Last Updated on 13 August 2026 by Greg Brookes
Kettlebell training has its own language. Some terms describe exercises, others describe technique, workout formats or even parts of the kettlebell itself.
This glossary explains 40 common kettlebell terms in plain English, from Dead Clean and Turkish Get Up to Pood, Tabata and Long Cycle.
Use the quick answers below for the basics, or jump straight to the section you need.
Quick Kettlebell Definitions
Kettlebell Exercise Names and Terms
These are the names you will hear most often when learning kettlebell exercises and following kettlebell workouts.
1.Dead Clean
A Clean that starts with the kettlebell stationary on the floor rather than from a backswing.
2.Swing Clean
A Clean that uses a backswing between the legs to generate momentum before guiding the kettlebell into the rack position.
Learn more: Kettlebell Clean guide3.Swing
A hip-hinge exercise where the kettlebell travels from between the legs to roughly chest height using power from the hips rather than the arms.
Learn more: Kettlebell Swing guide
4.Turkish Get Up
A full-body exercise that takes you from lying on the floor to standing while keeping the kettlebell controlled overhead, then reverses the sequence.
Learn more: Turkish Get Up guide5.Windmill
A hip-hinge and rotation exercise performed with 1 arm overhead. It develops controlled hip movement, trunk strength and shoulder stability.
Learn more: Kettlebell Windmill guide6.Goblet Squat
A squat performed while holding the kettlebell in front of the chest with both hands. You can hold the bell by the horns or around the body of the kettlebell.
Learn more: Goblet Squat guide7.Slingshot or Around the World
A standing drill where the kettlebell is passed from hand to hand around the waist. It is commonly used for warm-ups, grip and coordination.
Learn more: Kettlebell Slingshot guide8.Halo
A controlled shoulder-mobility exercise where the kettlebell circles closely around the head and neckline in both directions.
9.Good Morning
A hip-hinge drill performed with the kettlebell held high against the upper back or chest. It is commonly used to practise hinging and warm up the hips.
10.Deadlift
A hip-hinge exercise that lifts the kettlebell from the floor by extending the hips and knees while keeping the trunk controlled.
Learn more: Kettlebell Deadlift guide11.Tall Kneeling
A position with both knees on the floor and the torso upright. It removes help from the lower legs and is often used for presses, Halos and trunk exercises.
12.Half Kneeling
A position with 1 knee on the floor and the opposite foot in front. It is commonly used for presses, rows and rotational exercises.
13.Push Press
An overhead press assisted by a small dip and drive from the legs, allowing the lower body to help move the kettlebell overhead.
Learn more: Overhead Press guide14.Jerk
A kettlebell sport lift where the legs first drive the bell upwards and then bend again so the body moves under the kettlebell before standing to finish the rep.
15.Thruster
A Squat and Press combined into 1 continuous movement. The upward drive from the squat helps send the kettlebell overhead.
Learn more: Kettlebell Thruster guide16.Snatch
A ballistic lift that takes the kettlebell from the backswing to an overhead lockout in 1 continuous movement.
Learn more: Kettlebell Snatch guide17.Sotts Press
An advanced overhead press performed while remaining in the bottom of a squat. It demands substantial squat mobility, trunk control and overhead stability.
18.Pistol Squat
A single-leg squat performed while the non-working leg stays off the floor. A kettlebell can be held in front as load and counterbalance.
Learn more: Pistol Squat guide
19.Deck Squat
A squat variation where you roll onto the back and then use momentum, leg strength and the kettlebell as a counterbalance to return to standing.
Kettlebell Technique Terms
These terms describe positions, loading phases and coaching ideas rather than individual exercises.
20.Rack or Racked Position
The position where the kettlebell rests against the forearm and upper chest with the wrist kept neutral. It can be used with 1 or 2 kettlebells.
Learn more: Kettlebell holding positions21.Long Cycle
The kettlebell sport name for repeated Clean and Jerk. The bell is cleaned before every Jerk rather than remaining in the rack between repetitions.
22.Grind
A slower strength-focused kettlebell exercise performed under continuous muscular tension, such as a Press, Squat or controlled Row.
23.Hole
A coaching term sometimes used for the difficult transition out of the rack during an overhead Press, where leverage is least favourable.
