Kettlebell Swing

oec:kettlebell-swing

A ballistic hip-hinge exercise that projects a kettlebell forward to chest height using explosive hip extension.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Two-Handed Kettlebell Swing, Two-Arm Kettlebell Swing, Russian Kettlebell Swing, KB Swing, 2 Handed Kettlebell Swing, Kettlebell Swings

How to do it

Setup

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, approximately one foot behind the kettlebell.
Hinge at the hips, keeping a neutral spine and soft knees, and tilt the kettlebell toward you while gripping the handle with both hands.
Engage your lats to pull the shoulders down away from the ears.

Movement

Hike the kettlebell back dynamically between your thighs, high toward the groin.
Explosively extend your hips and knees to snap into a tall, standing plank, driving the kettlebell forward.
Allow the kettlebell to float up to approximately chest height on a loose arm leash without lifting it with your shoulders.
Let the kettlebell fall naturally; delay your hip hinge until your forearms make contact with your inner thighs.
Absorb the weight into your hips and transition immediately into the next repetition.

Breathing

Inhale sharply as the kettlebell hikes between your legs, and exhale forcefully through pursed lips at the top of the hip snap.

Cues

Hike like a football center.
Snap the hips into a standing plank.
Arms are ropes, hands are hooks.
Wait for the bell before hinging.

Common faults

Squatting the weight rather than hinging at the hips.: Push the hips back with minimal forward knee travel, keeping vertical shins.
Lifting the kettlebell with the shoulders and arms.: Treat the arms as loose tethers; all upward momentum must originate from the explosive hip drive.
Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the swing.: Finish in a rigid standing plank with glutes and abs fully contracted, preventing the torso from leaning back.
Hinging too early on the descent.: Stay upright until the kettlebell drops close to the hips, hinging only at the last moment as your forearms meet your pelvis.

Safety

Maintain a neutral spine under dynamic loading.
Ensure adequate clear space in front and behind you in case of an accidental drop or release.

Muscles

Gluteus maximus prime mover
Biceps femoris prime mover
Semitendinosus prime mover
Semimembranosus prime mover
Erector spinae stabilizer
Latissimus dorsi stabilizer
Rectus abdominis stabilizer
Front deltoid synergist

Joints

Hip: Flexion, Extension
Knee: Flexion, Extension
Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization
Shoulder: Flexion

Details

Movement: Swing, Hip hinge
Modality: Power, Conditioning, Strength
Mechanics: compound
Force: pull
Laterality: bilateral
Kinetic chain: closed
Level: intermediate
Equipment: Kettlebell
Record: Repetitions and Load
Load: external, total

progression of Kettlebell Deadlift
progression of Bodyweight Hip Hinge
substitute for Cable Pull-Through

Sources

wger: 2 Handed Kettlebell Swing, by deusinvictus (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
wger: Kettlebell Swings, by J120290,cerin (CC-BY-SA-3.0)
wger: Kettlebell Swing, by clafal (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

kettlebell-swing.json