By Ryan Williams, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, B.A. Health and Fitness

Kettlebell workouts are one of my favorite methods of exercise.  They are such a simple tool, a steel ball with a handle; yet, they are very versatile and can offer a variety of benefits.  With small tweaks in movements and reps you can build strength, increase endurance, or help blast calories to lose fat.  This post is going to focus on my five favorite movements to build total body strength.  Before we dive into the fun stuff, a disclaimer on bells. With the bell being such a unique tool, I highly encourage talking to a Personal Trainer for a full tutorial on form to make sure you stay safe. To really focus on building strength, keep the rep ranges lower (4-8 per set) and the weight higher. A general rule of thumb for strength building is 3-6 sets of 4-8 repetitions.

Goblet squat– Holding a bell to your chest with feet at outer hip width, sit back and down into a squat until thighs are parallel to ground.  Press heels to the ground, squeeze glutes and exhale to stand.  Keep the weight tight to your chest throughout and your core engaged to keep chest upright.

• Why it’s great- Squats are a great way to strengthen the lower body.  By holding a kettlebell to your chest, you will also build a ton of core strength to help maintain proper posture.  Not to mention some extra arm work to hold the bell.

Single arm press– Hold the bell in the front rack position (bell resting on forearm, wrist straight, thumb to sternum and core tight with good posture).  Keeping your core tight to avoid any arching of the back, press the bell overhead with a slight turn of your palm so it faces forward at the top.  Keep your shoulder pulled down and away from your ear throughout the movement.  Make sure to control the movement back into the rack position then complete the next rep.

• Why it’s great- the small rotation of the hand as you press overhead sets your shoulder in a more stable and safe position which is hard to do with weights other than kettlebells.  You also build overhead strength, which is great for overall posture and longevity of your shoulder joint as well.

KB deadlift– Address the bell with feet outer hip width and a slight bend in your knees.  Hinge your hips back while maintaining a flat back until you can grab the bell.  Brace your core to maintain a straight spine and press your heels into the ground while squeezing your glutes to stand.  Repeat the movement while focusing on the hinge of your hips without bending your knees further.

• Why it’s great- deadlifts target the entire posterior chain, from your ankles to your skull.  Your posterior chain focuses on extension of the hip and the hinging movement. Both are key in maintaining posture and proper movement patterns as a whole.  Kettlebell deadlifts allow for more freedom of movement than using a bar bell or dumbbells and are safer because of it.

KB swings– (Additional disclaimer- kettlebell swings are very much a skill with a lot of intricacies.  Please talk to a Persians Trainer if you have questions on form.)  Approach a bell sitting at least a foot in front of your feet with your feet shoulder width apart and toes slightly pointed out. Grab the bell with both hands and a bend in your knees.  Brace your core and ‘hike’ the bell like a football between your legs.  As it travels behind you, hinge your hips and explode forward.  Let the bell travel up to chest height with your arms straight.  As it lowers, wait until the bell pulls your torso down and hinge at the hips.  When it is between your legs, repeat the explosion forward for rep #2.

• Why it’s great- kettlebell swings are known as the ‘king’ of kettlebell movements.  Similar to the deadlift, it focuses on the entire posterior chain but in a dynamic fashion.  It is a great exercise to not only build strength, but power and endurance too.

Farmer carry/Suitcase carry– Depending on if you have 2 bells of the same weight, perform either the farmer carry (with 2 bells) or the suitcase carry (with one bell).  Make sure to pick up bells with a good deadlift.  Holding weight to sides, stand tall with good posture, shoulders back and core engaged.  Walk with an even and controlled gait for 1 minute on Farmer carry and 1 minute on each side for Suitcase carry.  Avoid any leaning 1 way or the other, especially with suitcase carry.

• Why it’s great- a carry movement like this will engage most every muscle in the body.  It is a great total body strength builder as well as a metabolic booster.  Building functional core strength, like this, is key to maintaining good posture and good skeletal health.