24.Bottoms Up
A position where the kettlebell is held with the ball above the handle. It greatly increases the grip and control required to keep the bell balanced.
25.Concentric Loading
The phase of a repetition where a working muscle shortens while producing force. Standing from a Squat is a simple example.
26.Eccentric Loading
The phase where a working muscle lengthens under load, such as lowering into a Squat or lowering a Row under control.
Learn more: Muscle soreness guide27.Irradiation
A strength-training technique where deliberately creating tension in surrounding muscles can help the body produce more total force during a lift.
Terms for the Kettlebell Itself
These 3 terms describe kettlebell measurements, parts and equipment styles.
28.Pood
A traditional Russian unit of mass. 1 pood is about 16.38 kg or 36.1 lb. In kettlebell training the classic approximate sizes are 1 pood = 16 kg, 1.5 pood = 24 kg and 2 pood = 32 kg.
29.Horns
The 2 curved sides of the kettlebell handle where it joins the body of the bell. A Goblet Squat is often performed while holding the horns.
30.Competition Kettlebell
A kettlebell made to a standard external size regardless of its weight. The dimensions stay consistent as the load increases, which is useful in kettlebell sport.
Learn more: Kettlebell buying guideKettlebell Workout Terms
These terms explain how exercises, repetitions and work periods are organised into a kettlebell training session.
31.Reps
Short for repetitions. 1 rep is 1 complete performance of an exercise, such as 1 Kettlebell Swing.
32.Sets
A group of repetitions performed before resting or changing exercise. For example, 3 sets of 10 Goblet Squats.
33.Time Under Tension
The amount of time the working muscles spend producing force during a set. It can be changed by rep speed, pauses, range of motion and total repetitions.
34.Intervals
A workout structure that alternates defined periods of work and recovery, such as 30 seconds of Swings followed by 30 seconds rest.
35.Tabata
A specific interval format using 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds. Other work-to-rest ratios are better described as Tabata-style intervals.
Learn more: Kettlebell Tabata workouts36.Pyramids
A workout structure where repetitions, load, exercises or rest periods increase and/or decrease across successive sets or rounds.
Learn more: Kettlebell pyramid training37.Ladders
A progression where repetitions rise or fall in planned steps, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Presses. Ladders can ascend, descend or do both.
Learn more: Kettlebell ladder workouts38.Countdowns
A descending repetition format where the target reps reduce each round, such as 10, 9, 8, 7 and so on.
39.Complexes
Several kettlebell exercises performed in sequence without putting the bell down, usually completing prescribed reps of each movement before moving to the next.
Learn more: Kettlebell complex workouts40.Kettlebell Sport
A competitive form of kettlebell lifting centred on events such as Jerk, Snatch and Long Cycle, usually performed for high repetitions over a fixed time.
How to Use This Kettlebell Glossary
You do not need to memorise all 40 terms before you start training. Learn the vocabulary that appears in your current programme, then return here whenever you come across something unfamiliar.
The most important early terms for beginners are usually Swing, Clean, Goblet Squat, Rack Position, Reps, Sets and Intervals. The sport-specific language such as Long Cycle, Jerk and Pood becomes more useful as your kettlebell experience grows.
Related Kettlebell Guides
These guides will help you put the terminology into practice:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does KB mean in a workout?
KB is a common abbreviation for kettlebell. For example, KB Swing means Kettlebell Swing.
What is a pood in kettlebell training?
A pood is an old Russian unit of mass equal to about 16.38 kg or 36.1 lb. Traditional kettlebell sizes are often described as 1, 1.5 and 2 pood.
What are the main parts of a kettlebell called?
The main parts are the handle, horns and body or bell. The horns are the curved sections connecting the handle to the body.
What is the difference between a grind and a ballistic kettlebell exercise?
A grind is usually slower and strength-focused, such as a Press or Squat. A ballistic exercise uses faster hip-driven movement, such as a Swing, Clean or Snatch.
What does rack position mean?
The rack is the resting position where the kettlebell sits against the forearm and upper chest before or after exercises such as the Clean, Press and Front Squat.
What is the difference between a ladder and a pyramid workout?
A ladder usually changes repetitions in planned steps, while pyramid training can change repetitions, load, rest or other variables as the workout rises and/or falls.
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