Welcome back to the Cross Kettlebell Swing Series from the Functional Training Institute.
In this series we explore different ways to swing the kettlebell across the body, introducing a rotational edge and expanding beyond traditional kettlebell swing patterns.
Most coaches are familiar with the standard kettlebell swing progressions.
The stance usually stays the same.
The movement remains largely within the sagittal plane.
Cross swings introduce something different.
They introduce rotation across the body.
This adds a new layer of coordination, lateral stability, timing, and athletic transfer, particularly for sports and activities that require multidirectional movement and rotational power.
🔥 The Ski Swing
In this second progression we introduce the Ski Swing.
The key difference here is the setup. Instead of using a neutral stance, the body moves into a narrow stance.
From there, the knees stay slightly bent and the hips are pushed out to the side while still maintaining the hinge.
That detail matters.
Because this movement is not simply about taking the kettlebell across the body.
It is about creating a hip hinge with a lateral and rotational demand layered into it.
This creates a different challenge through the hips and trunk while introducing a more dynamic crossover into rotational movement.
Coach Tarek also highlights that this variation gives the body a strong core challenge, with the internal and external obliques firing throughout the acceleration and deceleration phases of the swing.
Key coaching elements include:
✅ narrow the stance
✅ keep the knees slightly bent
✅ push the hips out to the side while still hinging
✅ use a relaxed hook grip rather than overgripping
✅ think cut and snap or cut and pop
✅ allow the eyes to follow the kettlebell
This movement should still feel organised and controlled.
It is not about over-rotating or letting the movement become loose through the lumbar.
⚠️ Coaching Detail That Matters: Control the Finish
One of the most important details in the Ski Swing is how the movement finishes.
Coach Tarek warns against finishing the swing, decelerating, and over-rotating through the lumbar at the same time.
That is where the movement can start to lose its structure.
The finish should remain clean and controlled.
The bell cuts across the body and pops at the top, but the body must still stay organised around that action.
This is what keeps the movement effective rather than sloppy.
🔁 Programming Tip: Treat It As a Skill
The Ski Swing is an advanced flow.
It requires focus, timing, and positional awareness.
That is why Coach Tarek specifically notes that he would not place this movement inside a circuit.
Instead, it should be treated on its own.
Once fatigue starts to affect the quality of the movement, the risk increases, particularly with the chance of clipping the knees if the path of the kettlebell becomes less precise.
This variation should be approached as a focused skill, not as rushed conditioning.
💡 Athletic Transfer
The Ski Swing has strong crossover into skiing and other sporting actions that require force to be expressed outside of the traditional sagittal plane.
It begins to develop more transverse and rotational power while still demanding control, rhythm, and balance.
This is what makes it such a valuable progression.
It builds on the kettlebell swing, but takes the movement into a more multidirectional and athletic space.
Stay tuned for the final video in the series.
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