match-made-in-

heaven/)
EXPLORE THE ARTICLES
Search … 
Select Author 
Select Month 
SUBMIT AN ARTICLE
Please read the submission guidelines here (article-submission/).
PREP GUIDES
A Science-Based Plan to Prepare You for the SFG Level I and SFG Level II (/science-based-plan-prepare-sfg-level-sfg-level-ii/)
StrongFirst SFG Kettlebell Certi cation Prep Guide (/strong rst-sfg-kettlebell-certi cation-prep-guide/)
Click to view all StrongFirst prep guides (/prep-guides/)
CATEGORIES
 BARBELL (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/BARBELL/)  BLOG (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/BLOG/)
 BODYWEIGHT (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/BODYWEIGHT/)
 CONDITIONING (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/CONDITIONING/)
 INSTRUCTORS ONLY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/INSTRUCTORS-ONLY/)
 KETTLEBELLS (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/KETTLEBELLS/)
 MILITARY LEO FIRST RESPONDERS (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/MILITARY-LEO-FIRST-RESPONDERS/)
 MOBILITY AND RECOVERY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/MOBILITY-AND-RECOVERY/)
 NUTRITION (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/NUTRITION/)
 PROGRAMMING (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/PROGRAMMING/)
 SPORT (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/SPORT/)
 SPORT PSYCHOLOGY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/SPORT-PSYCHOLOGY/)
 STRONGMAN (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/STRONGMAN/)  TSC (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/TSC/)
 UPDATES (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/UPDATES/)
 WOMEN'S FITNESS (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/WOMENS-FITNESS/)
INSTRUCTORS CLOSE TO YOU
Peter Lant (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-lant.001370000076YDNAA2/)SFG II Bath, UK

