5 Basic Kettlebell Exercises For The Beginner
Here are 5 basic Kettlebell exercises for beginners of the kettlebell training routine. These exercises will strengthen your arms, legs, back and core muscles like you won’t believe. Make sure you do your kettlebell exercises with proper form and car so as not to uinjure yourself with a carelessly executed move.
Kettlebell Exercise #1: The Turkish Getup
The turkish get up is one of the more unusual kettlebell exercises, but excellent for the entire body. With this exercise you engage almost every muscle of the body, the legs, core and arms, while building strength, coordination and endurance. This is a great functional exercise, taking you from lying down to a standing position and integrating every part of your body. It requires some concentration as well as coordination, so take your time moving through each step, and try it with no weight until you’re comfortable.
Here’s a great video to break down the exercise step by step:
Kettlebell Exercise #2: Two Arm Swing
The kettlebell swing is an excellent exercise for the entire body, particularly the core and the lower body. The power comes from the hips (in a hip-thrust motion), making this a powerful movement that forces your body to find stability as the weight swings out and up. Start out using a lighter weight for this exercise until you get your form down (10-15 lbs for women or 20-25 lbs for men). You’ll find the heavier the weight, the more you’ll use the hip-thrust to get the weight up. Don’t use a heavy kettlebell until you feel comfortable and stable in the movement. Also be sure to place the kettlebell slightly back of the feet to insure proper execution of the swing(see video).
Here’s a great video to break down the exercise step by step:
Kettlebell Exercise #3:The Kettlebell Clean and Press
The Kettlebell Clean is a traditional exercise that allows you to get a heavy weight up to shoulder level without hurting yourself. This exercise allows you to do other kettlebell exercises such as the clean, push and press or the overhead press. The key here to this move is using the hips and legs to drive the weight up and rotating the shoulder so that the weight rests at shoulder level. Be careful with this move and try not to let the weight slap against your wrist. When done smoothly and correctly, the weight shouldn’t cause bruising or pain in the wrists and/or forearms. It is best to start with a lighter weight to get your form down.
The kettlebell clean, push and press is a combination exercise using the kettlebell clean as a base and putting together exercises that make up the foundation of kettlebell training: The clean and the push-press. This dynamic exercise works the lower body and the core, which works hard to keep your body stabilized throughout the movement. The shoulders and arms get a great workout as well, making this almost a complete full body exercise.
Here’s a great video to break down the exercise step by step:
Kettlebell Exercise #4:The Kettlebell Windmill
The kettlebell windmill is an awesome whole body movement exercise that builds a strong back as well as the abs (particularly the obliques), arms and shoulders and all with the bonus of working balance and stability. Practice this move with a lighter weight to get good form down before moving to a heavier weight. If you don’t have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell, however the movement will not be the same as the center of gravity is in a different place than in a kettlebell.
Here’s a great video to break down the exercise step by step:
Kettlebell Exercise #5:The Kettlebell Squat
The kettlebell squat is a great exercise for strengthening the quads, glutes and hamstrings. You can do this move with different types of resistance, such as a barbells or dumbbells, but this version does the movement with the kettlebell. The wide handle of the kettlebell offers an easy grip and allows you to use a heavier weight to really work your lower body. If you hold the kettlebell on one side of the body as if to do a kettlebell clean, you engage the core to help stabilize you as you squat down, but for now we will focus on the main full kettlebell squat.
This first video is on the form and care that should be taken when doing this exercise:
This second video shows the actual exercise in motion. Remember to master good form, then add the kettlebell to this exercise:
