Kettlebell Push-Up
The kettlebell push-up is a push-up with your hands gripping the handles of two kettlebells on the floor, which lets your chest travel deeper than it can on the floor. It works the chest, triceps and front of the shoulders, with extra grip and shoulder control to keep the bells steady.
Also called: KB Push-Up, Kettlebell Press-Up, Push-Up on Kettlebells · Equipment: kettlebell · Pattern: push
Step by step
- Place two kettlebells of the same size upright on the floor, about shoulder-width apart, with the handles parallel to each other.
- Grip the middle of each handle with your palms facing each other, then step your feet back into a plank with your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
- Bend your elbows and bring your chest down between the kettlebells, keeping your elbows about 45° from your body.
- Go down until your chest passes just below the level of the handles, or as deep as you can control.
- Press straight down through the centre of each handle to straighten your arms, keeping the bells still.
- After the last rep, bring your knees to the floor before letting go of the kettlebells.
- Press through the centre of each handle
- Body in one straight line
- Elbows about 45° from your body
- Chest down between the bells
- Keep the bells still
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii: lateral head | Prime mover | C |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Secondary | C |
| Serratus anterior | Secondary | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | D |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
| Rotator cuff | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Bells tipping
Fix: Grip the middle of each handle and press straight down through it.
Elbows flaring out
Fix: Keep your elbows about 45° from your body as you go down.
Hips sagging
Fix: Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes throughout the set.
Going deeper than you can control
Fix: Go only as deep as you can press back up smoothly.
Uneven bells
Fix: Use two kettlebells of the same size and set them level.
What the research says
Muscle growthGeneral fitnessEndurance
- Range of motion — Research finds training through a full range generally gives equal or greater muscle growth than partial range, though evidence for upper-body muscles is limited.
- Push-ups as a press — Training studies found load-matched push-ups produced chest and triceps growth and bench-press strength gains similar to the bench press. This research used standard push-ups.
- Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, so bodyweight sets can build muscle.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns.
- Kettlebell research — There is no direct research on push-ups performed on kettlebells.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the kettlebell push-up 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.