Tomasz Kaminski (/instructors/united-kingdom/tomasz-kaminski.0013700000ROydAAAT/)SFG I Bedford, Bedfordshire
Claire Linnett (/instructors/united-kingdom/claire-linnett.0013700000ROycyAAD/)SFG I Bedford, Bedfordshire
Patrick Black (/instructors/united-kingdom/patrick-black.001370000076UXpAAM/)SFG I Belfast
Jonathan Templeton (/instructors/united-kingdom/jonathan-templeton.0013700000IxNZ7AAN/)SFG I Belfast, Antrim
Fionnbharr Toolan (/instructors/united-kingdom/ onnbharr-toolan.001370000076Xj0AAE/)SFG I Belfast, Northern Ireland
Peter Marsden (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-marsden.001370000076UpfAAE/)SFG II, SFL Bideford, Devon
Claire Booth (/instructors/united-kingdom/claire-booth.001370000076ThIAAU/) Team Leader SFG, SFG II, SFL, SFB Bracknell
Vicky Blake (/instructors/united-kingdom/vicky-blake.0013700000ROyZgAAL/)SFG I Bristol
Hannah Clay (/instructors/united-kingdom/hannah-clay.0013700000ROycsAAD/)SFG I Bristol
Matthew Hannigan - Train (/instructors/united-kingdom/matthew-hannigan---train.0013700000IxNYyAAN/)SFG I Bristol, Avon
Peter Luffman (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-luffman.001370000076UpoAAE/)SFG I Bristol, Avon
David Szego (/instructors/united-kingdom/david-szego.001370000076W00AAE/)SFG I Bristol
James Ryan (/instructors/united-kingdom/james-ryan.0013700000IxNZ4AAN/)SFG I Bury, Greater Manchester
Julian Thorogood (/instructors/united-kingdom/julian-thorogood.001370000076Tm9AAE/)SFG I Camberley, Surrey
William Prideaux-Brune (/instructors/united-kingdom/william-prideaux-brune.001370000076XihAAE/)SFG I Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire
Dale Davies (/instructors/united-kingdom/dale-davies.0013700000ROyZaAAL/)SFG I Cardiff
Adam Cudnowski (/instructors/united-kingdom/adam-cudnowski.0013700000NahE1AAJ/)SFG I Carshalton, SM5 2PG
Nathan Brown (/instructors/united-kingdom/nathan-brown.001370000076ZxvAAE/)SFG I Cheddar, Somerset
Craig Kinninmonth (/instructors/united-kingdom/craig-kinninmonth.001370000076Z7ZAAU/)SFG I Chelmsford, Essex
James St Pierre (/instructors/united-kingdom/james-st-pierre.001370000076UKuAAM/)SFG I Chelmsford, Essex
James Beeson (/instructors/united-kingdom/james-beeson.0013700000ROycoAAD/)SFG I Christchurch, Dorset
Sophie Bryant (/instructors/united-kingdom/sophie-bryant.0013700000ROycrAAD/)SFG I Churchill, Somerset
Laszlo Pollak (/instructors/united-kingdom/laszlo-pollak.0013700000G4aF8AAJ/)SFG I Colnbrook, England
Paul Coleman (/instructors/united-kingdom/paul-coleman.0013700000IxNYrAAN/)SFG I Coventry
Alan Pritchard (/instructors/united-kingdom/alan-pritchard.001370000076Zy4AAE/)SFG I Coventry, West Midlands
Paul Lynch (/instructors/united-kingdom/paul-lynch.00137000009cdmLAAQ/)SFG I cowden
DANIELLE TUBRIDY (/instructors/united-kingdom/danielle-tubridy.001370000076XiZAAU/)SFG II Crumlin, Co Antrim, NIR
Richard Bath (/instructors/united-kingdom/richard-bath.0013700000IxNYoAAN/)SFG I Edinburgh, Scotland
Daniel Talbot (/instructors/united-kingdom/daniel-talbot.0013700000IxNZ6AAN/)SFG I, SFB Edinburgh, Scotland
Ben Bradbury (/instructors/united-kingdom/ben-bradbury.001370000076XixAAE/)SFG II Eversley, Hampshire
Richard Rowley (/instructors/united-kingdom/richard-rowley.0013700000ROyd1AAD/)SFG I Farnborough, Hampshire
Peter Hayward (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-hayward.001370000076Y77AAE/)SFG II Flitwick, Bedfordshire
Ian Freeman (/instructors/united-kingdom/ian-freeman.001370000076XieAAE/)SFG II Frimley Green, Surrey
Rory Van den berg (/instructors/united-kingdom/rory-van-den-berg.0013700000G4ctZAAR/)SFB Girvan, Ayrshire
Maria Campbell (/instructors/united-kingdom/maria-campbell.001370000076YDMAA2/)SFG II, SFL Glasgow, Glasgow City
Robert Clarkson (/instructors/united-kingdom/robert-clarkson.001370000076YDPAA2/)SFG I Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Sean Wright (/instructors/united-kingdom/sean-wright.0013700000G4coxAAB/)SFG II, SFL Glasgow, Glasgow
James Lloyd (/instructors/united-kingdom/james-lloyd.001370000076YDRAA2/)SFG II, SFB Grove, Wantage, Oxfordshire
Megan Kelly (/instructors/united-kingdom/megan-kelly.0013700000IxNZ1AAN/)SFG I Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
Daniel Fallon (/instructors/united-kingdom/daniel-fallon.0013700000ROyZcAAL/)SFG I hull
Jane Mackay-Lynch (/instructors/united-kingdom/jane-mackay-lynch.001370000076ZxrAAE/)SFG II Isle of Skye, UK
Jag Sumal (/instructors/united-kingdom/jag-sumal.0013700000ROyd3AAD/)SFG I Iver, Bucks
Victoria Farrington (/instructors/united-kingdom/victoria-farrington.0013700000IxNYvAAN/)SFG I Ivinghoe, Bucks
Brad Towers (/instructors/united-kingdom/brad-towers.0013700000A7OmEAAV/)SFG I Kingston
Calum Mckeen (/instructors/united-kingdom/calum-mckeen.0013700000ROyczAAD/)SFG I Lewes, East Sussex
Scott Smith (/instructors/united-kingdom/scott-smith.0013700000ROyZeAAL/)SFG I Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Nandor Albertus (/instructors/united-kingdom/nandor-albertus.001370000076YDJAA2/)SFG I London, England
Michael Berk (/instructors/united-kingdom/michael-berk.0013700000G4aEfAAJ/)SFG I London

