Single Arm Kettlebell Push Press

In SetGrip: Kettlebell Push Press (Single Arm)

Secondary muscles
Triceps, Abs
Body part
Shoulders
Position
Standing
Laterality
Unilateral (one arm at a time)
Category
Strength

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Dip, drive, and punch one kettlebell overhead: the legs start what the shoulder finishes, letting you handle a bell well beyond your strict single-arm press. With only one side loaded, the lockout doubles as a standing anti-lean hold, and lowering that heavier bell slowly is where much of the training effect actually lives.

How to do the Single Arm Kettlebell Push Press

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand at shoulder level.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
  3. Press the kettlebell overhead by extending your arm and fully extending your legs.
  4. Lower the kettlebell back to the starting position by bending your knees and bringing the kettlebell back to your shoulder.
  5. 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

Delts · Shoulders

The front delts assist every press and take over on Bradford and behind the neck variations.

Secondary

  • Triceps — The triceps lock out the elbow on every press and dominate close grip and skull press variations.
  • Abs — The abs brace the trunk on standing and single arm presses so the torso does not twist under the load.

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.