Kettlebells can be an affordable material, as you have several purchase options, such as sand, iron or rubber. If before buying them you want to take a look at everything you can do with them, keep reading!
List with all the most important exercises with kettlebell crossfit
Build strength and size with these beginner, intermediate, and advanced kettlebell exercises.
There's no one type of dumbbell that's better than all the others, but it's fair to say that the kettlebell is the most underrated member of the freeweight family . You can use kettlebells for just about anything , from high-rep HIIT workouts to low-rep heavy sets, and they're especially good for compound movements like swings and squats.
The next time you hit the gym, grab a kettlebell and try some of these beginner, intermediate, and advanced kettlebell exercises , curated and explained by us as well as professional trainers.
Before you dive into the exercises, there is one specific kettlebell position you should become familiar with: "the rack." It is the final position of the technique, difficult to master, and the starting position for pressing exercises. Grab the handle with your hand on your chin, with your elbow to the side and the kettlebell resting on top of your forearm, by your armpit.
Look!:
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| Before moving on to kettlebell exercises, learn the basic rack position. |
Kettlebell exercises for beginners
The swing, one of the best exercises with kettlebells
Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grab the handle of the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing you and arms in front of your body. Lower your body by slightly bending your knees and tilting your hips back . Explosively drive your hips forward and swing the kettlebell with your arms straight at shoulder height, keeping your glutes and abs tight. Control the roll when you go down.
As you can see, this is one of the kettlebell exercises for shoulders (and also one of the kettlebell exercises for glutes ).
The sumo squat, kettlebell exercises for legs
You can hold the kettlebell between your legs by the handle with both hands, or turn the kettlebell upside down, holding the rounded part with both hands at chest height.
Your feet should be wider than shoulder width apart and slightly turned out. Keep your back straight, chest up, and squeeze your abs . Push your hips back and bend your knees to squat; go as low as your range of motion allows. Push through your heels and drive your hips forward to return to the starting position. Don't let your knees roll in during the upswing of the squat. Always remember that your knees go out.
*Remember: these are kettlebell exercises for men as well as women .
Kettlebell One Arm Row Exercise
For this kettlebell exercise, we recommend that you place the kettlebell in front of your feet . Take a big step back with your left leg and grab the kettlebell in your left hand, resting your right arm on your right knee. Pull the kettlebell up to your hips, then lower it to just before it hits the ground with your arm fully extended. Keep your back in a fixed position throughout. This is one of the kettlebell exercises for the back , although it can also be used for the arms . See how it's done:
The kettlebell triceps extension is one of the kettlebell exercises for arms
When it comes to kettlebell exercises for arms , we have the famous triceps extension . To do this, grab the weight with both hands. Step forward with your right leg so your feet are balanced. Raise the kettlebell directly above your head with both arms extended. Keep your elbows close to your ears as you lower the dumbbell behind your head until your hands are in line with your elbows, then bring the dumbbell back over your head by extending your arms. Do it as shown in the animation:
*It is one of the most recommended kettlebell exercises for women , since they like to tone the back of the arm to avoid flaccidity. This exercise is highly recommended.
The windmill (windmill) with kettlebell
You can include it in kettlebell exercises for shoulders and kettlebell exercises for abs . It is an exercise that increases strength in the core and shoulders , as well as mobility. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell in your right hand. Rotate both feet so they point 45 degrees to the left and push the dumbbell directly over your head until your elbow is locked. Face the dumbbell and move your hips to the right as you lean to the left side, until your left hand can touch your left foot - or your shin, if that's all your flexibility allows. Go back up and repeat. Complete all reps on one side, then switch the dumbbell to your other hand.
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| A boy doing the windmill exercise with a kettlebell. |
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| On the windmill, bring your hand as close to your foot as your flexibility allows. It is one of the best kettlebell exercises for women . It serves to increase mobility. |
Kettlebell Reverse Lunge Exercise
Within the exercises with kettlebells for legs , we find the reverse stride , which is similar to the one performed with dumbbells. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding two kettlebells (one on each side)... Or if you want to make the exercise more complicated, hold them in the rack position we explained at the beginning of the post. Take a big step back and lower until both knees are bent at 90°. Pause, and then push through your front leg, squeezing your glutes, to return to standing. It is included in the kettlebell exercises for the glutes and for the legs. See how to do it:
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| In the example animation it is done with a kettlebell, but you can perform the reverse lunge exercise holding two kettlebells at the same time. |
Figure 8 with kettlebell
Learn how to perform one of the most effective kettlebell exercises in CrossFit . Holding a kettlebell in front of you with your right hand, squat or half squat (the lower you go the better), making sure your back is straight and your core is tight . Bring the kettlebell around the outside of your right leg and then across your legs from your back. Grab the dumbbell with your left hand from the front to bring it between your legs. Repeat the movement to the opposite side to move the kettlebell in a figure eight pattern. It seems complicated, but with the animation you will understand it right away:
These are the kettlebell exercises for beginners that we recommend. Now, we will move on to looking at kettlebell exercises for intermediate users .
