Conditioning, toning, strengthening— kettlebell exercises can do it all for you.
Thus, it is no surprise that kettlebells are the favorite full-body workout tools for most trainers. Available in several weights, you can start with the lightest kettlebells and go up as you advance.
It produces that slender, fit and athletic female body that looks awesome without the bulkiness that other kinds of weight training generate. Read Here: 5 Best Home Gyms of 2020
So, if you are planning to enhance your fitness level and get that enviable body, try these 20 best kettlebell exercises for women!
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Best Kettlebell Exercises For Women
1) Traditional Kettlebell Deadlift
A bilateral movement involving the use of both hands can challenge you to lift weights while stimulating several muscle groups at the same time, in this case, the core, back, and glutes.
- Standing, place a kettlebell between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold the handle with both hands. This is the deadlift position.
- Push your shoulders back and down while tightening your core and keeping your back flat.
- Lift the kettlebell up to stand straight. Keep your feet into the ground and make sure to squeeze your glutes.
- Put the kettlebell back to the ground, ensuring a straight spine.
2) Single-Hand Kettlebell Deadlift
From the bilateral movement of the traditional kettlebell deadlift, a unilateral movement with the single-hand kettlebell deadlift adds an anti-rotation component. It keeps the ore engaged and is great for building stability while preventing injuries.
- Standing, place a kettlebell between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold the handle with one hand.
- Extend the other arm in front or to the side and make a fist.
- Push your shoulders back and down while tightening your core and keeping your back flat.
- Lift the kettlebell up to stand straight. Keep your feet into the ground and make sure to squeeze your glutes.
- Put the kettlebell back to the ground, ensuring a straight spine.
- Complete 6 reps before switching hands or alternate hands every rep.
3) Sumo Kettlebell Deadlift
For this exercise, you will want to grab another kettlebell. It is a muscle-producing exercise that boosts the legs and glutes, allowing you to carry heavier items and prevent injury.
- Standing, place 2 kettlebells between your feet that are wider than hip-distance apart. Your toes should also be turned out to the sides slightly.
- Hold a handle with each hand.
- Push your shoulders back and down while tightening your core and keeping your back flat.
- Lift the kettlebell up to stand straight. Keep your feet into the ground and make sure to squeeze your glutes.
- Put the kettlebell back to the ground, ensuring a straight spine.
4) One-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift
This move works the entire posterior chain while challenging your balance. You need to move with total control and with stability.
- Standing with feet together, take a kettlebell with one hand.
- Now, lift the opposite knee at hip height.
- Kick your free leg out keeping your core tight and making a straight line from heel to head.
- To balance, keep a slight bend on your standing leg.
- Pull the back leg forward while engaging your thighs and glutes until your torso is in an upright position.
5) Kettlebell Goblet Clean
With this move, the kettlebell needs to move in one straight line, working your legs, thighs, glutes, arms, and core.
- Standing, place a kettlebell between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold the handle with both hands.
- Push your shoulders back and down while tightening your core and keeping your back flat.
- Lift the kettlebell up in a straight line up to your chest and holding the kettlebell at its horns.
- Keep your feet into the ground and make sure to squeeze your glutes.
- Put the kettlebell back to the ground, ensuring a straight spine.
6) Kettlebell Dead Clean
This move is pretty much like the single-hand kettlebell deadlift but challenges your arms, glutes, thighs, and core more.
- Standing, place a kettlebell between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold the handle with one hand.
- Extend the other arm in front or to the side and make a fist.
- Push your shoulders back and down while tightening your core and keeping your back flat.
- Lift the kettlebell up in a straight line up to your waist before you drive your elbow back and moving the kettlebell into a rack position.
- In order to prevent the kettlebell from knocking your wrists, make sure to keep the kettlebell close to the body.
- Put the kettlebell back to the ground, ensuring a straight spine.
Complete 6 reps before switching hands or alternate hands every rep.
7) Kettlebell Swing
This is one of the most popular ballistic kettlebell moves, starting with a solid hip hinge and working the core, glutes, legs, and arms.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart while the kettlebell is in a hike position.
- Hold the handle with both hands.
- Swing the kettlebell between your legs, ensuring that your glutes, core, and thighs are tight.
- From between your legs, power the kettlebell up to chest height while keeping your feet pressed into the ground.
- Continue swinging until 12 reps.
- Swing the kettlebell between legs before putting it back on the ground in the hike position.
8) Kettlebell Goblet Squat
This exercise is a great move that fires up your glutes and quads as well as engaging your core at the same time.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell at the horns with both hands, chest high. Your elbows need to be pointing down the ground.
- Sit back into your heels and push your butt down and back. Make sure to tighten your core and glutes.
- Push off your heels in order to go back to the starting position.
9) KettleBell Offset Squat
Another great kettlebell exercise that strengthens your glutes and core, a kettlebell offset squat also challenge your balance and stability.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- With one hand, hold the kettlebell in the rack position.
- Extend the other arm in front or to the side and make a fist.
