Kettlebell training is rarely given the credit it deserves. Unless you’re speaking to iFit trainer Hannah Eden, that is. 

“Kettlebells are my favorite training tool,” she says. “They’re so fun to use, and they’re a great way to build strength, develop power and work the cardiovascular system.”

Eden also likes how you can’t go through the motions when training with a kettlebell. 

Or in her words: “You have to be dialed in and focused on what you’re doing, otherwise you’re going to drop a weight on your head.”

To help you avoid that fate, she’s shared six of her favorite foundational kettlebell moves in this video for the Onnit Academy, describing in detail how to execute them with immaculate form. 

The kettlebell deadlift and squat in Eden’s video can be performed as standard muscle-building exercises where the weight is moved at a fairly consistent speed. 

Whereas the kettlebell swing and clean require explosive power to move the kettlebell. 

When performing these exercises, the location of the kettlebell’s handle means you’re rarely holding the weight at its center of mass. It’s continually pulling your body off balance, forcing stabilizing muscles in your core and around your joints to put in a shift as they work to maintain optimal body positions. 

That’s why Eden describes working with kettlebells as an “unconventional, ballistic” form of training. It will develop your stability, coordination and power, strengthening your muscles and joints to create a more robust, athletic body. 

So, next time you’re in the gym, consider giving the squat racks the cold shoulder as you make a beeline for the kettlebells in the corner. You can put what you learn in the video into practice with this beginner kettlebell workout or one Coach’s many kettlebell workouts.

If you’ve been walking past the kettlebell racks every time you visit the gym, it’s time to start including this type of weight in your routine.

Certified PT Adam Sinicki (aka The Bioneer) has shared six of his favorite kettlebell exercises for building full-body fitness, and it’s a great selection. 

The exercises—the kettlebell swing, front rack squat, Cossack squat, halo, floor press and single-arm bent-over row—can be combined into a total-body workout, too. 

Try using them as a circuit, performing 8-12 reps of each one in turn for three rounds (or 8-12 reps on each side, if it’s a unilateral movement like the single-arm row).

“[Kettlebells will] build your strength in ways other tools just can't,” Sinicki writes. “You'll be stronger at weird angles, for longer.”

This is because, unlike with a dumbbell or a barbell, you’re rarely holding a kettlebell in its center of mass. Particularly during dynamic exercises like the kettlebell swing, the momentum of the weight will pull you off balance, challenging your core and other supporting muscles to keep you stable. 

These dynamic exercises also allow you to rack up plenty of reps, to train your muscular endurance and raise your heart rate. You can even try variations of Olympic weightlifting moves like the snatch and clean and jerk with a kettlebell to develop explosive power too. 

I especially like that Sinicki’s selection works your body through all three planes of motion: sagittal, frontal and transverse. They incorporate up and down (sagittal plane) side-to-side (frontal plan) and rotational (transverse plane) movements to develop full-body functional strength and mobility. 

As Sinicki says, there are still some areas where dumbbells and barbells reign supreme. Performing floor presses with dumbbells rather than kettlebells will save your forearms, and if you want a heavy-loaded leg exercise you’ll struggle to beat the barbell back squat. 

But I agree that kettlebells should be a part of any workout plan, offering plenty of benefits and variations to upgrade your training. If you’ve never used kettlebells before, start with this beginner kettlebell workout. 

Get help deciding which kettlebell to buy with Coach’s guide to the best kettlebells.

The core is one of the most important muscle groups in the entire body. It impacts the way you move in everyday life and a stronger core can help to reduce back pain and improve your posture. These muscles also come into play in optimizing sports performance and different styles of training.

With this in mind, it’s a good idea to treat core training like other strength workouts and use weights to fire up your muscles and build strength. “Bringing weight into core exercises adds an extra challenge and increases the load on the body,” says personal trainer Tess Glynne-Jones.

Glynne-Jones recently shared a workout on Instagram with three kettlebell exercises designed to target the midsection. “You can start by doing all of these movements with your bodyweight and to progressively add load over time,” says Glynne-Jones. “Rather than adding loads of reps and increasing volume, especially if we want to make a workout more strength-focused, it’s a good idea to think about how much weight you can lift rather than how long you can move for.”

Take a look at Glynne-Jones’ Instagram Reel where she demonstrates each exercise. She’s also shared some form tips exclusively with Coach.

The first move is a tall plank transfer (often called a plank drag) for 16 reps and three rounds. “The main thing here is to make sure your hips aren’t moving, so try to fight rotation,” says Glynne-Jones. “Push the floor away with your hands when you’re in your tall plank and make sure the pelvis is tucked under so that your lower back doesn’t arch. Try and keep your hips square and don't be afraid to choose a heavy weight for this exercise.”

The next exercise is a Russian twist—an oblique exercise you might have come across before. Go for 20 reps and three rounds. “Start with no weight and once you feel like you can perform the movement well enough, bring some load in," says Glynne-Jones, adding that you should be able to do this exercise confidently with weight before lifting your feet off the floor.

