Is your kettlebell collecting dust in the corner? Well, it’s time to resurrect it. Kettlebells are one of the most underrated pieces of equipment because they can be used for any type of training. Want to get stronger? Burn body fat? Improve your cardiovascular health? Kettlebell training can help with all of these things.

We’ve put together a list of 20 kettlebell exercises that you should be including in your training. Whether you’ve got one 10kg kettlebell or you’ve got several weights, you can complete a variety of workouts.

Benefits of Using a Kettlebell

Improve Your Power Output

Many of the movements that can be performed with a Kettlebell are ballistic. Ballistic training is a type of training whereby the athlete’s body or an external object (such as a kettlebell) is explosively projected into flight. One of the most popular ballistic movements to perform with a kettlebell is a swing, however others include -

• Clean

• Snatch

• Jerk

This makes the kettlebell a great piece of equipment for weightlifters or sprinters who want to increase their explosive strength.

Work Your Whole Body

Kettlebells come in a range of weights, starting at 4kg and going all the way up to 32kg. This makes them ideal performing a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups. As well as being able to do a multitude of exercises, you can also perform movements such as Turkish Get Ups that require full body strength and stability.

Increase Your Stability and Core Strength

One of the main reasons for choosing a kettlebell over other weight equipment is the amount of stability that is required when using it. Due to the weight not being distributed evenly in the centre of the kettlebell, you have to work harder to ensure stability when performing a movement. Your stabiliser muscles have to put in extra effort. Along with this, you can perform single-sided movements with a kettlebell, all of which require more core strength than a standard double-sided exercise.

Training Variety

Sometimes you’ve got to mix up your training to keep it enjoyable. Kettlebells are a great alternative to dumbbells and barbells if you want to diversify your training. Although progressive overload is an important principle when it comes to increasing muscle strength and size, adding variety to your training will stop your body becoming comfortable with movements and initiate it to adapt.

Kettlebell Exercises

Goblet Squats

Goblet squats are the perfect transition exercise for beginners that want to progress from a bodyweight squat to a loaded movement. Holding the kettlebell in front of your body requires you to maintain an upright posture and can prepare you for barbell squats.

Kettlebell Swings

Are one of the most popular kettlebell movements as they are ballistic exercise that can improve your explosive power as well as strengthening your posterior chain. Remember though, a swing should be a hinge movement and not a squat.

Turkish Get Up

This is the ultimate exercise to test your joint stability, core strength and range of movement. You also require a good amount of coordination to complete this exercise. If you find it difficult, start by breaking the exercise down into its different components and then bring them together.

Overhead Lunges

The overhead lunge is a test of both your lower body strength and your shoulder stability. With the weight overhead it requires more balance than other lunge movements.

Sumo Deadlifts

Sumos are an alternative to conventional deadlifts as you hold a wider stance. Unlike a conventional that uses all the lower body muscles, sumo deadlifts target the quadriceps and glutes more. Some lifters might find these easier than the traditional lift.

Side Lunges

If you want to improve your lower body flexibility then side lunges help to increase range of movement in your adductors, as well as strengthen your gluteus medius and abductors. Adding a kettlebell can increase the difficulty.

Romanian Deadlifts

This form of deadlift targets the hamstring and glutes. You can use kettlebells to improve your technique until you feel comfortable performing barbell Romanian deadlifts.

Farmer's Walk

Farmer’s walk improves your core strength, as well as improving posture and grip strength. They are an excellent functional movement as carrying weights in this way translates to many day-to-day activities.

Suitcase Carry

This is a single sided variation of a farmer’s walk that requires more core stability as the weight is being carried on one side.

Kneeling Shoulder Press

Holding a kneeling position and doing a single-sided movement will test your core strength as well as your upper body strength. If you want to make the exercise more challenging, you can hold the kettlebell upside down.

Single Arm Floor Press

Doing a single sided press requires more core activation that double sided. When using a kettlebell, you will be using the stabilizer muscles in the chest and shoulders more than using a conventional weight.

Bent Over Row

Using kettlebells to perform a bent over row is a great starting place to increase your back strength before progressing to barbell bent over row.

Upright Row

This is the exercise you should be doing if you want to improve your upper back and trapezius strength.

Russian Twists

You can integrate Russian twists into your programme if you want to work on your oblique strength. To begin with, start with your feet on the floor, as your core strength improves, take your feet off the ground to make it more challenging.

Plank Drags

The plank drag is an anti-rotational exercise that will help improve core strength when it comes to lifting weights. Anti-rotational core exercises also benefit sprinters and runners who need to minimise rotation in the torso when running so as not to waste energy.

Sit Up and Press

We’ve all done sit ups before, but if you want to take them to the next level then grab a kettlebell and add a press to the top of the movement. Not only will the extra weight improve core strength, it also gives your chest and shoulders a workout too. 

Sumo Squats

Sumo squats are a variation of a traditional squat that place more emphasis on the glute muscles and inner thighs. They can be used to mix up your training variety, or if you want to place more emphasis on the glutes during your session.

Snatch

A kettlebell snatch is a good introduction to Olympic lifting for beginners as the load is lighter and due to the shape of a kettlebell, you will be forced to control the movement. It can also be used as an accessory movement for experienced lifters.

Tricep Extensions

Using a kettlebell, you can perform a single or double sided tricep extension. Both movements increase tricep strength which can be useful if you’re looking to improve your push ups or dips.

Windmill

This is a more advanced core kettlebell exercise that will increase strength in your obliques, as well as your shoulders. Because of the nature of the movement, it requires a lot of flexibility in the hamstrings and hips, therefore, if you lack mobility here, start small and gradually go lower as you improve.

Hopefully now you can see that kettlebells can be used to do so many more movements than a swing. With these exercises, you can create a full workout and bring a whole new level to your kettlebell training.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber

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Tags: Equipment > Kettlebells ; Exercise Type > Strength