Kettlebell Halo

Muscles worked by the Kettlebell Halo

Primary

Side DeltsLateral Deltoid

Secondary

Rear DeltsPosterior DeltoidTrapsTrapezius

Also called: side deltoid, lateral delt, side delt, medial deltoid, lateral deltoid.

Equipment

Kettlebell

Also called: kb, cast iron kettlebell, competition kettlebell, girya.

How to do the Kettlebell Halo

1. Stand tall, core braced, holding a light kettlebell by the horns (upside down) at chest height.
2. Raise the bell to one side of your head and pass it around the back in a smooth circle.
3. Bring it back to the starting position in front of your face.
4. Reverse direction every few reps.
5. Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions or time.

Form tips

• Light weight only — this is mobility, not strength.
• Keep the head stationary; the bell goes around, not the head.
• If the bell drifts wide, shrink the circle — tight orbit, close to the skull.

At a glance

Kettlebell Halo in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Arnold Press
• Barbell Overhead Press
• Barbell Upright Row
• Behind the Neck Press
• Bodyweight Lateral Raise
• Cable Lateral Raise
• Cable Upright Row
• Double Dumbbell Overhead Carry

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "kettlebell-halo",
  "name_en": "Kettlebell Halo",
  "name_de": "Kettlebell Halo",
  "name_es": "Halo con pesa rusa",
  "description_en": "A shoulder-mobility drill where a kettlebell is circled around the head. Warms up the rotator cuff, thoracic spine, and shoulder girdle with minimal load.",
  "description_de": "Eine Schultermobilitätsübung, bei der ein Kettlebell um den Kopf gekreist wird. Wärmt Rotatorenmanschette, Brustwirbelsäule und Schultergürtel mit minimalem Gewicht auf.",
  "description_es": "Un ejercicio de movilidad de hombros donde se hace girar una pesa rusa alrededor de la cabeza. Calienta el manguito rotador, la columna torácica y la cintura escapular con carga mínima.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "dynamic",
  "mechanic": "isolation",
  "difficulty": "beginner",
  "equipment": "kettlebell",
  "body_part": "shoulders",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "lateral_deltoid"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "posterior_deltoid",
    "trapezius"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "rehabilitation",
    "endurance"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "shoulder_safe"
  ],
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand tall, core braced, holding a light kettlebell by the horns (upside down) at chest height.",
    "Raise the bell to one side of your head and pass it around the back in a smooth circle.",
    "Bring it back to the starting position in front of your face.",
    "Reverse direction every few reps.",
    "Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions or time."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Steh aufrecht, Rumpf angespannt, ein leichtes Kettlebell mit beiden Händen an den Hörnern (auf dem Kopf) auf Brusthöhe halten.",
    "Hebe das Kettlebell zu einer Seite des Kopfes und führe es in einem gleichmäßigen Kreis nach hinten.",
    "Zurück zur Ausgangsposition vor dem Gesicht bringen.",
    "Nach einigen Wiederholungen die Richtung wechseln.",
    "Wiederhole die empfohlene Anzahl an Wiederholungen oder Zeit."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Párate erguido con el core contraído, sosteniendo una pesa rusa ligera por las asas (boca abajo) a la altura del pecho.",
    "Sube la campana a un lado de la cabeza y hazla pasar por detrás en un círculo suave.",
    "Tráela de vuelta a la posición inicial frente a tu cara.",
    "Invierte la dirección cada pocas repeticiones.",
    "Repite el número recomendado de repeticiones o tiempo."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Light weight only — this is mobility, not strength.",
    "Keep the head stationary; the bell goes around, not the head.",
    "If the bell drifts wide, shrink the circle — tight orbit, close to the skull."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Nur leichtes Gewicht – das ist Mobilität, keine Kraft.",
    "Kopf still halten; das Kettlebell kreist, nicht der Kopf.",
    "Wenn das Kettlebell zu weit abdriftet, den Kreis enger ziehen – nah am Kopf bleiben."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Solo peso ligero — esto es movilidad, no fuerza.",
    "Mantén la cabeza quieta; la campana gira alrededor, no la cabeza.",
    "Si la campana se aleja, reduce el círculo — órbita ajustada, cerca del cráneo."
  ],
  "met": 5.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/kettlebell-halo-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/kettlebell-halo-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "kettlebell-halo");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.