10 Best Kettlebell Exercises You Need to Do

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.

1. Goblet Squat

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:

• It works for multiple joints and muscles, especially your quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
• The kettlebell goblet squat is effective for fat burning and muscle strengthening.
• If you struggle with form, include this exercise to keep your torso upright against the front-loaded pull forward.

2. Swing

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 is a great cardio workout, and the weight of the kettlebell will strengthen your muscle and burn calories faster, improving grip and core strength.
• It will reinforce healthy hip hinging patterns to alleviate deadlifts without affecting the lower back.

3. Thruster

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:

• It helps to maintain the contraction and coordination of the lower back and core muscles.
• Kettlebell thrusters focus on scapular stabilisation and upper back to enhance contracting and reinforcing sound posture. This helps to improve bilateral capabilities.
• It ensures better stability during lifts to help you brace efficiently. That means you can easily contract the muscles in the lower back and stomach.
• This kettlebell exercise benefits weightlifters as it helps them keep their shoulders stable while securing heavy overhead lockouts.

4. One-arm Row

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:

• It induces improved back strength, maintains suppleness, and tones the body. This, in turn, will enhance your overall posture, and stability, ensuring optimum core strength.
• Kettlebell one-arm is a perfect workout option to develop abs and simultaneously assist in burning fat and improving the torso.
• Include this exercise in your daily workout session to enhance your upper body strength, durability, and overall upper body power.

5. Clean

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:

• Fitness freaks looking to strengthen their hip flexor muscles and improve their hip hinge movement must add this exercise for effective results.
• It primarily targets the forearm muscles to maximise grip strength and prepare you for high-impact exercises such as pull-ups and deadlifts.
• If performed with a heavier kettlebell, it will accelerate the hormonal response.
• If you are looking for the best full body kettlebell exercises, try this to activate your glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, triceps, and lower back muscles.

6. Seated One-arm Floor Pres

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:

• If performed in 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 15 reps, a one-arm floor press will add mass to your shoulders, triceps, and chest. It trains you at submaximal weight and range of motion to maximise recovery.
• It targets unstable lockout positions and enables one to handle the heavier weight with undue strain on the entire body.

7. Backward Lunge

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:

• It enables optimal balance and improves hip mobility.
• Reverse or backward lunges engage large muscle groups of the lower body and aim to build lean muscle and reduce weight. This improves metabolism and allows you to burn more calories to shed excess fat.
• It corrects imbalances and misalignments, making your body more symmetrical and flexible.

8. Snatch

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:

• It is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises to develop the posterior part of the body, including the hamstrings, back, etc.
• It induces power, cardiovascular health, strength, and coordination.
• Kettlebell snatch efficiently pumps out blood and serves as a high-intensity cardio workout.
• It is recognised for its high-calorie burn rate as it engages an extensive amount of muscles and demands speed.

9. Farmer’s Walk

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:

• The high-intensity exercise encourages your cardiovascular system and improves aerobic ability. This, in turn, mitigates the risks of cardiac arrest.
• As this demanding exercise recruits full body muscle, it substantially enhances muscle power and strength. Moreover, it improves grip strength.

10. Turkish Get-up

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?

• It emphasises the oblique muscles to enhance core strength.
• This exercise activates the upper body muscles to improve the body posture.
• TGU improves shoulder mobility and stability and strengthens muscle around the shoulder joint.
• TGU is a beneficial warm-up exercise for other compound activities, requiring hip flexion to transit between different postures.

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:

1. Correct Approach

• If you are a beginner and have not trained in a gym before, it is best not to start with kettlebells. Therefore, seek professional help to understand how to switch muscles on and off to avoid injuries.
• As kettlebell exercises require a certain amount of muscle, core strength, and control, individuals suffering from back pain must stay away from these exercises.
• One must be cautious of dropping off the kettlebell when lifting the weight. To avoid slippage and get a tight grip, you can wear gym gloves while working out with kettlebells.
• Being extremely strenuous, kettlebell exercises require full attention. It is best to perform kettlebell training and then engage in other activities. This will allow you to perform the rest activities with undivided attention and energy.

2. Accurate Techniques

• Kettlebell exercises include a lot of swinging and thus must be handled carefully to avoid injuries. If you are new, start with a lighter weight under professional attention as per your level and skills.
• These exercises demand performance attributes such as strength, mobility, motor control, stability, and coordination. Therefore, following accurate steps is the apt way to witness effective results.

3. Strong Grip

• In case you feel the kettlebell is slipping from your grip during a move, never try to catch it in an awkward position and put your safety in jeopardy.
• When lifting off the ground, keep your shoulder back and square to maintain accurate posture and utilise optimum strength. Remember that rounding your shoulders forward may lead to injury as the posture will engage smaller muscles to do the task instead of the ones that should.

4. Accurate Head and Neck Alignment

• Like all other exercises, proper head and spine alignment is essential for kettlebell exercises. You need to balance the neck and the body to help your posture. This way, when you bend over forward, the posture will not strain any of the body parts. However, make sure not to bend too far in any direction.

5. Flexible Wrist

• It is crucial to maintain a proper angle in the wrists while exercising with kettlebells to reduce the risks of injuries. Keep the wrist straight and not bent to avoid excess strain while moving.

6. Sufficient Space

• Swinging moves require ample area without any obstructions. Therefore, while working out with kettlebells, choose an outdoor spot that is even and not slippery. If indoors, perform them on a rubber mat to avoid unwanted accidents.

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.