The final exercise is a pull-over. “I love these because they help to target the lats, and work the shoulders and upper body, as well as the entire core,” says Glynne-Jones. “Control the position of your spine and pelvis—your core should be working hard to keep you in a neutral position. Think about pulling your belly button towards your spine, then up and underneath your ribcage, and try not to let your lower back arch.”

Glynne-Jones also recommends starting without a weight for this exercise. Once you can move through the reps without arching your back then you can do it with a weight.

These are exercises to come back to regularly, gradually increasing the load over time. You can do it as a core-focused finisher or as standalone moves incorporated into your regime. Follow the principles of progressive overload and it will eventually lead to increased muscle mass and strength in your core.

The Turkish get-up isn’t a glamorous move. It’s not done at speed and you’re never going to use a head-turning weight, but adding this kettlebell exercise to my training resulted in serious benefits in and out of the gym.

It lifted the hood on my body and gave my workout-worn shoulders, elbows and knees a tune-up. These are areas I need in good working order for the Olympic weightlifting and gymnastic elements of my regular CrossFit training.

Over the past couple of months my coach has included it in my training at least once a week as an accessory movement. Most of the time I’ve completed three sets of six reps on each arm with a light weight, while on occasion I’ve been challenged to go heavier, using a descending 3-2-1 rep scheme across three sets.

Learning how to do this move isn’t a straightforward affair. The video above from regulated healthcare charity Nuffield Health is a good place to start and Coach also has a step-by-step guide to how to do the Turkish get-up.

I also found the form pointers in this video from Squat University’s Dr Aaron Horschig useful.

How The Turkish Get-Up Benefited My Training

It Strengthened My Shoulders

Shoulder stability—the ability of the surrounding muscles to hold the joint steady—is something I’ve been trying to improve for some time. That’s because it’s vital for everything from technical barbell exercises including the snatch and overhead squat to bodybuilding stalwarts such as the overhead press and bench press. 

Supporting a kettlebell overhead as you transition from lying on the floor to standing recruits the large and small muscles in and around the shoulder, such as the deltoids and rotator cuff, to keep the weight under control. 

By adding Turkish get-ups into my training I was able to strengthen these muscles, helping my shoulders feel more stable and robust—one-rep max bench, here we come.

It Added A New Dimension To My Core Training

Too often, people get fixated on crunches vs sit-ups when trying to strengthen their abs, when we all would benefit from broadening our horizons with hanging abs exercises, isometric holds and loaded carries, to name a few.

Rather than the stomach-focused burn of umpteen sit-ups, I could feel the muscles all around my abdomen being used which resulted in a welcome boost to my core stability.

My Barbell Lifts Benefited 

The Turkish get-up has helped my mobility and joint health, keeping me injury-free, and improved my core strength. Perhaps as a consequence I’ve also noticed an improvement in compound exercises like the barbell squat, clean and split jerk.

Since adding Turkish get-ups (and another unsung hero, heavy Bulgarian split squats) into my weekly plans, back squats have started to feel far easier and smoother, and my five-rep max has bounced up by 11lb.

I’ve also broken my stubborn 225lb split jerk PR by a few pounds—something I can’t help but feel my upgraded shoulder strength and stability has played a leading part in.

No-one likes crunches, even if they do a pretty good job of working some of your muscles when done properly. But all too often people do too many reps and their form suffers, resulting in a strained neck and sore lower back. 

If you’ve experienced that and have been put off core work as a result, fear not—there are plenty of other ways to work your core. Just watch this video from NASM-certified personal trainer Victoria Tapp, who posts under the handle Fit With Vic, for some ideas.

Tapp demonstrates two standing core exercises—the kettlebell march and around the world. Both exercises require you to keep your trunk stable while the weight pulls you off-balance. 

Core training is best done a couple of times a week after a main workout, with five to 10 minutes spent on two or three exercises, so try these two kettlebell exercises after your next weights workout.

Before attempting these exercises, make sure you know how to brace your core effectively and keep your pelvis aligned. If you’re just starting out, develop that ability with the beginner moves in our guide to core exercises, recommended by top trainer Rich Tidmarsh. 

Once you’ve mastered staying still, the next stage of core training is to add movement, as with Tapp’s recommended moves. “Can you stay still with good posture whilst another area of your body moves?” says Tidmarsh. “It’s much tougher than you think!”

We have plenty more ideas for training your core. To avoid the floor and exercise on two feet, you can also add the Pallof press to your routine and give this standing abs workout a whirl. To step up the challenge try this core workout from CrossFit athlete Aimee Cringle or, if you don’t have access to any equipment, this bodyweight core workout.

The best kettlebell exercises tend to involve some kind of explosive swing movement and the kettlebell clean is no different. It’s a powerhouse of a move that engages muscle groups across the body and is one of the best leg exercises you can add to your workouts.

It has to be done correctly, however, because as with all explosive exercises good technique is key to getting the best results and avoiding injury. Once you’re familiar with the move, you can combine the clean with exercises like the kettlebell swing and Turkish get-up for one-kit workouts that challenge the entire body.

