Out of all the free weights to favor, the humble kettlebell would get my vote every time. Shaped like a teapot without the spout, these types of free weights might look seemingly unassuming, but these pieces of fit kit pack a punch no matter whether you’re at home or in the gym.
Available in a wide range of weights, along with helping to improve full-body strength, power, and endurance, shifting some of the best kettlebells can also help supercharge your cardiovascular fitness and functional fitness, too.
To help you make the most of this extremely versatile strength training tool, Peloton instructor and strength training specialist Andy Speer, who is a NASM-certified personal trainer, has compiled a five-move kettlebell workout exclusive to Tom’s Guide. Featuring many of the best kettlebell exercises, like a kettlebell swing and a kettlebell clean and press, this 20-minute workout will help fire up every muscle in your body, boost your grip strength, and improve your full-body stability.
How to do the five-move full-body kettlebell workout
This five-move workout is a brilliant example of unilateral training, in that it works one arm (or side of the body) at a time, rather than simultaneously. One of the benefits of doing so is that this type of training can help correct muscle imbalances as you’ll be working both sides of your body equally, rather than your ‘stronger’ or more dominant side picking up the slack.
Speer recommends completing 5-6 reps per side for each of the five moves and completing 3-4 rounds in total, depending on your current level of fitness.
After you have completed the move with your right arm, Speer advises setting the bell down and resting for 30 seconds before repeating the exercise with your left arm. After you’ve completed the exercise on both sides, rest for a further 30-60 seconds before moving onto the next move.
Knowing what weight to pick can prove the hardest challenge. But Speer suggests picking a weight that is challenging (but manageable) for your shoulder presses. “This is your limiting factor move,” the trainer notes.
After you’ve warmed up, you’re good to get going.
1. Single Arm Swing
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Reps: 5-6
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the floor in the middle between your legs, slightly in front of your toes. This is the park position. Hold onto the bell with your right hand. Find tension in your lats.
- Hike the bell back between your legs, making sure not to lift your hips and keeping your back flat.
- Push down into the ground through your feet, stand tall and let the bell swing up to chest height
- Repeat for 5-6 reps and park the bell on the last rep.
- Rest for 30 seconds before repeating on your left side.
2. Single Arm Clean
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Reps: 5-6
- Find tension in your lats from the park position. Hold onto the bell with your right hand.
- Hike the bell back between your legs, making sure not to lift your hips.
- Push down into the ground through your feet, stand tall, keeping your elbow glued to your rib cage.
- Guide the bell up to rest on your forearm, with the elbow tucked into your body. This is the rack position.
- Repeat for 5-6 reps and park the bell on the last rep.
- Rest for 30 seconds before repeating on your left side.
3. Single Arm Press
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Reps: 5-6
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell in your right hand in the rack position. Create some tension in your glutes and core for torso stability.
- Press (or lift) the bell straight up, into a locked-out overhead position.
- Repeat for 5-6 reps and park the bell on the last rep.
- Rest for 30 seconds before repeating on your left side.
4. Single Arm Racked Lunge
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Reps: 5-6
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell in your right hand in the rack position. Engage your glutes and brace your core.
- Step your right leg forward and lower your body to the ground until both legs are at a 90-degree angle.
- The front knee should be over the front ankle, and your back knee should be underneath your hip.
- Press back from the front foot into your starting position.
- Repeat for 5-6 reps and park the bell on the last rep.
- Rest for 30 seconds before repeating on your left side.
5. Single Arm Row
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Reps: 5-6
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then take a slightly larger step than normal forward with your left foot. This is your split stance position. Now hinge your torso to a 45-degree angle.
- Hold onto the bell in your right hand and pull it upwards from the side of your knee to the side of your ribcage. Maintain upper body posture.
- Repeat for 5-6 reps and park the bell on the last rep.
- Rest for 30 seconds before repeating on your left side.
How effective are kettlebell workouts?
The question we all want to know the answer to! “Kettlebell workouts can be very effective for strength and metabolic work in a short amount of time,” Speers says. “The ability to transition smoothly between exercises without setting the bell down can add a metabolic element to your strength work or be incredibly effective for a metabolic conditioning workout. This can be seen, and felt, in the complex workout above.”
By way of design, kettlebells also require dynamic grip control during your cleans and snatches. Therefore, “They add another tool to your toolbox that is challenging and different from dumbbell and barbell training,” Speer adds.
Plus, according to research by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, biweekly kettlebell training can improve maximum and explosive strength, which could help with sprinting or jumping. While research published in the Journal of Human Kinetics concluded that kettlebells may prove to be a more affordable and accessible answer to improving both cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength from home.
