We know how important exercise form is for staying strong and injury-free, but learning how to hold a kettlebell properly can do more than that — it can make an exercise much, much harder.
And that’s exactly what you’ll need to do if you plan to try the bottoms-up kettlebell press. No, it doesn’t involve knocking back your drink, but it does involve flipping your kettlebell upside down.
What are the benefits?
Holding the kettlebell upside down creates an unstable environment for your shoulders, arms and forearms to handle as you try to control the weight up and down. It’s a brilliant strengthener for all those stabilizer muscles in your body, like the shoulder stabilizers (the rotator cuff group) and core.
This press variation also tests your grip while strengthening your shoulders, triceps, pectorals and core muscles, making it a true compound exercise. As you learn to control the bell overhead and back to your shoulder, you must work hard to maintain your posture to protect your lower back, and when there’s a lot to think about during an exercise, this can increase the mind-muscle connection.
But back to the rotator cuff for a moment; this group consists of the supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor and infraspinatus, all responsible for stabilizing the shoulder. These muscles struggle to work properly when posture is poor and the shoulders are internally rotated, so be sure to pull your shoulders back and down and lift your chest when setting up for this exercise — it will help you stay protected.
I recommend learning how to do the bottoms-up kettlebell press before you add much load to see how much control you have. Grip the bell’s handle tightly and create tension through your forearm, arm, shoulder and torso to maintain a strong foundation.
Aim to punch the bell directly overhead and don’t let your arm travel wide, as this is the quickest way to lose control. Not sure if you’re there yet? Learn how to overhead press first.
Grip strength is a key indicator of longevity, so this is a great way to practice yours while also creating enough tension in the body to control the exercise. Remember, this is a strict press, which means the legs don’t get invited to the party; focus on creating a rock-solid torso and maintaining a soft bend in your knees. All the pressing power should come from your upper body, and those last few reps should feel very challenging to finish.
I hear many say it’s far more challenging than a push-up.
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