Kettlebell Figure 8
The kettlebell figure eight is a flowing drill in which you pass a light kettlebell from hand to hand between your legs in a figure-eight pattern while holding a hip hinge. It works the trunk against rotation, the hips and the grip, and it is used in warm-ups, coordination work and conditioning circuits.
Also called: KB Figure 8, Kettlebell Figure Eight, Figure 8, Around-the-Legs Figure Eight · Equipment: kettlebell · Pattern: compound
Step by step
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width and your toes turned slightly out, holding a light kettlebell by the handle in your right hand.
- Hinge at the hips with soft knees and a flat back until your torso is tilted forwards about 45°, with the bell hanging in front of your right shin.
- Pass the bell back between your legs to your left hand, which reaches around from behind your left leg to take it.
- Carry the bell around the outside of your left leg to the front with your left hand.
- Pass it back between your legs to your right hand, reaching around from behind your right leg, and carry it around to the front.
- Keep the figure eight flowing for the set, holding the hinge with a flat back and your trunk braced against the pull of the bell.
- Finish with the bell in front of you, stand up by driving your hips forwards, and set the bell down.
- Hinge from the hips, back flat
- Hand the bell off behind each leg
- Keep the figure tight around your knees
- Brace your trunk against the pull
- Smooth, steady rhythm
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Prime mover | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | C |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Secondary | C |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Forearm flexors | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Rounding the back to reach
Fix: Hinge deeper at the hips with soft knees so the hand-off comes to you.
Twisting the trunk with the bell
Fix: Keep your chest facing forwards and let your arms carry the bell.
Wide, looping path
Fix: Keep the bell close, passing it just behind your knees.
Rushed hand-off
Fix: Pass at a steady pace and take a full grip before the other hand lets go.
Stance too narrow
Fix: Set your feet a little wider than shoulder-width before you start.
What the research says
Endurance · first choicePowerGeneral fitnessSport performanceFat loss & conditioning
- Research — There is no direct research on the kettlebell figure eight; its use in warm-ups, coordination work and conditioning circuits is coaching practice.
- Warm-up — A review of warm-up studies found warming up improved performance in about 79% of the measures examined, and many lifters include light, flowing kettlebell drills like this one.
- Sets — It is commonly done for 30–60 seconds or 10–20 passes with a light bell, where the steady passing rhythm rather than the load sets the difficulty.
- Placement — In conditioning circuits it often sits alongside swings or goblet squats as a lighter, continuous station.
Swap it mid-workout
- Turkish Get-Up
- Cable Pallof Rotation
- Medicine Ball Slam
- Medicine Ball Woodchop
- Cable Rollout
- Medicine Ball Rotational Throw
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the kettlebell figure 8 in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.