Benefits Of The Kettlebell Clean

The kettlebell clean engages most of the muscles in your lower body but primarily works the hamstrings, glutes and back, as well as your core. It’s often used in tandem with the kettlebell press to create the kettlebell clean and press – one of the best full-body exercises you can do – but even without adding any other moves, the clean is a fantastic exercise that fits well into HIIT workouts because it will also raise your heart rate and challenge your cardiovascular fitness.

How To Do The Kettlebell Clean

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of you and between your feet. Bend slightly at the knees as you hinge at the hips to reach down and grab the kettlebell in one hand, with your thumb pointing backwards. 

Swing the weight back between your legs to create momentum, then drive your hips forwards and straighten your back to initiate the upwards movement of the kettlebell. Once the kettlebell passes bellybutton height, gently pull it back and slide your fist around and under the bell so it nestles softly on the back of your wrist at shoulder height. This is known as the rack position. Push the kettlebell out to let it swing down between your legs, and repeat. Do all your reps on one side, then switch.

Kettlebell Clean Form Tip

“People new to this tend to over-power the clean, which causes the bell to flip over and bang up the wrist,” says kettlebell king Mike Mahler. “Focus instead on opening your hand and getting it around the bell to avoid the flip and get the weight to the rack position efficiently and pain-free. The trajectory should be in a straight line so don’t swing out to the left or right or project in front like the one-arm swing. Instead, swing the bell upwards and then pull the bell up and back towards you. Let the lower body do most of the work to get the bell in place.”

Both the kettlebell clean and the squat are excellent compound moves, and combining the two creates a monster of a full-body exercise that works a bevy of muscles while also getting your heart pumping. Alternate reps with the kettlebell clean and press and you have the beginnings of a fiery kettlebell flow.

The kettlebell clean works your hamstrings, glutes, back, core, arms and shoulders. Pretty much everything, in fact. And then you’re going to do a squat as well! The squat section primarily works your lower-body muscles, particularly the quads and glutes, but also helps to build core strength.

Combining these kettlebell exercises in one explosive movement will quickly raise your heart rate, which makes the kettlebell clean and squat a great addition to HIIT workouts. However, you have to make sure your technique is flawless to get the most benefits and reduce the risk of injury, so only go hell for leather once you’re accustomed to the move. 

It’s also worth starting with a light weight, because while learning the movement you can thwack the back of your wrists with the kettlebell when moving it into the rack position, and that’s not a lot of fun if you go straight for a 25kg bell. While we think of it – remove your fitness tracker now.

How To Do The Kettlebell Clean And Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly to reach down and grasp the weight with one hand with your palm facing you. 

Drive your hips forwards explosively to stand up, generating enough momentum to lift the kettlebell. As the kettlebell passes your bellybutton, bring your elbow down and take your hand underneath the weight so that it nestles softly on the back of your wrist in the rack position by your shoulder. 

Keeping the weight racked, lower into a squat, pushing your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then push through your heels to return to standing. Return the kettlebell to the floor by slowly reversing the clean movement, keeping the weight under control at all times.

The shoulders are one of the more injury-prone areas of the body, which means that properly warming up that area before tackling workouts involving shoulder exercises is vital. And with that in mind, let us introduce the kettlebell halo as a great addition to your weights room warm-ups.

However, the halo is not only a great warm-up move, it’s also a superb way to strengthen your shoulders and it will improve your upper-body mobility. Done properly, the kettlebell halo is also a challenge to your core stability and can strengthen your back, helping to protect it against injury.

There’s a lot of good reasons to consider adding the halo to either your warm-up or workout routine, then, and all you’ll need to do so is a light kettlebell. Use our recommendations of the best kettlebells to find the right one for your home gym.

How To Do The Kettlebell Halo

We already mentioned that the shoulders can be injury-prone, and this means you need to be careful even when doing moves designed to reduce your risk on that front. The halo is a simple enough move to do, but it needs to be done correctly to ensure no undue strain is placed on your shoulders.

Stand holding a kettlebell by its handle upside down in front of your chest, in the same way you would set up for a goblet squat. Take the kettlebell over to your right shoulder, then bring your hands over the kettlebell so the handle is above the bell, and then bring the kettlebell past your neck towards your left shoulder. As you take the kettlebell forwards over your left shoulder, turn it over again to come back to the starting position. Repeat the movement in the other direction.

Aim to keep the kettlebell fairly close to your body throughout, with your forearms brushing the top of your head as you move the weight behind you. Swinging it in too large a circle will increase the risk of injury. Make sure to engage your core muscles during the exercise too so you don’t lose your balance while moving the weight.

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. There's a large range of kettlebell exercises you can try, from high-rep HIIT workouts to low-rep heavyweight slogs. They’re also 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 the Coach team, alongside Mitch Lawrence and David Templer, PTs and Multipower ambassadors.

