The kettlebell get-up is the single most important exercise for strengthening the shoulders.
In addition to developing spectacular shoulder strength and endurance, the get-up also develops high shoulder mobility and stability, two key features needed for any fighting sport.
It’s also known to be extremely effective at fixing injured shoulders which is why it is broadly used by physical therapists to fix bad shoulders.
Implementing heavy kettlebell get-ups in your routine also results in your press getting bigger!
Now that you know why you should be doing the kettlebell get-up here’s what it actually is:
While lying on your back on the floor, pick up the kettlebell with both hands, and press it up with one. Slowly stand up while keeping your arm straight and vertical. Assist yourself by pushing into the floor with your free arm. After reaching the top of the movement slowly reverse it.
That’s it.
The key points you need to remember while executing this exercise are these:
- Use both hands to lift the kettlebell off the ground at the start of the exercise and to return it on the ground at the end of the exercise. This is simply a safety measure for preventing unwanted pressure on the elbow which might result in a potential injury.
- Keep the handle of the kettlebell at the base of your palm and keep your wrist straight and tight. Hyperextending the wrist under the weight of the kettlebell puts unwanted stress on the wrist which may cause a potential injury.
- Lock your elbow and keep it locked throughout the duration of the whole set. This is to prevent unwanted pressure on the elbow…
- Keep your shoulder in its socket. Do this by pulling your shoulder blades together and pulling your shoulders down with your back muscles.
- Get up and down smoothly.
As long as you follow these key points you’ll harvest all the benefits the kettlebell get-up has to offer a hundred percent injury-free!
Here’s a video to better illustrate the exercise: