Vertical Swing

What it is

This dynamic exercise involves swinging a dumbbell from between your legs to overhead. It primarily strengthens your hamstrings, while also engaging your glutes, quadriceps, and shoulders. You will develop explosive power through your hips and legs. This movement builds full-body coordination.

Technique tips

• Maintain a straight back and neutral head position.
• Initiate the swing by hinging at your hips, not bending your back.
• Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles to drive the weight up.
• Breathe out as you powerfully drive the dumbbell overhead.
• Control the dumbbell's descent, drawing it to your torso.
• Absorb the landing impact softly through your legs.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.