Kettlebell Exercises: Where To Start

Before you dive into these kettlebell exercises, there’s a kettlebell-specific position to familiarise yourself with – the rack. It’s the finishing position of the technical, difficult-to-master clean, and the starting position for presses. Hold the handle with your hand by your chin, elbow out to the side and the bell resting on the top of your forearm by your armpit.

Beginner Kettlebell Exercises

Kettlebell swing

“Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,” says personal trainer Mitch 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

“You can hold the kettlebell between your legs by the handle with both hands,” says David Templer (aka the Shirtless Chef), “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

“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

“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.”

Kettlebell windmill

This kettlebell exercise boosts the strength in your core and shoulders, as well improving your mobility. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell in your right hand. Turn both feet so they are pointing 45° to the left and press the kettlebell straight overhead until your elbow is locked out. Look up at the weight and shift your hips to the right as you bend down towards your left side until your left hand is able to touch your left foot – or shin, if that’s all your flexibility allows. Come back up and repeat. Complete all the reps on one side, then switch the kettlebell to your other hand.

Kettlebell reverse lunge

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding kettlebells by your sides – or for an extra core challenge, rack them. Take a big step back and lower until both knees are bent at 90°. Pause, then push through your front leg, squeezing your glutes, to return to standing.

Figure of eight

Holding a kettlebell in front of you in your right hand, drop into either a squat or half squat position (the lower you go the better), ensuring your back is straight and your core is braced. Bring the kettlebell around the outside of your right leg then through your legs from the back. Grab the kettlebell with your left hand from the front to bring it through your legs. Repeat the movement on the opposite side so you’re moving the bell in a figure of eight pattern.

Intermediate Kettlebell Exercises

Single-arm kettlebell swing

“Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,” says Templer. “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

“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

“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

“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

“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.”

Kettlebell incline flye

If you’re looking to bulk up your chest then we urge you to take a step away from the bench press and give the kettlebell incline flye a try instead. This kettlebell exercise isolates the chest muscles and allows a greater range of motion than the bench press, so you can work the pecs from new angles to force growth. You can, of course, use dumbbells for your flyes, but the shape of the kettlebell keeps the weight on the outsides of your wrists, so you can maintain the correct angle in your elbows to truly test your chest muscles.

Lie on a bench set at an incline with the kettlebells held above your shoulders, arms extended and palms facing – the weight of each kettlebell should be resting on the outside of your wrist. Plant your feet firmly, bend your elbows slightly, and slowly lower the kettlebells out to the sides. Keep going until you feel a significant stretch across your chest, then squeeze the chest muscles to bring the kettlebells back up.

Turkish get-up

On the face of it this is a simple move – lie on the floor holding a kettlebell and then stand up. However, it’s a lot harder than it sounds, and not just because you have to hold the kettlebell and stand up in a particular way – it's worth memorising the movements because it’s a terrific core exercise to add to your routine.

Lie on your back on the floor with a kettlebell held in your right hand, arm extended and directly overhead. Your aim is to keep this arm locked out throughout the movement. Bend your right knee, plant the foot and twist your right shoulder up so your weight is on your left elbow. Push up onto your left arm and raise your bum, then take your left leg underneath you and plant the knees and toes on the ground. From this position you’ll be able to stand, then return to the lying position by reversing the steps you just took.

Thruster

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold two kettlebells in the rack position. Lower, bending at the knees and sitting your glutes back until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Pause for a second and then power up explosively, pushing through your heels. As you reach an upright position, press the kettlebells up using the momentum generated from the squat to assist you. You should finish the press with your palms facing forwards. Lower the kettlebells back into the rack position.

Alternating kettlebell overhead press

This move is best done with a pair of kettlebells, pressing one at a time and alternating with each rep. Any overhead press bolsters your shoulder strength, but it’s also great for your core, which will be working to keep you stable and balanced as you press each weight overhead in turn.

Start with both weights in the rack position by your shoulders. Press one straight overhead until your arm is fully extended and your palm faces forwards. Lower it with control, then press the other weight up.

Plank drag

Start in the raised plank position with your hands on the ground directly underneath your shoulders and your arms extended. Ensure your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels and your core is braced. Place a kettlebell just outside one hand.

Reach under your body, grab the kettlebell handle and pull it across to the other side. Replace your hand on the floor, then repeat with the other arm. Keep your pelvis square to the ground throughout. If you start to lean or tilt as you pull through, then slow the action or reduce the weight of the kettlebell.

Kettlebell clean

Grab a damp cloth and wipe the outside of the kettlebell, then move on, to the handle. To be clear, that isn’t the kettlebell clean – but you really should wipe down your equipment from time to time, even at home.

Anyway, this kettlebell exercise targets the hamstrings, glutes and back muscles, and is a tricky lift to master. The first half of the move resembles a kettlebell swing done with one arm. Pass the kettlebell through your legs so it’s behind you, hinging at the hips and bending a little at the knees, then drive your hips forwards to swing it up. As the bell rises past your bellybutton, pull it back and move your wrist under it so it rests on the back of your wrist at around shoulder-height. Reverse the movement to swing the kettlebell back down again with control.

