Would you like to increase your strength, heart & lung power, endurance and vitality with only one exercise? Swings are what you are looking for.

I’m not talking about playground swings, I’m talking about an exercise. In a nutshell, swings are performed by swinging a weight between your legs, then swinging it out in front of you at arms length.

The beauty of this exercise is that it strengthens and develops all the core muscles, especially those associated with the hips, back, buttocks and thighs, because it is a full-body movement. You’ll also use muscles in your arms, legs and just about everything in between.

Swings are fast-paced, explosive movements that quickly elevate the heart rate and breathing. They will quickly wake you from whatever daze you may be in and, once you get used to them, will energize you for the rest of the day.

As a full-body exercise, swings burn incredible quantities of calories and, since you can perform them at an aerobic pace, they are a good choice for burning fat and raising your metabolism.

If you only have time for one exercise in your routine, the versatility and broad range of development provided by swings, makes them hands-down the exercise of choice. Swings are not technically difficult, so nearly anyone can do them and you can combine them with many other exercises.

Doing just swings will not give you the complete, well-rounded development that you will get from a full exercise routine with exercises to address specific needs. But if you do only one exercise, make it this one. Swings are also great for finishing out a workout routine to increase calorie consumption and enhance power development.

Performing Swings

Although I prefer to perform swings with a kettlebell (imagine a cannon ball with an iron ring-like handle attached), they can also be performed with a dumbbell, a barbell plate, a sandbag, a rock, a big can of soup or juice, a gallon of milk, a bucket full of water (make sure you have a tight-fitting lid for this one) or any other object that has a little weight to it. Occasionally, I even grab one of my kids under the arms and tell them to curl up in a ball and I do swings with them.
I’ve done swings with as much as 100 pounds at a time, but you don’t have to use a lot of weight in order for them to be effective because of the ballistic motion involved. I’ve even found that doing swings without any weight at all can provide an excellent workout in a pinch—just clasp your hands together and swing your hands instead of a weight.

Lighter weights will let you do more repetitions and will develop endurance and cardiovascular strength. Heavier weights promote more strength and power development in the muscles.

How to perform swings:

1. Stand with your feet spread slightly more than shoulder-width apart and place your weight of choice on the floor between your feet.

2. Bend at the knees and hips, pressing your buttocks back as if you were going to sit in a chair, and reach down to grasp the weight with both hands.

3. Keep your back flat and look straight ahead throughout the exercise.

4. Pick the weight up a couple inches off the floor and, with straight arms, swing it back slightly between the legs, then swing it out in front of you at arms length and stand up.

5. As you come to standing, thrust the pelvis forward to achieve more power and momentum.

6. After swinging it as high as you can or as high as your head, let the weight drop and bend at the knees and hips again to let the weight swing back between your legs.

7. Immediately start the next swing forward and repeat as many times as you are able. Note that sometimes it takes several swings to get the weight up to full height, especially if you are using a relatively heavy weight.

Swings can also be done with a variety of techniques that vary the type of development and make better use of lighter weights:

• One hand at a time, doing equal reps with each hand
• One hand at a time, alternating hands with every rep (Be careful with this one; once you get going, the weight is airborne for a split second while switching hands—don’t drop it on your toes)
• A weight in each hand
• A weight in each hand, stand with feet together and swing to the outside of the legs
• One hand at a time, stepping forward with one leg on the upward swing and stepping back to standing on the downward swing
• Two hands at a time, swinging high with a jump motion so that your feet come off the ground

If you’d like to see a video of a one-handed swing being performed, you can view it for free online at

http://low-budget-warrior.com/free_videos/ .

Because swings elevate your heart rate quickly and can be continued for more than a few repetitions (Many people do 100 or even 200 at a time without stopping), they make an excellent exercise for use in an interval training program. Just alternate between swings and marching in place or some other low-intensity exercise.

You can do swings slowly, or with lots of power and speed. In any case, work your way into them slowly. Start with sets of 10 or 20 and rest for a minute before doing the next set; it can be easy to overdo swings if you are new to exercise.

Power, strength, vitality, energy, endurance. What more could you want from one exercise? Grab a weight and start swinging your way to incredible health.

Disclaimer: You should consult with your doctor before starting any exercise or diet program.

About the author - John E. Fike is a professional writer specializing in health and fitness writing and marketing copy. With more than 8 years of professional writing experience, John can provide you with the custom e-books, articles and marketing copy you need to grow your business. Contact him today by emailing john[at]proclaimstudios.com or go online to www.johnefike.com.

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