Note from Jedd: Many people have wondered whether the Version 2.0 of the Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling covers the basic of kettlebell juggling. It does indeed cover that. Also, several years ago, I put up the following article covering the technique I started with in kettlebell juggling, the Kettlebell forward flip and catch. Check it out below.

Don’t forget – Logan has extended the contest for the free iPad through this weekend, so make sure to try to attain at least Level 1 amongst the Kettlebell Juggling Progression List and Ranking System.

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Photo Source: Niki DeSantis. Athlete: Mike Rankin

If you’ve been around the NET at all, you’ve seen a lot of video clips where people juggle kettlebells.  There are tons of different ways to juggle kettlebells.  I’ve seen guys do it behind their back, going between their legs, and even juggling more than one bell at a time.

While you may also have the goal of mastering the art of kettlebell juggling, it’s important to start out on the right foot or else you could get very frustrated and maybe even injured by improper technique. The way I started out was by performing what I call the Forward Flip and Catch.

In order to get started with kettlebell juggling, it’s important to understand a few simple points.

Juggling Starts With a Swing

In order to juggle a kettlebell, you have to be able to get the kettlebell up near the chest and neck area.  Once the kettlebell is in this position, you have a window of opportunity to impart other forces upon it to make the juggling possible.

If you are dealing with a heavy kettlebell, I’m talking something over 50 lbs, then you need to get your whole body involved to get the kettlebell up high enough.

This should be done by performing a swing.  If you are no good at kettlebell swings, then you should master that movement before moving on to juggling.

The swing looks like this.

The Swing

The bell is projected to this height not just by lifting it with the shoulder and arm, but rather it is propelled to that position by the lower body, especially the power of the hips and glutes.  After the kettlebell is pulled through the legs, the hips are snapped and the bell travels upward in its trajectory. This hip power is also responsible for getting the flip going.

Transition to a High Pull

In the standard Kettlebell Swing, the arm is kept straight.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to express any power into the kettlebell if your arm is straight, so it is necessary to transition the swing into a high pull.

The High Pull is performed slightly different from a barbell high pull, however.  Instead of pulling the bell up in a primarily straight line, the bell comes up in the arc and then is pulled backward for the high pull portion.

It is this slight back pull that brings the bell closer to your body where you can then exert other forces into it and make it flip around so that you can juggle it.

The Thumb Push

In this example, we will perform the Forward Flip. Once the bell reaches it’s highest point, it is time to make it flip.

Hand Radially Deviated as Thumb Pushes the Handle Away

For a Forward Flip, the thumb is the part of your hand that will actually make the kettlebell flip, because it is the last part of the hand that contacts the kettlebell handle.  With this in mind, you can also slightly shift your hand into radial deviation so that you can optimize the positioning of the thumb and propel the bell forward to initiate the flip.

Catching the Bell

It is important to understand that when flipping and juggling kettlebells, the axis about which the kettlebell spins is within the bell and not the handle.  Grasping this concept will allow you to better predict where the handle will be when you go to grab and catch it.

Kettlebell Spinning 180 Degrees on its Axis, Falling Only Inches

As you can see in the series above, the kettlebell spins on an axis near the center. The handle flies forward and down, moving into position for the catch.

If your technique is dialed in you will catch the bell in almost the same exact spot you flipped it.  You can even get your other hand into position beneath the bell ahead of time, as pictured above.

After you try the Forward Flip a few times, you’ll be able to predict where the handle will be.  Once you get the feel you will be able to move your hand to find the kettlebell handle and secure it again in your grasp.

Receiving and Returning the Bell

Once you figure out the tempo of the Swing / High Pull / Flip sequence, you will be able to rip off several Forward Flips in a row.  However, just like any other kettlebell lift, efficiency is important in order to put together a string of Forward Flips.

Many beginner jugglers find it hard to put together Forward Flips in succession because once they catch the bell they fail to maintain an arc in the bell path.  If they try to catch the bell and drop it straight down, they will lose a lot of momentum.  Instead, you should try to catch the bell by the handle and then let the bell pass back down through the legs.  By maintaining this arc, you can more easily explode back into another swing, high pull, and flip.

