Kettlebells are brilliant at home: compact, durable and capable of building strength, power and conditioning in the same session. But the bell rewards technique. Learn these five fundamentals first.
1. The deadlift
Bell between your feet, push your hips back, grip the handle with a flat back and stand tall by driving your feet into the floor. This teaches the hip hinge — the foundation of almost everything else.
2. The goblet squat
Hold the bell by the horns at your chest and squat between your knees. The weight at the front helps you stay upright, making it the friendliest squat to learn.
3. The two-handed swing
A swing is a fast, powerful deadlift, not a squat and not a front raise. Hike the bell back between your legs, then snap your hips forward so the bell floats to chest height. Your arms are just ropes.
4. The single-arm row
Hinge forward with one hand on a chair, pull the bell towards your hip and squeeze your shoulder blade. Lower slowly. Great for posture and pull-up strength.
5. The overhead press
Clean the bell to your shoulder, brace your stomach and glutes, then press straight up until your arm is locked out beside your ear.
Put it together
Try this simple session three times a week: 3 sets of 8 goblet squats, 3 sets of 8 rows per side, 3 sets of 5 presses per side, then finish with 10 rounds of 10 swings on the minute. Simple, brutal, effective.
