The kettlebell shoulder press is a great exercise for the shoulders and triceps. In addition, because it is performed standing up it also requires the muscles of the core to support the athlete. As described it is a unilateral exercise, so each side of the body must be developed independently of the other. I have also found this to be a much more shoulder-friendly exercise than doing this with a barbell or a dumbbell. That makes this an ideal exercise for overhead and throwing athletes.
To perform this exercise, clean the kettlebell to your right shoulder. Your right hand should grip the inside (towards midline) edge of the handle with a prone grip (palms facing away from the body). The kettlebell should be resting where it is comfortable on/in the shoulder.
From here, make sure that your feet are hip-width apart. Stick the chest out and pull the shoulders back. From this position, press the kettlebell up and slightly behind so that it ends up in line with the hips. Lower and repeat.After the desired number of repetitions have been performed, switch sides.
Balance is a factor in this exercise. I recommend holding the non-exercising arm out and away from the body while performing the press.
This exercise lends itself to a wide variety of programming approaches. It can be done to increase strength (heavier weight, lower volume), improve hypertrophy (moderate weight, moderate volume), or to increase endurance (light weight, high volume).
This can be a challenge in a large team setting, just because a wide variety of kettlebells will be necessary. However, this exercise does not take up a lot of space, so in a team with 10-20 athletes this would be a great exercise to incorporate.
There are two variations of this exercise:
Seated: Like the standing variation but performed sitting down. Can be done with the back against something. Less core involvement and balance required, it’s also less important for the kettlebell to end up over the hips at the top of the movement. This variation encourages cutting corners (for example, pressing the kettlebell in front and away from the body) because technique isn’t important for a successful lift.
Two-handed: The kettlebell shoulder press can be performed with a kettlebell in each hand, pressing both of them at the same time. When this is done, the kettlebells should be pressed slightly in towards the midline to help with balance.
