Kettlebell Pirate Ships — start position
Start
Kettlebell Pirate Ships — end position
End

Shoulders / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Kettlebell Pirate Ships

A kettlebell exercise for the front delts, with the abs assisting.

At a glance

Primary
Front delts
Secondary
Abs
Equipment
Kettlebell
Movement pattern
Overhead push
Level
Beginner
Type
Shoulders, Compound (multi-joint)

How to do it

  1. With a wide stance, hold a kettlebell with both hands. Allow it to hang at waist level with your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
  2. Initiate the movement by turning to one side, swinging the kettlebell to head height. Briefly pause at the top of the motion.
  3. Allow the bell to drop as you rotate to the opposite side, again raising the kettlebell to head height.
  4. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

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Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts — primary (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs — secondary (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)
FrontBack
  • Primary: Front delts
  • Secondary: Abs

Best for

How specific this exercise is to each movement.

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Photos and instructions: free-exercise-db (github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db), public domain.