Jillian Michaels’ Kettlebell Swing Reminds Us That Trainers Are Like Doctors
By admin
I want implants. <— How’s that for an intro?
I’m not embarrassed to admit it. But when I do get them (one of these days) I won’t be going to a heart surgeon.
And if I had a heart condition, I definitely wouldn’t schedule a visit to the plastic surgeon.
Why? Well, duh. Doctors are specialist.
They know their area of medicine {hopefully} really well, but as far as medicine outside of their scope? Nada.
Another thing I’m not embarrassed to admit… personal trainers are the same way.
Sure, we know a little bit about all types of exercise, but there are so many different forms of training, it’s really hard to have a great grasp on them all.
We’re really good at a few, but come to me for olympic lifting and you’ll be disappointed. I will immediately fill you in that I don’t feel confident enough in my own olympic training to be of service to you.
That’s just not my thing.
What is my thing is being honest.
I don’t admire trainers who try to pull the “oh I’m a fitness trainer ,and therefore, know everything there is to know about exercise” card.
Case and point…
Jillian Michaels.
Dan recently showed me this picture of Jillian doing a kettlebell swing. Well, at least that’s what she called it. I call it attempting to slam your head into the ground.
In no way does Jillian have any credibility to teach this move. Yet, because she’s built a name for herself (OMG, It’s “JILLIAN MICHAELS”!), people trust her and her exercise knowledge.
Give me a break.
I cringe thinking that one day someone might watch this video before coming to do kettlebells with me and then asking me why I do them differently than Jillian.
The Swing Breakdown
Here’s what the swing is suppose to look like. And if you break it down piece by piece at no point would my body resemble the position that Jillian has found herself in above.
- The swing is about a hip hinge. There should be a slight bend in the knees, but not enough to make it resemble a squat. The hips go back, and as they do, the body folds forward.
- The back stays straight. During a swing, it’s vital to keep the back and neck in a straight, neutral position. Anything else can lead to strain, pain and tweaks.
- Hands get close and intimate with your private parts. At the lower position, the hands should be right around your crotch with the bottom of the kettlebell pointing towards the wall behind you. Jillian’s style? Not even close.
- And finally, keep the head straight, eyes focused in front of you and your chest open as if you’re trying to show your chest off even at the lower body position. Please don’t knock yourself out from slamming it into the ground.
The graphic above isn’t new and Jillian’s form has already be criticized by quite a few other kettlebell lovers. So I continued to dig through videos to see if she learned her lesson.
She did and she didn’t.
It appears that Jillian is no longer aiming to slam her head into the ground, but now she’s doing a squat focused swing. There is zero hip hinge, and she is simply pouncing up and down with her legs to encourage the kettlebell to keep swinging. Still not mastered, yet she continues to teach the move to her millions of followers.
#Fail.
It’s Not Just About Kettlebells
Jillian certainly isn’t the only trainer to work with clients outside their scope of expertise. It happens a lot. And it’s quite irritating. For you and for me.
For clients, they aren’t going to experience the workout they deserve. They will learn improper movements, create bad habits and even risk their chances of injuries.
For trainers, it’s being dishonest. It’s also increasing the chances or having a client become injured during a workout (which I HATE) and it’s creating wrong movement patterns in clients that will have to be corrected by other trainers in the future. One of these day, I might get a Michaels’ fan in my gym and I’ll have to explain all of this all over again.
I don’t want to have to do that. I don’t want to have to say “She didn’t know what the hell she was doing.” But I will to correct the problems created.
Make Sure Your Trainer Can Really Train You
The moral of the story?
–> If you’re interested in kettlebells, seek out a kettlebell certified trainer.
–> If you’re interested in olympic weight lifting, find someone that has studied weight lifting and can spot you safely and confidently.
–> If you’re interested in martial arts, find a martial artist <— Jillian Michaels knows her stuff with martial arts!
Ask questions, share your thoughts and goals and be honest about what you expect.
Oh, and of course if you’re interested in kettlebells or body weight intense training, I know just the trainer for you! 
Happy Monday!
For me, I would love to get more into rock climbing.