13 Kettlebell Exercises For Beginners

Training professionals tell you that KB is here to stay because it has exceptional results. This is the only workout method that works multiple joints all at the same time. The one technique you can use to achieve so many results in one go. In addition to being great for your heart and core, it is also a great way to stabilize your body as well.

Warm up your body by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Use your right hand to hold the handle corner of the kettlebell and lower yourself into a squat position.

Start in the squat position by threading the bell between your legs and grasping the corner of the handle with your left hand.

The KB should now be in your left hand behind your left leg. Start moving it along the outer parts of your left thigh. Thread it back to the middle and grab it with your right hand.

Move it around your right leg and then hold it in front of your right hand. If you are a beginner, you can begin with at least five reps and then work your way up to ten.

1. Kettlebell Swing

KB swings are one of the most popular exercises in fitness. To perform a perfect KB swing, stand over the KB with your feet hip-width apart and your chest raised.

The kettlebell must be lined between your feet while you hold your shoulders back. You should invest in a kettlebell that allows you to swing using the perfect technique without challenging yourself in any way. It is vital that you begin with a lightweight KB or use one that is significantly lighter than what you are used to if you are a beginner.

Ensure that your thumb is loosely gripped around the handle as you swat down and grip the bell with your palms. Stand tall as you do this.

Your arms should be long and loose enough to engage the core and retract your shoulder blades.

As you slowly lower the rear end towards the wall behind you, it is important to shift the bodyweight toward your heels while keeping the knees soft.

You must drive your heels so that your quadriceps are engaged while swinging the KB so that it reaches your chest with your arms extended.

As the bell starts to come down, let the weight work its magic while you prepare for the next rep. Shift the weight to your heels to load your glutes and hamstrings, and then allow the weight to move behind your legs.

In order to maximize the benefits of this exercise, keep engaging your heels and your hips while the bells transition from back to front. Do this for at least ten repetitions, and when you are able to do it more frequently, you can gradually increase the number of reps.

2. Turkish Get Up

An integral part of this full body workout is the incorporation of fundamental movement patterns that are crucial to conditioning the stabilizer muscles and core throughout the workout. Ancient Greeks have used this exercise for so many decades as it is considered the best stabilizing exercise.

A boy was not supposed to be trained until he could stand while holding weights above his head. This exercise is broken down into seven stages:

Stage 1

Hold the kettlebell in a fetal position while keeping your arm straightened out. Roll onto your back, and fix your gaze on the kettlebell without taking your eyes off of it.

Stage 2

As you bend your leg, position your opposite arm at 45 degrees so that it's in sync with your KB.

Stage 3

Start positioning the KB arm in its rightful socket as soon as you have located your position along the line of your arm. Crush the handle to your elbow and follow up with your hand.

Stage 4

Begin by pushing from the heel of your bent leg and then extend your hips completely until you are in line with the bell.

Stage 5

You should be in a half-kneeling position after you sweep the straight leg through and backward.

Stage 6

Extend the body straight with your hands raised off the floor. Remove your eyes from the bell and concentrate on the path ahead.

Stage 7

Once you've achieved stability, you can reverse the movements and repeat the process from beginning to end for however many repetitions you wish.

3. Kettlebell Windmill

During this exercise, the kettlebell is positioned at the front of your lead foot and pressed overhead with your opposite arm. It is primarily designed for strengthening the core, but also reduces the waistline. The KB moves in the direction of your shoulders as you extend your hips and legs to clean the bell to your shoulder.

By extending the elbows straight, rotate the wrist so that the palms face forward, then press the KB overhead.

The KB should remain locked out at this point in order to allow you to push your glutes in the same direction as the locked bell. You should extend your feet 45 degrees from the arm while holding the KB out. Bend your hips and slowly lean forward until you reach the ground.

When holding the KB over your head, keep your eyes on the KB throughout the exercise. When you reach the floor, take a 30-second pause before returning to your starting position.

4. Single Leg Deadlift

As you practice this exercise, you will begin to learn how to stabilize when in motion. This will help you to swing a KB at high speed without tripping.

The exercise plays a crucial role in identifying your legs during the deadlift.

In order to get the most out of this exercise, you have to bear in mind that it requires balance. Additionally, you need to pay attention to your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

In fact, it can help you achieve toned lean legs and strengthen your posterior chain at the same time.

