Kettlebell Swings: Proper Form, Variations & Common Mistakes
Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPTReviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT
Takeaway
Also Known As: Russian kettlebell swing
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, shoulders, and back
Equipment Needed: Kettlebell
Level: Intermediate
Strength-training exercises should be performed without relying on momentum to lift and lower the weight. But there are exceptions to this rule and the kettlebell swing is one. This exercise is a great addition to an upper-body workout.
Kettlebell Swing Muscles Worked
While performing kettlebell swings, you work your glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, shoulders, and back. Kettlebell swings are a full-body functional fitness move that builds muscle, power, and strength. As a result, kettlebells are considered key parts of CrossFit equipment.
How to Do a Kettlebell Swing
Give yourself space to perform the kettlebell swing—four or five feet in front and a couple of feet behind. You may also want to make sure there's nothing breakable (like a mirror or TV screen) directly in front of you. While it would be unusual to lose your grip on the kettlebell and send it flying, it's not unheard of.
Place the kettlebell on the ground in front of your feet, which are slightly wider than hip-distance apart with toes angled out slightly. Bend your knees and keep your shoulders pulled back with your core engaged, drawing your belly button toward your spine.
Press your hips back, hinging your torso forward as you reach your hands toward the kettlebell handle. Keep your back completely straight and don't squat. If your knees start bending significantly, you'll lose the hip hinge. If you notice this occurring, reset and work on pressing your hips back.
Inhale as you grasp the kettlebell handle firmly with both hands. Roll your shoulders back slightly to help control the momentum of the swing while preventing a forward curve of the spine. Your core is still engaged.
Exhale and, in one powerful movement, squeeze your glutes and hamstrings as hard as you can to rise to an upright position. During this part of the kettlebell swing, ensure your hips do not extend past your shoulders and allow the weight to swing forward as high as it will go naturally, usually around shoulder height. Do not thrust your hips forward past your knees.
Inhale and swing the kettlebell back toward the floor (which it will automatically want to do) while pressing your hips back. Allow the weight to swing between your legs while keeping your neck aligned with your spine.
Continue the kettlebell swings, remembering to keep your torso straight and power the movement with your hips and glutes. Don't exit the move suddenly by dropping the kettlebell or forcing your momentum to stop. Instead, reduce the power you use with each swing until you can comfortably and safely return the kettlebell to the floor.
Do not use your arms to lift the kettlebell or your quads to squat. You're hinging your hips backward, then powerfully using your hamstrings, glutes, and hips to return to an upright position.
This hip hinge movement causes the weight to swing forward and back from your glute and hip power. Your arms keep the swinging motion under control but they're not actively participating in the lifting or lowering of the kettlebell.
Takeaway
On your first swing or two, the kettlebell may not rise to shoulder height. As you build momentum, allow it to swing to the point where it feels weightless for a split second—usually when it's almost parallel to the ground.
Benefits of the Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell swings target your glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, and the stabilizing muscles of your shoulders and back. While you may experience a small benefit to your quadriceps and delts, the swing is designed to target your posterior chain (the back side of your body).
Your posterior chain muscles are used in everyday movements like bending over to pick something off the floor or to stabilize the body as we lift a child. These muscles also support proper movement during physical activities that rely on the lower body, such as running and kicking.
Many people focus on working the muscles in the front of the body—the chest, abdominals, and quadriceps. Exercises that hit the back of the body can help correct potential muscle imbalances.
Swinging a kettlebell is excellent for generating power and strength. It can also cause your heart rate to soar. The result is a movement that offers a lot of bang for the buck, making it good for people who want to maximize efficiency during their workouts.
Takeaway
You can enjoy a heart-healthy cardio boost with kettlebell swings while building strength, stability, and coordination that can transfer to everyday activities.
Variations of Kettlebell Swings
You can modify kettlebell swings to better match your fitness level and goals.
Hip Hinge With Broomstick
If you need to get used to performing a hip-hinge correctly, grab a broomstick or pole to help you master the movement.
Stand tall and set up the same way you'd set up to perform kettlebell swings—feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, toes angled slightly outward, knees soft, core engaged, and shoulders rolled back.
Hold the broomstick perpendicular to the ground against your spine with one hand above your head and one hand just below your tailbone. The broomstick should touch your tailbone, upper back between the shoulders, and the back of your head.
From here, perform a hip hinge by pressing your hips back as you hinge forward from the hips, keeping your core engaged and your torso straight. The broomstick should maintain contact with your body at the same points throughout the movement. If you round your spine or bend your knees too much, the position changes.
Perform this motion in front of a mirror and take note of the way your body feels as you hinge. When you feel a stretch through your hamstrings, engage your glutes and hamstrings and squeeze them to "pull" your torso back to standing, maintaining the same contact with the broomstick as you rise.