Arpad Dalmi (/instructors/united-kingdom/arpad-dalmi.001370000076U4uAAE/)SFG I London
Firas Iskandarani (/instructors/united-kingdom/ ras-iskandarani.0013700000ROycxAAD/)SFG I London
Tomasz Joka (/instructors/united-kingdom/tomasz-joka.0013700000ROyZdAAL/)SFG I London, Greater London
Jonathan Ng (/instructors/united-kingdom/jonathan-ng.0013700000SQFezAAH/)SFB London, London
Kerry Preston (/instructors/united-kingdom/kerry-preston.001370000076YDgAAM/)SFG II, SFB London, UK
Amrit Sohal (/instructors/united-kingdom/amrit-sohal.0013700000ROyZfAAL/)SFG I London, Middlesex
Fanni Steib (/instructors/united-kingdom/fanni-steib.001370000076Z9eAAE/)SFG II London, London
Andrew Tay (/instructors/united-kingdom/andrew-tay.001370000076W6tAAE/)SFG II, SFB London, 24 The Avenue
Krisztian Zagyva (/instructors/united-kingdom/krisztian-zagyva.001370000076Xj2AAE/)SFG II, SFL London, UK
Daniel Zivatovic (/instructors/united-kingdom/daniel-zivatovic.0013700000OIc8QAAT/)SFB London
Peter Swallow (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-swallow.001370000076W68AAE/)SFG II Long Riston, East Yorkshire
Maggie Elliott (/instructors/united-kingdom/maggie-elliott.0013700000ROyZbAAL/)SFG I Manchester, Greater Manchester
Neil Broadbent (/instructors/united-kingdom/neil-broadbent.001370000076Y1DAAU/)SFG I Middlesex
Gordon Bunyan (/instructors/united-kingdom/gordon-bunyan.001370000076YDVAA2/)SFG I Nottingham
Andrew Browett (/instructors/united-kingdom/andrew-browett.0013700000ROycqAAD/)SFG I Nuneaton
Christopher Buchanan (/instructors/united-kingdom/christopher-buchanan.0013700000ROyd8AAD/)SFG I omagh, Tyrone
Paul Kesrouany (/instructors/united-kingdom/paul-kesrouany.001370000076VIiAAM/)SFG II Pagham, Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Colin Stewart (/instructors/united-kingdom/colin-stewart.001370000076U1sAAE/)SFG II, SFL, SFB Perth, International/Other
Krissie Kirby (/instructors/united-kingdom/krissie-kirby.001370000076Vl0AAE/)SFG I Port Talbot
Helen Hall (/instructors/united-kingdom/helen-hall.0013700000ROycwAAD/)SFG I Portishead, Bristol
Marla Murray Callisen (/instructors/united-kingdom/marla-murray-callisen.001370000076XizAAE/)SFG II Reading, UK
Peter Brooker (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-brooker.0013700000ROycpAAD/)SFG I Royston, Herts
Jonathan Bebbington (/instructors/united-kingdom/jonathan-bebbington.001370000076XicAAE/)SFG I Shavington, Cheshire
Linda Thorne (/instructors/united-kingdom/linda-thorne.001370000076ZUGAA2/)SFG I Shirehampton, Bristol
Attila Varga (/instructors/united-kingdom/attila-varga.001370000076UiwAAE/)SFG I Slough
Ged Ellis (/instructors/united-kingdom/ged-ellis.0013700000ROyd9AAD/)SFG I Stockport
Sean Mills (/instructors/united-kingdom/sean-mills.001370000076UUHAA2/)SFL Strabane, Co. Tyrone, NIR
Pom Tutt (/instructors/united-kingdom/pom-tutt.001370000076ZxsAAE/)SFG II, SFL, SFB Telford, Shropshire
Chris Wooler (/instructors/united-kingdom/chris-wooler.001370000076UmjAAE/)SFG II Todmorden, UK
Peter Cowan (/instructors/united-kingdom/peter-cowan.0013700000IxNYuAAN/)SFG I Tonbridge, Kent
Beula Clarkson (/instructors/united-kingdom/beula-clarkson.001370000076UykAAE/)SFG I Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Katy Bevan (/instructors/united-kingdom/katy-bevan.0013700000IxNYpAAN/)SFG I, SFL Wantage, Oxon
Quentin Bevan (/instructors/united-kingdom/quentin-bevan.001370000076YDHAA2/)SFG II Wantage, Oxon
Colin Bristow (/instructors/united-kingdom/colin-bristow.0013700000ROyd6AAD/)SFG I Wantage, Oxfordshire
Keith Greig (/instructors/united-kingdom/keith-greig.001370000076ZxqAAE/)SFG I Wantage, Oxfordshire
Susan Jannaway (/instructors/united-kingdom/susan-jannaway.0013700000IxNYzAAN/)SFG I Wantage, Oxfordshire
Ellie Crawley (/instructors/united-kingdom/ellie-crawley.0013700000ROyZhAAL/)SFG I Weston Super Mare, Somerset
Drew Cozens (/instructors/united-kingdom/drew-cozens.001370000076Xj3AAE/)SFG II, SFL, SFB Windlesham, Surrey
Fiona Cameron (/instructors/united-kingdom/ ona-cameron.0013700000IxNYqAAN/)SFG I Woking
RIGHT NOW IN THE FORUM
(/community/)
 Hardstyle, Kettlebells and Kids [1] (//www.strong rst.com/community/threads/.11836)
 Haha, you're already 3 yrs late! ;) I work as a S&C coach for different sports ...
 Program Critique Needed [4] (//www.strong rst.com/community/threads/.11835)

