Kettlebell Sumo High Pull
- Primary muscleTraps
- EquipmentKettlebell
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeComplex
- Secondary muscles
- Delts, Glutes, Hamstrings
- Body part
- Back
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed
A wide sumo stance keeps the kettlebell traveling a short vertical line between your legs while explosive hip extension fires it toward chin height, elbows leading high and wide. It teaches the aggressive hip snap of a swing while adding a trap-dominant upper pull. Choose a bell you can move fast; slow high pulls defeat the purpose.
How to do the Kettlebell Sumo High Pull
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
- Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of your body, arms extended downwards.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips into a squat position, keeping your back straight.
- Drive through your heels and explosively extend your hips and knees, pulling the kettlebell up towards your chin.
- As you pull the kettlebell up, keep your elbows high and wide, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Think of the hips throwing the bell up and the arms just guiding it to chin height.
Muscles worked
Primary
Traps · Back
The traps shrug hard at the top of the pull and should feel the squeeze between the neck and the shoulders.
Secondary
- Delts — The side delts lift the elbows out at the top of the pull.
- Glutes — The glutes drive the hips forward from the wide stance and provide the speed for the pull.
- Hamstrings
Common mistakes
- Pulling with the arms first — the bell should leave the floor from the hips and legs, and the elbows only bend once the hips are almost extended.
- Rounding the back — set the hips low and the chest up before each rep and keep the back flat until the bell passes the knees.
- Elbows dropping below the hands — at the top the elbows should be higher than the wrists, so lead with the elbows out to the sides.
- Letting the bell drop — control the bell back down to the floor rather than letting it fall.
Where it fits in a workout
High pulls go early in a session as an explosive movement or in a kettlebell circuit. Pair them with goblet squats using the same bell.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
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.
Track the Kettlebell Sumo High Pull in SetGrip
All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.
More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- 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.