20 Best Kettlebell Exercises of All Time

How to Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Grab a 20kg/44lb kettlebell and start with it between your legs, using a two-handed, overhand grip, to start. 
2. Look straight ahead. Keeping an arch in your lower back, bend your hips back until the kettlebell is between and behind your legs. 
3. Squeeze your glutes to extend your hips and swing the weight up. Your arms shouldn’t do the work. 
4. Let the weight swing back down between your legs as you bend your hips and slightly bend your knees. 
5. Extend your hips and knees to reverse the momentum. That’s 1 rep.  

How to Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Grab a 24kg/53lb kettlebell with a loose grip; your thumb should be pointing behind you and through your legs, to start. 
2. To clean the kettlebell, inhale, then drive through your hips and pull the bell up, swiveling the handle around your fingers into the locked position. Be careful not to curl the kettlebell or flip it so it crashes on your forearm (you shouldn’t have bruises from doing this exercise). 
3. The kettlebell should take a vertical path, not an arc, and it should be pulled up to shoulder-height. At the top of the movement, your shoulder should be pressed down (squeeze your armpit), triceps against your ribcage, and the kettlebell resting between your forearm and biceps (nearly in the crook of your elbow). Keep your abs and glutes engaged during the entire exercise. 
4. Exhale, then swivel or roll the kettlebell back down to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. 

How to Do It

1. Clean a 12 to 32kg kettlebell to your shoulder by driving through your hips and pulling the bell up, swiveling the handle around your fingers into the locked position, to start. Remember, it should take a vertical path and at the top of the movement your shoulder should be pressed down, triceps against your ribcage, with the kettlebell resting between your forearm and biceps.
2. From here, press the kettlebell up and out until it’s locked out overhead. 
3. Lower the kettlebell back to your shoulder, keeping the movement controlled. 
4. Make sure your glutes, abs, and lats are engaged for added stability. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Clean a 16kg/35lb kettlebell to your shoulder by driving through your hips and pulling the bell up, swiveling the handle around your fingers into the locked position, to start. Remember, it should take a vertical path and at the top of the movement your shoulder should be pressed down, triceps against your ribcage, with the kettlebell resting between your forearm and biceps.
2. Now, instead of immediately pressing the kettlebell, bend your knees, then drive through your heels (in essence, jumping) to press the kettlebell overhead. 
3. Extend your arm fully to lock out the kettlebell, using your body’s momentum, then lower the weight to your shoulder. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Clean a 24kg/53lb kettlebell to your shoulder by driving through your hips and pulling the bell up, swiveling the handle around your fingers into the locked position, to start. Remember, it should take a vertical path and at the top of the movement your shoulder should be pressed down, triceps against your ribcage, with the kettlebell resting between your forearm and biceps.
2. Bend your knees, then drive through your heels (essentially, jumping) to press the kettlebell overhead and lock your arm out.
3. Straighten your legs, then put a soft bend in knees to help absorb the weight of the kettlebell as you lower it to your shoulder. That’s 1 rep. 

How to Do It

1. Place a 16kg/35lb kettlebell between your feet. With one hand, grab the handle, then bend your knees and push your butt back, to start.
2. Look straight ahead and swing the kettlebell back between your legs, then immediately reverse the direction. 
3. Driving through your hips, quickly bring the kettlebell up. As the kettlebell accelerates and rises, rotate your hand (palms facing forward) and shoulder to punch straight up. 
4. Lock the weight overhead, then bring the kettlebell back down to the starting position between your legs. That’s 1 rep. Keep your reps continuous. 

How to Do a Double Kettlebell Snatch:

1.  Place two 12kg kettlebells behind your feet. Bend your knees and sit back to pick them up, one in each hand, to start.
2. Swing them behind your legs forcefully, then reverse the direction, driving through your hips to lock them overhead in one swift motion. 

How to Do It

1. Bring two 16kg/35lb kettlebells to your shoulders. Make sure to drive through your hips and rotate your hands/wrists so your palms face inward, to start. 
2. Looking straight ahead, squat as low as you can, pushing your knees out. 
3. Pause at the bottom of the motion, keeping your chest up and torso straight. 
4. Rise back up by driving through your heels. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and a 20kg/44lb kettlebell a foot in front of your feet, to start. 
2. Grab the bell by its horns, then hike it back between your legs (A).
3. Swing it up until it’s parallel with your face (B), then return it to the ground in between your feet. 
4. Engage glutes and hamstrings to deadlift the kettlebell. Return it to the ground. That’s 1 rep. 

How to Do It

1. Clean a 12 to 32kg kettlebell to your shoulder by driving through your hips and pulling the bell up, swiveling the handle around your fingers into the locked position, to start. Remember, it should take a vertical path and at the top of the movement your shoulder should be pressed down, triceps against your ribcage, with the kettlebell resting between your forearm and biceps.
2. Press the kettlebell overhead. Your wrist should face forward as you lock out your arm. Now, looking straight ahead, bend your knees and start to sink down into a squat as you extend your free arm out for counterbalance. 
3. Note: You may also hold the kettlebell in both hands above your head, but make sure your head and chest stay up as you descend. 
4. Pause at the bottom of the movement before rising back to the starting position, driving through your heels. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet closer than hip-width apart, knees soft, core engaged, holding a 16kg/35lb kettlebell upside down by your sternum, to start. 
2. Halo the kettlebell by rotating it counter-clockwise around your head and returning it just in front of your sternum. 
3. Lunge right, sitting hips back and extending left leg.
4. Press through right leg to stand. That’s 1 rep. 