Verywell / Ben Goldstein
Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings
This exercise is the same as the traditional kettlebell swing, but you only use one arm at a time. This helps develop unilateral shoulder stability and anti-rotational core strength, improving coordination and reducing the likelihood of injury due to muscle imbalances.
As you perform the single-arm swing, hold the non-working arm out to the side to help with stability. Choose a lighter kettlebell than you would typically use with both arms and perform a single set with one arm before switching sides.
American Kettlebell Swing
Once you've mastered the traditional kettlebell swing, also known as a Russian kettlebell swing, you can progress to the American version. The American kettlebell swing involves swinging the weight overhead versus stopping at shoulder height.
Because this variation requires a greater range of motion in the shoulder, it should only be performed by advanced exercisers and requires lighter weights. Avoid the American kettlebell swing if you have a shoulder injury or limited range of motion in this joint.
Verywell / Ben Goldstein
Kettlebell Swings Common Mistakes
Due to the complexity of kettlebell swings, there are various ways to perform the kettlebell swing incorrectly.
Not Maintaining Control
Using momentum to lift and lower a weight increases the risk of injury. Perform kettlebell swings with solid form and control.
Kettlebell swings activate a large number of muscle groups simultaneously. If your sequencing is off or you're moving in a manner that flings the weight, powering the exercise with your upper body rather than the lower body, you're setting yourself up for possible muscle strains or other problems.
Lifting With the Arms
One of the most common kettlebell swing mistakes is allowing your shoulders and arms to be responsible for the forward swing of the kettlebell—like with a front raise, where your shoulders help lift the weight in front of you. Your shoulders and arms shouldn't be involved in lifting the kettlebell.
Instead, the shoulders and upper back should be locked in to control the swing and prevent you from being pulled forward as the kettlebell swings up. This also keeps your upper back from rounding toward the floor as the kettlebell swings down.
If you notice the muscles of your shoulders—particularly the front of your shoulders—getting tired, chances are you're lifting with your arms. Reset and squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to power the movement while extending your hips.
Takeaway
Try to actively prevent your shoulders from lifting the weight upward, relying instead on the momentum of the hip extension.
Rounding Your Back
Keep your spine straight to help prevent lower back pain or strain during the kettlebell swing. Rounding or slumping the shoulders and upper back is a tell-tale sign that your core, upper back, and shoulder stabilizers aren't sufficiently engaged.
As the kettlebell swings down, this forward slump could strain your lower back while reducing the likelihood you're hinging forward correctly from the hips. Ultimately, this also reduces the power you can generate with your glutes and hamstrings.
If you notice a rounding of your upper back or shoulders, reset and reengage your shoulders, upper back, and core. Focus on keeping your torso straight as you hinge back from the hips.
Related: We Tested and Reviewed the 8 Best Ab Machines to Crush Your Core Goals at Home
Squatting With Each Swing
The kettlebell swing uses a hip hinge to generate momentum, not a squat. Press your hips back with soft knees as your torso tips forward toward the floor. This action is more similar to the Romanian deadlift.
Many people, however, aren't used to the hip hinge action, so they squat with each downward swing, bending their knees before popping up to stand while swinging the kettlebell forward. This reduces the power output of the glutes and hamstrings and places more focus on the quadriceps.
Squatting prevents the desired momentum generated by the posterior chain, making it more likely you'll use your shoulders and arms to help lift the weight.
Aside from the initial soft bend at the knees, your knees shouldn't bend much as you swing. Rather, the forward tip and rise to stand should come from the hip hinge, powered almost entirely by your glutes, hamstrings, and hips—not your quadriceps.
Safety and Precautions
If you've been participating in regular strength-training workouts and have the core and shoulder strength required to hold a plank for 60 seconds, chances are you're up for trying the kettlebell swing.
Using the correct form is necessary for preventing injuries, especially if you already have lower back or shoulder pain. Performing the kettlebell swing incorrectly can place unnecessary strain on these joints, leading to greater pain or injury.
If you feel sharp or shooting pains in any of your joints, stop the kettlebell swings and consider replacing the exercise with medicine ball slams or combat rope swings.
You can do kettlebell swings for a desired amount of time or a certain number of repetitions. Either way, start slow. Do a few swings until you become more comfortable with the movement and develop enough strength to increase the reps or time.
Takeaway
A good baseline level of core strength is important before attempting kettlebell swings. Work with a personal trainer to ensure you're performing the exercise correctly.
Try Kettlebell Swings
Incorporate kettlebell swings and similar moves into one of these popular workouts:
Read the original article on Verywell Fitness.
