15 Kettlebell Workouts That Will Only Take 4 Weeks To Change Your Body

Dec 18, 2018

Even if you are just a beginner in the fitness lifestyle, chances are that you have come across kettlebells. Although they might appear similar to dumbbells, kettlebells are designed to work your muscles differently. Dumbbells are typically used to work specific muscles while kettlebells work entire muscle groups at the same time.

Kettlebell exercises, therefore, require you to activate even more muscles to retain your stability and perform the exercise right. While the dumbbell might work a muscle’s appearance, kettlebells work to enhance your athleticism. Through a combination of cardio and strength training, the following kettlebell exercises will change your body in as little as four weeks.

Areas Worked: Legs, hips, glutes, back, and shoulders

When performing this movement, the important thing to remember is that it should be powered by your hips instead of your arms. Also, use a kettlebell that is neither too light or too heavy.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
• Grab a kettlebell with both hands.
• Lower your body by moving your hips back and slightly bending your knees. However, do not go too low as you are not squatting.
• Explosively jerk your hips forward and use that momentum to propel the kettlebell up.

Areas Worked: Legs, glutes, back, arms, and shoulders

The key consideration here is to ensure that you are feeling most of the effects of the exercise on your glutes and not in the legs.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet at more than shoulder width apart with your toes pointed at 45 degrees outwards.
• Hold the kettlebell in front of you with both hands.
• With your back straight and facing straight ahead, start squatting.
• As you perform the squat, do not lean forward.
• Get as low as you can without compromising your technique then contract your glutes to aid you in the movement back towards the starting position.

Areas Worked: Triceps

In this exercise, keep your elbows as close to your head as you can to allow for maximum triceps activation. Also, keep your knees lose if you are going to perform the exercise standing.

How to do it:

• Sit or stand in an upright posture.
• Hold a kettlebell with both hands and raise it overhead with your elbows pointing forward.
• Bend your elbows to bring the kettlebell behind your head and pause for three seconds.
• Contract your triceps to bring the kettlebell back overhead.

Areas Worked: Glutes, Legs, and Back

Ensure that most of your effort comes from the legs and glutes.

How to do it:

• Stand up straight with kettlebell held close to your chest and elbows close to the body.
• Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• Push your hips back to perform a squat. Ensure to keep your back straight and core engaged.

Areas Worked: Core

How to do it: 

• Sit on the floor with your feet bent.
• Hold a kettlebell close to your chest.
• Lean back at a 45-degree angle and rotate your torso from left to right while holding the kettlebell close to your chest.

Areas Worked: hips, legs, glutes, back, and shoulders.

This is similar to the 2-arm swing but only using on arm this time. Follow the same technique while switching hands between reps.

Areas Worked: Back, arms, core, shoulders.

How to do it:

• Grab a kettlebell in each hand and start walking slowly with small steps.
• Ensure that your back and neck are straight, your core is tight, and your shoulders are slightly back while looking straight ahead.
• Make 10 to 12 steps, then go back to the starting point.
• Perform ten reps of these.

Areas Worked: Core, glutes, legs, back, arms, and shoulders

This exercise can be done using one or two kettlebells.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Place a kettlebell in front of your toes.
• Push your hips back to lower your body and grab the kettlebell.
• Snap your hips forward to give you the momentum to lift the kettlebell up.
• Keep the kettlebell close to your body, and once it reaches chest level, twist your arm so that the kettlebell lies on the outside of your arm.
• Go back to starting position and do ten repetitions for each hand.

This is an advanced exercise and needs professional oversight to get it right.

Areas Worked: Back, arms, abs, shoulders.

How to do it:

• Place your right knee on a bench then bend over and place your right hand on it as well.
• Hold a kettlebell using your free hand.
• With your elbow close to the body, raise the kettlebell by driving your elbow upwards.
• Return to starting position and perform 12 repetitions before switching hands.

Areas Worked: legs, glutes, core, back, shoulders.

How to do it:

• Hold a kettlebell in front of your chest using one arm.
• Lunge using the opposite leg while simultaneously driving the kettlebell up.
• Perform 10 reps before switching arms.

Areas worked: Back, core, arms

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your body to a quarter squat position.
• Hold a kettlebell with your right hand and swing it around the right leg, starting from the outside.
• As the kettlebell gets between your legs, pass it to the left hand and swing it around the left leg.
• Ensure your upper body remains stationary while performing these moves.
• Do 15 to 20 reps.

Areas Worked: Core, arms, and chest

How to do it:

• Lie on the floor with bent knees.
• Hold a kettlebell with one hand, palm facing in.
• Push it straight up, rotating your wrist in the process so that it faces your feet.
• Return to the initial position.
• Repeat 10 times before switching arms.

Areas Worked: Core, arms, back

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding a kettlebell in one hand.
• Swing it behind your back and grab it with the other hand to bring it to the front of your body.
• Repeat 10 times before changing directions.

Areas Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, back, arms, and abs

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder with apart a kettlebell between your legs.
• Squat and grab the kettlebell.
• Brace your abs to keep your back straight and pull the kettlebell off the floor.
• Put it down and repeat 10 times.

Areas Worked: shoulders, back, and arms

How to do it:

• Grab 2 kettlebells and hold them near your shoulders.
• Ensure your palms are facing in and elbows close to the body.
• Engage your core and press the kettlebells up.
• Rotate your wrists so they are facing the front at the top of the press.
• Return to starting position and repeat for up to 12 reps.

Kettlebells are an excellent way of working multiple muscle groups without using a stiff bar. Kettlebells are dynamic to allow your body to work harder to maintain stability. This results in a workout that burns fat, builds muscle and enhances athleticism. Perform these exercise consistently for at least four days a week and you can see huge results within the first month.

Have you ever tried kettlebells for fat loss and strength building? Try out these techniques and let us know what you think in the comments! Don't forget to pass this along to your workout buddies.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!