The Kettlebell Swing

The basic kettlebell swing is one of the best overall conditioning exercises. This basic movement can be modified and made more intense. The potential variations to this movement make it a great exercise to help anyone reach his/her fitness goals.


Make sure to keep the chest up, shoulders back and drive through the hips. This is NOT an arm movement but rather a leg, hip and core dominated/generated movement.

Once the 2 handed swing is mastered try one hand at a time. You can also switch hands at the "top" of the swing. The swing can be done walking forward and sideways also. There are many more variations than that, so have fun but be safe.

Try 1-3 sets of 10-20 reps to build power endurance. You can train the swing almost every workout. use good common sense and don't overdo to much of a good thing. Try coupling the swing with a push-up, a chin-up, a band "snap down", or even a box jump. You can get a great workout by combining any (or all) of these movements with the swing.


Workout example:

Swing x 10-20 reps
Push-up x 11-20 reps
Chin-up x 3-10 reps

Repeat for 3-4 rounds. This will wake you up. It is quick and simple, but very effective.