Working out regularly is a key to a healthy life. However, muscle training is a time-consuming process and thus requires effective ways to reach your goals faster. In this regard, the kettlebell has versatile applications. Though often overlooked at the gym, it has become a staple training tool for weightlifters, cross-fitters, and pro athletes.
Want to upgrade your workout regime for steady progress? Continue reading to know about the 10 best kettlebell exercises.
The list below will provide detailed information regarding the benefits and contraindications of the 25 best kettlebell exercises.
Goblet squats, one of the best full body kettlebell exercises, engage the entire body apart from the knee valgus. Unlike other forms of squats, it primarily challenges your core to keep your hands secured and bell tight.
How to Do Goblet Squat?
Step 1: Stand and keep your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing out slightly and keep your head up.
Step 2: Hold the kettlebell at chest height with both hands and keep the palms facing inward.
Step 3: Seat down into a squat posture until the knees are completely bent. Then, keep your chest up and bend at the hips to find the natural centre of gravity.
Step 4: Come near the floor and return to a standing posture. Focus on bringing back the weight in a straight line with your back up. To do so, tense your glutes while simultaneously moving your chest and hip. Then repeat for a full set.
Benefits:
If you want to elevate your heart rate and strengthen your posterior, include kettlebell swings, one of the best kettlebell workouts you must include in your daily exercise regime. To initiate your hip thrust, it fully engages the glutes and hamstrings. Beginners should start with lighter weights and switch to heavier ones for better results.
How to Do?
Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the kettlebell on the floor behind you.
Step 2: Bend your knees and pick the kettlebell while tiling your hips and pushing your back backward. Maintain a straight back and keep your chest up.
Step 3: Drive your hips forward in a thrusting motion with straight knees. Use this momentum to swing the dumbbell up to shoulder height. Repeat to complete the full set.
Benefits:
This kettlebell exercise primarily targets the glutes, quads, and claves and is an extremely effective cardio workout option. It also takes care of the upper body, especially the biceps, pecs, traps, and delts.
How to Do?
Step 1: Hold the kettlebell with both hands at chest height and close elbows to your ribs. Stand with your feet at a shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Make sure to maintain a neutral that your shoulders should be over your hips with a neutral neck and head position. In addition, keep your chin tucked on your neck while performing this exercise.
Step 2: To create a stable posture, distribute your weight evenly and keep your grip intact with the floor. Tuck your pelvis and ribs down.
Step 3: Keep a neutral spine when keeping the kettlebell at chest height, and start bending your hips, knees, and ankles till your thighs are parallel or slightly below parallel to the floor. For the downward movement, bend as much as possible to maintain an accurate pelvis level.
Step 4: For the upward movement, push your legs into the ground to stand up. Keep your chest high and knees straight, squeeze your glutes and move your hip forward.
Step 5: Allow the momentum of your legs to drive the kettlebell overhead. Then lower the kettlebell and repeat the pose.
Benefits:
The one-arm row is next on the list of best kettlebell exercises for upper and lower body strengthening. This gym workout involves biceps and abs and primarily targets the upper back and lower back and traps. Its benefits depend on how much weight you choose and, accordingly, drill down deep into the core and back muscles.
How to Do?
Step 1: Keep your right leg forward and place the kettlebell in front of you with your left leg resting on it.
Step 2: Bend your knees slightly, keeping your back straight. Then, rest your right hand on your right knee for support and stability.
Step 3: Hold the kettlebell with a neutral grip in your left hand and pull it up to your stomach. Make sure to retract your shoulder blade and flex your elbow with a straight back. Lower the kettlebell, repeat and switch sides and continue.
Benefits:
This full-body power and explosiveness training significantly improves vertical jumping ability. As kettlebell clean focuses one side at a time, it enables to resist rotation at the torso for optimal core strength.
How to Do?
Step 1: Keep the kettlebell in a straight line close to your body.
Step 2: Place your right elbow in and wrist straight while racking the kettlebell. Make sure that the kettlebell rests against the soft part of your hand with the belly button in towards your spine.
Step 3: When at the top of the movement, squeeze your glutes tight and hold the posture. Repeat the set and switch hands to continue.
Benefits:
The one-arm kettlebell floor press is unilateral and essentially challenges the triceps. It also actively strengthens the shoulders and chest and engages the core to stabilise the body. Though it can be performed with dumbbells and barbells, kettlebells are designed to allow gravity to improve grip strength. Thus, it comes with a unique challenge with an untraditional implementation.
How to Do?
Step 1: Lie on either side with a kettlebell next to your body.
Step 2: Hold the handle and roll onto your back slowly.
Step 3: After lying flat on the floor, bend your knees to approximately 45 degrees and slide your heels towards your back.
Step 4: Lower the kettlebell with a steady hand until your elbow touches the floor. Then, contract your chest and triceps and press to full extension. Come back to the starting posture and repeat the set. Then switch hands and repeat the same with the other hand.
Benefits:
Compound exercises like squats and deadlifts promote stability and strength. In this regard, a backward lunge is a great option, especially for beginners. It activates the hamstrings, core, and glutes and exerts less stress on the joints.
How to Do?
Step 1: Hold the kettlebell with both hands and stand upright.
Step 2: Step your right leg behind and try to touch your knee to the ground. Make sure to control the movement.