If you find that the weight is thudding uncomfortably into the back of your wrist at the top of the move it’s often a question of improving your control and timing. Try using a lighter weight and refining your technique until you achieve a soft landing, then progressively increase the weight. You’ll probably still have to take your watch off, though.

Advanced Kettlebell Exercises

Reverse lunge with single-arm overhead press

“Rack a kettlebell on your shoulder so the kettlebell is resting on your forearm,” says Templer. “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

“Simply pick up some heavy kettlebells,” says Templer, “hold them at your sides and walk as far as you can.”

Kettlebell press-up with row

“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

“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

“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.”

Angel press

If you really want to work your core and feel the burn in your shoulders, this devil of an exercise has your name on it.

Use a kettlebell at a weight which you can comfortably press overhead. Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding two kettlebells overhead with arms extended and a straight back. Then, in a controlled manner, lower your back towards the ground, bringing the kettlebells towards your chest as you do so. The more slowly you lower, the better the burn.

Then contract your abs and bring your torso into the upright position again while extending your arms above your head to return to the start.

Kettlebell pistol squat

The pistol squat is a showy display of your strength, mobility and balance when done without any kind of weight at all, so holding a kettlebell in both hands in front of your chest while doing it is a move only advanced gym-goers should attempt. Stand holding the kettlebell upside down, with your hands around the bell. Raise one leg straight out in front of you while squatting as low as you can on the other leg, then drive back up to standing.

Rows should be your go-to movement when you’re looking to work on your back muscles, and you’re certainly not short of options when it comes to picking which row you do. You can use bodyweight exercises like the inverted row or TRX row, grab a barbell to really pack on the weight with the barbell bent-over row, or focus on working one side of your body at a time with the dumbbell or kettlebell row.

The benefits of the kettlebell and dumbbell rows are essentially the same, so which weight you choose can depend on personal preference or simply which one is available. The lats, traps and smaller stabiliser back muscles are the main focus on the move, and working on one arm at a time can help you really focus on hitting those muscles during the exercise.

Furthermore, using one arm at a time – rather than both, as with the barbell bent-over row – means that you can’t rely on the stronger side of your body doing the bulk of the work. It’s a great exercise for identifying any strength imbalances and then correcting them.

See related :

• The Best Kettlebell Exercises For All Levels Of Gym-Goer
• The Best Back Exercises For All Levels Of Gym-Goer

How To Do The One-Arm Kettlebell Row

You can do the kettlebell row leaning on a bench, which can make it easier to maintain the correct back position during the exercise, but we’re going to focus on the floor version of the move here. One advantage of using kettlebells over dumbbells is that the large handle on the top makes it easier to pick them up off the floor during the exercise.

Standing with the kettlebell by your feet, take a big step back with your right leg and lean down to grab the weight with your right hand. Lean forwards, resting your left elbow on your knee and keeping your back straight – try to get your back as close to parallel to the ground as possible.

Lift the kettlebell to your chest, focusing on using the muscles in your back and shoulders rather than yanking it up with your arm. Your chest should stay still throughout and your elbow should pass close to your rib cage as you lift the weight. At the top of the move squeeze your shoulder and back muscles, then lower the weight slowly. Do all your reps on one arm, then switch sides.

With the rise of functional fitness, kettlebell training has soared in popularity. Racks of kettlebells are a fixture in commercial gyms and CrossFit boxes alike, and they  feature in many bootcamp workouts. In all those settings, the most common kettlebell exercise you’ll see performed is the kettlebell swing. 

It’s a worthy flagbearer too. In his book The 4-Hour Body, efficiency guru Tim Ferriss even heralded the Russian kettlebell swing as the ultimate one-move full-body exercise, arguing that all you need to eviscerate fat, strengthen your glutes and boost your deadlift strength is to perform 75 reps with a reasonably heavy kettlebell, two to three times a week. 

If you want to learn how to do a kettlebell swing, you probably shouldn’t be copying the people you see doing it in the gym. Why? Because most people are doing it poorly at best, or downright dangerously at worst. That’s why we turned to Matt Wright, co-founder of the Earn Your Stripes fitness program and chief growth officer at The Fort Athletic Club in New Jersey, USA, for the definitive guide to this excellent exercise.

How To Do The Kettlebell Swing

The two-arm swing is the first kettlebell move you should master. It will teach you the basic movement pattern that forms the foundation of most kettlebell exercises, which you can then harness for more advanced variations. It’s also known as the Russian kettlebell swing. There is an American kettlebell swing, detailed in the progressions section below, which is a more advanced move—read into that what you will.

The set-up 

Start with the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of you and between your feet, which should be shoulder-width apart. Keeping your legs fairly straight, push your butt back and hinge at the hips to grasp the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing toward you. Then, says Wright, “pinch your shoulder blades together” to avoid rounding your shoulders. 