Best crossfit kettlebell exercises for intermediates
The one arm kettlebell swing
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grab the dumbbell handle with one hand, palm facing you, and arm in front of your body. Lower your body by slightly bending your knees and tilting your hips back. Explosively drive your hips forward and swing the weight with a straight arm to shoulder height, keeping your glutes and core tight. Swing down again controlling the weight, and then repeat the movement.
squeeze the kettlebell
Start by holding the kettlebell against your chest, then extend it out in front of you so your arms are horizontal with the ground. Squeeze your hands together as tightly as possible , holding the dumbbell in front of you for a second, then return to the starting position and repeat.
As you can imagine, the action of squeezing the kettlebell can be included in the exercises with kettlebells for the chest . Also, at the time of extending your arms it also becomes one of the best kettlebell exercises for arms .
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| In the example animation the exercise is bench supported, but you can perform this exercise with a standing kettlebell as shown below. Animation source: https://fitbodybuzz.com/. |
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Goblet squat (or goblet squat), one of the best kettlebell exercises for legs
To do this, hold the kettlebell upside down with both hands. This squat movement is the same as a regular squat: lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push back up through your heels. The difference is that in this version the posture helps to improve the movement pattern of conventional squats. The reason is that in the goblet squat , you have to maintain the weight position throughout the movement.
Russian kettlebell twists, exercises with kettlebells for abdomen
Sit with your feet flat on the floor shoulder-width apart, legs bent, and lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Hold the dumbbell against your chest using both hands. Twist at the waist to rotate your torso from left to right , moving the dumbbell from side to side but not letting it touch the ground. Use this move to work your obliques .
Floor press (press on the ground) to one arm, exercises with kettlebell for chest
Lie on your back on the floor with your legs stretched out. Grab the kettlebell with your palm facing inward, holding the weight on the side of your chest. Push the dumbbell up toward the ceiling, turning your wrist so your palm faces your feet. It is easy and very effective. Include the floor press in your kettlebell chest exercise routine .
Incline Kettlebell Flyes
More Kettlebell Pectoral Exercises . You will need an incline bench or adjustable bench for this exercise. If you want to increase the volume of your chest, we ask you to step away from the bench press for a moment and try the kettlebells . The exercise isolates your chest muscles and allows for a greater range of motion than benching, so you can hit your pecs from new angles to force growth. Of course, you can use dumbbells for your flyes, but the kettlebell shape keeps the weight on the outside of your wrists, so you can keep the right angle in your elbows to really work your chest muscles.
Lie on an incline bench with the weights on your shoulders, arms extended, and palms facing forward: the weight of each weight should rest on the outside of your wrist. Plant your feet firmly, bend your elbows slightly, and slowly lower the kettlebells to your sides. Continue until you feel a significant stretch in your chest, then tighten your chest muscles as you bring the weights back up.
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| The animation shows the flat fly exercise with kettlebells on the floor. It can also be done on the bench, as shown below. |
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The Turkish Kettlebell Lift, Kettlebell Workouts at Home
In English it is known as the "Turkish get-up". At first glance, it's a simple move: lie on the floor holding a kettlebell, then stand up. However, it is much more difficult than it seems , and not only because you have to hold the weight and lift in a particular way. It's worth memorizing the moves, because it's a great exercise to add to your kettlebell routine .
Lie on your back on the floor with the dumbbell in your right hand, arm extended and directly above your head. Your goal is to keep this arm locked throughout the movement . Bend your right knee, plant your foot, and rotate your right shoulder up so your weight is on your left elbow. Push up on your left arm and lift your butt up, then bring your left leg under you and plant your knees and toes on the floor. From this position you will be able to stand up and then return to a lying position by reversing the steps you just took.
It's not just about kettlebell exercises for men! It's also one of the best kettlebell exercises for women !
