subject: Free Kettlebell Workouts [print this page] Back when I bought my first kettlebell, I was horrible at executing the snatch. I used to get bruised up forearms, sore wrists and callouses that would tear anytime I really tried to push myself.
It wasn't until 4 years ago that I properly learned how to snatch a kettlebell (NOTE: it's nothing like snatching an Olympic bar or even a dumbbell). I was at a conference and had been speaking to a KB expert over email for a few months. We finally got a chance to meet face to face. He grilled me with questions about being a parent (I only had 3 kids at the time) and then I peppered him with questions about kettlebells and exercise technique.
Fast forward 4 years and I haven't had a bruised forearm or sore wrists since. (Although the callouses are still there, but my hands are a lot tougher!).
The snatch is one of - if not, the BEST - exercise you can perform with a kettlebell. If you don't know how to do it properly, I suggest you learn it because it is a tool in your exercise arsenal that you will constantly come back to.
So the good news is that I didn't slip a disc - I can be a bit of a hypochondriac sometimes - and I just strained my psoas. I went to see my good friend, Dr. Bill Wells over at the Urban Athlete in Toronto and he fixed me right up.
If you're ever in need of a chiropractor in the Toronto area, I strongly suggest you visit The UA. Their chiro team is second to none and the beauty about it is that they're all athletes or former athletes (Bill's an ultra-endurance athlete, they've got a few practitioners who still compete as well and even a former Olympian).
The bad news is that I have to take a few forced days off from training so I can let this injury heal. So instead of trying to amp up the volume a little, I'll be doing a lot of basic isometric ab work, stretching, foam rolling, trigger point work and probably practicing my handstands.