Putting it All Together

Here is everything put together in action. Notice the path of the bell upwards, the location of my hands, and the quick transition into the next repetition.

Hopefully, the sequences of still shots and the video help you understand the basics of kettlebell juggling.

Once you get that one down, then you can progress from there. Here’s the progression to work on for basic juggling.

• Same Hand Forward Flip and Catch (shown first in video)
• Hand to Hand Forward Flip and Catch (shown at end of video)
• Same Hand Sideways Forward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Sideways Forward Flip and Catch
• Same Hand Backward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Backward Flip and Catch
• Same Hand Sideways Backward Flip and Catch
• Hand to Hand Sideways Backward Flip and Catch

That should get you started! All the best with your juggling.

Jedd

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Learn How to Juggle Kettlebells with The G0-To Resource,
The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling 2.0, from Logan Christopher:

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As I write this, I just finished an interview with Logan Christopher. In it, we focus on Kettlebell Juggling and its many benefits.

Interview:
Logan Christopher on Kettlebell Juggling < = For Best Results, Right Click the Link and Save the Audio File to Your Computer/Device.

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Logan has a new release out, the Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling 2.0.

I got a copy of his original Kettlebell Juggling DVD set several years ago and it was awesome. I could not believe the lengths and the detail he covered in that DVD Set.

This is the testimonial I sent Logan as soon as I was done watching Logan’s original Kettlebell Juggling Guide:

“Logan, you have put together an outstanding resource for kettlebell juggling. I thought it was great how you were able to organize all of the various juggling techniques and then lay them out in a progressive format. In my training, I have done several different types of kettlebell throws and catches, but you opened up doors of variation that I have not seen or used in the past! I especially liked the way you maneuver the bell behind your back, through the legs and how you incorporate moving over a distance with your throws. I recommend this DVD set to anyone who is looking to open a new chapter in their kettlebell training!”

As big as the original Guide to KB Juggling was (an awesome 2-DVD set) Version 2.0 is even bigger. You’ve got to check this thing out: Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling 2.0.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This article was originally posted at TheGripAuthority.com, my grip strength coaching site in October of 2010 and has been slightly edited to bring it up to date.

Benefits of Kettlebell Flipping and Juggling

Kettlebell Flipping may seem like a pointless stunt to some.

It may also seem like something that has no bearing on Grip Strength.

Both of these assumptions are wrong.

The Kettlebell’s Effect on Grip Strength

I once sat down with Andrew Durniat, the 2009, 2011, and 2012 North American Grip Sport Champion, about his training, and he told me that he felt a great deal of his Gripper Strength and his Support Strength could be credited to his years of training with kettlebells.

Now, at one time, Andrew was (and given his extraordinary athletic ability probably still could be) one of the best in the world at Kettlebell Sport. Andrew credits much of his Grip success to his Kettlebell work, and I can’t even venture a guess at the number of reps he has done.

With all of the tremendous volume that is present with Kettlebell Sport, there is an unbelievable amount of dynamic strength being engaged with the hands, fingers, and thumbs in order to control the kettlebell and reverse it’s momentum, especially during Long Cycle competition.

Now, I am not going to tell everybody they have to go take up Kettlebell Sport in order to improve their Grip.

However, I do feel there is benefit in plucking from the Kettlebell Sport in order to reap the specific benefit of Grip Strength Enhancement for the purposes we are all looking for.

The objective, then, is to figure out a way we can target that dynamic volume subjected to the hands, fingers and thumbs with kettlebells while being able to package it neatly into our training program.

THE ANSWER: Kettlebell Flipping & Juggling

Kettlebell Flipping involves maneuvering the kettlebell in a circle in the air either from one hand to the other or releasing it and then grasping it again with the same hand. Flipping is normally done directly in front of you, only.

Kettlebell Juggling involves more advanced maneuvers, including passing the bell behind the back, through the legs, and other demanding drills.

Grip Strength Benefits from Kettlebell Flipping & Juggling

Here are some of the benefits you can take away from Kettlebell Flipping and Juggling:

Dynamic Grip Strength – As we have already highlighted, Kettlebell Flipping puts a great deal of load into the hands, fingers, and thumbs and requires rapid firing as well as eccentric strength, similar to controlling a large Gripper while the handles open.

