How many sets and reps of the double kettlebell push press should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start at 4 sets of 5 with bells you can strict press for 3 or 4 each, resting 90 seconds. The double rack squeezes your ribs, so short sets keep the breathing honest. Progress by adding a set or cutting the rest to 60 seconds rather than pushing past 8 reps, where the rack position is usually the first thing to fail.

What can I use instead of two kettlebells for the double push press?

Two dumbbells are the closest match, though they sit over the hands instead of behind the wrists and crowd the ribs less. A barbell push press loads heavier if that is the goal. At home, two loaded bags or two water jugs held at the shoulders keep the pattern alive; keep the reps low, because an unstable load overhead is a different problem from a heavy one.

What is the double kettlebell push press good for?

It builds overhead power, trunk stiffness and breathless strength endurance, and the double rack is a demanding position to own in its own right. It is a poor choice for maximum strength, since a barbell loads far more, and a poor choice while you are still learning the clean, because every rep has to be racked before it can be pressed. If your ribs and breathing quit before your shoulders do, drop a bell size.

Advanced

Double Kettlebell Push Press

Racking two kettlebells and using a sharp dip-and-drive lets you press loads that would stall a strict double press, making it a powerful builder of overhead strength and total-body coordination. The bells sitting on the backs of the wrists demand a stable rack and locked-in core throughout the drive. It fits conditioning-style strength work and any program that values explosive overhead power.

Equipment: Kettlebells
Body part: Shoulder
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Vertical Press

How to do it

1
Clean two kettlebells into the rack position at your shoulders with wrists straight and elbows down.
2
Stand with feet hip-width, brace your abs, and take a breath.
3
Dip a few inches by bending the knees while keeping your torso upright.
4
Drive powerfully through the legs and let that momentum launch the bells upward.
5
Punch your arms to lockout overhead, then lower under control to the rack and reset for the next rep.

Tips

Keep the dip short and straight down; bending forward sends the bells away from you.
Finish every rep with wrists stacked over shoulders and the bells settled behind your forearms.
Absorb the return by softening the knees slightly as the bells come back to the rack.

Variations

Common mistakes

The double rack crushes the ribs and the breath you need for the brace never arrives; widen the elbows a touch, stack the bells on the forearms and take air before the dip.
The bells clash together overhead as the arms come in at lockout, and the knock puts both hands out of position; leave a fist of space between them at the top.
One bell locks out while the other is still moving, and the trunk twists to cover the gap. Drive both arms as one and stop the set when they stop matching.
The feet creep wider as the bells get heavy, hunting for stability, and a wide stance flattens the dip you actually need; keep them hip-width and get the stability from your brace.
Every rep starts with a fresh clean because the rack was never comfortable, so you end up doing twice the work; fix the rack first and the set becomes a press again.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the double kettlebell push press should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start at 4 sets of 5 with bells you can strict press for 3 or 4 each, resting 90 seconds. The double rack squeezes your ribs, so short sets keep the breathing honest. Progress by adding a set or cutting the rest to 60 seconds rather than pushing past 8 reps, where the rack position is usually the first thing to fail.
What can I use instead of two kettlebells for the double push press?: Two dumbbells are the closest match, though they sit over the hands instead of behind the wrists and crowd the ribs less. A barbell push press loads heavier if that is the goal. At home, two loaded bags or two water jugs held at the shoulders keep the pattern alive; keep the reps low, because an unstable load overhead is a different problem from a heavy one.
What is the double kettlebell push press good for?: It builds overhead power, trunk stiffness and breathless strength endurance, and the double rack is a demanding position to own in its own right. It is a poor choice for maximum strength, since a barbell loads far more, and a poor choice while you are still learning the clean, because every rep has to be racked before it can be pressed. If your ribs and breathing quit before your shoulders do, drop a bell size.

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