Build Strong Legs With Four Moves And One Kettlebell

Two women perform American kettlebell swings in the gym, with the kettlebell swung above one woman's head
(Image credit: Alvarez / Getty Images)

There’s so much you can do with a kettlebell, but it’s particularly good at targeting the muscles in your lower body. That’s because as well as adding resistance to squats and lunges, it can be used for ballistic movements such as swings and cleans.

This workout posted by personal trainer Cameron House on Instagram combines those four kettlebell exercises in a 10-minute AMRAP workout where the aim is to complete as many rounds as possible in the time limit.

While you want to move as quickly as possible, it’s essential to maintain good form to avoid injury, especially in the swing and kettlebell clean. If your form in these suffers as you fatigue, this can put undue pressure on your lower back.

You can either do this workout on its own as a quick lower-body blast (once you’ve warmed up, of course) or add it to the end of a leg workout to push your legs to their limit.

Watch House’s Instagram reel below in which he demonstrates each of the exercises.

The first move in this workout is an American swing, which involves driving the kettlebell overhead. If you’re not sure how to do a kettlebell swing, the key thing to remember is that you should generate power with a strong hip drive, rather than with your arms. Squeeze your glutes as you drive the kettlebell overhead and keep your chest up.

You’re probably familiar with lunges and squats (and if not then this high-octane routine isn’t the best place to start), but make sure you’re not cheating the movements just because you’re against the clock. Squat down so your hips at least reach knee level and try to gently tap your rear knee on the floor when lunging.

Finally, the kettlebell clean and press is a full-body movement. Done correctly, it should involve a big drive through the hips and full engagement of the lower body.

If you’re looking for more kettlebell workouts, try this 10-minute kettlebell workout, this kettlebell HIIT workout, or attempt this 100-rep kettlebell challenge.

Alice Porter
Contributor

Alice Porter is a journalist who covers health, fitness and wellbeing, among other topics, for titles including Stylist, Fit & Well, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, VICE and Refinery29. When she’s not writing about these topics, you can probably find her at her local CrossFit box.