RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Apple Watch kettlebell workout: log every bell and every rep from your wrist

Published November 3, 2026

To track a kettlebell workout on Apple Watch, log it set by set in an app on the Watch: the bell's weight, the reps, and how many reps you had left. In RIRLift, swings, presses, goblet squats and get-ups are lifts, so the session is saved to Apple Health as Traditional Strength Training, and the next session's bell is set from what you logged. Below are sessions for one bell at home, a pair of bells, and a heavy day with the gym's bells.

  1. Kettlebell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings
  2. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  3. Kettlebell Overhead Press Shoulders
  4. Kettlebell Row Lats, Upper Back
  5. Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up Shoulders, Abs
  6. Kettlebell Clean & Press Shoulders, Quads
  7. Kettlebell Deadlift Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back

The swing and the hinge

The hinge is what kettlebells do best. The swing moves the bell fast, the deadlifts move it slowly and let you go heavier.

Glutes and hamstrings, hip snap

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

The core of any kettlebell session. Log the reps of each set and how many more you could have done with good form.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, the bell set about a foot in front of you.
  2. Hinge down, grip the handle with both hands, and hike the bell back between your thighs.
  3. Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about shoulder height on straight arms.
  4. Let it fall back between your legs as you hinge again, and go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips snap, arms just hold on
  • Stand tall at the top
  • Bell passes high between the thighs

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing by bending the knees deeply: push your hips back and keep the shins nearly vertical.
  • Lifting the bell with your shoulders: if your arms are working, the hips are not driving it.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift, Superman

Build a session with Kettlebell Swing
Log it in RIRLift

Glutes and hamstrings, slow hinge

Kettlebell Deadlift

Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back

Teaches the hinge the swing depends on, and takes a heavier bell than you can swing.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, the bell in one hand at your side and that arm straight.
  2. Push your hips back and bend your knees a little, letting the bell travel down beside your leg until it nearly reaches the floor, back flat.
  3. Keep your shoulders level and your chest facing forward as the bell lowers.
  4. Stand up by driving through your feet and squeezing your glutes. Finish the set, then switch hands. With two bells, hold one at each side.

Cues

  • Hips back, chest up
  • Bell close to your leg
  • Stand tall at the top

Common mistakes

  • Squatting straight down so the knees do all the work: lead with the hips.
  • Letting your back round to reach lower: stop the bell where your back is still flat.

Swap for: Kettlebell Good Morning, Kettlebell Swing, Kettlebell Row

Build a session with Kettlebell Deadlift
Log it in RIRLift

Glutes, inner thighs and hamstrings, wide-stance pull

Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

Glutes, Hamstrings

With the bell between your heels you can pull the heaviest bell in the gym for clean reps.

How to do it

  1. Stand wide with toes turned out and the bell resting below you, between the heels.
  2. Push your hips back and bend the knees until you can grip the handle, chest up.
  3. Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to stand all the way up.
  4. Lower the bell back to the floor along the same path.

Cues

  • Knees out
  • Chest up
  • Finish tall

Common mistakes

  • Rounding to reach the bell: put it on a book or step if you cannot reach it flat-backed.
  • Bouncing the bell off the floor: settle it on every rep.

Swap for: Kettlebell Deadlift, Kettlebell Hip Thrust

Build a session with Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift
Log it in RIRLift

Squat and lunge

One bell at your chest or a bell in each hand. These train your legs with the same bells you swing.

Quads and glutes, goblet squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding the bell at your chest keeps you upright, so it is the easiest loaded squat to learn.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat
Log it in RIRLift

Quads and glutes, split stance

Kettlebell Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

A single-leg squat that works with one bell or two. Sets are per leg.

How to do it

  1. Take a long step forward so your back heel is up and your front shin stays close to vertical when you drop down.
  2. Hold a bell in each hand at your sides, or one bell at your chest.
  3. Lower your back knee straight toward the floor until your front thigh is about parallel.
  4. Push through your whole front foot to stand, finish every rep on one leg, then switch.

Cues

  • Back knee straight down, not forward
  • Front heel stays heavy
  • Lean slightly forward for more glutes

Common mistakes

  • Standing too narrow: if your front heel lifts, step your feet further apart.
  • Pushing off the back foot: it is there for balance only.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Kettlebell Step-Up, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Build a session with Kettlebell Split Squat
Log it in RIRLift

Quads and glutes, step-up

Kettlebell Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Needs only a sturdy bench or box at knee height and builds each leg on its own.

How to do it

  1. Face a sturdy step, box or bench at about knee height, with a kettlebell hanging at each side or one at your chest.
  2. Plant one whole foot on the step.
  3. Lean forward slightly and push through that heel until you stand fully on top, without springing off the floor foot.
  4. Lower the trailing foot back down slowly and repeat all reps on the same leg.

Cues

  • Whole foot on top
  • No push from the floor leg
  • Lower slowly

Common mistakes

  • Springing off the floor foot: lift its toes so it cannot push.
  • Using a chair that tips or slides: put it against a wall or use a stair.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Skater Squat, Step-Up

Build a session with Kettlebell Step-Up
Log it in RIRLift

Inner thighs, glutes and quads, side lunge

Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Moves your legs sideways, which none of the other leg lifts here do.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your feet together and a kettlebell in each hand, arms straight at your sides.
  2. Step wide to one side and push your hips back as that knee bends, keeping the other leg straight.
  3. Sink until the bells hang on either side of your bent knee, with that heel flat.
  4. Drive back to standing, then repeat on the same side or alternate.

Cues

  • Arms hang straight
  • Hips back as you land
  • Heel down

Common mistakes

  • Rounding your back to lower the bells: sink with your hips and keep your chest up.
  • Turning the toes of the straight leg forward: point them slightly up and out so the stretch stays in the inner thigh.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Cossack Squat, Sumo Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Lateral Lunge
Log it in RIRLift

Press and row

The bell sits on the back of your forearm in the rack, which makes one-arm pressing comfortable. Rows balance every press.

Shoulders and triceps, one-arm press

Kettlebell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The strict press from the rack. Log reps per arm and keep both sides even.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bell in the rack at your shoulder, resting on the back of your forearm, palm facing in, elbow tucked to your ribs.
  2. Brace your trunk and let your free arm hang by your side.
  3. Press straight up, rotating your palm to face forward as the bell passes your head, until your arm locks out beside your ear.
  4. Lower under control back to the rack. Finish all reps, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Wrist straight, knuckles to the ceiling
  • Ribs down, don't lean back
  • Lock out beside your ear, not in front of it

Common mistakes

  • Bending the wrist back under the bell: grip the handle deep in the palm, not in the fingers.
  • Dipping your legs to start the press: that is a push press. Keep your knees locked and count only strict reps.

Swap for: Kettlebell Clean & Press, Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Kettlebell Bottoms-Up Press

Build a session with Kettlebell Overhead Press
Log it in RIRLift

Shoulders and triceps, alternating press

Kettlebell Seesaw Press

Shoulders

Two bells pressed in turn, so one arm works while the other holds the rack. Count each arm.

How to do it

  1. Rack both bells, one on each shoulder.
  2. Press the right bell overhead.
  3. As you lower the right bell, press the left one up so they pass at roughly head height.
  4. Keep alternating for the full set; count each arm.

Cues

  • Smooth handoff
  • Hips square
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Rushing into a rhythm that shortens the lockout on each side.
  • Twisting the torso toward the pressing arm.

Swap for: Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Kettlebell Overhead Press

Build a session with Kettlebell Seesaw Press
Log it in RIRLift

Lats and upper back, bent-over row

Kettlebell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rows balance the pressing and the swings. With one bell, finish one side and switch.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, a kettlebell in each hand.
  2. Hinge until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, arms hanging straight under your shoulders.
  3. Pull one bell toward your hip, keeping your elbow tucked in tight, while the other arm stays long.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight and your shoulder blade slides forward, then row the other side. With only one bell, do all your reps on one side, then switch.

Cues

  • Elbow toward your hip
  • Stretch at the bottom
  • Shoulders square

Common mistakes

  • Turning your chest toward the ceiling to finish the rep: keep both shoulders facing the floor.
  • Short reps that stop with the elbow bent: reach all the way down before each pull.

Swap for: Kettlebell Gorilla Row, Kettlebell Rear Delt Row, Kettlebell Deadlift

Build a session with Kettlebell Row
Log it in RIRLift

Lats, upper back and trunk, alternating row

Kettlebell Gorilla Row

Lats, Upper Back

Pushing one bell into the floor while rowing the other trains your back and trunk in one move.

How to do it

  1. Place two kettlebells between your feet, stand wider than shoulder-width and hinge until your torso is close to level with the floor.
  2. Grip both handles with your back flat.
  3. Row the right bell to your hip while pushing the left one into the floor.
  4. Lower it, then row the left. Alternate for the full set.

Cues

  • Flat back throughout
  • Elbow to the hip
  • Push the other bell into the ground

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your torso open to row higher: keep your shoulders square to the floor.
  • Standing up between reps: stay in the hinge for the whole set.

Swap for: Kettlebell Row, One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Build a session with Kettlebell Gorilla Row
Log it in RIRLift

Whole-body lifts

These link a hinge or a squat to a press or a stand, so each rep trains several muscles at once. Keep the reps low and every one clean.

Shoulders, legs and back, clean then press

Kettlebell Clean & Press

Shoulders, Quads

Brings the bell from the floor to overhead, so one set covers a hinge and a press.

How to do it

  1. Stand over the bell as for a swing, a foot in front of you, one hand on the handle.
  2. Hike the bell back, then drive your hips and pull your elbow back so the bell stays close to your body instead of swinging out.
  3. As the bell reaches chest height, loosen your grip and let it roll around your wrist into the rack, elbow tucked.
  4. Press to lockout, lower to the rack, then drop the bell back into the next hike.

Cues

  • Keep the bell close, elbow back
  • Catch it soft, no bang on the forearm
  • Strict press every rep

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the bell out and letting it crash onto your wrist: the bell should travel up your body, not around it.
  • Pressing before the rack is settled: pause for a beat in the rack, then press.

Swap for: Kettlebell Overhead Press, Kettlebell Snatch, Kettlebell Thruster

Build a session with Kettlebell Clean & Press
Log it in RIRLift

Shoulders, glutes and hamstrings, floor to overhead

Kettlebell Snatch

Shoulders, Glutes, Hamstrings

The fastest lift here. Keep sets short so every rep finishes with the arm locked out.

How to do it

  1. Start as for a one-arm swing, hiking the bell back between your legs.
  2. Snap your hips forward and, as the bell rises, pull it high with a bent elbow close to your body.
  3. Punch your hand through as the bell flips over your wrist, finishing overhead with a straight arm.
  4. Drop it back down in an arc, hinge as it passes between your legs, and go again. Switch hands after the set.

Cues

  • Hips start it
  • Punch through at the top
  • Keep the bell close

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bell flop over and bang your forearm: punch your hand up as it turns over.
  • Doing it before you can swing well: learn the one-arm swing first.

Swap for: Kettlebell Swing, Kettlebell Upright Row, Kettlebell Deadlift

Build a session with Kettlebell Snatch
Log it in RIRLift

Quads, glutes and shoulders, squat to press

Kettlebell Thruster

Quads, Shoulders

A squat that flows into a press, with a bell at each shoulder.

How to do it

  1. Clean a bell into each rack, elbows tucked, feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Squat until your thighs are at least level with the floor, keeping your elbows up.
  3. Drive up out of the squat and let the momentum carry straight into a press to lockout.
  4. Lower the bells to the rack as you drop into the next squat.

Cues

  • Elbows up through the squat
  • Legs start the press, arms finish it
  • Lock out before the next squat

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the squat short to make the press easier: full depth, then press.
  • Pausing at the top and losing the rhythm: the bells go up and come straight down into the next rep.

Swap for: Kettlebell Clean & Press, Kettlebell Overhead Press, Goblet Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Thruster
Log it in RIRLift

Shoulders and trunk, floor to standing

Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Shoulders, Abs

Slow and deliberate: one or two reps per side, logged like any other set.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with a kettlebell pressed up in one hand, the same-side knee bent.
  2. Roll onto the opposite elbow, then the hand, keeping the bell locked out above you.
  3. Lift your hips, sweep the straight leg back to a kneel, and stand up.
  4. Reverse each step back down to the floor.

Cues

  • Eyes on the bell
  • Arm locked
  • One step at a time

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the steps and losing the vertical arm.
  • Using a heavy bell before the sequence is smooth.

Swap for: Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry, Kettlebell Windmill

Build a session with Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up
Log it in RIRLift

Obliques and shoulders, overhead side bend

Kettlebell Windmill

Abs, Shoulders

Holds the bell overhead while your trunk bends, which trains the shoulder and your sides together.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bell overhead in one hand, feet wider than your hips and turned away from that arm.
  2. Look at the bell and push your hip out toward the side holding it.
  3. Slide your free hand down the inside of your leg toward the floor.
  4. Stand back up using your sides and glutes, arm vertical the whole time.

