Kettlebell Swing
Also known as: russian kettlebell swing, two hand kettlebell swing, kettlebell swings, kb swing, two arm kettlebell swing
- Primary muscleGlutes
- EquipmentKettlebell
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeCompound · Hip-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings, Abs
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed
Hip drive, not arm effort, is what floats the bell to chest height - the arms simply connect the kettlebell to hips snapping forward. That hinge-and-snap pattern loads the glutes and hamstrings ballistically, and it doses two ways: heavy low-rep sets for power, or lighter continuous minutes for conditioning.
How to do the Kettlebell Swing
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
- Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of your body, arms extended.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, pushing your butt back.
- Swing the kettlebell back between your legs, keeping your arms straight and maintaining a flat back.
- Drive your hips forward and swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height, using the momentum generated by your hips.
- Allow the kettlebell to swing back down between your legs and repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Hike the bell back like a football snap, then stand up fast and let it float to chest height.
Muscles worked
Primary
Glutes · Legs
The glutes snap the hips forward at the top of every swing and should be squeezed hard as you stand tall.
Secondary
- Hamstrings — The hamstrings load at the bottom of the swing and should feel a stretch as the bell passes back between the legs.
- Abs — The abs brace hard at the top of the swing to stop the lower back from arching.
Common mistakes
- Squatting the swing — the knees should bend a little and the hips a lot; push the hips back with the shins vertical and let the bell swing between the thighs, not below the knees.
- Lifting with the arms — the arms are ropes; the bell rises because the hips snap forward, and if the shoulders are sore you are lifting it.
- Leaning back at the top — finish tall with the glutes squeezed and the ribs down, not with the lower back arched.
- Rounding at the bottom — keep the chest up and the back flat as the bell passes between the legs.
Where it fits in a workout
Swings go early as a power movement or at the end as conditioning. Superset them with goblet squats or a push-up for a simple kettlebell circuit.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
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 Swing 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.