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Exercises

Kettlebell full body exercises, from swings to get-ups

Published October 19, 2026

The best kettlebell full body exercises are the swing, deadlift, split squat, overhead press, clean and press, row, thruster and Turkish get-up. A full-body kettlebell session pairs one hinge (swing or deadlift), one leg move, one press and one row, plus a total-body lift if time allows. Learn the deadlift before the swing, end sets with 1 to 3 reps left, and keep swing sets short enough that every rep stays fast.

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

Hinges: swings, deadlifts and good mornings

The hinge is the foundation of kettlebell training. Learn the deadlift first, then the swing; the good morning is a slower hamstring move for days when your grip or heart rate needs a break.

Glutes and hamstrings, the core kettlebell lift

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

The swing is why most people buy a kettlebell: a fast hip hinge that works the glutes, hamstrings, back and grip while driving your heart rate up. Almost every kettlebell full-body session should include it.

How to do it

  1. Set the bell about a foot in front of you, feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Hinge, grab the handle with both hands and tip the bell toward you.
  3. Hike it back between your thighs, then snap your hips forward so it floats to chest height.
  4. Let it fall, follow it back into the hinge and go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hinge, not squat
  • Snap the hips, relax the arms
  • Plank at the top

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing, bending the knees deeply instead of pushing the hips back.
  • Raising the bell with the shoulders or leaning back at the top to make it go higher.

Swap for: Kettlebell Deadlift, Dumbbell Swing, Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

Build a session with Kettlebell Swing

Hamstrings, glutes and back, slow hinge

Kettlebell Deadlift

Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back

The deadlift teaches the same hip hinge as the swing at a slow speed, so it is where beginners start and where anyone can load the hinge heavily without speed.

How to do it

  1. Stand over the bell with it between your feet, roughly under the middle of your foot.
  2. Push your hips back and bend your knees enough to grip the handle with a flat back.
  3. Stand up by driving your feet into the floor and your hips forward.
  4. Lower the bell by sending your hips back until it touches the floor.

Cues

  • Bell between the ankles
  • Chest up, back flat
  • Stand tall and squeeze at the top

Common mistakes

  • Starting with the bell in front of your toes, which pulls your back round.
  • Lowering by bending the knees first instead of pushing the hips back.

Swap for: Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift, Kettlebell Good Morning, Kettlebell Swing

Build a session with Kettlebell Deadlift

Hamstrings and lower back, front-loaded hinge

Kettlebell Good Morning

Hamstrings, Lower Back

Holding the bell at your chest keeps the load light on the arms and puts a long stretch on the hamstrings. Use it as a slow second hinge after swings, or when your grip is the weak link.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bell by the horns against your chest with your elbows pointing down.
  2. Soften your knees and push your hips back.
  3. Fold forward with a flat back until you feel a strong hamstring stretch.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up.

Cues

  • Bell glued to the chest
  • Hips travel back
  • Stop where the back stays flat

Common mistakes

  • Rounding the upper back to get lower.
  • Letting the knees bend further every rep until it becomes a squat.

Swap for: Kettlebell Deadlift, Dumbbell Good Morning, Kettlebell Swing

Build a session with Kettlebell Good Morning

Squats and lunges

One kettlebell is rarely heavy enough to make two-leg squats hard for long, so most leg work here is single-leg or loaded to one side. Rotate between them across the week, keeping one per session.

Quads, glutes and obliques, one-side squat

Kettlebell Suitcase Squat

Quads

Holding one bell at your side makes your trunk work to stay upright while your legs squat, so it trains legs and obliques in one exercise with a single bell.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the bell in one hand at your side, arm straight.
  2. Brace and squat down by sending your hips back and bending your knees.
  3. Lower until your thighs are about level with the floor without leaning toward the bell.
  4. Stand up and finish the set, then switch hands.

Cues

  • Shoulders level
  • Torso stays upright
  • Free arm out for balance

Common mistakes

  • Leaning toward the loaded side as the set gets hard.
  • Letting the bell bump the outside of your knee; hold it a bit away from the leg.

Swap for: Kettlebell Split Squat, Goblet Squat, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Kettlebell Suitcase Squat

Quads and glutes, staggered stance

Kettlebell Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

The split squat loads one leg at a time and makes a single moderate bell feel heavy. It is the best leg builder in a kettlebell-only setup because your legs quickly outgrow two-leg squats with one bell.