The pull 

Pull the kettlebell off the floor and swing it between your legs, keeping your weight in your midfoot and heels. Your arms should be resting against your body and your back should be flat. You should feel your hamstrings load up at this point, braced for action. 

The swing

Now it’s time to turn on the power. Drive your hips forward to swing the kettlebell forward, allowing the weight to rise to shoulder level.

The return

Your arms should still be straight, with the kettlebell feeling weightless in this top position, says Wright, and your abs and glutes engaged. Allow the weight to return between your legs while ensuring you hinge at the hips, not the knees, to lead into the next rep.

Kettlebell Swing Form Tips

Shoulders: Keep your shoulders relaxed to avoid shrugging the kettlebell and ending up with your shoulders around your ears.

Glutes: As your arms come away from your body, squeeze your glutes to prevent overextending your lower back.

Head: Your head position should be neutral. The gap between your chin and your chest shouldn’t change throughout the exercise. 

Elbows: Focus on keeping your elbows “soft” throughout the swing. Keep your arms relaxed to take the tension out of your arm muscles and harness the momentum from the weight of the kettlebell instead.

Knees: Your knees should remain fairly straight during the swing. The motion should be initiated from the hip hinge. This is a posterior chain movement (the muscles on the back of your body), not a quad-dominant one.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes

Zero hip drive

“In every gym I’ve been to, the technique seems to vary, and you see some horrific demonstrations,” says Ashton Turner, co-founder of London’s Evolve 353 gym. 

The most common mistakes he sees are an excessive knee bend, no hip drive, and too much arm involvement, turning what should be a dynamic, full-body thrust into an awkward front raise. “Ideally, your forearms should stay in contact with your body until you drive the kettlebell off your hips,” he says. 

Relying on your upper body 

“Don’t make the common mistake of using the upper body too much to get the weight moving,” says kettlebell master trainer Mike Mahler. “This limits what you can lift and how many reps you can do, and makes you far more likely to develop back issues.”

Instead, you want all the power to come from the posterior chain and in particular the hamstrings and glutes. “Put your entire body into each rep and keep the bell close to your body until the hip drive begins, then use your hip drive to swing the bell to shoulder level,” Mahler says. 

Squatting rather than hinging 

Wright says that “squatting rather than hinging, rounding at the shoulders and lifting with the arms” are by far the most common mistakes with this exercise, leading to greater stress on the lower back and shoulders, while stifling the “free-flowing” element that makes kettlebell training so effective. 

His cues to address these errors are to concentrate on generating power from your hips, rather than the upper body, and gripping as if you’re “trying to rip the kettlebell handle apart”, exerting outward force on the handles helps to engage your upper-back muscles. 

Benefits Of The Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing might be commonly associated with fat-burning workouts and cardio-boosting metabolic conditioning circuits, but it is equally effective at developing explosive strength and power throughout your posterior chain.  

In one study, which pitted kettlebell swing workouts against jump squats, those doing the former reported a 9.8% increase in maximum strength and a 19.8% improvement in vertical jump height, similar to the gains seen in the jump squat subjects. 

In the paper, published in ​​the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, subjects performed 12 minutes of kettlebell swings, alternating 30 seconds on with 30 seconds off, twice a week. 

Regular kettlebell swing training will also encourage you to keep your shoulders in a healthier position, offsetting the urge to slump your shoulders over your desk and forge mental grit and resilience that’ll cross over to any other workout you might do. 

Kettlebell Swing Progressions

Once you’ve nailed the two-arm swing, start using these variations.

Once you’ve nailed the two-arm swing, start using these variations.

Kettlebell one-hand swing

Draw on the same technique outlined above but keep one arm out to your side as you swing the bell between your legs and up to shoulder level with one arm. “Keep your form similar to the two-hand swing,” says Turner. “It’s a very similar movement so concentrate on your hip drive. It requires more oblique work to prevent your body from rotating.”

Kettlebell swing swap

Now you’re just showing off. This drills hand-eye co-ordination as much as power. “Change hands at the highest point of the swing, where the kettlebell is weightless. You can take one hand off the kettlebell before the other hand is on it—but beginners should swap over while still holding on to the kettlebell,” says Turner. 

American kettlebell swing

More power, more punch. This version follows the same technique as the Russian swing but requires you to let the weight rise until almost directly overhead. Be sure to stop before it goes completely overhead or you might find it pulling you off-balance. “It might look flashy but it’s a good test of your overall co-ordination, timing and control of the kettlebell,” says Turner. 

Kettlebell Swing Workouts

10-Minute Fat-Torcher

Perform as many swings as you can in 60 seconds, using the form pointers above, and record the number of reps you complete. Rest for 60 seconds, then perform another minute of swings. Complete five rounds in total. Aim to beat your total rep score every time you attempt the challenge. “I do this as a quick and easy fat-burning exercise,” says Turner.

Swing ladder

Do the following moves in order without resting:

1. 10 double-arm swings
2. 10 left-arm swings
3. 10 right-arm swings
4. 10 swing swaps

Then do nine reps of the same four moves and continue that pattern until you do one rep of each move.

