Kettlebell Figure 8
What Is the Kettlebell Figure 8?
Kettlebell Figure 8 is a compound exercise that primarily targets the core and also engages the hips, thighs, lower back and grip. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you hold a wide half-squat with your torso tipped forward and pass a single kettlebell from hand to hand between and around your legs, so the bell traces a figure-eight path.
The exercise is mainly a drill for coordination, grip and trunk control. Every hand-off moves the bell from one side of your body to the other, so your obliques and abdominals work to stop your torso from twisting or tipping toward the bell, while your hips, thighs and lower back hold the half-squat for the whole set. Coaches commonly use it in a warm-up before heavier kettlebell work, or as a light conditioning finisher worked for time.
It is not a competition lift or a fitness test, and it does not build leg or back strength the way a Kettlebell Goblet Squat or a Kettlebell Deadlift does. The bell stays light, and your legs and back hold a position rather than move a heavy load. A faster version in which the bell is swung through the legs is also taught, but the version shown here keeps the bell low between the knees and moves it with the hands, which makes the hand-offs easier to control.
The drill suits people who already have a comfortable hip hinge and can hold a half-squat with a flat back for 30 seconds or more. If holding the bent-over position is the limiting factor, build it first with the Kettlebell Deadlift and the Bodyweight Squat. If the hand-offs are the problem, rehearse the pattern slowly with a very light bell before adding speed or weight.
Muscles Worked
- External Oblique
- Primary
- Erector Spinae
- High
- Rectus Abdominis
- High
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Medium
- Gluteus Maximus
- Medium
- Vastus Lateralis
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Low
Instructions
- Stand with your feet well wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly out, with a kettlebell on the floor between your feet.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees into a half-squat, tipping your torso forward to about 45 degrees with your back flat.
- Grip the bell by the handle with your left hand and hold it low between your knees, arm hanging straight.
- Reach your right arm around the outside of your right leg so your right hand is behind that leg.
- Push the bell back between your legs with your left hand and pass it to your right hand behind your right leg.
- Bring the bell forward around the outside of your right leg, then push it back between your legs as your left arm reaches around the outside of your left leg to take it.
- Keep passing the bell around each leg in turn so it traces a figure-eight, holding the half-squat and keeping your shoulders roughly square throughout.
- Move the bell slowly and close to your legs, and let go only once the other hand has a firm grip on the handle.
- Breathe steadily, then finish by setting the bell down between your feet with a flat back before you stand up.
Common Mistakes
Rounding the lower back
Curling the spine to reach the bell between the legs instead of sitting the hips back and keeping the back flat.
Stance too narrow
Keeping the feet close together leaves no room for the bell to pass, so it knocks into the knees or shins.
Standing up between passes
Rising out of the half-squat after each hand-off means reaching down again with a rounded back for the next one.
Letting the bell swing
Allowing momentum to carry the bell away from the legs makes the hand-offs rushed and hard to control.
Using a bell that is too heavy
A bell that pulls the torso off balance or forces a hurried hand-off is too heavy for this drill.
Letting go too early
Releasing the handle before the other hand has a firm grip on it risks dropping the bell onto the feet.
Injuries
Kettlebell Figure 8 is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is light and the bell stays close to the floor, so the risk comes mostly from posture and from fumbled hand-offs rather than from the weight itself.
The lower back is the main strain point. You hold a bent-over position for the whole set while reaching between your legs, and letting the lower back round or twisting your torso to chase the bell puts that load on the spine instead of the hips. The knees can drift inward if the stance is too narrow, and a narrow stance also lets the bell knock into the shins or knees. A bell released before the other hand has hold of it can land on your feet.
To stay safe, pick a bell lighter than the one you swing or goblet squat with, set your feet wide enough for the bell to pass freely, brace your trunk, and sit your hips back so your back stays flat. Stand up and rest as soon as you can no longer hold the position. To regress, rehearse the pattern with a very light bell, use shorter sets, or build the hinge with the Kettlebell Deadlift. To progress, lengthen the set or move up to a slightly heavier bell once the hand-offs are smooth.
Stop if you feel sharp or radiating pain in your back or legs, if your back keeps rounding and you cannot correct it, or if your grip is fading to the point that you might drop the bell. Skip the exercise while you have acute low back pain.
- Primary Focus
- Core
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the Kettlebell Figure 8 the same as a kettlebell swing?
No. In a Kettlebell Swing a powerful hip snap drives the bell forward to about chest height, while in the figure 8 you hold a half-squat and hand the bell around your legs, so your hips and legs hold a position instead of driving the weight.
- Q: How heavy should the kettlebell be?
Lighter than the bell you use for swings or goblet squats. Many people start with 8 to 12 kg (about 18 to 26 lb), and if the bell pulls you off balance or rushes your hand-offs, it is too heavy.
- Q: How many reps should I do?
Count each hand-off as one rep and aim for 8 to 12 passes per set, or work for 30 to 45 seconds. As a warm-up, 2 to 3 light sets are enough.
- Q: Is the Kettlebell Figure 8 a good warm-up?
Yes. With a light bell it rehearses the hip hinge, wakes up your grip and trunk, and gets you used to handling a kettlebell between your legs before heavier kettlebell work.
- Q: Can I do the Kettlebell Figure 8 with low back pain?
Skip it while you have acute low back pain, because you hold a bent-over position and reach between your legs for the whole set. Once you can hold a flat-backed hinge without pain, reintroduce it with a very light bell.