Everything You Need to Know About Kettlebell Swings

When it comes to training efficiency, the simple-looking kettlebell can be a significant tool for building muscle and increasing endurance—this is especially true for kettlebell swings.

Research from the American Council on Exercise explored the effects participants experienced from taking two kettlebell classes per week over the course of eight weeks. Researchers not only found considerable strength gains in study subjects, but also notable increases in aerobic capacity, dynamic balance and core strength.

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There's a breadth of kettlebell exercises, but the kettlebell swing is one to consider for its full-body effects. All you need is one kettlebell, and the movement itself is considered a ballistic hip-hinge movement. That means the body bends in half and downwards, as opposed to a squat, where you lower the hips and keep your back straight.

Here are the steps, according to personal trainer Dan Partridge, CPT, certified by Future Fit in the UK, as a level-3 trainer.

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with a kettlebell on the ground between your feet. Your knees should be slightly bent, instead of having the knees locked out.
2. Hinge at your hips and grip the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing down. Lift the kettlebell about a foot off the ground while keeping your hips in a hinge position.
3. Swing the kettlebell back through your legs, behind you, then straighten your legs and swing the kettlebell out in front of the body to shoulder height.
4. As you come up for the swing, push the hips forwards—engaging the glutes and keeping the core activated.
5. The kettlebell will swing back down through your legs as you hinge at the hips.

In terms of what you'll be working, it's "almost everything from the neck down", Partridge said.

"The main focus is on the glutes, hamstrings and abdominals, and secondary to those come the quads, lats, adductors and diaphragm", he said. "Perform fewer reps with heavier weight to train for power and explosivity in the hips, or perform higher reps with a lighter weight for cardiovascular and muscular endurance".

While the kettlebell swing is excellent for activating so many muscles simultaneously, it can also boost your injury risk if your form is off. For example, it's called a swing, but that doesn't imply you should be using only momentum and seeing the kind of snapback motion you'd experience on an actual swing in a playground. Losing control during the upswing and especially letting the kettlebell drop on its own—taking your arms along for the ride—can cause serious tension in the lower back and shoulders.

To maintain better control, push your shoulder blades towards each other and down, like you're tucking them in a back pocket. This will engage your shoulders and lats.

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That's why it's helpful to start by honing your hip-hinge form, according to Ellen Thompson, ACE-certified CPT. Before you pick up a kettlebell—even the lightest available—she suggests practising a hip hinge without added load, to ensure you're able to keep the core braced throughout the movement as a way to protect the spine.

Here are more tips from Partridge and Thompson for perfecting your technique: