Kettlebell Row

How to Perform the Kettlebell Row

Place a kettlebell on the floor next to a bench. Place your opposite knee and hand on the bench for support, keeping your back flat and parallel to the floor.
Grip the kettlebell with the working hand, arm fully extended toward the floor.
Brace your core and keep your back flat with a neutral spine.
Pull the kettlebell up toward your hip by driving your elbow back and up past your torso.
Squeeze your lat and mid-back muscles at the top of the movement for a brief pause.
Slowly lower the kettlebell back to the starting position under control, fully extending the arm.
Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other arm.

Rotating the torso to heave the weight up

Keep your torso square to the floor; only your arm and shoulder blade should move during the row.

Shrugging the shoulder up rather than pulling the elbow back

Focus on driving the elbow past your torso rather than pulling the shoulder toward your ear.

Using a partial range of motion

Fully extend the arm at the bottom and pull the kettlebell all the way to your hip at the top.

✓Builds unilateral back strength to correct left-right imbalances.
✓The thick kettlebell handle develops grip strength as an added benefit.
✓Supported body position reduces lower back stress while training the upper back.

●The thick kettlebell handle provides an additional grip challenge compared to dumbbells.
●Think about pulling your elbow toward the ceiling to maximize lat engagement.
●Keep your non-working arm locked out on the bench to maintain a stable base.

Strength

4-5 sets of 5-6 reps per arm at 80-85% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per arm at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps per arm at 50-60% 1RM

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