- Sit back into your heels and push your butt down and back. Make sure to tighten your core and glutes.
- Push off your heels in order to go back to the starting position.
- Complete 6 reps before switching hands or alternate hands every rep.
10) Kettlebell Goblet Lunge
A move similar to the goblet squat, a kettlebell goblet lunge strengthens your glutes and legs.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell at the horns with both hands, chest high. Your elbows need to be pointing down the ground.
- Take a big step forward with your left leg, tapping your left knee to the ground and forming 2 90-degree angles with your back and front legs.
- Push back with your front foot to go back to the starting position.
Complete 6 reps before switching legs or alternate legs every rep
11) Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge
This is pretty much the same as the previous lunges, only here you will be taking a step backward, testing your balance and stability.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell at the horns with both hands, chest high. Your elbows need to be pointing down the ground.
- Take a big step backward with your left leg, tapping your left knee to the ground and forming 2 90-degree angles with your back and front legs.
- Push forward with your back foot to go back to starting position.
- Complete 6 reps before switching legs or alternate legs every rep.
12) Kettlebell Goblet March
This move challenges your grip and forearm strength as well as ensuring your balance and keeping your core engaged.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell at the horns with both hands, chest high. Your elbows need to be pointing down the ground.
- Lift your right leg off the ground and bending your knee until the height of your hip.
- Then, bring down your right leg.
- Alternate legs continue for 12 reps while standing tall and keeping your core tight.
13) Farmer’s Carry
Pretty much the same as the Goblet March, only this one mimics the act of carrying heavy grocery bags upstairs.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hands-on the side, with each holding a kettlebell down.
- Lift your right leg off the ground and bending your knee until the height of your hip.
- Then, bring down your right leg.
- Alternate legs and continue for 12 reps while standing tall and keeping your core tight.
14) Half-Kneeling Halos
A kettlebell exercise that challenges your arms and core, this one helps keep your torso stable. You need to do this one on a mat.
- Kneeling on the mat, hold a kettlebell with both hands around the horns to the chest and in a bottoms-up position.
- Rotate the kettlebell in a circle around your head to create a halo at eye level.
- Make sure to keep your abs tight, and shoulders are down.
- One circle is one rep.
15) Kettlebell Floor Press
With this exercise, you will need to maintain a flat back through the entire move in order to ensure that you are activating the right muscles.
- Standing, place 2 kettlebells between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold a handle with each hand in the squat position.
- Lift one kettlebell off the ground to your rib cage, keeping your back and shoulders back.
- Bring it back to the ground and lift the other kettlebell and bring it back down.
- That’s one rep.
16) Kettlebell Bent-Over Row
A more challenging version of the row, this one stimulates your back muscles in a very different way. It even has an anti-rotation element for your core while forcing you to maintain stability in a split stance.
- Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, take a step back with your right leg.
- Place the kettlebell next to your left foot and holding it with your left hand. Make sure to keep the weight on your front leg.
- Extend your right arm in front or to the side and make a fist.
- Row the kettlebell towards your rib. Make sure to maintain the proper form.
- Bring it back down to the ground.
- Complete at least 6 reps before you switch sides.
17) Kettlebell Figure 8
The Kettlebell Figure 8 is a great workout that targets a lot of muscle groups including the chest, quads, back, glutes, biceps, and abs.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Assume a half-sitting pose by bending your knees slightly. Make sure to keep your back straight, shoulders back and chest out.
- Hold the kettlebell with your right hand and passing it around outside of your right leg.
- Reaching the back of your right leg, pass the kettlebell to your left hand and passing around the outside of your left leg
- Reaching the back of your left leg, pass it to your right hand.
- You completed a figure 8 and that’s one rep.
18) Kettlebell Gorilla Row
With this exercise, you will need to maintain a flat back through the entire move in order to ensure that you are activating the right muscles.
- Standing, place 2 kettlebells between your feet that are hip-distance apart.
- Hold a handle with each hand in the squat position.
- Lift one kettlebell off the ground to your rib cage, keeping your back and shoulders back.
- Bring it back to the ground and lift the other kettlebell and bring it back down.
- That’s one rep.
19) Half Turkish Get-Up
The Turkish Get-up is a total-body kettlebell exercise that comprised a series of movements. The full Turkish get-up starts with you lying down and standing to your feet. However, this half variation makes it easier for women by rolling onto your free forearm while engaging your shoulders and abs.
- Lie on your back.
- Bend your left knee to the side with your foot flat on the floor.
- Extend the right hand to the side with your left hand straightly holding the kettlebell above your chest. This is the starting position.
- Roll onto your free forearm and pushing your left hand up,
- Pause then slowly lie back down on the floor. That’s one rep.
- Complete 3 reps before switching hands or alternate hands every rep.
20) Kettlebell Thrusters
Challenging your shoulders and legs, this power training move will get your heart pumping.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Hold a kettlebell, chest high, with your left hand in the rack position.
- Extend your right arm in front or to the side and make a fist.
- Do a squat.