The Kettlebell Swing is a intermediate-friendly kettlebell strength exercise that targets the glutes and hamstrings, with the abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesGlutes, Hamstrings
Secondary musclesAbs
EquipmentKettlebell
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Kettlebell Swing
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front of you.
Hinge at the hips, grip the handle with both hands, and tilt the bell back toward you.
Hike the kettlebell back between your legs, keeping your back flat and arms relaxed.
Snap your hips forward explosively to launch the kettlebell up to chest height with straight arms.
Let the bell float briefly at the top, then let it fall back down and load the next hinge.
Catch the bell between your legs with a soft hinge and immediately drive into the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds explosive hip power from the glutes and hamstrings.
Trains heart-rate-spiking conditioning in short, hard sets.
Strengthens the grip, core, and lower back as a stabilizing chain.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Squatting the bell up and down instead of hinging the hips back and snapping forward.
Lifting the kettlebell with the arms and shoulders instead of letting the hips do the work.
Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under load.
Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the swing instead of finishing with squeezed glutes.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Kettlebell Swing, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