Thruster, typical kettlebell exercise in crossfit
If you want a good compound exercise for crossfitters, that's the thruster . Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold two kettlebells in the rack position. Lower yourself down, bending your knees and driving your buttocks back until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause for a second, then drive up explosively, pushing and transmitting force through your heels. When you reach the upright position, you push the kettlebells up using the momentum generated by the squat stance to help you. You should finish the press movement with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights back to the rack position.
See how it's done, it's great as a kettlebell exercises for triceps , kettlebell exercises for legs and shoulders.
Plank drag (or iron with drag)
Great as a Kettlebell Workout at Home . Start in a high plank position with your hands on the ground directly below your shoulders and your arms extended. Make sure that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels and that your abdominal core is tight. Place a kettlebell just outside of one hand for the exercise.
Reach under your body, grab the handle of the kettlebell, and pull it to the other side. Put your hand back on the ground, and repeat with the other arm. Keep your pelvis square to the ground at all times. If you start to lean or lose your balance while pulling the kettlebell, then slow down the movement or reduce the weight of the kettlebell.
Now that we're done with the intermediate moves, let's now look at the list of advanced kettlebell exercises . Read on if you think you're up to the task of reaching the highest level of fitness.
Best Kettlebell Exercises for Advanced
Reverse lunge plus one arm overhead press
We increase the level of difficulty with the most difficult exercises. These can also be women's kettlebell exercises if they get to the right level. Let's start with the first one, see if you can do it.
Place a kettlebell on your shoulder so that the weight rests on your forearm. With the leg opposite the arm holding the dumbbell, take a big step back and lower your knee toward the ground, until it's parallel to but not touching the ground.
As you lower your knee, simultaneously push the kettlebell over your head. To return to the starting position, push through your back leg, keeping your chest and back straight until your feet are back together, as you lower the weight to your shoulder.
The kettlebell farmer's walk
Do you know this exercise? Simply grab two heavy kettlebells and hold them at your sides as you walk as far as you can. It's just like the exercise you would do with dumbbells. Perform this exercise with kettlebells to improve the strength of your grip, hands, legs, cardiovascular resistance...
Kettlebell push-up exercise with rowing
If you want to include one of the good kettlebell exercises , do the row pushup . Start in the push-up position, with your hands shoulder-width apart and gripping the dumbbell handles, feet together. Do a pushup , and then at the top of the pushup, perform a row by lifting your right elbow and squeezing your shoulder blades together so that the elbow goes over your body. Go down and now row with your left hand, and then continue on your next rep by doing another pushup. It is very effective and functional as a kettlebell exercise for crossfit, for boys or girls . Movement example:
Kettlebell Clean and Press Exercise
Pick up a kettlebell that's on the ground and load it up to your shoulder, explosively extending your legs and hips as you pull the weight up to your shoulder, swinging the weight on your wrist so your palm faces forward. Keep your core tight and lower your body by bending your knees slightly, then drive the weight through your heels and explosively extend your knees and hips to create momentum. As you do this, push the kettlebell overhead until your arm is fully extended.
One arm overhead kettlebell squat
To get to the starting position for this kettlebell exercise, you'll need to perform the clean and press exercise above . Pick up and push off the kettlebell with one arm, so you're standing with your arm extended and locked above your head. Facing forward and keeping your arm locked, bend your knees and drive your hips back to lower your torso, keeping your chin and chest up. Once your thighs are parallel to the ground, push through your heels and extend your legs and hips to return to the starting position.
Kettlebell Angel Press
This is the last of the kettlebell exercises that we are going to see in this guide. This is another exercise for advanced. If you really want to do kettlebell ab exercises , this one will work your core and make your shoulders burn. A devilish move by the name of an angel!
Use a weight that you can comfortably lift over your head . Sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, holding two kettlebells above your head with your arms extended and your back straight. Then, in a controlled manner, lower your back toward the ground, bringing the weights toward your chest as you do so. The slower you go down, the better the "burn."
Then contract your abs and bring your torso upright again as you extend your arms over your head to return to the start.
Download Kettlebell Exercise Guide PDF Free
If you liked these kettlebell exercises , we still have one more surprise for you! Would you like to download this exercise post to have them at hand whenever you want ? Download a PDF version of the kettlebell exercise guide here . We hope you enjoyed making the post as much as we did! We have dedicated many hours to bring you this complete and detailed guide. Remember that you have a version in that download link. Keep it forever!
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Sin duda alguna, bajo mi opinión personal, la kettlebell de competición es la mejor para todos los entrenamientos, tanto en casa como en el gimnasio. Muy buen post.