Legs · Kettlebell
Swing
How to do the swing, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Plyometric
Find more:Glutes exercises
See it in motion
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell with both hands. Hinge at the hips, swinging the kettlebell between your legs, then thrust your hips forward to swing the kettlebell up to chest height.
- 1Feel your hips and glutes powering the kettlebell through the arc
- 2Keep your core engaged and shoulders packed as you hinge and snap
- 3Let the kettlebell float at chest height with arms relaxed
Common mistakes
- Avoid squatting the movement; hinge at the hips
- Don't lift with your arms; momentum should come from the hip thrust
- Avoid overextending your back; stop at neutral
Muscles worked
The swing mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, with the lower back, forearms, upper abs, quads, and side delts assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
Kovo programs the swing for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the barbell hip thrust
- How to do the cable kickbacks
- How to do the curtsy lunge
- How to do the barbell deadlift
- How to do the resistance band glute bridges
- How to do the machine hip abduction
Last reviewed April 2026.