How heavy should the kettlebell be?

Use the lightest bell that still gives some resistance as it slides. If you have to twist your hips or jerk the bell to move it, it is too heavy.

How many reps should I do?

Count each drag across the body as one rep. Two to three sets of 8 to 12 pulls per side after your main lifts works well for most people.

Is the kettlebell version different from the dumbbell version?

No, the movement is the same as the Dumbbell Plank Pass Through. The kettlebell's handle is easy to hook from under the body, and its flat base slides along the floor without rolling.

How is this different from a renegade row?

The pull-through keeps the bell on the floor and drags it sideways, so the challenge is holding the hips still. A Kettlebell Renegade Row lifts the weight toward the ribs from a plank, which adds upper back work and is a harder movement.

What if my wrists hurt in a straight-arm plank?

Build trunk control with a forearm Plank first, and keep the hands directly under the shoulders with the fingers spread when you return to the pull-through. Stop if the pain persists.

Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through

What Is the Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through?

Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through is a compound exercise that primarily targets the core, especially the obliques and rectus abdominis, and also engages the shoulders, serratus anterior and glutes. It is an intermediate-level movement performed from a high plank: one hand reaches under the body, grabs a kettlebell sitting outside the opposite hand and drags it across the floor to its own side, while the rest of the body holds still.

The point of the exercise is what does not move. Each time a hand leaves the floor, the body is supported on three points and the hips want to rotate and drop toward the open side. Holding the hips and shoulders square against that pull is anti-rotation work, the same quality that keeps the trunk stable during carries and single-arm presses and rows. The kettlebell adds a moving load to a Plank Shoulder Tap, so the reaching arm has to travel farther and work under resistance.

Most of the effort lands on the abdominals and obliques, with the supporting shoulder, serratus anterior and glutes working to hold the plank. Stance width is the main difficulty setting: feet wider apart give a broader base and make the hips easier to control, while feet together make every reach harder. The bell's weight matters less than control, since the goal is a smooth drag with no hip shift, not moving the heaviest load possible. The same movement done with a dumbbell is the Dumbbell Plank Pass Through; the kettlebell's handle is easy to hook from underneath, and its flat base slides along the floor.

The exercise suits lifters who already hold a solid Plank and want a core drill that trains the trunk to resist twisting rather than to curl or rotate. It usually sits after the main lifts as accessory or finisher work. Anyone who cannot yet hold a straight-arm plank for about a minute without the hips sagging should build that first, along with the Dead Bug and shoulder taps, before adding the kettlebell.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

External Oblique: Primary
Rectus Abdominis: Primary
Deltoid: High
Serratus Anterior: High
Erector Spinae: Medium
Gluteus Maximus: Medium
Rectus Abdominis (Lower): Medium
Gluteus Medius: Low
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Low
Upper Trapezius: Low

Instructions

Set a light kettlebell on the floor just outside your left hand, roughly in line with your chest.
Get into a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart or slightly wider.
Brace your abs, squeeze your glutes and hold a straight line from head to heels.
Shift your weight onto your left hand and reach your right hand under your chest to grip the kettlebell handle.
Drag the kettlebell along the floor under your body and set it down just outside your right hand.
Return your right hand to the floor under your shoulder and reset your plank.
Shift onto your right hand, reach your left hand under your chest and drag the kettlebell back to the left side.
Keep your hips level and square to the floor on every pull, and count each drag as one rep.

Common Mistakes

Hips rotating with the reach
Letting the hips turn toward the reaching arm removes the anti-rotation challenge, so keep the hips square to the floor throughout.
Feet too close together
A narrow stance shrinks the base of support before you are ready for it, so start with the feet about hip-width apart or wider.
Kettlebell too heavy
A bell you have to yank across forces the torso to twist, so pick one you can drag smoothly with a still body.
Lifting the bell instead of dragging it
Swinging the kettlebell through the air shifts the work from the core to momentum, so keep its base sliding along the floor.
Hips sagging or piking
Dropping the hips loads the lower back and raising them shortens the lever, so hold a straight line from head to heels.
Short pulls
Stopping the bell under the chest instead of setting it outside the other hand cuts each rep short, so finish every drag fully on the far side.

Injuries

Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is light and stays on the floor, so most of the strain comes from holding a straight-arm plank on one hand at a time. The wrists, the shoulder of the supporting arm and the lower back take the most stress, especially late in a set when the hips start to sag or swing.

To protect the wrists, spread the fingers and press through the whole hand, with the hands directly under the shoulders. Keep the supporting shoulder pushed away from the floor rather than letting the chest sink between the shoulder blades. Squeeze the glutes and brace the abdominals so the lower back stays neutral, and choose a bell light enough to drag smoothly, since a heavy bell tempts the body to twist and yank it across.

If the hips rotate or the lower back aches, regress first. Widen the feet, do the reach without a kettlebell as a Plank Shoulder Tap, or drop the knees to the floor. Once the hips stay still, progress by slowing each drag, bringing the feet closer together or using a heavier bell.

Stop the set when the hips start swinging with each reach or the back begins to sag. Stop altogether if you feel sharp pain in the wrist, shoulder or lower back. People with wrist pain in a straight-arm plank can build the same trunk control with a forearm Plank and return to the pull-through later.

Overview

Primary Focus: Core
Equipment: Kettlebell and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through

The Kettlebell Plank Pull-Through is also known as:

Kettlebell Plank Drag

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How heavy should the kettlebell be?: Use the lightest bell that still gives some resistance as it slides. If you have to twist your hips or jerk the bell to move it, it is too heavy.
Q: How many reps should I do?: Count each drag across the body as one rep. Two to three sets of 8 to 12 pulls per side after your main lifts works well for most people.
Q: Is the kettlebell version different from the dumbbell version?: No, the movement is the same as the Dumbbell Plank Pass Through. The kettlebell's handle is easy to hook from under the body, and its flat base slides along the floor without rolling.
Q: How is this different from a renegade row?: The pull-through keeps the bell on the floor and drags it sideways, so the challenge is holding the hips still. A Kettlebell Renegade Row lifts the weight toward the ribs from a plank, which adds upper back work and is a harder movement.
Q: What if my wrists hurt in a straight-arm plank?: Build trunk control with a forearm Plank first, and keep the hands directly under the shoulders with the fingers spread when you return to the pull-through. Stop if the pain persists.