Ideally, our resting positions utilize our skeletal systems. We rest with the kettlebell on the hip of the hand, the elbow over the hip (iliac crest), and our weight is shifted more towards the heels at rest provided that we have worked on our flexibility. We do this to take the stress off our muscles so that we may prolong our sets, but we do this for another reason; to maximize our potential energy.
When you are standing with the bells in the rack position, your weight is likely on your heels to support the bells. This is also potential energy. The potential energy exists because you will shift towards the balls of the feet to extend the knees. If you are fluid (without pause) when shifting the weight, your first bump will be more powerful and will require less effort. In essence, it creates a wave effect with the first bump: the energy doesn’t stop once you start shifting the weight and this potential energy is converted to kinetic energy; the energy of motion.
The same analogy can be drawn with the snatch. At the back of the swing the weight will be on the heels, and the legs will be straight or close to straight, as the bell moves forward, the weight should shift to the balls of the feet so that you can extend the knees in a similar fashion as you would in the first bump in the jerk. This “shifting” is energy and it is energy that you can use in conjunction with extending the knees. This will help you create a more powerful and effortless ascension. Furthermore, it really reduces the chance that you will pull with your hand too early out of the backswing. Therefore, it will stave off grip fatigue and reduce the chances of hand tears.
The key point is to be aware of this potential energy. Shifting your weight from the heels to the balls of your feet creates this energy that can be utilized for a powerful first bump in the jerk, and much more effortless ascension in the snatch.
If you start the Jerk with bent knees before the first bump, then you’ve reduced the potential energy of the first bump. The same thing can be said for the snatch. If you don’t shift the weight to your heels at the back of the swing, then you won’t shift the weight back towards the balls of the feet as the weight swings forward. Consequently, the timing with which you extend the knees to engage the legs will be less than optimal because you won’t take full advantage of the swing and the pendulum effect.
Awareness of your position, so that you have potential energy is very crucial to your success as a lifter. The more I watch Valery Fedorenko and other elite lifters, and the more I practice, I realize this potential energy concept is a huge piece in the lifting puzzle. Beginning lifters stand to really benefit from the application of this concept. It will help them immensely with their timing and execution. They will become more powerful and athletic and will add reps to their sets. Experienced folks, who are unaware or haven't considered this concept, may find an immediate boost in their power with little or no additional effort.
This "potential energy" concept as I have described in kettlebell lifting is applicable to athletics in general. Weightlifters use it. When an athlete like a football or soccer player quickly changes a direction they are using it. I personally noticed that my speed and power with my kickboxing improved once I became aware of how to shift my weight. The bottom line is that whether you are using Kettlebells to improve your conditioning and athleticism for your sport, or trying to improve you numbers in Kettlebell sport, paying attention to your potential energy can make a significant difference in your performance.
Source: Catherine Imes
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