Legs · Kettlebell
Kettlebell Snatch and Swing
How to do the kettlebell snatch and swing, 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
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet hip-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Hinge and swing the bell back between your legs, then explosively drive your hips to power it overhead in one motion, locking the arm out at the top. Lower under control back into the swing and repeat.
- 1Feel your hips and glutes snap to drive the bell up
- 2Keep the kettlebell close as it travels overhead
- 3Lock the arm out tall and stay braced at the top
Common mistakes
- Don't muscle the bell up with your arm; use the hip drive
- Avoid rounding your back; hinge from the hips
- Don't let the bell bang your forearm at lockout
Muscles worked
The kettlebell snatch and swing mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, with the forearms, lower back, upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, quads, front delts, triceps, lats, obliques, calves, and side delts assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- LatsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the kettlebell snatch and swing 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 glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.