Kettlebells are a unique and versatile piece of fitness equipment, instantly recognisable by their distinctive shape – a rounded weight with a flat base and a sturdy handle on top. Often described as looking like a cannonball with a handle, kettlebells are typically made from cast iron or cast steel and come in a range of weights to suit different fitness levels.
Unlike traditional dumbbells, kettlebells are designed to be used in dynamic, flowing movements that challenge multiple aspects of fitness at once. They’re particularly effective for building strength, improving flexibility, and boosting cardiovascular endurance – all within the same workout.
Kettlebell training has its origins in 18th-century Russia, where they were originally used to weigh crops. Farmers and labourers began swinging them around for fun and soon realised their physical benefits. Over time, kettlebells were adopted by the Russian military and strength athletes, and eventually became a popular tool for general fitness across the world. Traditionally, their weight was measured in poods, a Russian unit of measurement, with one pood equivalent to approximately 16 kilograms.
Today, kettlebells are widely used in both gym and home workouts. They’re ideal for functional training, helping to improve real-world strength and stability. Many exercises involve swinging, lifting, and pressing the kettlebell, which requires not just muscular strength but also control, coordination, and balance. Because of this, kettlebell training often engages your entire body, with a particular focus on your core.
Whether you’re performing kettlebell swings, goblet squats, Turkish get-ups or snatches, this compact tool can deliver a challenging, full-body workout that improves power, endurance, and mobility. With just one kettlebell, you can unlock an entire range of effective and efficient exercises – making it a smart addition to any training routine.
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Why use kettlebells?
It is possible to carry out a huge variation of exercises using kettlebells, which is what helps make them so popular and effective pieces of equipment.
When using a kettlebell you simply hold the handle, and because its centre of mass is extended beyond your hand, it recruits more muscles to stabilise your body as you complete movements. This can therefore provide more benefits than exercises using dumbbells and barbells, which don’t trigger your core and stabiliser muscles.
What exercises can I do with a kettlebell?
There are a huge number of exercises which you can complete using a kettlebell (or two), helping to reduce the likelihood of boredom setting in. The following are just some of the most common and straightforward exercises:
Swing:
Hold the kettlebell between your legs, with both hands, and swing it upwards, until it is level with your stomach. Sometimes referred to as the Russian swing.
American swing:
Hold the kettlebell between your legs and swing it all the way up above your head, with your arms extended straight above your head.
High pull:
This is similar to the Swing but slightly higher, and the kettlebell is pulled up in line with the shoulders once you reach the top of the swing.
Snatch:
This is the same as the American swing, but using just one hand rather than two.
Renegade row:
Place two kettlebells close together on the floor. Assume the press up position, with your hands holding the handles of the kettlebells rather than being placed on the floor. With your body in a straight line, at an angle approximately 45 degrees to the floor, lift one kettlebell up to the side of your chest, as if you were rowing. Complete repetitions with one arm, then the other.
Strict press:
Using one hand, hold a kettlebell up against your chest with your arm bent at the elbow. This position is called the rack position. You then extend your arm upwards and hold the kettlebell above your head, before returning it to the start position.
