Article # 68. KettleBell Work Out & List of KettleBell Excercises

About KettleBell Work Out

Kettle Ball sometimes known as Russian Kettle bells, the Cannonball like shaped weights in the corner of your gym only being used by people who are in great shape and which novices tend to shy away from could be the key ingredient missing from your routine.

Kettlebell Exercises have been used by Russian Bodybuilders for over 300 years to build lean muscle mass and improve core strength but only now are they coming more into focus in European and other part of the world

Due to the thickness of the handles and the position of the weight hanging directly below your wrist you require a lot more strength of grip and core than you would with a conventional Dumbell workout. In fact a lot of modern bodybuilders have replaced Dumbell exercises with Kettlebell exercises when looking to improve their arm workouts.

As the weight is far more difficult to control in Kettlebell workouts more calories are burned also making a Kettlebell routine far more efficient in a fat building session when compared with a weight training or bodyweight routine. Studies have shown that in a basic 20 minute Kettlebell workout that participants can burn in excess of 272 calories, when this is combined with the muscle sculpting impact (the calories burned post training as your body repairs its muscle fibers).

People are now discovering that they can get the results they used to achieve in a 30 minute weight training programme followed by 30 minutes of Cardio with just a 20 minute Kettlebell workout.

As far as an Abs workout goes a good solid full body Kettlebell routine will do far more for your core than hundreds of sit ups as the Kettlebell itself has an uneven distribution of weight meaning that your core muscles such as the Abdominal wall, external Obliques and longissimus thoracis are worked throughout each movement which is not the case with sit ups or crunches.

The truth is that Kettlebell Workouts can become the soul of your training routine or can compliment any sort of training programme.

Intense Kettlebell Workouts will provide you with all the exercises for all the muscle groups and help you design a full Kettlebell Exercise routine for home, the gym or even the office.

A comprehensive list of kettlebell exercises

 

Posterior chain

Kettlebell swing: Feet should be shoulder with apart and lower back completely straight. Use your legs and hips to generate movement in order to swing the kettlebell up. Stop the movement when your arm is parallel to the ground. All the “work” is done by your legs, hips and core muscles, not your arm or shoulder.

 Double arm swing: To make the swing a bit more challenging you can use two kettlebells. It will require more strength and a better sense of balance.

Kettlebell swing to the chest: This exercise is very similar to the regular kettlebell swing, but instead of keeping the kettlebell in a fully extended arm, you will pull the kettlebell towards your chest/shoulder. Before gravity pulls the kettlebell back down, punch out and allow the kettlebell to take the same trajectory it used to come up.

Snatch: Perform a regular kettlebell swing, but instead of stopping the motion midways, allow it to come all the way up until your arm is fully extended above your head. Lock it, pause for a second and return it to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner.

Kettlebell swing from a kneeing position: Very similar to the regular kettlebell swing, but instead of standing up you will be down on one knee. This position won’t allow you to use your legs to generate momentum, thus forcing your hips and lower back to work a bit harder. It’s vital to keep your lower back completely straight throughout the movement.

Shoulders

Iron cross hold: Take two kettlebells and lift them to your sides until your arms are parallel to the ground. Keep this position for as long as you can.

Halo around the head: Circle the kettlebell around your head while keeping it always at your eye/ear level.

Military press: Place both kettlebells on your shoulders and perform a regular military/shoulder press.

High pull: Grab a kettlebell by its horn. While engaging your shoulder muscles and trapezius pull the kettlebell up as high as you can.

Straight arm extensions (front): Raise the kettlebell in front of you while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Straight arm extensions (side): Raise the kettlebell to one side while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Straight arm extensions (back): Raise the kettlebell behind your back while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Shoulder press holding the kettlebell by its horn and the bell facing upwards: Perform a regular shoulder press while keeping the kettlebell’s bell portion facing up. This exercise will help to develop grip strength and coordination.

Kettlebell side press: While keeping your feet fairly wide, lean your upper body towards one side and perform an upwards facing pressing motion.

Kettlebell sots press: Place two kettlebells on your shoulders. Squat down and while staying at this position perform a regular shoulder press.

Core

Halo around waist: Keep your hands relaxed and fully extended. Swing the kettlebell around your waist while switching it from one hand to the other. Maintain a strong core all the way through the movement.

Figure eight between legs: Keep your feet quite wide with knees slightly bent. Swing the kettlebell between and around your legs like drawing a figure eight in the air. Remember to keep your abs tight and back straight.

Windmill lower arm: Keep your legs shoulder with apart and fully locked. Slowly lean towards the side in which you have the kettlebell. Remember to fully engage your core muscles.

Windmill upper arm: Very similar to the previous exercise. In order to make it more challenging you will hold the kettlebell in the arm that is facing up

Windmill both arms: Keep your legs shoulder with apart and fully locked. Slowly lean towards one side while keeping your core engaged and upper body fairly stiff and facing forward. The arm that is facing up should always be fully locked.

