Archive for April, 2011

Apart from heavy kettlebell swings there is another exercise that will give you a killer grip – its nail bending.

Once you find six inch hardware nails easy you can progress by snipping an inch off them with bolt cutters. The move on to bolts, screw drivers door hinge pins etc.

Admittedly I am new to the sport and have only bent a dozen nails so far. But they have all bent fully. I also have a “power twister” which the packaging says is 60KG torsion. A six inch hardware nail takes 280 – 350 lbs of force to bend but the power twister is much harder than a nail. I would say it takes 400 lbs of force (compared to the nails) so I don’t know where they get the 60KG from but its definitely much more.

Here I am bending a six inch nail.

Now my tendons are still getting broken in and boy – this really hurts like heck afterward. the first session it hurt all the next day – now I find it hurts for an hour or two after.

Yep its gotta be the simplest kettlebell exercise of them all – The Swing !!!

But not just any swing. What you need to do is get a kettlebell thats way beyond your strength level in most exercises. So if you normally do your presses and cleans with a 20KG or 24KG, use a 40KG for the heavy swings.

You will need to have developed your motor skill set with kettlebells before using heavy weights and remember to use tension throughout to stabilize the move.

Do high swings with one arm and you will feel it in your grip and forearms immediately. Much better than barbell curls.

Good Luck.