Advanced · Movement lesson
How to Do a Kettlebell Helicopter
The kettlebell helicopter is an advanced swing variation that takes the bell through a full circular path around your body. Trevor Shan teaches it by starting with side-to-side swings and gradually taking the bell higher. It is a separate skill from the basic two-hand swing and belongs after you have control of the fundamentals.
By Trevor Shan · Founder & head coach · Published · Updated · 3 min read
Key takeaways
- Start by understanding the side-to-side swing shown in the lesson.
- Use the legs, hips, and core instead of muscling the bell with the arms.
- Build familiarity with the movement before attempting the full circle.
How to do it — step by step
- Watch the complete demonstration and make sure you have clear space for the bell’s full path.
- Begin with the side-to-side swings demonstrated in the lesson.
- Keep the arms loose while generating movement from the legs, hips, and core.
- Practice taking the swing higher with control before progressing to the full circular movement.
Common mistakes
- Trying to pull the bell through the entire path using only the arms.
- Attempting the full circle before becoming comfortable with the smaller side swings.
Where to start
If the basic swing is still new, begin with the full swing lesson and the Foundation sample workout. This video introduces an additional movement; it is not part of Foundation Workout A.
Video transcript
Read the video transcript
Alright guys, just wanted to go over the helicopter with you. So this movement is one of those that it just teaches you, right? It's really hard to do incorrectly because as you start to go, the momentum carries you and you just start to do a full circle, that's it. Right? That's the movement. It's really impossible to do wrong. What I recommend to get started is all you're going to do is just experiment with swinging it side to side like this, right?
Like you're doing side swings. Try to apply the same principles that we have with normal swinging, not trying to muscle it too much with our arms. Keep our arms loose and generate power from our legs, hips and core. And then practice with going higher. Higher, like you're doing high pulls, right? And then maybe you just let one sneak over. Whoa, what was that? Whoa, isn't that fun? And it's that simple, okay?
Don't overthink it. Go outside on the grass, swing it around, get some reps in and let the kettlebell teach you. Peace.
Train with a clear plan.
Kettlebell Body is a kettlebell and bodyweight training app by coach Trevor Shan: an eight-week Foundation program (four workouts a week, one kettlebell in Month 1, then two), coach-led exercise videos, guided timers, and progress tracking. It is available on iOS and Android, and Foundation Week 1 is free with no card required.
Week 1 is free with no card required; membership is US$29.99/month or US$239.99/year after that. Compare kettlebell apps