Step 3: Push from your front heel and inhale and exhale while returning to the starting position.
Step 4: Take some rest and repeat the set. Then alter the leg and perform the same technique and control.
Benefits:
This is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises that helps in developing your posterior body. Furthermore, it improves power, strength, cardiovascular health and coordination. It activates upper lats, hamstrings, glutes, quads, delts and traps. Moreover, as you stabilise your body when bearing the load and counteract the momentum of it with your body’s stability.
How to Do?
Step 1: Hold the kettlebell with the right hand at shoulder level and stand with legs between shoulder and hip-width apart. Rest the handle diagonally in your hand above the thumb.
Step 2: Press the weight straight overhead and lock out your elbow with shoulders pulled back and downward.
Step 3: Lower the kettlebell back down by turning the palm towards you and lead your shoulders and upper body while shifting the weight to the other leg. Make sure to inhale on the downswing. To control descent, hinge at the hips and bend them back to hike the bell between your legs. Make sure your shoulders are square to the floor by standing tall.
Step 4: Extend your hips and torso as much as possible and bring the triceps to connect to the torso. Now complete the movement by pulling your hand back to the hook grip. Make sure to exhale when swinging the weight back behind you.
Step 5: Repeat the rhythmic motion and then switch hands and continue.
Benefits:
Farmer’s walk can be easily incorporated into your strength training regime for muscle endurance. This is considered among the best full body kettlebell exercises as it engages major muscles, like hamstrings, quads, lats, calves, glutes, biceps, triceps, upper back, trapezius, paraspinal muscles, etc.
How to Do?
Step 1: Select appropriate weights and place them on the floor on either side.
Step 2: Bend down by hips and knees and hold the kettlebells in both hands. Then deadlift the load while extending your knees and hips with a neutral spine throughout.
Step 3: Firmly hold the kettlebells at your side and stand tall with your back, shoulders, and core tight.
Step 4: Start walking forward with eyes focused straight. Walk as much as you can and come to rest. Then, place the kettlebells while keeping your core tight and spine neutral.
Step 5: Rest for some time and repeat the same.
Benefits:
Turkish get-up for TGU is an advanced compound exercise. It comprises a series of movement patterns, like lying, seating, lunge, and standing positions. If performed accurately, it will boost full-body strength and stability.
How to Do?
Step 1: Lie on your right side with a kettlebell beside your body. Make sure that your shoulders and knees are on top of each other, with knees bending by 90 degrees.
Step 2: Grip under the kettlebell handle with your right hand and cover the top with your left hand. Then pull it toward your lower chest.
Step 3: Roll onto your back, keeping your hands in contact with the lower chest. Next, straighten your left leg and bend your right leg with the foot into the floor.
Step 4: Push the kettlebell toward the ceiling with both hands and ensure it is over your right shoulder. Make sure to maintain a neutral twist with your knuckles pointing to the ceiling.
Step 5: Move your left hand on the floor, making a 45-degree angle with the body with the palm facing down.
Step 6: Rotate your hands with a tight core and upper back to engage your lats. Make sure your chin is tucked throughout the exercise.
Step 7: Employ your legs and left hand to roll up onto your left forehand. When rolling, with your right hand, push the weight toward the ceiling, place the kettlebell onto your left elbow, and try to look at it. Make sure the load is over your right shoulder.
Step 8: Straighten your left elbow to push your body upward. You must keep the right hand in a neutral wrist position. At the same time, to lift your hips off the floor, push through your right leg. Make sure to keep your hips high enough for clearance for your left leg.
Step 9: Swing your left knee under your left hip with your left hand under your left shoulder. Make sure to keep the kettlebell over your shoulder.
Step 10: Straighten your left hip by keeping your right leg still and your left hand touching the floor. Make sure your left shoulder is over your left hip, making a half-kneeling posture.
Step 11: Bring your leg forward to make the bottom position of a lunge with your eyes off the kettlebell. Then straighten your hip and knees to stand tall and push through your front hip. Hold the pose when at the top of the pose.
Step 12: Start the downward movement when doing a reverse lunge and look forward. Then bend your knees and hips slowly till your left knee touches the floor. At this point, pivot your lower left leg toward the inside of your body.
Step 13: Look at the kettlebell while hinging into your left hip with your left hand on the floor. Straighten your left leg in front of your body when reached at a stable position with enough clearance space for your leg. Now, lower your hips back toward the floor.
Step 14: Slide your left hand behind your body to make space for your shoulder. Next, rotate your shoulder outward and pull your elbow toward the ground.
Step 15: Slowly roll back to the starting position by straightening your left arm. Repeat the set and switch sides.
What Are the Benefits of Performing Kettlebell Exercises?
Trying your hands on kettlebells as a dumbbell substitution is believed to improve grip, balance, and positioning. When compared to dumbells, kettlebell exercises show effective and faster results. Further, it can easily be manoeuvered to do explosive workouts, targeting the major muscle groups.
However, as the weight of the kettlebell rests beneath its handle, it becomes quite challenging to control the load. Apart from that, several other things to factor in when performing the kettlebell mentioned above exercises to avoid complications. They are as follows:
It is best to consult a professional trainer to understand your capacity. Additionally, they can help you with the best kettlebell exercises based on your body type and requirement.
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