Another month, another viral TikTok fitness challenge. The latest one? Doing 100 kettlebell swings a day for 30 days. Proponents say that this routine can make you “leaner, stronger, and faster,” in the words of one fan, but as we know from previous social media fitness trends (looking at you, 75 Hard), online fitness advice isn’t always up to snuff.
Kettlebell swings, to be clear, are 100% legit—they’re a staple lower-body exercise for good reason. “Kettlebells are one of the best tools for both mobility and strength, so you get a double whammy [of workout benefits],” Maggi Gao, CPT, a certified kettlebell instructor and fitness coach based in New York City, tells SELF. The kettlebell swing works the muscles on the back of your body (referred to as the posterior chain), particularly your glutes and hamstrings, which makes it an especially great exercise for anyone who spends most of their day sitting. The motion of the swing also trains hip mobility and lumbar (back) stability, which means that when you’re doing it properly, this exercise will strengthen your back in a safe way—no bending, flexing, or twisting required. As an explosive movement, it also helps train power and gives you a good cardio workout. And finally, it’s a great lower-body exercise to do if you have knee pain. Unlike lunges and squats, which involve a lot of bending and straightening of the knees, the movement in the kettlebell swing comes from your hips.
But…should you do 100 of ’em? Long story short: It depends on your level of experience, Gao says. If you’re familiar with kettlebells—say, you frequently include them in your workouts and feel like you’ve got the form down pat—doing 100 swings a day isn’t a half-bad idea, she says. In fact, it’s even something she recommends to clients, particularly those with packed schedules: “It’s great for increasing endurance and strength, especially if you just want to get a little bit of movement in every day, because it’s not going to take up a lot of time,” Gao says. “You get really good bang for your buck.”
For people simply scrolling through TikTok, seeing the challenge, and thinking it would be a great way to add new movement into their day? Well, that’s another story. If you aren’t already working with kettlebells, doing 100 swings a day is inadvisable, according to Gao. “It’s like starting to run five miles every day when you haven’t done any running before,” she says. For one, you’ll be setting yourself up for burnout. When it comes to any kind of workout, going from zero to one hundred (literally, in this case) is not sustainable.
What’s more, it can also be dangerous, according to Gao—it’s putting a ton of new strain on your body and potentially setting you up for injury. That’s because a kettlebell swing is a pretty advanced movement, and if you start cranking out reps before you get the form down, you could hurt your lower back and neck, or strain your shoulders.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that kettlebell swings are off-limits to newbies entirely. You can still dip your toe into the TikTok trend, according to Gao—just with some small changes. Most importantly, you want to ease into it. Instead of 100 swings a day, for example, try starting out with three sets of 10 twice a week—“just to get your feet wet, especially if you’re not used to using your hips in such an explosive manner,” Gao says. Sticking to this lighter regimen helps you feel comfy with the movement and “is a really good way to start to build up that endurance in your body,” she adds. This way, you won’t “fall off the wagon too quickly because it’s not too aggressive.” (Still seem a little daunting? Start smaller—the number of reps is completely up to you. Gao once had a client begin with 5 to 10 swings a day for a few weeks.)
When you get started, it’s key you get proper kettlebell swing form down. The move entails a deep hip hinge, according to Gao. Think of it like bending forward at your hips and pushing your butt back while keeping your back straight (which requires a fair amount of mobility and flexibility) and your core engaged. Then, you’ll thrust your hips forward explosively, and the bell will swing upward in turn. It’s vital your butt drives the motion—you shouldn’t be lifting the bell with your arms, which could strain your shoulders and cut down on your glute gains.
If you can’t perform this move properly, “You’re not going to be accessing the muscles that you should be using, which might lead to tightness as well as pain, soreness, and overuse injuries as you go on,” Gao says. To work on your hinge before you take the plunge, try other exercises that help you get comfortable with hip extension first, like hip thrusts or good mornings.
And if you’re new to kettlebell swings, make sure you choose your weight wisely. It should occupy a sweet spot in terms of poundage—not too heavy, of course, but also not so light that you’re able to just fling it around. For beginners, 10 to 15 pounds is an excellent starting point, SELF previously reported.
Done right, kettlebell swings can be a valuable addition to any fitness routine, but popular as it might be, the 100×30 TikTok challenge isn’t necessarily the best introduction if you’re a first-timer. The better bet: Start slow, keep your expectations realistic, and really learn the move before you come out swinging (get it?!). And on that front, we’ve got you covered—take a look at our demo below to learn how to really nail a kettlebell swing with correct form.
Katie Thompson
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp the kettlebell by the top of the handle with both hands, holding your arms straight out in front of you.
- Bend your knees slightly, then hinge at your hips to swing the kettlebell between your legs.
- Stand up and thrust your hips forward explosively, squeezing your glutes and letting your arms swing forward to chest height (but not higher than your shoulders). At the top of the swing, you are essentially in a standing plank, looking straight ahead.
- Hinge forward at your hips and push your butt back again, letting the bell drop on its own as you do. Move immediately into the next rep.
Like we mentioned, make sure your hips are powering the swing. “It shouldn’t feel like you’re just lifting it with your arms,” Gao says. “You should be using your lower body to propel that weight forward.” Lock in your upper body, and keep your core tight and shoulders back.
Demoing the move above is Maggi Gao, CPT, a certified kettlebell instructor and fitness coach based in New York City.
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