Kettlebell Side Bend (VERSION 2)

Perform the kettlebell side bend to strengthen your obliques and improve core stability.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand.
  2. Engage your core and slowly bend to the side, bringing the kettlebell down towards your knee.
  3. Return to the starting position, engaging your obliques as you rise.
  4. Complete the desired repetitions before switching sides.

How to perform the Kettlebell Side Bend (VERSION 2)

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Kettlebell Side Bend (VERSION 2) using your kettlebell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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