MONS Athletics
Kettlebell exercises

Double Kettlebell Deadlift: Slow Down, Pause, Stand Tall

A kettlebell beside each foot. Push your hips back, stand up tall, then lower for three seconds and pause a hand above the floor before the next rep. Works the backs of your legs and your hips.

3 min read · In Structure · Anti-Folding

Why it works: Chapter 13, Why stretching your hamstrings will not loosen them

How to do it

  1. 1

    A bell beside each foot

    Feet about hip-width, a bell on the floor just outside each foot, handles in line with your ankles.

  2. 2

    Hips back, not down

    Push your hips back until your hands reach both handles with a flat back. Your shins stay close to upright; the knees bend only as much as they need to.

  3. 3

    Tighten before you lift

    Grip both handles and pull your shoulders down, away from your ears. Feel the backs of your legs load up before the bells leave the floor.

  4. 4

    Stand tall

    Push your feet into the ground and bring your hips forward until you stand tall. Squeeze your glutes at the top and stop there; no leaning back.

  5. 5

    Down for three, pause

    Lower the bells over three seconds, hips back first, and stop with them a hand above the floor. Hold for a moment, then stand up again. The bells only touch down after the last rep.

  6. 6

    The test

    Your back stays flat on the way down and in the pause, and the bells move straight up and down beside your legs. When your back starts to round, the set is over.

Watch for

  • Squatting it. Your knees push forward and your hips drop, so your thighs lift the bells and your hips and hamstrings learn little.
  • Dropping the bells. A fast lowering skips the slow half of the rep, which is where the backs of your legs work hardest.
  • Touching down between reps. The pause is in the air, a hand above the floor.
  • Leaning back at the top. Standing tall is the finish; arching past it only loads your lower back.

Questions

Why lower the deadlift slowly?

Lowering slowly keeps a long, heavy load on the backs of your legs, and the pause above the floor holds it there. It also gives you time to keep your back flat in the hardest position.

Two kettlebells or one for a deadlift?

Two bells let you hold more weight in a balanced position, which a slow deadlift needs. With one bell, do the kettlebell deadlift with the same slow lowering and pause.

How heavy should a double kettlebell deadlift be?

Heavy enough that you have to tighten before the bells move, light enough that your back stays flat through all 5 reps and every pause. If the lowering speeds up, it is too heavy.