There are a lot of overhead options when working with double kettlebells.
Here is a video we’re sharing as we dive into some higher volume training in our Bars & Bells program applying the Viking Push Press.
The video includes three reps each of the Military Press, Push Press, Viking Push Press and Jerk.
Each has its own place in programming based on desired outcome.
Entire training sessions and programs can be dedicated to one of these lifts. They’re that effective. Each provides a certain training quality. All of them will make you strong.
As with any overhead work, make sure you have the appropriate mobility and stability prerequisites to practice these overhead exercises.
First in line is the Military Press. It’s a legend of a lift.
You can program these at the beginning of your session or as an accessory or assistance exercise after your main lifts. The Military Press is a grind and is often the focus of a main lift in a session and program.
A classic strength training program applying the Military Press is Pavel Tsatouline’s “Enter The Kettlebell.” This book and program is a kettlebell enthusiast’s favorite.
Before we go into the main cues, for each of the exercises, understand and accept that a solid Clean sets up a great Military Press, Push Press, Viking Push Press and Jerk.
The main Military Press considerations are:
- Set your feet. Grip and screw into the floor. This is your foundation for pressing.
- Your grip and kettlebell handle rack position is below chin level.
- Your wrists are neutral or “goose necked,” with your forearms vertical and connected to the torso as one.
- Squeeze your quads, glutes and abs before pressing.
- Sniff air in to brace then push through the floor and hiss exhale through the press.
- Your shoulders stay down and “packed” as you press the bells overhead.
- Think of your elbow as the power source pushing the handle of the bell up while keeping your shoulders down and connected.
- Lockout the top and pause for a moment.
- Pull the bells back down into the rack with a nasal inhale to set up the next rep.
Military Press repetition schemes include sets of 1-5 reps, up to as many as 8-10 depending on desired outcome.
Ladders of 5,3,2 and 3,2,1 are one of our favorite program design methods and will improve strength and add volume in a sneaky way.
Working heavy singles one day, doubles with a medium weight another day and lighter triples for a third day is a guaranteed way to increasing your strength and muscle.
The Push Press is a great skill that helps you get comfortable with heavier kettlebells overhead as well as developing power coordination.
It’s critical to develop the skill of the Military Press before advancing to the Push Presses.
The Push Press gets the upper and lower body to work together coordinating the bells to finish overhead using a dip and then a drive.
You will be generating force from your feet on the ground and transferring it through your entire body to your hands holding the bells. This coordination and skill can carry over to other activities outside of the gym.
The main Push Press considerations are:
- Feel your weight in your whole foot.
- Your abs are tight. Your spine flexes or extends the least amount possible (or not at all).
- Dip down less than or equal to a quarter squat loading up like a compressed spring.
- Push the floor away accelerating to the top.
- Complete full extension with your knees and hips as you exhale.
- The bells will float out of the rack from the force applied through the floor and lower body. Once you feel that release from the rack, finish the press to lockout.
- Actively control the negative and pull the kettlebell back down into the rack.
Push Presses can be placed in all areas of programming, again, depending on goals and desired outcome.
Heavier bells will improve strength. Usually the heavier the bells, the lower the rep scheme.
Medium weights can be used as an accessory or assistance routine to develop athletic development, and even work in conditioning protocols. Perform 2-5 reps every minute on the minute or 2-3 every 30 seconds to get some anti-glycolytic conditioning training.
The Viking Push Press is the next skill once the Push Press is mastered. This is a great exercise for hypertrophy because you can perform at a higher cadence. Viking Push Presses work the shoulders, triceps, abs, glutes, quads – pretty much the entire body.
Viking Push Presses are performed the same as the Push Press with the addition of the dip to catch the bells as they reconnect in the rack position.
There is no pausing in the Viking Push Press except at the overhead lockout.
Once the bells are overhead in the lockout, let gravity take over and let the bells fall back down into the rack. At the moment the bells reconnect with the arms and the arms reconnect with the torso, minimize the impact by dipping down like a shock absorber, flexing your hips and knees. Your abdominal brace must be engaged.
Once you’re in your dip, immediately rebound for the next Push Press up.
The main Viking Push Press considerations are:
- Be patient with the catch – don’t dip too early.
- Guide the free-falling bells into the rack.
- Once impact is made soften your hips and knees with a braced midsection.
- Think “Up like a rocket, down like a rock.” (credit to Fionnbhárr Toolan – StrongFirst Team Leader for this one)
Viking Push Presses are a “fun” exercise to add into a 2nd or 3rd part of a program after the main strength work. Reps are usually programmed from 5-15 and sometimes up to 20 if you really want to get that muscular burn, pump and your heart rate up.
The last variation of overhead work in the video is the Double Kettlebell Jerk. This is by far the trickiest skill of the four to learn due to the timing of each part.
If you add in the Clean before every Jerk, and just practice this move with a single kettlebell or a double kettlebell, you’ll likely experience amazing results including power development, strength, muscle hypertrophy, power endurance, conditioning and fat-loss.
If a hard style kettlebell skill could be awarded a gold star, the Jerk is it.
Again, we’re building the next level of skill development. The Jerk is next in line after your mastery of the Viking Push Press. All the same instructions apply plus one more.
Just like the Push Press and Viking Push Press, you dipped and drove out of the bottom. When you reach knee and hip extension the bells begin floating out of the rack from the kinetic energy produced from the floor through your body to your rack position.
This is when we add another dip.
As the bells float up you dip down and catch the bells in the dip with your arms in the lockout position. Your midsection MUST BE BRACED! Stand up from this dip to the top with your arms locked out.
Repeat the descent just like you did with the Viking Push Press.
The main Jerk considerations are:
- Your action is: Dip > Drive > Dip > Lockout > Stand up > Drop > Catch with a dip > Stand up in the rack > Repeat.
- Your midsection is braced and tight throughout.
- There is a slight pause in the lockout in the dip and the lockout at the top.
- Your elbows and knees are both locked out at the top.
- It’s ok for your heels to lift off the floor during the first drive up, however the heels should remain on the floor during both dips and the catch.
In our experience is most people are “squatty Jerkers.” We’d steer you towards practicing a “squattier” Jerk because of the vertical path of the kettlebells overhead and how that force and energy is directed.
People who hinge to much in their dips, catches and drives will often have excessive extension in their lumbar spine and experience low back discomfort. Watch out for this.
We’ve found Jerks are best programmed in the beginning of a session when people are fresh or at the end for conditioning with lighter weight. Unless you’re doing the long cycle (Clean + Jerks, for another time), we prefer to keep our reps between 1-6 for most applications. Of course, there are times when you can do more.
In summary, there are options to build strength, power, and muscle with two kettlebells moving overhead.
It’s best to learn these lifts in the order listed above. Master one before moving onto the next.
You can Military Press heavy kettlebells.
You can Push Press heavier kettlebells that you might not be able to Military Press.
You can Jerk the heaviest kettlebells that you can’t Military Press and might struggle with Push Pressing.
You can use the Viking Push Press in a variety of ways, usually lighter to medium in weight and range for a different adaptation.
Train safe and smart. Practice with intent and let us know how these moves work out for you. As always, reach out with any questions.