There’s no one type of weight that’s better than all the others, but it is fair to say that the kettlebell is the most under-appreciated member of the free-weight family. You can use kettlebells for just about anything, from high-rep HIIT workouts to low-rep heavyweight slogs, and they’re especially good for compound moves like swings and squats.
Next time you go the gym, grab a kettlebell and try some of these beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises, selected and explained by Mitch Lawrence and David Templar, PTs and Multipower ambassadors.
Beginner Kettlebell Exercises
Kettlebell swing
Muscles targeted: Shoulders, back, hips, glutes, abs, quads
“Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,” says Lawrence. “Grasp the kettlebell handle with both hands with your palms facing towards you and arms in front of your body. Lower your body by slightly bending your knees and driving your hips back. Explosively drive your hips forwards and swing the kettlebell with straight arms towards shoulder height, keeping your glutes and core engaged. Control the swing back down.”
Sumo squat
Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes
“You can hold the kettlebell between your legs by the handle with both hands,” says Templar, “or turn the kettlebell upside down, holding the rounded part with both hands at chest level.
“Your feet should be wider than shoulder-width apart and pointing slightly outwards. Keep your back straight, chest up and engage your core. Push your hips backwards and bend your knees to squat as low as your range of motion allows you to. Push through your heels and push your hips forwards to return to the start position. Don’t let your knees roll in during the upwards phase of the squat – work hard to push your knees out.”
Single-arm kettlebell row
Muscles targeted: Back, biceps, shoulders
“Place the kettlebell in front of your feet,” says Lawrence. “Take a big step back with your left leg and grasp the kettlebell in your left hand, resting your right arm on your right knee. Pull the kettlebell into your hip and then lower it until just before it touches the floor with your arm fully extended. Keep your back in a fixed position throughout.”
Kettlebell triceps extension
Muscles targeted: Triceps, core
“Grasp the kettlebell with both hands,” says Lawrence. “Take a step forwards with your right leg so your feet are staggered. Raise the kettlebell directly overhead with both arms extended. Keep your elbows close to your ears as you lower the kettlebell behind your head until your hands are in line with your elbows, then return the kettlebell back overhead by extending your arms.”
Intermediate Kettlebell Exercises
Single-arm kettlebell swing
Muscles targeted: Shoulders, back, hips, glutes, abs, quads
“Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,” says Templar. “Grasp the kettlebell handle with one hand, palm facing towards you, and your arm in front of your body. Lower your body by slightly bending your knees and driving your hips back. Explosively drive your hips forwards and swing the kettlebell with a straight arm towards shoulder height, keeping your glutes and core engaged. Swing back down with the weight under control, then repeat.”
Kettlebell squeeze
Muscles targeted: Chest (“specifically the mid-chest,” says Templar.
“Hold the kettlebell against your chest, then extend it out in front of you so your arms are horizontal with the ground. Squeeze your hands as tight as possible, holding the kettlebell out in front of you for a second, then bring it back in and repeat.”
Kettlebell goblet squat
Muscles targeted: Quads, hamstrings, glutes and core
“Hold the kettlebell upside down in both hands,” says Lawrence. “The movement of the goblet squat is the same as a regular squat – lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then drive back up through your heels. The goblet squat helps improve your squatting movement pattern because of the position the kettlebell is held in throughout the movement.”
Kettlebell Russian twist
Muscles targeted: Abs, obliques
“Sit with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart with legs bent, and lean back so your torso is at a 45° angle to the floor,” says Lawrence. “Hold the kettlebell against your chest using both hands. Twist at the waist to rotate your torso from left to right, moving the kettlebell from side to side, but not letting it touch the floor.”
Single-arm kettlebell floor press
Muscles targeted: Chest, triceps, core
“Lie on your back on the ground with your legs straight,” says Lawrence. “Take hold of the kettlebell with your palm facing inwards, holding the weight by the side of your chest. Press the weight straight up to the ceiling, rotating your wrist so that your palm finishes facing your feet.”
Advanced Kettlebell Exercises
Reverse lunge with single-arm overhead press
Muscles targeted: Glutes, quads, calves, triceps, deltoids
“Rack a kettlebell on your shoulder so the kettlebell is resting on your forearm,” says Templar. “With the opposite leg to the arm holding the kettlebell, take a big step backwards and lower your knee towards the ground until it is parallel to the floor, but not touching.
“As you lower your knee, simultaneously press the kettlebell above your head. To return to the start position, push through your back leg, keeping your chest out and back straight until your feet are back together, while lowering the kettlebell back to your shoulder.”
Farmer’s walk
Muscles targeted: Core, grip strength, forearms, upper back, legs, shoulders
“Simply pick up some heavy kettlebells,” says Templar, “hold them at your sides and walk as far as you can.”
Kettlebell press-up with row
Muscles targeted: Chest, triceps, back, biceps
“Start in a press-up position, hands shoulder-width apart and grasping the kettlebell handles, with your feet together,” says Lawrence. “Perform a press-up and then, at the top of the press-up, perform a row by raising your right elbow and squeezing your shoulder blades together so that your elbow comes up past your body. Lower and row with your left hand, then continue into the next rep by performing another press-up.”
Kettlebell clean and press
Muscles targeted: Shoulders, triceps, core, hamstrings, glutes, quads
“Grasp a kettlebell resting on the floor and clean it to your shoulder by explosively extending your legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell up to your shoulder, swinging the kettlebell over your wrist so that your palm is facing forwards,” says Lawrence. “Keep your torso tight and dip your body by slightly bending your knees, then drive through your heels and explosively extend your knees and hips so that you create momentum. As you do this, press the kettlebell over your head until your arm is fully extended.”
Single-arm overhead kettlebell squat
Muscles targeted: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
“Clean and press the kettlebell with one arm so that you are standing upright with your arm locked out above your head,” says Lawrence. “Looking straight ahead and keeping your arm locked out, bend your knees and push your hips backwards to lower your torso, keeping your chin and chest up. Once your thighs are parallel to the ground drive through your heels and extend your legs and hips so that you return to the start position.”