Cues

  • Hip out
  • Arm vertical
  • Eyes up

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat instead of hinging sideways.
  • Letting the overhead arm wave around.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Bend, Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Build a session with Kettlebell Windmill
Log it in RIRLift

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

One 35 lb bell at home, 3 days a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets38 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells, Dumbbells

You own a single kettlebell and train in the living room with the phone out of reach.

Two sessions alternate: a swing, squat and press day, and a hinge, lunge and get-up day. 12 or 13 working sets each, all with one bell.

Day A: Swing, squat, press
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Swing 4 × 10–20 2 75 s
Goblet Squat 3 × 8–15 2 90 s
Kettlebell Overhead PressPer arm. 3 × 5–10 1 90 s
Kettlebell RowPer arm. 3 × 8–12 2 1 min

Open Day A: Swing, squat, press in the session builder

Day B: Hinge, lunge, get-up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell DeadliftPer side. 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Kettlebell Split SquatPer leg. Bell at your chest. 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Kettlebell Turkish Get-UpPer side. 3 × 1–3 2 90 s
Kettlebell Swing 3 × 15–20 2 1 min

Open Day B: Hinge, lunge, get-up in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate A and B, three times a week. Start the session on the Watch, log each set as you put the bell down, and let the rest timer bring you back to it.
How to progress
Every set at the top of its range is the signal to move up a bell. Swings at 35 lb for 20, 20, 20, 20 have reached it. Until you own the next bell, keep the 35 lb bell, log what you did and add a set; the next weight is always worked out from what you logged.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

A pair of 25 lb bells, twice a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets28 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

You have two matching bells and want the double-bell lifts that one bell cannot give you.

Thrusters, alternating presses and gorilla rows all need two bells. Five lifts and 14 working sets fit in about 40 minutes.

Pair day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Thruster 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Kettlebell Gorilla RowPer arm. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Kettlebell Seesaw PressPer arm. 3 × 6–10 1 90 s
Kettlebell Lateral LungePer side. 3 × 6–10 2 75 s
Kettlebell Step-UpPer leg. 2 × 8–12 2 75 s
How to run it
Twice a week, with at least a day between. For two-bell lifts, log the weight of one bell, as you would one dumbbell.
How to progress
Seesaw press at 25 lb with a target of 8: you log 10, 9, 8, the weakest set hit 8, so the bells stay and the next target is 9. When every set reaches the top of the range, the next step is a heavier pair.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Heavy bells at the gym, hinge and snatch day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~45 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

Your gym has a full rack of kettlebells and you want a heavier day than your home bells allow.

Sumo deadlifts with the heaviest bell you can pull, snatches and clean and presses for power, and windmills for the shoulder: 13 working sets with long rests.

Hinge and snatch
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift1 warm-up set first 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Kettlebell SnatchPer arm. 4 × 5–8 2 2 min
Kettlebell Clean & PressPer arm. 3 × 5–8 1 2 min
Kettlebell WindmillPer side. 2 × 3–6 2 90 s
How to run it
Once or twice a week in place of a home session. Warm up with one lighter set of sumo deadlifts before the working sets.
How to progress
Gym bells come in fixed sizes. When the next bell up is a bigger jump than the app suggests, take it and log what you actually did: reps inside the range and the bell holds while you build reps; reps below the range and the next set comes down.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What Apple Watch workout should I use for kettlebells?

In RIRLift you do not choose: kettlebell lifts are saved to Apple Health as Traditional Strength Training. RIRLift uses Functional Strength Training for sleds, battle ropes and tire flips.

How do I track a kettlebell workout on Apple Watch?

Start the routine in RIRLift on the Watch. After each set, log the bell's weight, the reps and how many you had left, and the rest timer starts. Heart rate is recorded while the session runs.

Can Apple Watch count kettlebell swings?

Not on its own: after each set you confirm the reps with a tap. With the rep counting beta in RIRLift Labs turned on, the Watch can suggest a count on some exercises, and you still confirm it with Log.

Do I need my phone nearby?

No. The session runs on the Watch and each set is saved there as you log it. It syncs to the iPhone when the two are back in range.