Single-Arm Overhead Kettlebell Squat
Trains the Quads.
- Equipment
- Kettlebells
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Advanced
How to do it
- Clean and press one kettlebell overhead, the arm locked and the bell resting on the back of the forearm.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and your free arm out to the side for balance.
- Keep your eyes on the bell or straight ahead and brace your stomach.
- Sit down between your knees, keeping the bell directly over the shoulder and the arm straight the whole way.
- Go as low as you can while keeping the heels down and the bell stacked over the foot.
- Stand back up by driving through the whole foot, keeping the arm locked.
Common mistakes
- Letting the bell drift forward. It stays over the middle of the foot; if it leans forward the whole squat follows it and the shoulder takes the load.
- Bending the arm at the bottom. A soft elbow lets the bell drop; the arm is locked from the first inch of descent to the last inch of the stand.
- Leaning the torso away from the bell. One bell overhead pulls you sideways, and the fix is to brace the stomach and keep the ribs down rather than to lean the other way.
- Going lower than the shoulder allows. Depth is limited by how far the arm can stay vertical; a squat that rounds the back to get lower has gone past its useful range.