Everyone wants a faster “Helen” time, and the answer is easy – run faster!

But if that won’t do, then being as efficient as possible during the kettlebell swings can help.

A good CrossFit swing relies on a strong Russian swing. So, how do you get the most bang for your buck with the swing?

Enter the plank.

Planks are great for building solid midline stability, which is important for a lot of the moves done in CrossFit.

But planking for time, whilst useful, can be hard to focus on when there are so many other moves that are more fun to practice (did someone say handstand walking?)

What if everytime you swing, you are practicing your plank? Well, you can have your cake….well, maybe not cake.

Firstly, practice a rock solid plank.

Start as you would a regular plank, lying face down with elbows and toes on the ground. Feet about shoulder width apart and elbows under shoulders.

In this plank position, focus on:

– Squeezing the lats

– Lock the knee caps (tighten the quads)

– Abs and glutes switched on

THE PLANK

Holding this for 20-30 seconds should be tough.

Once you get a feel for the plank, you can then mix it in with the swing.

During a swing, as the kettlebell reaches about chest height and becomes weightless for a split second, tighten up as if doing a “vertical plank” – squeeze your lats, lock your knee caps and keep your glutes and abs rock hard.

THE SWING

With every swing, you’ll be planking as well.

So there you have it, a great way to get the most from your kettlebell swings whilst practicing planks at the same time.

Kettlebell swings – free plank in every rep!

About the coach:

Coach George is an RKC Level 2 Kettlebell coach.

As well as loving all things Kettelbell, George is a Doctor by day,

a certified Strength & Conditioning coach and a CrossFit Coach.