This week I shared five of my favorite bottoms-up kettlebell variations. Bottoms-up kettlebell exercises are great for developing shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability if both remain in a fixed position), and grip strength.
#1) Adductor Lifts + Bottoms-Up Hold
Strong adductors matter! This exercise is great for strengthening the adductors. This exercise is also essentially a side plank, and develops lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder stability, both on the planted side, and on the side that is performing the bottoms-up hold. Elevating my foot allows me to use a greater ROM. I used an 18 lb KB.
Avoid this if you have knee issues, or try bending your knee. For me, keeping my knee straight feels great and the longer lever allows me to feel my adductors even more.
To be clear, this is extremely advanced.
Key Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell in a bottoms-up position. Make sure your hand and the kettlebell are directly above your shoulder.
- Place your foot on a box, bench, or other elevated surface. Keep your bottom knee bent.
- Position your planted hand so it is below your shoulder. Spread your fingers and ‘’suction’’ them to the floor.
- Get into a side plank position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Control the movement with your adductors, and drop down to a range where you can maintain proper form. Then use your adductors to press up to the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso or hips to rotate, or spine to flex laterally.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using a lighter kettlebell, and/or by bending your knee.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using a heavier kettlebell.
#2) Half Kneeling Single Arm Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Presses
This exercise develops upper body strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Key Coaching Tips:
- Get into a half kneeling position and hold a kettlebell so it’s in a bottoms-up position.
- Before you initiate the press, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now press the kettlebell overhead. Do not move the weight overhead by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, excessively shrugging your shoulder, or leaning to the side.
- In the top position, your arm should resemble close to a straight line, and your biceps should be in close proximity to your ear. Pause for a count and gain control.
- Now “row” the kettlebell back down to the starting position. In fact, your ability to control the movement of your shoulder blade plays a big role in your ability to perform this exercise. Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
- In the bottom position, your elbow should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso or hips to rotate, or spine to flex laterally.
- Exhale after you have initiated the press and as the kettlebell is traveling towards the top position. Inhale and reset as the kettlebell is returning to the starting position, or pause in the starting position and inhale/reset there before the next rep. Figure out what works and feels best for you.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more weight, or by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position.
#3) Single Arm Hang + Single Arm Bottoms-Up Presses
While this exercise is extremely advanced, it is also very beneficial as it develops grip strength, shoulder and scapular stability (on side that’s holding), shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (on side that’s pressing), and lumbo-pelvic stability. This exercise will have a positive carryover to your pull-up performance.
Check out my pull-up program here
Key Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell in the bottoms-up position.
- I am using a neutral grip, but figure out what works and feels best for you.
- Set your body so it is in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or adopt a slight hollow body position). Take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), squeeze your glutes, straighten your knees, contract your quads, and dorsiflex your feet (you may cross one foot over the other). This will help stabilize your pelvis, spine, and legs, and will help prevent you from swinging.
- Without bending your elbow or initiating the movement with your arm, use the muscles in your shoulder blade area and draw your shoulder blade in towards the spine and down towards the opposite hip, and lift your body a few inches. Now hold.
- Before you initiate the press, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now press the kettlebell overhead. Do not move the weight overhead by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, excessively shrugging your shoulder, or leaning to the side.
- In the top position, your arm should resemble close to a straight line, and your biceps should be in close proximity to your ear. Pause for a count and gain control.
- Now “row” the kettlebell back down to the starting position. In fact, your ability to control the movement of your shoulder blade plays a big role in your ability to perform this exercise. Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
- In the bottom position, your elbow should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or your body to flex laterally.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using a lighter weight, by decreasing the length of time you hang, or by using no weight and just hanging.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using a heavier weight.
#4) Step-Ups With Bottoms-Up Hold
This exercise develops shoulder and scapular stability, lumbo-pelvic stability, and some lower body strength.
Key Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell so it’s in a bottoms-up position, and put one foot on a box. Make sure your full foot is on the box.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the mid to back portion of your foot, and keep your toes down, particularly your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the box for the duration of the exercise.
- Have a slight forward lean in your torso.
- Before you initiate the step-up, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips.
- Now step up so you are in the top position. Think about pressing your body up.
- Make sure your body travels in a vertical path and doesn’t drift laterally. This set-up makes this component of the exercise slightly more challenging (not quite as tough as the full lateral step-up).
- Slowly lower yourself down to the ground, and do so with complete control. Don’t just drop down.
- Most of the work should be done with the leg that’s on the box. One tip that helps, do not allow the toes of your non-working leg to touch the floor. This will help remove much of the non-working leg from the equation.
- As for your breathing, exhale as you are completing the step-up. Inhale before you lower yourself down, or on the way down. Figure out what works and feels best for you.
- Keep the weight stable by pretending you are crushing something in your armpit, and make sure your wrist remains in a vertical position.
- Do not allow your knee to cave in or fall out. It should remain in line with your toes. Also, in many instances, it is perfectly ok if your knee is above, or even slightly in front of your toes. The key is that you do not allow your weight to shift to the front of your foot, and for your heel to leave the surface.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or one hip to drop before the other (think water glass analogy).
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight, or by using a lower box.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using a heavier weight, by performing negative reps and lowering in 3-5 seconds, or by using a higher box.
#5) Single Arm Bottoms-Up Floor Presses
This exercise develops upper body strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Key Coaching Tips:
- Lie on your back on the ground. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat.
- Hold a kettlebell in a bottoms-up position (I’m using a 26 lb KB)
- Before you initiate the press, take a deep breath in (360 degree breath of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips, and squeeze your glutes.
- Now press the kettlebell. In the top position, the kettlebell should be over your armpit. Pause for a count and gain control.
- Now “row” the kettlebell back down to the starting position. In fact, your ability to control the movement of your shoulder blade plays a big role in your ability to perform this exercise. Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbow to flare out. Stop just before you touch the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso or hips to rotate.
- Exhale after you have initiated the press and as the kettlebell is traveling towards the top position. Inhale and reset as the kettlebell is returning to the starting position, or pause in the starting position and inhale/reset there before the next rep. Figure out what works and feels best for you.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight, or by touching your upper arm to the ground between reps.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more weight, or by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position.
Join THOUSANDS Of People From 86 Countries Worldwide And Get The Ultimate Pull-Up Program Now