“This is a great test of your grip strength,” says Turner. “It’s a quick high-rep workout that involves doing 220 reps in just 15 minutes.”

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While some exercises require furious speed and numerous reps to make an impact on your fitness, keeping it slow and steady is the key to kettlebell windmill success. You shouldn’t expect an easy ride because of this lack of dynamism, however, as this particular activity requires plenty of strength and perfect form.

It might be tough to get used to the windmill’s movements, but once you have, you’ll be improving the strength of your core and shoulders, as well as boosting mobility and flexibility in yours hips, lower back and legs.

How To Do It

Start standing with your feet shoulder width apart, then turn them so they are pointing 45 degrees in the direction you are going to bend towards. Then you need to get your weight, be it a kettlebell, dumbbell or sandbell over your head in the hand opposite the direction your feet have turned.

Lock out the arm holding the weight above you, and keep it that way for the rest of the exercise. The other arm should hang down towards your feet. Look up at the weight, push out your hips in that direction and fold forward until you can touch your feet with the hanging arm, or until you reach the limits of your flexibility, whichever happens first. Brace at the glutes and slowly return to the starting position. Keep your back straight throughout the movement.

Aim for five to 10 windmills on one side before switching to the other.

See related :

• The Best Kettlebell Exercises For All Levels Of Gym-Goer
• The Best Kettlebells: Plus, Black Friday Deals On The Best Kettlebells
• Brace Yourself For This 10-Minute Kettlebell Workout

Kettlebell Windmill Variations

Unweighted windmill

The natural place to start if you’re not ready to start wielding kettlebells just yet. You lose some of the benefits for your shoulder strength but performing the exercise without any weight will still do wonders for the mobility and flexibility of your hips and lower legs, while also working your core. The movement is exactly the same as with the kettlebell version of the exercise, just without the weight.

Overhead kettlebell hold

Another solid exercise that will help you progress up to the full windmill. Holding the kettlebell above you at full stretch during the windmill is a stern test of your shoulder strength and stability, so it’s worth building that up with some static overhead holds. Hold the kettlebell directly above your shoulder with a straight arm for 60 seconds.

Double kettlebell windmill

If you want a progression from the kettlebell windmill, try holding one bell in each hand as you move. This increases the challenge to your core and hamstrings, resulting in greater strength benefits. Before you give this variation a whirl, try doing the windmill just holding one kettlebell in your bottom hand to get used to the different feel of the exercise.

Sometimes when you try to combine two exercises into one, it just doesn’t work. Trying to do biceps curls at the same time as press-ups, for example, is only going to result in you falling flat on your face. However, most of the time, creating a hybrid megamove ramps up the benefits and makes for a great way to get more done in limited workout time.

The kettlebell clean and press is a superb example of this. The clean hits your lower body, the press works your upper body, and the combination is a full-body monster that targets so many muscle groups it’s going to be ridiculous when we list them in the next sentence. Deep breath: hamstrings, glutes, quads, hip flexors, abs, upper back, traps and lats, shoulders, chest and triceps. TL;DR – most of the muscles.

It’s also an exercise that does wonders for your stability and co-ordination, and working with a kettlebell in one hand at a time helps to iron out any strength imbalances that might have developed in your body from crushing too many barbell workouts.

All these benefits, however, rely on you nailing the form. It’s an explosive exercise that requires constant control of the kettlebell, so pay close attention to our form guide. Oh, and it’s probably wise to take off your fitness tracker or watch for this one, unless it can handle a hefty weight repeatedly swinging into it.

See related :

• How To Do The Kettlebell Clean
• How To Master The Kettlebell Press
• The Best Kettlebell Exercises For All Levels Of Gym-Goer

How To Do The Kettlebell Clean And Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor in front of you. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips to reach down and grab the kettlebell with one hand. Swing it back between your legs and then use the momentum created to swing it forwards and up, driving your hips forwards and straightening your back. Once the kettlebell gets above bellybutton height, pull it back and move your hand under it so the bell rests against the back of your wrist. This is known as the rack position, and it’s also the moment which will make you regret forgetting to take your watch off.

At this point in the kettlebell clean exercise, you’d reverse the movement and swing it back down, but we’re only half done here folks, get ready for the tough(er) bit.

In the rack position the kettlebell should be just below shoulder height and your elbow should be tucked in to your chest. Press the kettlebell straight up above your head until your arm is straight, then lower it back to the rack position. Finally, reverse the clean movement and take the kettlebell down to swing between your legs.

How To Do The Kettlebell Press

• Start with the kettlebell in the rack position (the end position of a clean).
• Make sure your elbow is tucked in to your chest, then press the weight directly up overhead.
• Lower the weight by reversing the bell path and repeat the move.

Expert tip “Many people get it wrong and let the bell travel too far out to the sides, which will limit the weight you can handle and the reps you can do,” says leading kettlebell coach Mike Mahler. “Try to keep the bells in as straight a line as possible and avoid pressing out too far in front of your face. Press up and back so the bell locks out slightly behind your head. Make sure the bell handle is at a 45° angle pressing into your palm to help further the mind-body connection for the most efficient form possible.”

