Preventing Wrist and Forearm Injuries During Kettlebell Workouts

One of the more frequent questions we are asked is how to keep your wrists and forearms safe while exercising with kettlebells. Kettlebell Kings frequently collaborates with professionals and medalists to answer all of your questions.

Brittany Van Schravendijik reviews this, and more, in the video posted below.

The three most important ideas to pay attention to are:

• Hook Grip
• Small Arch
• Gravity and Timing

Hook Grip

The method you choose to grip the kettlebell with is critical, no matter what style kettlebell you select. Brittany demonstrates the proper grip on her competition kettlebell in the video. A common error people make is to hold the kettlebell with a death grip. It is unnecessary to wrap your hands around the bell's handle for fear of dropping it. A better form is the "hook grip." Rest the handle on your middle finger bones (shown 1:11) and tighten your thumb over the handle. The hook grip allows your wrist to remain in alignment while staying flexible enough to control the bell during transitions.

In the video, watch Brittany work through the proper techniques with competition and powder coat kettlebells.

Small Arch

As the kettlebell emerges from between your legs, use a smaller arch for better control. The force generated is much more significant in a wide arch, which results in the bell slamming into your forearm when you rack it (shown at 2:00). In the video, Brittany exposes the differences between large and small arches. She shows you how much easier it is to maintain control of the kettlebell by swinging it closer to your body. Combining this motion with a hooked grip allows your hand to reach the racked position more naturally than a death grip would.

Hand Location and Positioning

When you transition into the racked position (shown 2:50), open your hand while moving your elbow. Keep your hand inside the handle, and let it come to rest diagonally across your palm.

Gravity and Timing

Use the momentum from your hip thrust to carry the kettlebell up instead of lifting it (shown at 3:20). Gravity will slow the bell, giving you time to change your grip. The bell should land softly against your forearm, not slam into it. Open your hand and lock your elbow into position as you move the kettlebell into a clean.

In the video, Brittany demonstrates proper form with a powder coat kettlebell (shown at 4:55). She also explains how to control the quick arm pull and get your elbow into place. This is a much tighter, controlled movement when you use a small arch with a hook grip.

What’s Next?

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About Kettlebell Kings

Kettlebell Kings is a premium-quality kettlebell and kettlebell content provider, based in Austin, Texas. You can view our equipment, kettlebell how-to's, and get expert advice at https://www.kettlebellkings.com and https://blog.kettlebellkings.com. For more information, call us at 855-7KETTLE to learn more.