In my opinion, the kettlebell is better suited to the one-arm swings

than the classic kettlebell swing. It’s a surprisingly challenging

movement because there’s a rotational element that makes stabilizing
your shoulders and trunk difficult. For example, on the downswing, with
the kettlebell swinging between your legs, the momentum of the weight
pulls your shoulder into an internally rotated position. You have to resist
that force to keep your shoulder back.
The one-arm swing also highlights an athlete’s strategy for
stabilizing the non-swinging hand. I know this is a mantra that I have
been chatting about throughout this book, but I’ll say it again anyway: If
you don’t create a stable position by bracing your spine and creating
torque in your primary engines, your body will find stability somewhere
else. You have to organize your opposite hand by making a fist or
410splaying your fingers, and wind your shoulder into the back of the socket.
This idea carries over to all single-arm, unilateral movements like one-
arm dumbbell pressing, dumbbell snatches, and the Turkish getup.
The bottom line is this: It’s much harder to create stability in a single
shoulder, especially when there’s a dynamic element, than in two
shoulders. You can’t create torque off the implement so it really
highlights your understanding of fundamental movement patterns.
Note: The setup is exactly the same as the double