Russian

kettlebell swing

Swinging a heavy weight between your legs is a great way to develop hip power and glute strength. Practising this explosive hip movement helps you in nearly all other exercises and is a fast way to build athleticism.

Exercise profile

Equipment

Kettlebell

Primary muscle groups

Glutes, hamstrings, hips, shoulders

Secondary muscle groups

Core, back

1 Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes outwards slightly. Place a kettlebell about 50cm (1¹⁄₂ft) in front of you. Hinge forwards at the hips, bend your knees, and grab the handle of the kettlebell with both hands.

2 Straighten your knees slightly and swing the kettlebell back between your legs.

3 Aggressively extend your legs and thrust your hips forwards to swing the kettlebell up to eye level. Use your glutes and hips, not your arms, to drive the movement. That is one rep.

4 Immediately hinge forwards and push your hips back to enter into the next rep. Repeat for the number of reps given in your workout.

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harder variation

Single-arm Russian kettlebell swing

Perform the exercise as described, but use one arm at a time. Start with a lighter weight. You can switch the kettlebell quickly from hand to hand between reps, as if it is floating.