How to Do the Kettlebell Halo

The kettlebell halo circles a kettlebell around your head, close to your body. It warms up and mobilizes the shoulders and upper back while challenging core control. It is a beginner-friendly drill used as a warm-up or mobility exercise.

Shoulders KettlebellBeginner

Log every set of your Kettlebell Halo in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Shoulders

Secondary

Abs
Triceps

How to do the Kettlebell Halo

1
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2
Hold a kettlebell upside down by the horns at chest height.
3
Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
4
Circle the bell around your head, keeping it close.
5
Keep your elbows close and your torso still.
6
Complete several circles in one direction.
7
Switch directions and repeat.

Form cues to remember

Keep the bell close to your head
Stay tall, ribs down
Smooth, controlled circles
Don't lean or twist

Kettlebell Halo video tutorial

Kettlebell 7 - Alternating halo - shoulder mobility drill for warmup or muscle building · Mark Wildman on YouTube

Common mistakes

Leaning back as the bell passes

Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.

Circling too wide

Keep the bell close to your head and neck.

Going too fast

Move slowly so the shoulders and upper back warm up.

Using too heavy a bell

Use a light bell; this is a mobility drill.

Sets and reps

Mobility	2 sets of 5–8 circles in each direction, 30 sec rest
Endurance	2–3 sets of 10 circles each way, 45 sec rest

Use a light bell and keep it close to your head; stop if you feel pinching in your shoulders.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Kettlebell Halo and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.