One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk

An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk — Starting position Starting position
One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Strength
Equipment Kettlebell
Primary Muscle Shoulders
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk

  1. Hold a kettlebell by the handle. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulder. Rotate your wrist as you do so, so that the palm faces forward. This will be your starting position.
  2. Dip your body by bending the knees, keeping your torso upright.
  3. Immediately reverse direction, driving through the heels, in essence jumping to create momentum. As you do so, press the kettlebell overhead to lockout by extending the arms, using your body's momentum to move the weight.
  4. Receive the weight overhead by returning to a squat position underneath the weight, positioning one leg in front of you and one leg behind you.
  5. Keeping the weight overhead, return to a standing position and bring your feet together. Lower the weight to perform the next repetition.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk

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.

  1. 1 Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

    Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  2. 2 Double Kettlebell Jerk

    Double Kettlebell Jerk

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  3. 3 Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise

    Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  4. 4 Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row

    Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  5. 5 Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

    Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  6. 6 One-Arm Kettlebell Jerk

    One-Arm Kettlebell Jerk

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  7. 7 One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

    One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  8. 8 Two-Arm Kettlebell Clean

    Two-Arm Kettlebell Clean

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  9. 9 Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerk

    Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerk

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  10. 10 One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side

    One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do one-arm kettlebell split jerk work?

One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk primarily works the shoulders. The glutes, hamstrings, quads and triceps assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for one-arm kettlebell split jerk?

One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk uses kettlebell.

One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk: is it suitable for beginners?

One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of one-arm kettlebell split jerk?

Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press, Double Kettlebell Jerk, Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my one-arm kettlebell split jerk reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; one-arm kettlebell split jerk 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 One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk 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.