How to Do It

1. Lying on your back, grab a 8kg/18lb kettlebell with your right hand, and lift and lock your arm, to start. 
2. Bend your right knee, and keep your left leg straight out on the ground. 
3. Then, pushing off your right foot, roll onto your left hip and come up onto your left elbow. Push up onto your left hand, and bring your back off the ground. 
4. Next, thread your left leg back into a kneeling position. Your right arm should still be locked out. 
5. From this kneeling position, take a deep breath, tighten your core, and lunge forward to a standing position. Reverse the process to come back down to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. 

How to Do It

1. Put two 16kg/35lb kettlebells on the ground shoulder-width apart, to start.
2. Place your hands on the horns of the kettlebells and come into the top of a pushup, wrists stacked directly under shoulders.
3. Lower into a pushup and stop once your upper arm is parallel to the floor. Push through kettlebells and extend arms to rise up.
4. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a 16kg/35lb kettlebell between your feet, to start. 
2. Grab the kettlebell with your right hand, then hinge at your hips and hike the bell back (A). Extend through hips to perform a one-arm swing. 
3. Immediately do another swing, but when it’s at shoulder height, catch the kettlebell in the front rack position. 
4. Drop the bell, hinge back, and swing for a third time. At the top, catch it overhead so arm is straight up and wrist faces out (B). 
5. Drop the kettlebell to the front rack position, then to the floor.
6. That’s 1 rep. Switch sides on each rep.

How to Do It

1. Hold a 12kg/26lb kettlebell in both hands, placing either hand on the horns where the bell meets the handle, to start.
2. Lower yourself into a squat, then explode up and jump off your toes. 
3. Land softly back into a squat, making sure not to put too much force on your knees.
4. That’s 1 rep. Move continuously into each rep.

How to Do It

1. Hold a 12 to 32kg kettlebell by the handle in your right hand, to start.
2. Shift your weight into your left leg, then elevate your right leg off the floor.
3. Engage glutes and core as you extend your right leg behind you and lower the kettlebell toward the floor. Keep the motion slow and controlled for balance (you shouldn’t use momentum). 
4. Continue lowering until your chest is parallel to the ground, then return to the upright position. 
5. That’s 1 rep. Perform all reps on one side, then switch.

How to Do It

1. Start at the top of a split-squat position, left foot in front, right toes tucked, holding a 20kg/44lb kettlebell in your right hand, to start. 
2. Keeping core strong and shoulders back, engage quads and slowly lower back knee toward the ground.
3. Explode up through front leg.
4. That’s 1 rep. Perform all reps on one side, then switch.

How to Do It

1. Hold a 12 to 32kg kettlebell upside-down by the bell with feet shoulder-width apart, to start.
2. Keeping the kettlebell close to your chest and elbows pointing down, lower your body into a squat for a count of three. 
3. Push your knees out and allow your elbows to brush against the inside of your knees to reach the full range of motion. 
4. Explosively drive through heels to stand. 
5. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Hold a 24kg/53lb kettlebell upside-down by the horns, with feet shoulder-width apart, to start.
2. Step back with left foot into a reverse lunge, toes tucked. 
3. Tap your knee to the ground, then drive through front leg to stand.
4. Halo the kettlebell counterclockwise around your head, keeping the weight close to your body. 
5. Repeat on the right side, rotating kettlebell clockwise. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Start in a pushup position with a 24kg/53lb kettlebell under each hand, holding onto the handles to support your weight. Your feet should assume a wider-than-normal stance to keep balance, to start. 
2. Row one kettlebell toward your ribs. You should feel your shoulder retracting and your elbow flexing as the kettlebell comes to the top position, close to your side. 
3. Lower the kettlebell, then row the opposite kettlebell to your side. Fight the urge to rotate through your hips and torso.
4. That’s 1 rep.

How to Do It

1. Start by cleaning a 4kg/6lb kettlebell to your chest (the bottom part of the kettlebell should rest outside your forearm), to start. 
2. Now, press, push press, or jerk the kettlebell to get it overhead. Lock out your arm so the kettlebell is aligned with your wrist, shoulder, and hip, so the major muscles in your back are supporting the weight. 
3. If the kettlebell is in your right hand, position your feet away from the weight (left), keep your rear leg (right leg) straight, and point the hip out. 
4. Begin trailing your empty hand down the inside of your left leg. 
5. Inhale, and fold your body laterally and slightly forward (push your rear hip out). 
6. Try to touch the fingers of your empty hand to the ground. 
7. Exhale and stand straight up—always keeping your eyes on the kettlebell. That’s 1 rep.
8. As you get comfortable with the range-of-motion (touching your fingers to the floor), work on touching your palm to the floor.