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7 Kettlebell Swing Mistakes that Cause Lower Back Pain

by Greg Brookes

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kettlebell swing mistakes cause back pain

If you have pulled your back doing kettlebell swings or you experience lower back pain after your swings then this is the article for you.

Kettlebell swings should strengthen the lower back and not cause any type of back pain, if they do, something is wrong.

Just like many exercises you may experience muscle soreness after your workout but it is important to differentiate between pain and soreness. Muscles soreness should reduce workout after each workout whereas pain will increase.

Below I have detailed who should not be using the kettlebell swing, how to master the hip hinge before you start the swing and how to recover from a kettlebell back injury.

Ok, let’s get started..


Who Should Not Perform Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell swings are not for everyone.

If you suffer with any of the following conditions then you should look for a different exercise:

  1. Herniated discs
  2. Post back surgery
  3. Can’t bend forwards without back pain

If you do suffer with any of the above conditions then poor technique can seriously aggravate your lower back and so it is not worth the risk for you.

Talk to your physiotherapist about a better exercise selection.


Master the Hip Hinge Before You Start Kettlebell Swings

I know the excitement of starting to swing a kettlebell can be too much to bare sometimes but mastering the basics first is important.

The basic hip hinge is the foundation of all deadlift movement patterns including: the Kettlebell Swing, Clean, High Pull and Snatch.

If you experience lower back pain while performing the basic hip hinge then you need to either work more on your technique or seek hands-on advice from a professional.

Here’s a tuition video that teaches you how to hip hinge correctly:


Where Should You Feel Kettlebell Swings?

Kettlebell swings are a full body exercise but focus predominantly on the posterior chain or the muscles running up the back of the body.

If you are performing the kettlebell swing correctly then you should feel your buttocks, hamstrings and core muscles working hard. The lower back does work but only to stabilise rather than generate any part of the movement.


7 Kettlebell Swing Mistakes that can Cause Back Pain

If you have mastered the hip hinge, are swinging the kettlebell, but experiencing back pain then here are 7 reasons things may be going wrong:

1 Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Controlling your pelvis is very important when performing any type of deadlift movement pattern including the kettlebell swing. Tight quads and weak inactive ab muscles can cause the pelvis to tilt forwards resulting in an arch at the lower back.

An excessive arch in the lower back (lordosis) can pinch the nerves in the lumbar spine and disturb the intricacies of the vertebrae.

How to fix it: stretch out your quads frequently by lying on your belly and pulling your heel to your buttocks, at the same time pushing your groin into the floor. Secondly, brace your abs tight to prevent your pelvis from tilting forwards, think about pulling your tall between your legs.


2 Excessive Back Extension

Kettlebell two handed swing
Kettlebell two handed swing

At the top of the kettlebell swing you should stand tall and drive your head upwards. Leaning back past the centreline and pushing your hips forwards will result in additional stress to the lower back.

A common problem with so many exercises is an excessive backwards lean often resulting from bad proprioception and weakness in the core muscles.

Many people lean backwards during the swing because they lack the explosive strength from the hip drive to raise the kettlebell. Excessive back extension is very common when performing the American kettlebell swing and one reason I do not recommend it.

How to fix it: contract your abs and buttocks tight at the top of the swing and bring your tail between your legs. Stop in the upright position as if a wall is behind you.


3 Tight Hamstrings

If you suffer from tight hamstrings then the movement at your pelvis will be restricted resulting with compensations at the lower back.

Freedom of movement at the pelvis is important to ensure that as you bend forwards your pelvis moves inline with your lower back. If your pelvis is prevented from rotating forwards then your lower back must provide the additional movement resulting in overwork and ultimately back injury.

How to fix it: you may suffer from lower crossed syndrome. Stretch out your quads and strengthen your abs.  Keep your swings shallow, not leaning too far forwards.


4 Rounding the Back

Another common problem is not correctly mastering the hip hinge and swinging from the lower back rather than the hips. Please watch the hip hinge tuition video earlier in this article.

The lower back should stay flat by isometrically contracting the muscles to maintain a neutral spine position throughout the swing. All movement for the swing should come from a hinging at the hips not the lower back.

You may experience lower and middle back pain after your kettlebell swings if you are making this swing mistake.

How to fix it: go back and practice the single handed deadlift using your hips to generate the power rather than your lower back.


5 Squatting not Deadlifting

If you suffer from middle back pain after your kettlebell swings then you may be squatting rather than deadlifting the kettlebell.

Squat based exercises are classified as knee dominant, whereas deadlifting exercises are hip dominant. The kettlebell swing should involve a forwards and backwards movement from the hips rather than an up and down movement.

If you are trying to squat and swing at the same time then you will be overusing your arms and relying on your back muscles to maintain the kettlebell position out in front of you.

How to fix it: Drive the hips forwards and backwards using the hip hinge as shown in the tuition video earlier.


6 Overuse of Arms

If you experience upper back pain after your kettlebell swings then you are probably overusing your arms. Excessive use of the arms affects the mid and upper back as they do all the work with a weight that the arms alone cannot handle.

