Sumo Kettlebell Swing

HOW TO DO IT

1. 1Stand over the kettlebell with feet wider than shoulder-width and toes turned out.
2. 2Hinge at the hips, push the knees out in line with the toes, and grip the handle with both hands.
3. 3Hike the bell back between your legs, keeping the shins fairly vertical and the spine neutral.
4. 4Snap your hips forward violently and squeeze the glutes to drive the weight up to chest height.
5. 5Let gravity pull the bell back down as you re-hinge, guiding it between the legs with the knees tracking out.
6. 6Keep your arms straight and let momentum control the arc.
7. 7Reset your stance and grip before starting the next repetition.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Squatting down instead of hinging at the hips, turning it into a sumo squat with a bell.
• Letting the knees cave inward on the hinge or the drive.
• Lifting the bell with the shoulders or bending the elbows into a front raise.
• Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the swing.
• Standing too narrow, which removes the point of the variation and crowds the bell path.

TIPS

• Push the knees out over the toes throughout the hinge and the drive.
• Drive through the heels and the whole foot to initiate the hip snap.
• Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement.
• Keep your ribs down to prevent arching the lower back.
• Keep the arms as ropes; the hips move the bell, not the shoulders.
• Use a slightly lighter bell than your standard swing until the wide stance feels stable.

SAFETY

• Avoid hyperextending the lower back at the top of the swing.
• Ensure a neutral spine throughout the entire movement to protect vertebral discs.
• The wide, turned-out stance can irritate the knees or hips if you lack the mobility; reduce the width or the load if you feel pinching.
• Keep the bell clear of the knees on the backswing.

DETAILS

Muscles

GlutesShoulders

Equipment

Kettlebell

Type

Ployometric

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tracked as

Reps only

TECHNIQUE

Stance

Wide