Bent Press
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a kettlebell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Bent Press
- Clean a kettlebell to your shoulder. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulders by extending through the legs and hips as you raise the kettlebell towards your shoulder. The wrist should rotate as you do so. This will be your starting position.
- Begin my leaning to the side opposite the kettlebell, continuing until you are able to touch the ground with your free hand, keeping your eyes on the kettlebell. As you do so, press the weight vertically be extending through the elbow, keeping your arm perpendicular to the ground.
- Return to an upright position, with the kettlebell above your head. Return the kettlebell to the shoulder and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Bent Press
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Press Sit-Up
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
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2
Pallof Press
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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3
Pallof Press With Rotation
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a cable machine.
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4
Barbell Ab Rollout - On Knees
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
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5
Bent-Knee Hip Raise
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
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6
Barbell Rollout from Bench
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
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7
Hanging Leg Raise
An advanced isolation strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
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8
Hanging Pike
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the abs, needing no equipment.
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9
Landmine 180's
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
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10
Barbell Ab Rollout
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the abs, using a barbell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do bent press work?
Bent Press primarily works the abs. The glutes, hamstrings, lower back, quads, shoulders and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for bent press?
Bent Press uses kettlebell.
Bent Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Bent Press is rated advanced. High skill or high load. Worth earning rather than starting with.
What can I do instead of bent press?
Press Sit-Up, Pallof Press, Pallof Press With Rotation train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my bent press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; bent press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Bent Press with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.