Shoulder exercises

Kettlebell Halo

Also known as: Halo au kettlebell · Halo με κέτλμπελ · KB halo

Primary
Shoulders
Equipment
Kettlebell
Level
Beginner
Type
Compound
Suggested rest
1.5 min

How to do the Kettlebell Halo

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a kettlebell upside down by the horns, with the bell above your hands and close to your chest. Brace your abdominals and squeeze your glutes so your ribcage stays down. This is your starting position.

  2. Keeping your elbows close to your head, move the kettlebell up past one ear and around behind your head.

  3. Continue the circle past the opposite ear and back down to the starting position in front of your chest, letting the bell pass close to your body throughout.

  4. Complete the prescribed number of circles in one direction, then repeat the same number in the opposite direction.

  5. Move slowly and keep your head, hips and lower back still. If your lower back arches or the bell drifts far from your head, use a lighter weight.

Sets and reps

GoalSetsRepsRest
Muscle growth3–48–121.5 min
Muscular endurance2–315–201 min

When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add 4 kg (10 lb) next session and work back up.

Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.

Muscles worked

Primary

Shoulders

Secondary

Traps, Upper back, Abs, Triceps

Three heads, three jobs: the front delts press, the side delts raise your arms out and give width, the rear delts pull back. Train all three.

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