KETTLEBELLS CAN BE INVALUABLE fitness tools for building strength and muscle—but not everyone understands exactly how best to do that from the first moment they heft one by the handle. The uniquely-shaped implements still aren’t as common as dumbbells and barbells in many gyms, and some kettlebell-specific moves require a bit more knowledge and mastery before you can add them to your training plan.
If you’re only just now dipping your toes into kettlebell training, you’ll be better served learning the basics than immediately attempting high-level movements. You can depend on trainer Jah Washington for a helpful intro the the best kettlebell exercises for beginners, which are all included in his new Kettlehell Vol. 2 training program, now available on All Out Studio through Men’s Health MVP Premium.
These are all exercises that will serve as the building blocks for your kettlebell workouts, including movements that target your legs, arms, and even your core. Give these exercises a try, following Washington’s guidance, before you progress on to more advanced maneuvers.
The Top 5 Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners
Kettlebell Deadlift
The deadlift is a staple exercise across training styles and equipment, in part because of the movement it reinforces: the hip hinge. “A lot of kettlebell training involves having a powerful hip hinge,” says Washington.
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, with the weight between your legs. Your knees should have a slight bend to start; squeeze your shoulder blades, core, and glutes to create tension.
- Push your butt back then hinge at the waist to reach down and grasp the handle with both hands.
- Stand straight up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Kettlebell Dead Clean
Kettlebell training can include exercises that develop power, like cleans and snatches—and you’ll get a good intro here with two hands on the bell before moving on to more demanding variations. “That’s gonna teach us about power and transferring load from the floor,” Washington says.
How to Do It:
- Start in the same position as the kettlebell deadlift, taking the same steps to grip the handle with both hands.
- From that position, stand up explosively, using that force to bring the weight up close to your body and up to about shoulder-height.
- As you raise the weight up, shift your grip on the handles so that you’re holding the bell by the horns (the parts of the bell that attach the handle to the weight) at the top.
Goblet Squat
What’s a workout program without a squat? This variation is extra accessible for beginners, since the anterior (front) position of the load helps to reinforce good posture and spinal stability. “We sit and we stand every day—we want to make sure that we’re functional,” says Washington.
How to Do It:
- Start holding the kettlebell by the horns in front of your chest with both hands. Squeeze your shoulder blades to create mid-back tension and engage your core to support the load.
- Push your butt back, then bend your knees to squat down as low as you comfortably can while maintaining the proper upright posture. Push your knees out and keep your core engaged; don’t rest your elbows on your knees.
- Press off the floor with both feet to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Overhead Press
This two-handed press introduces an important component of kettlebell training: overhead pressing.
How to Do It:
- Start holding the bell with both hands by the horns, with the weight at about chest height. Squeeze your shoulder blades, core, and glutes to create full-body tension.
- Raise your arms up straight overhead, lifting the weight straight up. Keep your core engaged to keep your ribs from flaring and your back from arching.
- Lower the weight back down to the start.
Kettlebell March
This exercise will introduce a new way to challenge your core muscles if you’re only used to situps, since you’re forced to brace to support the weight while moving your legs.
How to Do It:
- Start holding the kettlebell by the horns in front of your chest, as you did for the goblet squat. Squeeze your shoulder blades and abs to create tension—this core bracing is the key to this exercise.
- Start marching in place, fighting to keep the weight in place by maintaining tension.
You can find more kettlebell workouts from Washington through his new training program, Kettlehell Vol. 2, available only on All Out Studio for Men’s Health MVP Premium members.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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