Kettlebell Bent Press

Secondary muscles
Delts, Triceps, Obliques
Body part
Core
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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An old strongman lift, the bent press keeps the kettlebell locked out overhead while you fold your torso down and away beneath it, threading hips, obliques, and shoulder through one slow corkscrew. Earn it patiently: singles with a light bell teach the path, and mobility rather than pressing strength is almost always the limiter.

How to do the Kettlebell Bent Press

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in your right hand.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and press the kettlebell overhead with your right arm, keeping your elbow locked.
  3. Rotate your torso to the left, shifting your weight onto your left foot.
  4. Bend your left knee and lower your torso towards the ground, keeping your right arm extended overhead.
  5. As you lower, keep your eyes on the kettlebell and your chest lifted.
  6. Once your left hand touches the ground, push through your left foot and straighten your left leg, driving your hips forward.
  7. As you drive your hips forward, use your core and right arm to press the kettlebell back up to the starting position.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Tip: Squeeze the bar hard and keep the wrists straight over the elbows through the whole rep.

Muscles worked

Primary

Abs · Core

The abs brace the trunk on standing and single arm presses so the torso does not twist under the load.

Secondary

  • Delts — The front delts assist every press and take over on Bradford and behind the neck variations.
  • Triceps — The triceps lock out the elbow on every press and dominate close grip and skull press variations.
  • Obliques

Common mistakes

  • Elbows flaring wide — on horizontal presses keep the elbows at roughly 45 degrees from the torso; pressing overhead, keep them under the weight instead.
  • Losing the shoulder blade position — on bench-style presses set the shoulder blades back and down and keep them there; overhead, let the shoulder blades rotate up naturally with the arms.
  • Bouncing or rushing the bottom — control the bar down and pause for a beat before driving up, especially on decline and close grip variations.
  • Not committing to a variation — Bradford presses, skull presses and the like are hybrids; pick a fixed range and stick with it for the whole set.

Where it fits in a workout

Presses are the main movement in a push session and should go first or second. Superset them with a row or pulldown for a push and pull pair.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without kettlebell

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.