How to do it

  1. Hold one or two bells at your sides and stand in a long staggered stance, back heel lifted.
  2. Lower your back knee straight toward the floor.
  3. Stop just above the floor with your front shin roughly vertical.
  4. Push through your front foot to rise, and finish all reps before switching legs.

Cues

  • Front foot does the work
  • Back knee straight down
  • Tall torso

Common mistakes

  • Taking a short stance so the front heel lifts.
  • Pushing back up with the rear leg instead of the front one.

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

Build a session with Kettlebell Split Squat

Adductors, glutes and quads, side to side

Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Most kettlebell sessions only move forward and back. The lateral lunge works the inner thighs and glutes through a side-to-side stretch that swings and squats leave out.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bell at your chest and stand with your feet together.
  2. Step wide to one side and sit your hips back over that foot, the other leg straight.
  3. Lower until your working thigh is close to level with the floor.
  4. Push off the bent leg to bring your feet back together.

Cues

  • Sit back over the heel
  • Trailing leg stays straight
  • Both feet point forward

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bent knee cave inward.
  • Stepping out so short that you cannot sit back into the hip.

Swap for: Kettlebell Split Squat, Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Kettlebell Suitcase Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Quads and glutes, single-leg climb

Kettlebell Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Step-ups build each leg through a long range, and box height lets you make them harder without a heavier bell.

How to do it

  1. Face a sturdy box or bench with a bell in each hand, or one held at your chest.
  2. Put one whole foot on the box.
  3. Stand up onto the box using that leg only.
  4. Step back down slowly with the same working leg controlling the descent.

Cues

  • Whole foot on the box
  • No push from the floor foot
  • Control the step down

Common mistakes

  • Springing off the floor leg to get up.
  • Using a box so high you have to lean far forward to rise.

Swap for: Kettlebell Split Squat, Step-Up, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Kettlebell Step-Up

Presses

Kettlebell presses are usually done one arm at a time from the rack, so each shoulder and the trunk have to work on their own. Start with the strict press; add the clean in front of it once you can clean the bell softly.

Shoulders and triceps, strict press

Kettlebell Overhead Press

Shoulders

A strict press from the rack position works the shoulders and triceps while your trunk holds you rigid. One bell pressed one arm at a time is the upper-body anchor of a kettlebell session.

How to do it

  1. Clean the bell to your shoulder so it rests on the back of your forearm, wrist straight.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach.
  3. Press the bell straight up until your arm is locked next to your head.
  4. Bring it down slowly to the rack.

Cues

  • Wrist straight, knuckles up
  • Glutes tight, no lean
  • Bicep finishes by the ear

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the bell to finish the press.
  • Letting the bell flop onto the wrist, which bends it back.

Swap for: Kettlebell Seesaw Press, Kettlebell Bottoms-Up Press, Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Build a session with Kettlebell Overhead Press

Total body, floor to overhead

Kettlebell Clean & Press

Shoulders, Quads

The clean brings the bell from between your legs to your shoulder with a hip drive, and the press finishes it overhead. One rep uses your legs, back, shoulders and arms, which is why it anchors many short kettlebell workouts.

How to do it

  1. Start with the bell between your feet and grip it with one hand.
  2. Hike it back, then drive your hips forward and pull it close to your body so it lands softly at your shoulder.
  3. Pause in the rack, then press it overhead.
  4. Lower to the rack, let it drop back between your legs and start the next rep.

Cues

  • Keep the bell close on the way up
  • Soft landing at the shoulder
  • Brace before every press

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the bell out wide so it crashes onto the forearm.
  • Pressing straight out of the clean without settling in the rack first.

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

Build a session with Kettlebell Clean & Press

Rows

Swings work the back to hold position, but they do not replace a row. Include one row in every session, with as many sets as your press; the gorilla row needs two bells.

Lats and mid back, bent-over row

Kettlebell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing is the main pull in a kettlebell session and the counterweight to all the pressing. Alternate arms with a bell in each hand, or row one bell a side at a time.

How to do it

  1. Hold one bell in each hand, feet about hip-width apart.
  2. Hinge until your torso is close to level with the floor and let the bells hang below your shoulders.
  3. Pull one bell toward your hip until your elbow passes your torso, then lower it.
  4. Row the other side and keep alternating. With only one bell, do all your reps on one side, then switch.

Cues

  • Flat back, square shoulders
  • Elbow toward the hip
  • Reach long at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Turning the shoulders to pull the bell higher.
  • Shrugging the bell up instead of driving the elbow back.