As you position your feet together, place the kettlebells on your toes, then pick them up while lifting one leg and the other behind you.

The safety tip to keep in mind during this workout is to maintain a tight core and hold the KB handle so tightly. After each rep, place the bell back to the floor and repeat for about 5-10 times.

During this exercise, you should be able to feel your glutes and hamstrings tense.

5. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

As you begin with the kettlebells, hold them by the horns and move your shoulder blades towards each other and downward, thereby opening your chest. Tuck your elbows inward so that your forearms are vertical.

Make sure your feet are slightly turned out and take a deep breath into your belly. Stand with both of your feet wider than hip-width apart. Twist your feet into the ground and take a squatting position while keeping your torso upright. Don't allow your tailbone to tuck under your butt when you go low.

6. One-Arm Overhead Press

As though you were about to resist a push, stand tall while holding the kettlebell in one hand near your shoulder.

Your glutes and abs should be braced as you breathe deeply into your belly.

Start pressing the weight overhead, and make sure your chin is pulled back so the weight easily clears your chin. Make sure your spine appears elongated and your chest is out, your tailbone tilted slightly to one side.

The kettlebell should now be lowered by pulling it back into position as if you were performing a pull-up.

Keep in mind that achieving a right-angle elbow bend is not easy for most people, so don't get fixated on getting the overhead lockout right away. Hence, if you feel that you need to arch your back, do so. This will allow you to train your shoulders effectively by locking the arms overhead.

The usual method of doing this is to lay on the floor pressing your triceps against it and then press upwards from there, just like doing a bench press with reduced range of motion.

7. Kettlebell Deadlift

The kettlebells should be placed between your feet. Once you have the kettlebells placed between your feet, stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly so you can push back your butt.

As you try to lower your torso until your arms can grasp the kettlebell handle, secure your feet firmly on the ground.

Make sure your lower back is arched naturally with your chest out. As you grasp the kettlebell using both your hands, take a deep breath and let your eyes gaze in front of you, but slightly lower. As you extend your hips to lockout, drive through your heels and lift the bells.

8. Kettlebell One-Arm Row

The kettlebell should be placed on the floor, and your right foot should be planted outside of your weight as you take a staggered stance. Place the kettlebell down on the floor, and then place your right foot in front.

Bring yourself into a sitting position by placing the ball of your left foot on the ground and folding it over your hips, so your back and torso are at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground. Rest your elbow on your right thigh to support yourself.

By using your left hand, reach out for the kettlebell.

Keeping your core braced, pull the weight towards your hips and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top as you inhale into your belly. Repeat the whole process for about eight to ten repetitions.

9. Kettlebell Goblet Half Get Up

People who use kettlebells often jump ahead to moves that are too advanced for them, similar to the kettlebell swing workout.

The Turkish Get Up is quite a complex exercise, so you should start with a half get-up as a beginner instead of jumping straight into it. This will still provide you with a great core workout.

Inhale softly into the belly while bracing your abs as you lie down on your back with the kettlebells by their horns.

On the floor, tuck your right foot towards your butt and slide your left foot behind you so you form something like a "shin box" with your right foot. Put both feet facing away from each other while your knees are bent at a right angle.

Bring your left foot to the front again, bringing your hips out as if standing, and plant it to the ground so that your knee is at a right angle.

When you reach a lunge position, turn your hind leg so that it points directly behind you. Reverse this motion as you lie on the ground.

10. Kettlebell Halo

Keep in mind that you should stay alert and comfortable while you change the position of the kettlebells, as you should brace your body in the correct orientation while you change its position. The kettlebells should be moved in a circular motion around the body, forming a halo-like effect.

You'll also be exposing weaknesses as well as a lack of balance by doing this. It will strengthen your core and prepare you for more rigorous exercises down the road.

You are unlikely to be able to reach your butt if you are unable to hand off the kettlebells behind you. As a result, it is advisable for you to stand with both feet shoulder-width apart and in between the hips if you plan to do the most basic shoulder halo.

Draw your ribs down as you root your feet to the ground and hold the kettlebells upside down by their horns so that they face upwards.

You should maintain an upright posture by not bending your torso in any direction while moving the kettlebells. Start slowly to avoid hitting your head and alternate the orientation of the kettlebells.

