Kettlebells are effective strength-training weights for working your entire body. Just ask two trainers we previously spoke to. Vincent Metzo, CSCS, dean of advanced personal training at the Swedish Institute of Health Sciences and the director of education for Kettlebell Concepts [1] in New York City, told POPSUGAR that the majority of kettlebell exercises are total-body moves [2]. But he also said that they're great for training the abs in general because you have to stabilise your core during exercises like kettlebell swings and kettlebell carries.
"Big picture: your core will never stop working when using kettlebells, no matter what the movement," Lacee Lazoff [3], a NASM-certified personal trainer specialising in kettlebells, told us in that same previous interview. The best thing about a kettlebell is that you only need one of them, depending on what your workout entails. What's more, there are plenty of workouts to choose from.
You could try this 16-minute sweat session targeting your arms, glutes, and abs [4], or this one from certified trainer Alexia Clark [5]. We've provided more trainer-led, easy-to-follow videos ahead that will get your heart pumping, wake up your muscles, and bring the challenge to your home or gym workout. Grab a kettlebell — here's a refresher on how to choose the right weight [6] — and let's get to work!
10-Minute Butt Kettlebell Workout With Sydney Cummings
This booty workout from NASM-certified personal trainer Sydney Cummings is just 10 minutes and features moves like kettlebell swings, split squats, and good mornings [8]. You'll be doing two rounds of five moves total, and each interval is 45 seconds with 15 seconds of rest.
36-Minute Full-Body HIIT Kettlebell Workout With Heather Robertson
After a warmup, trainer Heather Robertson's workout consists of 10 different kettlebell exercises. Each circuit is 40 seconds long followed by 20 seconds of rest, and you'll be moving through the 10 exercises all the way through before repeating two more rounds. You'll start with a move called "swing and switch" and end with one called "swing and squat."
25-Minute Intro to Kettlebell Workout With Class FitSugar
If you're new to kettlebells, this tutorial and workout from trainer Paul Katami [9] is for you. You'll do warmup moves, go through different holds, and learn about swings and cleans. He's very mindful about your wrists and teaches you proper form so that you don't bang them up on the kettlebell.
30-Minute HIIT Kettlebell Workout With Hasfit
Like many HIIT workouts, this half-hour session from Hasfit doesn't focus on a specific number of reps — you'll be doing as many reps as you can of each exercise in the allotted interval time. You'll be shown how to do the more advanced moves as well as how to make modifications to those exercises. For example, to modify Russian twists, you'd rest your feet on the ground.
30-Minute Total-Body Kettlebell Workout With Sydney Cummings
This time, Sydney brings us a 30-minute total-body workout using a medium-weight kettlebell (she uses a 13-pound weight). Get ready for single-arm swings, shoulder presses, front rack lunges, a straight-arm pullover with a glute bridge, and more.
10-Minute Total-Body Kettlebell Workout With Amy Kiser Schemper
Amy Kiser Schemper of BodyFit By Amy brings us a quick kettlebell workout that starts with a progression. So, goblet squats will turn into goblet squat curls, and then you'll add a shoulder press at the top. Next, you'll do moves like lunge and row, windmills, and tricep extensions.
20-Minute Kettlebell Workout With Class FitSugar
This 20-minute workout from Class FitSugar is led by Trainer Yumi Lee, co-owner of Reebok CrossFit Lab. There are five moves: kettlebell deadlifts, goblet squats, Russian swings, around-the-worlds, and American swings. The difference between a Russian and an American swing is that in the former you're only swinging to eye-level, whereas in the latter you're swinging above head.
20-Minute Full-Body Kettlebell Workout With Heather Robertson
Heather is back with a 20-minute full-body kettlebell workout. The purpose? To help you build strength and stability with exercises such as swing and switch, lunge and press, v-sit twists, and more. Plus, the music makes you want to move!
10-Minute Standing Abs Kettlebell Workout With Amy Kiser Schemper
This standing ab routine from Amy uses a single kettlebell and involves absolutely no crunches or planks. You'll go through around-the-worlds, windmills, standing crunches, and more. No exercise mat required!