Variation: The Bottom-Up Kettlebell Press

If you want to get stronger, the obvious way is to pick up a heavier weight and try harder. But the smart way, says Mahler, is to use the same weight but perform a version of the exercise that’s more challenging, such as the bottom-up kettlebell press.

The bottom-up press isn’t just a show-off move. The extra challenge and instability encourages you to find the most efficient pressing path, which will help you when you want to go heavy in shoulder-building conventional kettlebell presses.

“If you do an exercise and you get to a point where it’s really easy for you, try doing a more challenging version,” says Mahler. “That way, rather than just getting better at the exercise but allowing your technique to get sloppy, you optimise your technique. For example, if a traditional one-arm kettlebell press where it is racked normally becomes really easy, you could do a bottom-up press, which is much harder. You could even do a stacked press, with the kettlebells on top of each other. Each of these kettlebell exercises reinforces the proper technique. When you have a strong foundation in technique, you can go into new weight territories and not worry about getting injured.”

Start by holding a kettlebell at chin height with your wrist straight and your elbow directly below your wrist. Press the weight directly overhead, then lower it slowly under control. If you can’t control the kettlebell, you either have weak wrists or are trying to press in an inefficient path. Reduce the weight to perfect the technique, then add weight once you can do a set of six presses.

Kettlebells are an amazing muscle-building and fat-loss weapon – if you use them correctly. Get the technique wrong, however, and the most likely outcome is lower back pain. To make sure you use them effectively, we’ve enlisted kettlebell king Mike Mahler to provide an in-depth guide to executing the key kettlebell moves with perfect form so you can add them to your training arsenal. In this article, Mahler details how to get the the kettlebell snatch, a demanding fully-body exercise, right. 

Kettlebell Snatch Form Guide

• Start with the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of you and between your feet, which should be shoulder-width apart.
• Bending slightly at the knees but hingeing mainly at the hips, grasp the kettlebell and pull it back between your legs with one hand (with your thumb pointing backwards) to create momentum.
• Drive your hips forwards and straighten your back to initiate the upward movement of the kettlebell.
• Once the bell passes chest height, gently pull it back and slide your fist around and under the bell, then punch it upwards so it nestles softly on the back of your wrist with your arm straight above your head.

Kettlebell Snatch Form Tips

“With poor technique the snatch often looks like a clean to head level and then a press out,” says Mahler. “It should be an uninterrupted motion from the floor to overhead. As with the kettlebell clean, you want to focus on getting your hand around the bell rather than letting it violently flip over and bang up your wrist. Swing the bell out and then imagine you’re trying to throw it behind you. This will change the trajectory and get it to the lockout position more seamlessly. At the top, rotate your wrist so your thumb is pointing back and lower down and towards the body to avoid straining the lower back.”

You should punch the bell up at the end of the move just as it nestles onto the back of your wrist. If it’s slapping the back of your wrist with a thud it’s a sign that you need to work on your timing.

In the pursuit of a bigger and broader chest the bench press takes priority in most workout programmes. But the workload your chest must manage when pressing is always limited, especially if you have weaker triceps or front shoulders. In short, if you want a bigger chest, you need to isolate your chest muscles. Enter the incline flye. Not only does it target the chest, it also forces a big stretch across your pecs and allows them to move through a greater range of motion, all of which are key factors in increased muscle growth. Using kettlebells keeps the weight on the outsides of your wrists, enabling you to maintain the same angle in your elbows throughout to work your chest even harder.

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How to do it

Lie on an incline bench holding a kettlebell in each hand above your shoulders, palms facing. Plant your feet on the floor, brace your glutes and core, and keep your chest up. Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lower your hands out to the sides, keeping your wrists strong and palms facing, until your feel a significant stretch across your chest. Squeeze your chest to raise the kettlebells back to the start. Start with a light weight until you master the movement pattern, then increase the resistance as you get stronger.

RECOMMENDED: Kettlebell Workout Guide

Once you’ve done the main move, add these three exercises for a four-move circuit that’ll add lean muscle to your chest and biceps as well. Do 12 reps of each move, resting for 30 seconds between lifts, and do three circuits in total.

Incline kettlebell biceps curl

Stay seated on the incline bench with a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing forwards. Keeping your back against the bench, your chest up and your elbows behind the bench, curl the weights up to shoulder height, keeping your palms facing forwards. Slowly reverse the move to the start.

Incline kettlebell press

Stay seated, holding the weights in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing. Keeping your back against the bench and your chest up, press the kettlebells directly overhead until your arms are fully straight, rotating your wrists as you go to end with palms facing away. Slowly reverse the move to the start.

Seated kettlebell hammer curl

Stay seated on the incline bench with a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight and palms facing. Keeping your back against the bench, your chest up and your elbows behind the bench, curl the weights up to shoulder height, keeping your palms facing each other. Slowly reverse the move to the start.