Thumb Strength / Stability – Kettlebell Flipping is highly dependent on the Thumbs. In many Flipping Techniques the Thumb is the primary generator of propulsion to get the rotation of the kettlebell started, when done properly.

Forearm Size / Strength – We all know that the finger flexors originate in the elbow and travel through the forearm. Thus Flipping Kettlebells will increase strength, stamina and size in the Forearms, especially if you continue to push yourself to using heavier Kettlebells.

Wrist Strength – The Wrist is targeted with Flipping, especially when the Kettlebell is Flipped sideways. Also, because the handle sometimes loses its proper track, in order to correct it and flip it again, the wrist MUST be able to handle the torque as well as renegotiate it.

Hip Strength – While the Kettlebell Swing is the basic starting point for most Kettlebell Training, in my experience, the force that is created when performing longer sets of Swings is not maximal. However, with Kettlebell Flipping, especially with heavier bells, the hips MUST engage powerfully every single time in order to bring the kettlebell to the height it needs to be in order to perform Flips correctly.

Conditioning – Despite the fact that the hands are targeted heavily with Kettlebell Flipping, when you go for very high repetitions and when you use a heavy bell, the whole body must fire. This involves a great deal of musculature throughout the body and thus gets your heart pumping, increases demands of the lungs, gets you sweating and gets you breathing – this is some serious cardio potential without having to get onto a cardio machine.

So, how do you get started performing Kettlebell Flipping and Juggling?

Well, I have several short tutorials scattered all over the Internet. However, my expertise is limited primarily to the Flipping – maneuvering the Kettlebell directly in front of your body.

In my opinion, when it comes to true Kettlebell Juggling, there’s nobody I know of better than Logan Christopher.

I have seen this dude pull off some pretty amazing stunts over the years with both heavy and lighter kettlebells. I’ve even seen him perform Kettlebell Juggling with a FLAMING KETTLEBELL.

Yes, the thing was on FIRE! And I am not talking about a little blue flame like the kind that comes out of a butane lighter – I am talking about gigantic bursting flame thrower fire like you’d see at a Fire-Eater show in Vegas.

Check this out:

The DARKNESS just makes it even more visually impressive, but you’d see that Kettlebell Bonfire clearly if it were daytime too!

Wanna Learn Kettlebell Juggling Basics?

Logan is giving away a free instructional video that he shot as part of a recent seminar here: How to Juggle Kettlebells.

I love Kettlebell Juggling. It is by far my favorite form of Cardio, especially with its additional Grip Enhancing Benefits.

If you want to learn it too, check out the link above.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

This is just a quick video to give you something to check out at your leisure on a Friday afternoon and over the weekend…

You all know I like trying out different Feats of Strength…

I was recently enjoying several days of High Volume Grip Training when I wanted to challenge myself with some very dynamic tests of grip strength.

What I decided to try was going for forward flips with the 95-lb Kettlebell while wearing cotton gloves.

These gloves are some of the slickest around. They are by far slicker than anything else I have ever worn while flipping kettlebells.

You’ll see the bell rip right out of my right hand, which was much more beat up than my left due to lots more Vulcan Gripper work.

Wearing gloves while flipping kettlebells isn’t something I do all the time, but it is pretty fun and challenging.

If you give it a try make sure your technique is solid, your hands are warmed up, and that you start out light! Don’t go ripping a finger out of its socket!

Question for you Have you tried any new feats lately? What’s the weirdest you ever tried? Leave a comment below…

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Discover EVERYTHING You Need to Know about Gripper Training
with my Definitive Gripper Training DVD, CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

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This is a guest post from Logan Christopher of LegendaryStrength.com. Logan studies many forms of training we readily cover here at Diesel, including grip feats like bending steel and tearing cards as well as hand balancing and kettlebell juggling. His DVD, the Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling, is a smorgasbord of kettlebell juggling information.

 

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Jedd wrote a post awhile back on the basics of kettlebell juggling (How to Do Kettlebell Juggling) and he covered them well.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)