 I recently started Wendler 5/3/1 for the rst time. I like it so far. Your ...
 so no experience with barbell training but a few ideas for conditioning post ...
 training your primary lifts once per week is really sub-optimal if your goal is ...
 Two lift workouts [0] (//www.strong rst.com/community/threads/.11832)

Be the rst to answer!
STRONGFIRST ON INSTAGRAM
(/)
RESOURCES
About (/get-started/about/)
Contact (/contact/)
Articles (/blog/)
Community (/community/)
Shop Online (/shop/)
Instructors Only (/instructors-only/)
Certi cation Photo Albums (/certi cations/event-photos/)
RECENT ARTICLES
Breaking Parallel in the Squat: Why You Shouldn’t Avoid It and How to Achieve It (https://www.strong rst.com/breaking-parallel-in-
the-squat-why-you-shouldnt-avoid-it-and-how-to-achieve-it/)
Should Kettlebells be Used in the Clinic? (Considerations and Applications for Clinicians) (https://www.strong rst.com/should-
kettlebells-be-used-in-the-clinic-considerations-and-applications-for-clinicians/)
Quarterly Update: Back to the Barbell (https://www.strong rst.com/quarterly-update-back-to-the-barbell/)
From Intimidated to Con dent and Capable: The Power of Practicing Strength (https://www.strong rst.com/from-intimidated-to-
con dent-and-capable-the-power-of-practicing-strength/)
Let’s Get Lateral (https://www.strong rst.com/lets-get-lateral/)
Your Conditioning Program Does Not Have to be Sport-Speci c (https://www.strong rst.com/your-conditioning-program-does-not-

have-to-be-sport-speci c/)
(https://www.facebook.com/bestrong rst) (https://www.instagram.com/strong rst/)
(https://twitter.com/bestrong rst) (https://www.youtube.com/user/BeStrongFirst)
GET OUR NEWSLETTER
First Name *
Last Name *
Email *
SIGN UP
UPCOMING COURSES:
KETTLEBELL (/courses/kettlebell-course-schedule/) | BARBELL (/courses/barbell-course-schedule/) | BODYWEIGHT (/courses/bodyweight-course-
schedule/) | SPECIAL EVENTS (/special-events/)
UPCOMING CERTIFICATIONS:
KETTLEBELL I (/certi cations/sfg-i-schedule/) | KETTLEBELL II (/certi cations/sfg-ii-schedule/) | BARBELL (/certi cations/s -schedule/) | BODYWEIGHT
(/certi cations/sfb-schedule/)
© COPYRIGHT STRONGFIRST INC

Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches - StrongFirst

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches - StrongFirst

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

05/05/2018 Heads Up!