11. Kettlebell Clean

Ensure the kettlebell is placed shoulder-width apart between your legs for this exercise to be effective. This exercise targets the back, glutes, and hamstrings. Begin this exercise with the kettlebell on the floor.

Keeping your knees slightly bent, hinge at the hips and grasp the kettlebell in one hand with your thumb pointing backward. This creates momentum as you pull the kettlebell back between your legs.

In order to initiate the upward movement of the kettlebells, drive your hips forward and make sure your back is as straight as possible.

Rack position occurs once the kettlebell passes past your belly button and your fist is tucked under it. It will rest gently on the back of your wrist once it reaches the height of your belly button.

Lastly, if you're a beginner, swing the kettlebell between your legs three times, pushing it out each time.

To avoid injuries and imbalances, it is important to do equal amounts of repetitions on both sides during this exercise.

Those who are new to this exercise will find that it is more intense than the clean, which causes the bell to flip over and cause a bang on the wrist.

It is best to focus on getting your hand around the bell instead of opening it so that it does not flip and you can efficiently get the weight to the rack position without discomfort. Do not swing the kettlebell left or right, but instead swing it up and pull it back toward you. Keep your trajectory straight, so do not swing the kettlebell to one side or the other.

Getting the bell in its rightful location is best done with your lower body.

12. Kettlebell Pistol Squat

It is so important that the knees, hips, and ankles maintain stability during lifting when performing kettlebell exercises since there is so much demand on their mobility.

Considering that the pistol is purely a unilateral exercise of the legs, any gaps in movement will likely be taken into account, resulting in your weaknesses.

As a result, it is vital that you hone your pistol technique by making sure that your weak areas are trained to stay safe, strong, and able to perform better in deadlifts, sprints, cleaning, and squatting.

It is beneficial to increase ankle mobility by learning the pistol squat. With this movement, your toes are pulled toward your knees, and the tibia and knee move forward over the toes without necessarily raising your knees up. It is caused by better dorsiflexion, the tibia, and the knee moving forward without necessarily raising the knees.

Starting with both hands, pick up the kettlebell and hold it against your chest, but slightly below your neckline. Then, move one leg and hold it off the ground. With your other leg, bend one knee as you squat down with the kettlebell. When you are on your way to the ground, keep the kettlebell at the front of your chest while squatting.

When you return to a standing position, use your heel force to push yourself up. If you are just starting out, repeat this exercise for about 3-5 reps.

13. Kettlebell Jerk

Unlike a push press, kettlebell jerks utilize more leg power and less upper body strength than push presses. Thus, they are powerful lifts that can be performed repeatedly.

Kettlebell jerks actually allow you to lift a heavier weight overhead than kettlebell push presses. They also provide greater cardiorespiratory exercise.

Consequently, in addition to the benefits that you get from the push press, the jerk helps you to reduce the stress levels on the shoulder joints by simply engaging more leg power. For fixation, it requires a greater amount of stability on the shoulders, so it has the potential to create shoulders that are incredibly stable.

This exercise uses lower leg power, and this helps develop power around the calves, increasing ankle joint stability.

The overhead press and the push press must be mastered before you can attempt the jerk. As a result, you will gain a perfect sense of the bell path, practice the dip in a very simple lift, and train your body to fixate the kettlebell correctly.

As you learn the jerk technique, these techniques are very important. In order to dip with your heels in the beginning, your ankles must be mobile.

It is important to get into an upright position with vertical arms before catching the kettlebell in a quarter overhead squat.

You can try doing a broomstick overhead squat as a test for your upper back, lower back, and shoulders. If you find it challenging, it might be time for you to try the overhead lock out.

Performing the kettlebell jerk requires lots of mobility work if you are not able to perform a quarter squat with vertical arms.

As soon as you have everything ready, hold the kettlebell by its handle and pull it towards your shoulders by extending your hips and legs.

Rotate your wrist so that your palm faces forward while doing this, and this will serve as your starting position.

By bending your knees slightly, dip your body while keeping your torso upright. As soon as you run through your heels, immediately reverse the direction so you are driving through your heels.

Extend your arms as you extend the kettlebell overhead. You will then be able to move it using your own momentum.

Return to a squatting position before receiving the weight overhead, and keep it overhead while returning to standing.

Depending on your level of fitness, you may only need to do about 3-5 reps if you are a beginner.