Core · Kettlebell
Kettlebell Bent Press
How to do the kettlebell bent press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Press a kettlebell overhead in one hand, feet wider than hip-width. Keeping the arm locked and eyes on the bell, bend laterally and hinge at the hips, lowering your torso under the weight as you push your hip out. Once the bell is supported overhead, stand back up by straightening the legs and torso.
- 1Obliques and core controlling the sideways bend under load
- 2The kettlebell locked out and stacked over your shoulder
- 3Hips driving you back up to standing
Common mistakes
- Bending or pressing the arm instead of moving under the bell
- Rounding your back as you descend
- Letting the bell drift out of the stacked position
Muscles worked
The kettlebell bent press mainly works the obliques, with the triceps, upper abs, lower abs, front delts, side delts, forearms, upper traps, glutes, and hamstrings assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the kettlebell bent press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.