The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and Snatches | StrongFirst

HEADS UP! THE NECK POSITION IN KETTLEBELL SWINGS

1. Is there an epidemic of neck problems from the traditional technique — the

(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/pavel-tsatsouline-swing.jpg)Brett Jones, Master SFG, has

Now to the second question:

2. Has the new technique improved the performance of top lifters?

Deadlift kings – Lamar Gant (left) and Andy Bolton (right)

How to hold your neck in quick pulls – in

From Supertraining (http://amzn.to/1cYUH7f), a fundamental text on strength:

(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/supertraining-mel-siff.jpg)The position of the head

We accept the above as the SFG standard.

(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/pavel-neck-position.jpg)The only person I have ever seen

(https://www.strong rst.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/brett-jones-neck-position.jpg)The Master SFG also warns

Heads up and power to your swings, ladies and gentlemen!

Simple & Sinister in a Rehabilitation Setting

What to Do With Your Free Hand During a One-arm Swing

Pavel Tsatsouline (https://www.strong rst.com/author/pavel/)

(https://www.strong rst.com/author/pavel/) CEO

 DEADLIFT (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/DEADLIFT-2/)  HIP HINGE (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/HIP-HINGE/)

 POSTURE (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/POSTURE/)  POWERLIFTING (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/TAG/POWERLIFTING/)

26 thoughts on “Heads Up! The Neck Position in Kettlebell Swings and

Skylar Pond (http://www.sportsmednw.com) says:

http://sportsmednw.com/neck-injuries-with-kettlebells- x-your-gaze- x-your-swing/ (http://sportsmednw.com/neck-injuries-with-kettlebells-

Todd (http://www.ToddCambio.com) says:

peter lakatos says:

Fred Barbe (http://www.santeperformance.com) says:

Reneta Music (http://www.hardstylebody.com) says:

noe pacheco says:

your the best pavel

Frank Zedar says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Frank, it is a good thing all lifters are suddenly clean now.

Aleks Salkin (http://alekssalkin.com) says:

Daniele Barbieri DC says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Thank you, Daniele!

peter lakatos (http://www.peterlakatos.hu) says:

peter lakatos (http://www.peterlakatos.hu) says:

Craig Liebenson (http://Www.craigliebenson.com) says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Thank you, Craig!

Ariel Couceiro (http://corposao.blogspot.com.ar/) says:

Steve Horwitz DC (http://www.DallasSportsAcademy.com) says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Thank you, Steve!

John the Drunkard says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Tyler Satnick says:

Pavel, have you seen this??? Neutral working pretty well…

John the Drunkard says:

Tyler Satnick says:

Chris Gross says:

Pavel Tsatsouline says:

Kettlebells and Deadlifting: A Match Made in Heaven? (https://www.strong rst.com/kettlebells-and-powerlifting-a-match-made-in-

EXPLORE THE ARTICLES

Please read the submission guidelines here (article-submission/).

Click to view all StrongFirst prep guides (/prep-guides/)

 BARBELL (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/BARBELL/)  BLOG (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/BLOG/)

 INSTRUCTORS ONLY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/INSTRUCTORS-ONLY/)

 MILITARY LEO FIRST RESPONDERS (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/MILITARY-LEO-FIRST-RESPONDERS/)

 MOBILITY AND RECOVERY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/MOBILITY-AND-RECOVERY/)

 SPORT PSYCHOLOGY (HTTPS://WWW.STRONGFIRST.COM/CATEGORY/SPORT-PSYCHOLOGY/)