5 Best Kettlebell Exercises to Strengthen Your Upper Back

If you’re looking to build a strong upper back, incorporating kettlebell exercises into your routine is a great way to do it.

The upper back is the powerhouse of the body and is responsible for your everyday movement. When it works inefficiently, it can cause an array of unpleasant symptoms and medical problems. To stay pain-free and healthy, knowing how to safely strengthen your upper back is extremely important, but this shouldn’t be a scary proposition.

The best kettlebell exercises can help you feel great without causing harm to your body or overstraining your gym time.

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Effective Kettlebell Exercises to Train Your Upper Body

Here's a look at five kettlebell exercises to train your upper body:

1) Renegade Row

Renegade rows are an awesome back exercise, but they also work your lats, mid-traps, rhomboids and posterior deltoids. They involve your legs and core too. You can combine renegade rows with push-ups for a really time-efficient workout.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Perform the exercise by starting in a push-up position and placing two kettlebells close together, with space between them.
• Put your left hand and foot on the left kettlebell, and your right hand and foot on the right kettlebell.
• Keep your body as straight as possible from your head to your toes, and tighten your core muscles.
• Press into the ground with your left arm and leg, pulling up with your right arm.
• Lower the kettlebell back down to the ground, and alternate sides, pressing into the ground with your left arm as you pull up with your right.

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2) Turkish Get-Up

If you know how to do it correctly and have the strength, the KB Turkish get-up is one of the ultimate full-body workouts. It's a total-body workout that works your core while also keeping your shoulders stable and promoting full-body mobility.

To do this exercise:

• Start by lying on your side with a kettlebell in a front rack position and your hands holding the handle.
• Roll onto your back, roll the weight up to an upside-down position using your free hand.
• Bend your knees, keeping one leg straight and the other bent at about 90 degrees.
• Sit up, and punch the weight up overhead.
• Extend the arm you're braced on; bridge up, and sweep through with your straight leg so you're kneeling with one hand on the floor and one arm extended overhead.
• Stand up; step back with your left foot, and lower yourself into a half-kneeling position.
• From that position, extend your right arm, and push yourself up to a handstand.

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3) KB Clean and Press

The Clean and press workout is an excellent way to build strength and work on your coordination. This workout takes you through multiple movement patterns — from a hip hinge to a clean to a front rack to an overhead press — on one fluid motion, building your hamstrings, upper back, core and shoulders.

Here's how you do it:

• Stand in front of a wall with your legs about hip-width apart.
• Grasp the equipment with your thumb on top and facing forward, let the web between your thumb and index finger rest inside of the curve of the handle.
• Explosively extend from your hips, keep your elbow close to your ribs, and sweep your hand underneath the bell to catch it in the rack position.
• Once you’ve secured the weight, brace your core; press overhead. and slowly lower back to the rack position for one rep.

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4) Grappler's Row

This exercise is a great way to make light kettlebells feel heavier and more challenging. As you're doing it without a chair or bench, your erector spinae muscles are also involved. The Grappler's Row works your lats, mid-traps, rhomboids and posterior deltoids.

To do this exercise:

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, core braced and shoulders pulled down and back.
• Spread your feet, and lean forward from your hips till you're about 45 degrees to the floor.
• Keep your lower back in its natural arch as you lower, and row the weight to your side.
• Do the same on the other side, and alternate arms for your entire set.

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5) KB Swing

KB swings engage your back muscles, from the nape of your neck to your heels. They're excellent for building strength, and they can help you burn fat too.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold a kettlebell in your hands between your legs.
• Hinge your hips backl bend your knees, and raise the kettlebell from between your legs.
• Keep your back straight and core engaged, push your hips forward to stand up straight.
• Let the weight of the kettlebell guide it as you swing it up to shoulder height or parallel to the ground.
• Lower back down to between your legs by hinging your hips back and bending the knees slightly.

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Bottom Line

Whether you’re an experienced lifter or just getting started, the aforementioned exercises can improve your upper body strength.

Of course, these exercises aren’t the only ways to strengthen your back and shoulders. So feel free to switch things up, but make sure to perfect what you need to before moving on to other moves.