The kettlebell halo probably isn't the first exercise that comes to mind when you're trying to build stronger shoulders. In fact, you could be forgiven for looking at it and wondering what exactly it's supposed to be doing.
But according to coach Adam Sinicki, aka The Bioneer, there's more to the movement than meets the eye.
By taking your shoulders through a large range of motion, the halo challenges your upper body while forcing your core to keep your torso stable. And crank up the reps with a lighter kettlebell and it can double as an unconventional conditioning exercise.
How to Do the Kettlebell Halo
- Hold the kettlebell by the 'horns' on either side of the handle.
- Start with the kettlebell in front of your chest.
- Rotate the kettlebell around your head, keeping it close throughout.
- Take the kettlebell around the back of your head rather than over the top.
- As it passes behind your head, allow your elbows to point upwards towards the ceiling rather than forwards.
- Keep the movement slow and controlled throughout.
- Complete your reps, then repeat in the opposite direction.
Taking the kettlebell through this larger range of motion challenges mobility around the shoulders while stretching muscles involved in your overhead position.
'Doing this should mean that your elbows naturally point up at the ceiling as much as possible, rather than straight forwards,' says Sinicki. 'This matters because it stretches the triceps nicely, along with the lats, giving you more overhead range of motion.'
Sinicki recommends keeping your core engaged and your ribs down throughout, rather than leaning backwards to manufacture extra range. The kettlebell should travel around your head – your torso shouldn't be moving around underneath it.
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Turn it Into a Conditioning Exercise
You don't have to load the halo heavily to make it challenging. Sinicki suggests going in the opposite direction: grab a lighter kettlebell and increase the reps.
'You can do these for high, high reps, making this a great form of conditioning that targets the upper body, something we don't see that much of,' he says.
That gives the halo a useful double act. Perform it slowly and deliberately as part of your warm-up or accessory work to take your shoulders through a controlled range of motion. Or lighten the load, increase the pace and reps and suddenly that innocent-looking kettlebell circling your head becomes considerably less friendly.
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