Kettlebell Swing
A two-hand kettlebell hinge that uses hip drive to swing the bell forward.
This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.
- Pattern
- Hinge
- Modality
- Functional fitness
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Mechanic
- Unknown
- Force
- Unknown
- Laterality
- Bilateral
- Impact
- Moderate
- Trains where
- Gym, Home
- At home
- Yes
How to do it
Set up
- Stand over a kettlebell, hinge at the hips, and grip the handle with both hands.
Do the rep
- Hike the kettlebell back between your legs.
- Drive the hips forward and let the kettlebell swing, then guide it into the next hinge.
What counts as a rep
A rep counts when hip drive carries the bell to chest height and it returns behind the hips.
One rep starts as the bell passes behind the hips, reaches chest height from hip drive, and ends when it returns behind the hips.
Breathing
Exhale sharply with each hip drive; inhale as the bell returns.
Cues
- Hinge, do not squat
- Drive the hips
- Keep arms relaxed
Common mistakes
Lifting mainly with the arms
What you seeThe elbows bend and the shoulders raise before the hips extend.
FixKeep the arms long and create the swing with the hips.
Hip drive makes the movement a swing instead of a shoulder raise.
Ending before the return swing
What you seeThe rep is counted at chest height before the bell passes back behind the hips.
FixCount the rep after the bell returns into the next hinge.
A complete return behind the hips resets the hinge for the next rep.
Stop the set if
- Stop if you feel sharp pain.
- Stop if the bell pulls you forward or you cannot guide it safely between the legs.
- End the set when you cannot meet the stated range under control.
General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.
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