Exercise of the Week: 1-arm Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Carry
Written on September 10, 2013 at 6:58 pm, by Eric Cressey
I've talked quite a bit in the past about how much I like bottoms-up kettlebell exercises to get great "reflexive" firing of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers in a more unstable environment. I'm also a big fan of carrying variations – so it gets me pretty pumped up when I can combine the two! With that in mind, today, I want to talk about the 1-arm Bottoms-up Kettlebell Carry.
This is an exercise that I really like to utilize with a lot of our baseball players early in the off-season, as it teaches them to relax the latissimus dorsi to allow proper scapular upward rotation to take place. My two biggest cues are to "keep the biceps quiet" and "don't let the lower back arch." If you do these two things, chances are that everything else will "click" just right. Check out this video for a more detailed coaching tutorial:
I like to program 2-4 sets of 30-40yds on each arm. We'll often use this in place of a pressing exercise with our baseball guys, particularly in the early off-season when we're working to establish optimal scapular upward rotation after a long season. Give it a shot for yourself and you'll find that it'll quickly be a great addition to your strength training programs, whether you're a throwing athlete or not!
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September 11th, 2013 at 5:57 am
What weight to you use for the kettle bell. When doing the bottoms up kettle bell Walk?
thanks
Chris
September 11th, 2013 at 6:28 am
Do you think this new tool can have similer benefits for the rotator cuff and scapula ?
http://www.anthem-sports.com/assets/images/a85-110bw.jpg
September 11th, 2013 at 6:58 am
How much lbs for high school pitcher 9th-12th grade?
September 11th, 2013 at 7:17 am
Hey Eric,
After a year or so of reading your blog posts, I’m always amazed at their relevance to me personally. But this is different. Yesterday I found myself at the gym doing 1-arm bottom up KB carries, which I haven’t done in a long time. Either you’re having me surveilled, or I’ve got a serious case of EC on the brain.
Thank you for all the great information.
September 11th, 2013 at 7:48 am
Chris,
Females may start with 4kg, males with 8kg. I’ve had athletes go as heavy as 20kg.
September 11th, 2013 at 7:52 am
Abdi,
On a smaller scale, yes. Don’t like the tendency toward humeral anterior glide with the elevated handles in that photo, though.
September 11th, 2013 at 8:53 am
I love these types of carries. Great “bang for buck” exercises as they can be incorporated into conditioning sessions or in-between major lifts.
What do you think of the Overhead Version in the “rack” position instead of bottoms up. Obviously this would be a progression. I tend to like them as the weight of bell facilitates scapular depression and as previously stated “reflexive firing”. Penny for your thoughts?
September 11th, 2013 at 9:38 am
Eric,
What position of the arm do you coach? If I were to look at the athlete from overhead with 0 degrees being straight ahead.
Cheers.
September 11th, 2013 at 12:16 pm
This is a great exercise. We often use this in a little ‘bottom up’ matrix with 1/2 TGU, Arm bar, windmills and military press on a Swiss ball for our rugby guys. Keeps shoulders packed n strong as long as the ‘scap in back pocket’ cue is nailed. Followed you for years – keep up the great work!
September 11th, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Any certain regressions/progressions this particular exercise should/could receive? As for example, half-kneeling bottoms-up KB Press, TGU, reverse lunges w/unilateral BU KB holds, et cetera?
September 11th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Clarification…so I take it you don’t want them to “pack the shoulder down” on this since you’re wanting them to “relax the lat”?
September 11th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Love this exercise. Eric I have done this with my elbow tuck in by my side. What is the main difference?
September 11th, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Shane,
You drive some upward rotation of the scapular and get the lat to turn off.
September 11th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
Erik,
Correct. We want the scapula to upwardly rotate, not get cranked down into depression/downward rotation.
September 11th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
Michael,
It should pretty much be straight ahead, although it’s okay for the arm to deviate a bit into the scapular plane.
September 11th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Drew,
We’ll do waiter’s walks as well (or crosswalks). Not convinced that cranking someone into scapular depression in the overhead position is a good thing. Posterior scapular tilt with good upward rotation is what you want.
September 11th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Jake,
Regression would be to do it from the rack position.
Progressions would be pressing variations (bottoms-up), TGU, bottoms-up single-leg work, or waiter’s walks (KB overhead).
September 11th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Hi Eric, I like the Kettlebell bottoms up exercise to relax the Lat.
I was a little surprised with the empty cans exercise. I have read that we are moving away from this exercise as it has been shown to decrease the sub-acromial space and thus incresing impingement. I can attest to this in my own body. The new concept is the thumbs up letter “Y” exercise as this tends to open the sub-acomial space and ease impingement. I can again attest to this in my own body. Some feedback?
Thanks. Jeff Beard
September 11th, 2013 at 8:02 pm
EC, can you comment a little more about turning off the lat in the overhead position? this is basically against everything that is taught through RKC/SFG. i get what you are saying in regards to upward rotation and posterior tilting of the scapulae and how that might free up more subacromial space. but isn’t the lat one of the biggest contributors to force transfer and stability to the upper extremities? if you look @ the IO of the lat, wouldn’t the action in the overhead position be to somewhat help depress the humeral head and assist in reducing the risk of impingement? or are the effects of the lat more global due to the large number of synergists and the downward rotation force it puts on the inferior angle of the scapulae? looking for clarification. thanks!
September 11th, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Eric, if you don’t have any light kettlebells at the moment, would a dumbbell work? what is the purpose of the top-heaviness of the bottoms-up KB, is it to get you to squeeze hard?
September 12th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
Ken,
Yes, you can use a DB. The Bottoms-up position adds an element of instability.
September 12th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
Jeff,
Where was empty can mentioned?
September 12th, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Caleb,
Lat internally rotates the humerus, closing down the subacromial space. Additionally, it attaches to the scapula in about 40% of the population and has a gross extension/depression effect, which limits scapular upward rotation. It’s important for the scapula to be able to upwardly rotate to maintain the congruency of the ball and socket. That said, good “packing” of the scapula comes from posteriorly tilting, not depressing.
September 12th, 2013 at 7:49 pm
thanks EC. always appreciate it.
September 17th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Great exercise. I also military press bell up….(crickets)… for my non overhead throwing athletes. It’s hard as hell and they can’t use a ton of weight.
I use the traditional KB “tuck” with the KB lying on the forearm (like when performing a front squat) and have my adult bootcampers walk while using only 1 arm at a time. Similar concept just a more basic modification for the population.