UNDERSTANDING

CENTER OF MASS IN
KETTLEBELL TRAINING
By Brett Jones
Chief SFG
Posted on October 13, 2015. 4 Comments.

Mastering the dance of center of mass. Who wouldn’t sign up for a class
about that?

With a thick handle and off-set center of mass, the design of the
kettlebell is unique and carries with it unique benefits and also some
challenges. Traditional dumbbells and barbells tend to center the weight
with your hand, but a kettlebell’s center of mass is about six to eight
inches from the handle, and that changes depending on what exercise
you are performing.

The purpose of this article is to describe this dance between the user and
the center of mass of the kettlebell and how it can be used to your
advantage and when to understand the challenges presented.

Understanding Center of Mass in

Kettlebell Training
First let’s begin by defining center of mass:

 The center of mass is the location where all of the mass of the
system could be considered to be located.
 For a solid body, it is often possible to replace the entire mass of
the body with a point mass equal to that of the body’s mass. This
point mass is located at the center of mass.
  For homogenous solid bodies that have a symmetrical shape, the
center of mass is at the center of body’s symmetry, its geometrical
center.
 The center of mass is the point about which a solid will freely
rotate if it is not constrained.
 For a solid body, the center of mass is also the balance point. The
body could be suspended from its center of mass and it would not
rotate, i.e. not be out of balance.
 The center of mass of a solid body does not have to lie within the
body. The center of mass of a hula-hoop is at its center where
there is no hoop, just hula.


The changing center of mass in human movement.

So for the kettlebell, the center of mass could be considered to be at the

geometric center, but for the human body the center of mass is bit more
“active” and changing depending on gravity and our movement.

As you see in the picture above, the center of mass of a person elevates
by raising the arms and the center of mass falls outside the body during a
toe-touch movement. The dance of center of mass means coordinating
the center of mass of the kettlebell and the center of mass of the
individual, which is ever changing depending on movement.

Easy, right?
Center of Mass and the Kettlebell Sumo
Deadlift

The center of mass in the kettlebell deadlift.

In the simplest terms, the kettlebell sumo deadlift allows you to place
your center of mass over the kettlebell’s center of mass. A huge
advantage when you consider how efficiently this allows you to load this
pattern.

Performing a hip hinge, and the posterior weight shift with the trunk
angle, means the individual’s center of mass will be changing and then re-
centering once the kettlebell is grasped and lifted. This combined center
of mass should be centered in the base of support. This should also
explain why some deadlifts and swings will look very different depending
on body structure and the impact it has on center of mass.
Center of Mass and the Kettlebell Swing

Center of mass shifts during the kettlebell swing.

The kettlebell swing begins to make things interesting. Now the dance
becomes a dynamic series of adjustments and
balancing/counterbalancing as the force production greatly enhances or
challenges this dance. Below is a picture of force plate data from my
swing from Brandon Hetzler’s Science of the Swing:
 Example of a smooth and efficient swing.

Here you can see the float of the kettlebell at the top of the swing, the
large eccentric load at the bottom of the downswing, and the force
production to once again pop the kettlebell to the float.

At the bottom of the downswing, there are not only the forces of the
eccentric hip hinge and weight of the kettlebell pulling my center of mass
outside my body into a “face plant,” but also trying to pull me off my feet
backward. All of this is balanced out as I drive into the ground to move
back from deceleration into force production. Lots going on.

Didn’t realize all of that did you? And while driving to the top for the
float, the kettlebell and the center of mass is being projected straight
away from me – meaning I have to maintain my center of gravity and not
get pulled forward by the kettlebell.
Center of Mass and the Clean and Snatch
We take advantage of this displaced center of mass during the clean and
snatch, where the hip action of the swing is used to propel the kettlebell,
but the arc of the swing is “tamed” and the centrifugal force and rotation
center of mass of the kettlebell are directed to efficiently land the
kettlebell at the rack or overhead position. And again on the downswing
of both exercises, the arc must be tamed and the rotation and centrifugal
force of the kettlebell must be dealt with to efficiently move into the
downswing.

All of this means the person swinging, cleaning, or snatching the

kettlebell must produce tension and relaxation at the right times,
including the grip. During the ballistic drills, the dance of center of mass
requires a unique set of skills versus when using a dumbbell.

Center of Mass and the Grinds

The proper center of mass during the kettlebell press.

Take a moment to look at the pictures above. Note the center of mass of
the kettlebell in relation to my right shoulder in the overhead position in
the picture on the left versus the center of mass of the kettlebell over my
left elbow in the same picture. Then, look at the center of mass of the
kettlebell in the bottom-up position in relation to my right forearm and
elbow in the other picture. I believe the kettlebells in the leftpicture are
32kg and the kettlebell in the picture on the right is a 24kg.

Notice how the overhead kettlebell center of mass basically lines up

over my shoulder, keeping the center of mass of the kettlebell over the
center of the joint supporting it. This also means that if the kettlebell is
large enough, the arm supporting it may not look vertical but the center
of mass of the kettlebell will line up over the shoulder/base of support.

During the press, the movement from the rack position shown on the left
arm to the overhead position means you will move through the vertical
position shown in the bottom-up picture. With kettlebells upwards of
32kg for men and 16-20kg for most women, the off-set center of mass
will guide the path of the press and be advantageous for the mechanics
of the press. Beyond 40kg and 20kg, the ability to hit a vertical forearm is
challenged and individuals can end up pressing from a slightly internally
rotated shoulder position. A volume of pressing from this position could
cause some irritation at the shoulder.

During the get-up, the individual “moves around” this center of mass
through the different positions and transitions. Again, if the kettlebell is
large enough, there may not be a vertical arm at certain stages of the get-
up, but the center of mass of the kettlebell will line up with the base of
support. Otherwise, the off-set center of mass can produce a negative
stress on the shoulder.

Understanding Center: The Dance of

Mass
Also keep in mind that the larger the kettlebell and the more displaced
the center of mass, the more it will impact the stability to keep the
alignment of the center of mass with the supporting structures. Limb
length also plays a role. Longer limbs mean more displacement of center
of mass and shorter limbs can mean more of a mechanical advantage.
Read more on this in Brandon Hetzler’s article A Long Way to Press.

So, there you have it. A quick rundown of the dance of center of mass in
kettlebell training. This dance means kettlebell training is more “alive”
than some other forms of resistance training and can be a benefit or a
challenge depending on the exercise.

Brett Jones

Brett Jones is StrongFirst’s Chief SFG Instructor. He is also a

Certified Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
based in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Science in
Sports Medicine from High Point University, a Master of Science in
Rehabilitative Sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania,
and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from
the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

With over twenty years of experience, Brett has been sought out to consult with
professional teams and athletes, as well as present throughout the United States and
internationally.

As an athletic trainer who has transitioned into the fitness industry, Brett has taught
kettlebell techniques and principles since 2003. He has taught for Functional Movement
Systems (FMS) since 2006, and has created multiple DVDs and manuals with world-
renowned physical therapist Gray Cook, including the widely-praised “Secrets of…” series.

Brett continues to evolve his approach to training and teaching, and is passionate about
improving the quality of education for the fitness industry. He is available for consultations
and distance coaching by e-mailing him at appliedstrength@gmail.com.

Follow him on Twitter at @BrettEJones.