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Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell Swing trains 7 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Glutes 85%, Hamstrings 80%, Lower back / erectors 55%, Forearms 40%, Abs 35%, Mid-back / traps 30%, Quads 20%.

Backbone movement Level: Intermediate Kettlebells Explosive Easy on the kneesEasy on the shoulders

Kettlebell Swing - Start position
Start position
Kettlebell Swing - Finish position
Finish position

How to do it

  1. Stand feet slightly wider than shoulders, kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front of you.
  2. Hinge down, grip the handle with both hands (or one), and hike the bell back between your legs.
  3. Snap your hips forward hard - the bell floats up to chest height on its own.
  4. Let it swing back down, hinging as it passes your legs.
  5. This is a hip snap, not a front raise. If your shoulders are burning, you are lifting it with your arms.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

How it compares

Compared with the Romanian Deadlift, it loads Abs 35 points higher, Glutes 25 points higher, Quads 20 points higher. It needs Kettlebells where the other uses Barbell. Compared with the Kettlebell Front Squat, it loads Quads 75 points lower, Hamstrings 70 points higher, Glutes 45 points higher.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Glutes

Related guides

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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