Two-Arm Kettlebell Military Press

What you'll gain

• Builds bilateral overhead strength with a load that still challenges each shoulder.

• The kettlebell rack teaches a packed elbow and a quiet trunk before the press.

• Needs only two bells, so it fits kettlebell-only floors and home setups.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Clean two kettlebells to the front rack, feet about hip-width apart.

2. 2

   Brace the midsection, squeeze the glutes, and keep the ribs stacked over the pelvis.

3. 3

   Rest each bell on the forearm with the wrists stacked and elbows close.

4. 4

   Press both kettlebells overhead until the elbows lock and the biceps sit by the ears.

5. 5

   Pause with the shoulders packed, not shrugged up toward the head.

6. 6

   Lower both bells back to the rack under control, then reset the brace.

Common Mistakes

• Dipping the knees into a push press, which takes the work off a strict military press.

• Letting one arm lock out ahead of the other, which twists the ribcage.

• Flaring the elbows and collapsing the wrists so the bells drift behind the head.

• Leaning back to finish the lockout, which dumps load into the lumbar spine.

About This Exercise

The two-arm kettlebell military press is a strict bilateral overhead press. Both bells sit in the front rack, then travel to lockout without a dip of the knees. The offset mass of each kettlebell sits below the handle, so the delts, triceps, and upper traps have to steer a less stable load than a barbell, and the trunk braces against any lean. The path is a press, not a push press. The approved still is a front-view rack start: two kettlebells at the shoulders, delts and triceps red. For a catalog this is the double-kettlebell strict press page, useful in kettlebell filters, shoulder blocks, and as the bilateral pair to a single-arm military press.

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