Kettlebell Around the World

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width, holding a kettlebell by the handle in one hand in front of the hips.
2. Swing it gently to the side and pass it behind the back to the other hand.
3. Bring it around the other side to the front and pass it back to the first hand.
4. Keep the hips and shoulders facing forward while the bell circles you.
5. Complete the reps in one direction, then reverse.

Tips

• Brace the trunk so the bell moves and the body stays still.
• Keep the hand-off behind the back smooth and close to the body.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sway as the bell passes.
• Swinging the bell far away from the body.
• Only going in one direction.

Muscles worked by the Kettlebell Around the World

• Obliques Primary47%
• Upper abs Secondary11%
• Lower abs Secondary9%
• Front delts Minor7%
• Spinal erectors (lower back) Stabilizer6%
• Forearm flexors Minor6%
• Gluteus maximus Minor4%
• Lats (upper) Stabilizer4%
• Hip flexors Stabilizer3%
• Serratus anterior Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Passing a kettlebell around the body or through the legs: the trunk turns and steadies against a moving load (Cowork 12:35 moved these from anti_rotation). Turning the trunk against load trains the obliques as rotators, with the hips and shoulders transferring the force.

Kettlebell Around the World alternatives

Same equipment

• Kettlebell Figure 8Kettlebell

Different equipment

• Cable WoodchopCable
• Horizontal Cable WoodchopCable
• Cable LiftCable
• Low to High WoodchopCable

No equipment

• Russian TwistBodyweight

Make it harder

• Kettlebell Figure 8Kettlebell
• Landmine 180Landmine
• Landmine RotationLandmine
• Landmine TwistLandmine

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Kettlebell Around the World work?

Mainly the obliques. The upper abs and lower abs assist.

Is the Kettlebell Around the World good for beginners?

Yes. The Kettlebell Around the World is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Kettlebell Around the World?

For example the Kettlebell Figure 8, Cable Woodchop and Horizontal Cable Woodchop. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the Kettlebell Around the World harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Kettlebell Figure 8 and Landmine 180.

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