The arms do have a role to play when performing the kettlebell swing but only as a means of holding the kettlebell, all power for the swing is generated from the hips.

How to fix it: you are swinging with your arms and not your hips. Focus on the hip drive and relax the arms. Using a heavier kettlebell will force power from the hips because the arms cannot physically do all the work.


7 Hunching Shoulders

Another cause of upper back pain after kettlebell swings is a hunching of the shoulders towards the ears resulting in an overuse of the upper traps and neck.

When swinging correctly the power comes from the hips driving forwards and backwards and the arms merely control the kettlebell. If you suffer from a weakness in the mid and lower traps then your shoulders may have a tendency to gravitate upwards as opposed to back and down.

A poor technique of overusing your arms as mentioned in point 6 above will also compound this problem.

How to fix it: master the hip hinge, relax the arms and work on developing the scapula stabilisers with wall slides


How to Recover from a Kettlebell Back Injury

If you have suffered a kettlebell back injury then you need to rest and re-examine your technique.

A warm bath and massage can help stimulate blood flow and improve healing times but ultimately it will be a waiting game.

Don’t attempt any further kettlebell swings following a back injury. Wait until you are fully healed before regressing the movement to the single arm deadlift and taking note of the 7 points mentioned above.

Watch a video of the single handed kettlebell deadlift below:


Conclusion

The kettlebell swing is a highly beneficial exercise but it is very unforgiving and easy to get your technique wrong at first.

First make sure you have mastered the kettlebell hip hinge some will cross over with the 7 kettlebell swing mistakes listed above.

If you are recovering from a kettlebell back injury then wait until your back is fully healed before attempting the kettlebell swing again.

If you are still struggling with the swing then get in touch with a video of your technique and I’ll help you out.

Take care and happy swinging.

Have you made any of these kettlebell swing mistakes? Let me know more below….

10 best kettlebell workouts

FAQ

Are kettlebell swings bad for your back?

Kettlebell swings are excellent for strengthening the lower back but they do need to be performed correctly using a good quality hip hinge movement. Those suffering from herniated discs or back issues should avoid kettlebell swings.

Where should you be sore after kettlebell swings?

Kettlebell swings work the entire body but in particular the muscles on the back of the body namely the buttocks, hamstrings, and spinal erectors.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. will says

    June 17, 2021 at 5:17 am

    L5 is the serious one

    Reply
  2. William Espiritu says

    June 17, 2021 at 5:15 am

    thank you , i am discouraged, I’ve been told that I have spurs, cists and spinal stenosis and serious forminal stenosis, i really don’t want to quit the intensity, i am with the docs, steroids, osteo person, no pt yet, can you share some exercises that I can feel? My leg is working now and has feeling again! I’m thankful that you returned the text, I was having a good time with the swings, goblet , racked squats etc. It was a good run, they don’t want me to surf for now, sorry, bored, needing and sad!

    Reply
  3. William Espiritu says

    May 30, 2021 at 8:02 pm

    hi, again greg , if i have a back injury its not from the kettle bell, i have been super fine with your workouts, i went out on maybe one of our bigger last swells, when tried tearing it on my old 2007 sup, a narrow one, did a cut back and i felt the tweek, i just wanted to know if someday after healng I can swing again, thank you, Wahiawa Willie, Aaaloha

    Reply
  4. William Espiritu says

    May 29, 2021 at 6:46 am

    can we do swings after a herniated disc has healed? wej

    Reply
    • Greg Brookes says

      June 3, 2021 at 8:07 am

      All depends William on which disc etc. there are lots of other exercises that you could use that are not so aggressive.

      Reply
  5. Stanislav says

    August 5, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Hi,

    i am looking to start with kettlebell workouts as i find them challenging whole body workout that don’t require a lot of time, that i as a parent of two really do not have in abundance. After searching for quality information on how to begin i stayed on this page and been reading your articles and advices and i am thankful for your work.
    Unfortunately i suffered ruptured disc last year and luckily didn’t need an operative procedure. Now i do feel pain but have regained strength and mobility in my lover back. I have read in your article that kettlebell swings are not for ones who suffer this type of injury. I would like to ask you if it is ok to do other sets of workouts that do not include swings? I have in mind exercising with lighter (up to 12kg) kettlebels.
    Thank you for your work and information provided on this page.

    Best regards,

    Stanislav Mijanovic

    Reply
    • Greg Brookes says

      August 6, 2019 at 10:19 am

      Yes Stanislav, lower back problems need to be monitored very carefully. I would recommend that you seek out a movement specialist who can watch you exercise and correct any issue you may have. You could start slowly by yourself but I would only suggest that you perform bodyweight exericises without a kettlebell. Take care.

      Reply

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Greg Brookes has written for and been featured in Men's Health, Health & Fitness, Women's Fitness and all the National Newspapers. Often labelled as the "Trainer to the Trainers" he is a Personal Trainer and Kettlebell Instructor who took his first fitness qualifications over 21 years ago. Greg lives in Oxford, in the UK, with his wife Lucy. Learn more...

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