Turkish getup: Lie on the ground while holding a kettlebell in one hand. Bend your leg (the one on the same side where you have the kettlebell) and by driving your heel in the ground rotate your body towards the other side. Rise your body off the floor thus getting yourself into a bridge-like position. Slide a leg (the one from the side where you don’t have the kettlebell) underneath the bridge and place your knee on the ground. At this point lift up your supporting hand and stand up. Use the same steps in a reverse order to get back to the starting position.

Russian twist: Get into a crunch position with your knees slightly bent. Hold the kettlebell in front of your chest and slowly twist your torso from one side to the other.

Side leans: While standing with your feet shoulder with apart and holding a kettlebell in one hand, slowly lean to the other side without twisting your body forwards or backwards. Don’t overextend since it might cause an injury to your back.

Standing wood chippers/choppers: Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Keep the kettlebell in front of you in slightly bent arms. While keeping your arms and shoulders fairly stiff, start to rapidly move the kettlebell from your shoulder to hip (across your torso). The created momentum will really work on your core muscles.

Wood chippers/choppers with a squat: Very similar to the standing wood chipper/chopper. The only difference is that you will incorporate a squat within the movement, thus generating even more force and momentum.

Renegade row: Get into a regular plank position with one palm firmly placed on the ground and other on a kettlebell. While keeping a strong core and good posture lift the kettlebell up towards your chest and slowly back down.

Push-up renegade row to side press: Get yourself into a plank position with one hand placed on a kettlebell. Perform a regular push-up before going into a renegade row. When you are in the middle of the renegade row, twist your body slightly sideways and push the kettlebell up towards the ceiling. You will find yourself in a star plank position.

Kettlebell sit-ups: Perform a regular crunch while keeping a kettlebell in front of you.

Bear crawl: Get into a crawling position with a large kettlebell in each of your hands. Start to crawl around while keeping your lower back nice and straight.

Biceps

Your upper arm and elbows should be locked in one position. Keep your body steady and don’t swing your hips for extra momentum. The movement should happen only in your elbows.

Legs

Squat: Place one or two kettlebells on your shoulders and perform a regular squat.

Deep squat: Perform a regular deep squat while holding a kettlebell in front of you.

Overhead squat: Keep two kettlebells in fully extended arms while performing a regular deep squat. The aim is to keep both arms as straight as possible throughout the whole movement (most people won’t be able to maintain fully extended arms). This is a very demanding exercise, that’s why it’s important to start with a lower weight and remember to keep your back straight.

Squat to a press: Place the kettlebells on your shoulders. Slowly squat down, pause and lift yourself back up. When your legs are fully extended perform a regular shoulder press.

Farmers walk: Take to heavy kettlebells and walk around while keeping your back nice and tight. Depending on the weight of the keetlebells, your walk could be from twenty to hundreds of feet long.

Walking lunges: Similar to the farmers walk, but instead of just walking, perform a deep lunge on each of your steps.

Chest

Floor press: While lying on the floor perform a movement that is similar to a regular bench press. You can use a rather heavy weight, because you will be working in a shorter range of motion. Make the movement as fast and rapid as possible in order to simulate the motion of a punch.

Bench press: Perform a regular bench press, but instead of using a barbell or dumbbells, use two kettlebells.

Staggered push-ups: Perform a regular military push-up while keeping one hand on the ground and one hand on a kettlebell. This exercise will help to develop your chest muscles from different angles.

Push-ups on kettlebells: You can use two large kettlebells as push-up handles in order to perform a “deeper” push-up.

Diamond push-ups on a kettlebell: Place both pals on one kettlebell and perform a regular push-up. This exercise will develop your chest muscle strength and improve balance.

Alternating floor press: Lie down on the floor with a kettlebell in each of your hands. Alternately press the kettlebells up (like you would be doing a bench press).

Back

Bent over row: While keeping a straight back, bend over until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground. Keep your shoulders tucked back and slowly pull the kettlebells towards your chest/shoulders

Deadlift: While keeping your back straight, squat down until kettlebells touch the ground. Pause for a second and bring yourself back while maintaining a good posture.

Stiff leg deadlift: Keep your legs fully locked and back straight. With a good posture lean forward until your palms reach your knees. Don’t use an extremely heavy weight, since it will be very hard to maintain a straight lower back.

Kettlebell one legged dead-lift: Take one or two kettlebells in your hands. While balancing on one leg, squat down and lean forward until the kettlebell touches the floor. Pause for a second and stand back up. Remember that your lower back should be straight and fully engaged throughout the whole movement.

Triceps

Behind the head triceps extensions: Hold a kettlebell in an extended arm just above your head. Lower the kettlebell behind your head while keeping the upper part of the arm (the one attached to the shoulder) relatively straight. The movement should occur only in the elbow joint.