It’s no secret that kettlebells can help you get a great workout. The way the weights are shaped makes them ideal for dynamic movements—you can grab onto the handle of a kettlebell and easily twist and swing it without having to readjust your grip—and they come in so many different sizes that you can find one that works for any type of exercise. Kettlebells are useful for building strength and muscle and training power, and depending on how you use them, they can also give you a great cardio workout.
Basically, if you aren’t already using kettlebells in your workouts, it’s worth giving them a chance. To get started, try adding the upper-body kettlebell exercises below to your routine. Most of them are great kettlebell moves for beginners and pros alike that can help you build core and overhead stability and strength so that you can safely do more advanced moves down the road, Ava Fagin, kettlebell-certified personal trainer and functional strength coach at Body Space Fitness in New York City, tells SELF.
A fun bonus: Many of these upper-body kettlebell exercises work other areas of the body simultaneously. “The great part about kettlebells is that sometimes performing just one exercise gives you a total-body workout,” says Fagin. “Most kettlebell exercises are multijoint movements, meaning multiple joints are moving at one time to complete the exercise.” For example, the kettlebell halo below is definitely an arms exercise, but it’s also great for your core. So are the single-arm versions of moves like a push-press and bent-over row. Conversely, many lower-body-focused moves that aren’t on this list, like kettlebell swings, do require some upper-body strength and stability, Fagin says.
Fagin recommends doing the exercises below with light kettlebells at first, which will be easier to handle. That way, you can really nail the form, first and foremost. “As you become comfortable with the kettlebell movements and form in a lighter weight, you’ll feel more comfortable going up in weight.” And if you’re doing these exercises regularly, you’ll notice yourself getting stronger too.
Ready to change up your upper-body routine? Try out the kettlebell exercises below. To create a full upper-body workout, pick three or four exercises you like best and do them in a circuit—try doing 5 to 10 reps of each and then repeating the whole thing two or three times.
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Katie Thompson1 Kettlebell Overhead Press
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Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a kettlebell in each hand and rest them at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward and your elbows bent. The bells should hang back against your forearms. This is the starting position.
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Press the weights overhead, straightening your elbows completely. Make sure to keep your core engaged and hips tucked to avoid arching your lower back as you lift your arms.
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Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weights back down to the starting position. This is one rep.
Targets the deltoids, triceps, and traps.
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Katie Thompson2 Kettlebell Halo
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Start standing with your feet about hip-width apart and holding a kettlebell up at your chest with both hands gripping the handle.
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Lift the weight to eye level and slowly circle it around your head counterclockwise, making a halo. As you move the weight around your head, maintain a tight core, and keep your elbows close to your body to engage your triceps.
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Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
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Then repeat in the opposite direction. This is one rep.
Targets the deltoids, pecs, triceps, and core.
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Katie Thompson3 Kettlebell Push Press
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Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold a kettlebell in each hand and rest them at your shoulders with your palms facing out and up and the weight hanging against the back of your forearms. Your elbows should be bent and pointed.
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Bend your knees slightly, and then in one explosive movement, push the weight overhead and straighten both of your legs simultaneously.
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Slowly lower the weights back to shoulder height while bending both knees to complete one rep.
Targets the deltoids, triceps, traps, quads, and glutes.
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Katie Thompson4 Kettlebell Single-Arm Push Press
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Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold a kettlebell in one hand and rest it on your shoulder with your palm facing out and up and the weight hanging against the back of your forearm. Your elbow should be bent and pointed toward the floor. Relax your other arm by your side.
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Bend your knees slightly, and then in one explosive movement, push the weight overhead and straighten both of your legs simultaneously.
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Slowly lower the weight back to chest height while bending both knees to complete one rep.
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Do all your reps with one arm, and then repeat on the other side.
Targets the deltoids, triceps, traps, quads, and glutes.
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Katie Thompson5 Kettlebell Renegade Row
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Start in a high plank with a kettlebell on the floor next to your right hand, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you and your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart (it’ll help with stability), and your core and glutes engaged.
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Grip the kettlebell by the handle with your right hand.
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Pull your right elbow back to do a row, raising the kettlebell toward your chest and keeping your elbow close to your body. Your elbow should go past your back as you bring the weight toward your chest.
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Keep your abs and butt tight to prevent your hips from rocking.
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Lower the weight back to the floor. This is one rep.
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Do all your reps with one arm, and then repeat on the other side.
Targets the deltoids, latissimus dorsi, triceps, biceps, and core.
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Katie Thompson6 Kettlebell Chest Press
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Lie face up with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a kettlebell in each hand by the handle with an underhand grip, your palms facing each other. The bells should hang against your forearms.
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Press the weights toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely at the top and keeping your shoulder blades flat on the floor. Pause here for a second.
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Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weights back down until your elbows are touching the floor. This is one rep.
Targets the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, triceps, and deltoids.
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Katie Thompson7 Kettlebell Single-Arm Chest Press
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Lie face up with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a kettlebell in one hand by the handle with an underhand grip, your palm facing in. The bell should hang against your forearm. Relax the other arm on the floor by your side.
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Press the weight toward the ceiling, straightening your elbow completely at the top and keeping your shoulder blades flat on the floor. Pause here for a second.
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Slowly bend your elbow to lower the weight back down until your elbow is touching the floor. This is one rep.
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Do all your reps with one arm, and then repeat on the other side.
Targets the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, triceps, and deltoids.
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Katie Thompson8 Kettlebell Bent-Over Row
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand by the handle with your arms at your sides.
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With your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and bend your knees slightly, so that your back is no lower than parallel to the floor. (Depending on your hamstring flexibility, you may not be able to bend so far over, which is fine.) Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your neck in a neutral, comfortable position.
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Do a row by pulling the weights toward your chest, keeping your elbows hugged close to your body. Your elbows should go past your back as you bring the weights toward your chest.
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Pause here, squeezing your shoulder blades, and then slowly lower the weights by extending your arms toward the floor. That’s one rep.
Targets the latissimus dorsi, deltoids, triceps, biceps, and core.
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Katie Thompson9 Kettlebell Single-Arm Bent-Over Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand by the handle with your other hand resting on your hip or thigh.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and bend your knees slightly, so that your back is no lower than parallel to the floor. (Depending on your hamstring flexibility, you may not be able to bend so far over, which is fine.) Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
- Do a row by pulling the weight up toward your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to your body. Your elbow should go past your back as you bring the weight toward your chest.
- Pause here, squeezing your shoulder blades, and then slowly lower the weight by extending your arm toward the floor. That’s one rep.
- Do all your reps with one arm, and then repeat on the other side.
Targets the latissimus dorsi, deltoids, triceps, biceps, and core.
