Muscle and strength: A Kettlebell Guide

Similar to dumbbells, kettlebells are an incredibly versatile, compact, and affordable piece of fitness equipment.

You can have fantastic muscle and strength-building workouts in the comfort of your home with nothing more than a few kettlebells.

For example, kettlebells are fantastic because they encourage unilateral work, help prevent muscle imbalances, and we can use them for heavy work, as well as metabolic conditioning.

Here are five unique, simple, and effective kettlebell-only workouts for mass and strength:

 

1. Chest, Shoulders, And Triceps Kettlebell Workout

The workout is straightforward. Do the prescribed number of repetitions, rest for a minute, and move to the following activity. Once you’re done, take two minutes of rest, and repeat the entire sequence. Do two to five rounds.

1. Floor chest press - 8 to 12 reps
2. Close-grip kettlebell push-up - 6 to 15 reps
3. Clean and press - 6 to 15 reps
4. Uneven kettlebell push-ups - 6 to 15 reps per side 
5. Overhead tricep extensions - 12 to 20 reps

 

2. Back, Biceps, And Traps Kettlebell Blaster

Similar to the previous workout, this one also follows the same structure. Work down the list, rest for two minutes, and repeat. Do a total of two to five rounds.

1. Renegade row - 8 to 15 reps
2. Suitcase row - 10 to 15 reps
3. Single-arm upright row - 12 to 20 reps
4. Single-arm kettlebell shrugs - 8 to 15 reps
5. Kettlebell bicep curls - 12 to 20 reps

 

3. Quad, Hamstring, Glute, And Calve Kettlebell Program

This workout also follows the same rules we discussed above to keep up the momentum from the previous two. Perform each repetition with a full range of motion and consciously work on activating the correct muscles.

Aim for two to four rounds:

1. Good morning - 6 to 10 reps
2. Romanian deadlift - 8 to 12 reps
3. Goblet squat - 6 to 12 reps
4. Glute bridge - 12 to 20 reps
5. Single-leg calf raise - 10 to 25 reps (per leg)

 

4. Full-Body Kettlebell Workout

If you want an all-in-one workout, the below one is for you. Thanks to its design, you get to train every major muscle group in your body. Unlike the previous workouts, the goal here is to do straight sets. In other words, do the prescribed sets and reps for an exercise, and move to the next one. Once you go down the list, you’re done.

Here goes:

1. Kettlebell push-ups - 3 sets of 6 to 15 reps
2. Bent-over kettlebell row - 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps
3. Kettlebell goblet squat - 3 sets of 6 to 20 reps
4. Standing overhead kettlebell press - 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps
5. Romanian deadlift - 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 20 reps
6. Kettlebell bicep curls - 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
7. Overhead tricep extensions - 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps
8. Kettlebell high pull - 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps

 

5. Whole-Body Metabolic Conditioning Kettlebell Workout

This workout is a bit different from the four we saw above, but it can be incredibly valuable for everyone who wants to get strong and muscular. You see, metabolic conditioning plays a vital role in our ability to do work, recover quickly between workouts, and progress.

To that end, adding this metabolic conditioning workout into your training can be incredibly beneficial.

Here are the exercises:

1. Swing - 30 to 60 seconds
2. Clean - 10 to 20 reps (per side)
3. Push-press - 10 to 20 reps (per side)
4. Snatch - 10 to 20 reps (per side)
5. Overhead squat - 12 to 25 reps

Perform each movement as outlined and rest for up to 15 seconds in-between. Once you finish all of them, rest for up to two minutes, and repeat two to four times.

Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking others:

• Dumbbell Exercises
• Dumbbell Chest Exercises