Swap for: Kettlebell Gorilla Row, One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Renegade Row

Build a session with Kettlebell Row

Back and trunk, alternating row from a hinge

Kettlebell Gorilla Row

Lats, Upper Back

With two bells on the floor, you hold a deep hinge and row one bell while pressing the other into the ground. The working side rows, the other side braces, and your hamstrings hold the hinge the whole set.

How to do it

  1. Place two bells between your feet and take a wide stance.
  2. Hinge with a flat back and grab both handles.
  3. Push one bell into the floor and row the other to your hip.
  4. Lower it and row the other side; a left and a right row make one rep.

Cues

  • Deep hinge, flat back
  • Push down with the support arm
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Rising up out of the hinge as you tire.
  • Rotating the torso to help the row.

Swap for: Kettlebell Row, Renegade Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Build a session with Kettlebell Gorilla Row

Total-body and skill lifts

These lifts chain several patterns into one rep. The thruster is the conditioning workhorse, the get-up and windmill build shoulder and trunk control with a light bell, and the snatch is the advanced finisher once your swing and clean are solid.

Legs and shoulders, squat to press

Kettlebell Thruster

Quads, Shoulders

A front squat flowing straight into an overhead press works the quads, glutes, shoulders and triceps in one rep and drives up the heart rate fast. It needs two bells, held in the rack.

How to do it

  1. Hold two bells in the rack position at your shoulders.
  2. Squat down with your chest up and elbows inside your knees.
  3. Stand up fast and use that drive to press the bells overhead in one motion.
  4. Lower the bells to the rack and drop straight into the next squat.

Cues

  • Squat deep, then drive
  • Bells move as one with your legs
  • Lock out overhead

Common mistakes

  • Standing up, pausing, and only then pressing separately, which loses the leg drive.
  • Letting the elbows drop at the bottom so the bells pull you forward.

Swap for: Kettlebell Clean & Press, Dumbbell Push Press, Kettlebell Suitcase Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Thruster

Shoulders and core, floor to standing

Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Shoulders, Abs

Getting up from lying to standing with a bell held overhead trains shoulder stability, the core and hip mobility, and makes you move through positions no other lift reaches. A few slow reps fit at the start of a session.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side next to the bell, grab it with both hands and roll onto your back with it pressed overhead in one hand.
  2. Bend the same-side knee, roll up onto your free elbow, then onto your free hand.
  3. Lift your hips, sweep the straight leg under you into a half kneel, and stand up.
  4. Reverse each step to return to the floor, eyes on the bell.

Cues

  • Arm locked, bell over the shoulder
  • Eyes on the bell
  • One position at a time

Common mistakes

  • Rushing through the steps so the arm drifts out of vertical.
  • Starting with a heavy bell; learn the steps with a light one or a shoe balanced on your fist.

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

Build a session with Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Obliques, hips and shoulders, overhead hinge

Kettlebell Windmill

Abs, Shoulders

The windmill holds a bell locked overhead while you hinge sideways, which loads the obliques, the hamstring of the front leg and the stabilizers of the shoulder. It pairs well with the get-up as lighter skill work.

How to do it

  1. Press the bell overhead in one hand and turn your feet about 45 degrees away from that side.
  2. Push your hip out toward the bell side and slide your free hand down the opposite leg.
  3. Lower until your free hand is near your shin or the floor, eyes on the bell.
  4. Drive the hip back under you to stand tall.

Cues

  • Arm stays vertical
  • Hip pushes out, not down
  • Eyes up on the bell

Common mistakes

  • Bending the overhead elbow as you lower.
  • Twisting the chest down toward the floor instead of hinging sideways.

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

Build a session with Kettlebell Windmill

Total body, hinge to overhead

Kettlebell Snatch

Shoulders, Glutes, Hamstrings

The snatch takes the bell from a swing straight to lockout overhead in one movement. It is demanding to learn and tiring to do, which makes it a strong finisher for experienced lifters.

How to do it

  1. Start like a one-arm swing with the bell between your legs.
  2. Drive your hips forward and guide the bell up close to your body.
  3. As it rises past your chest, punch your hand up through the handle so the bell turns over and lands softly on your forearm at lockout.
  4. Let it drop back down into the hinge for the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips drive it, arm guides it
  • Punch through at the top
  • Soft landing on the forearm

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bell swing wide and crash onto the wrist.
  • Trying snatches before your one-arm swing and clean are solid.

Swap for: Kettlebell Clean & Press, One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch, Kettlebell Swing

Build a session with Kettlebell Snatch

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. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

One kettlebell, new to kettlebells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets51 a week
  • Per workout~45 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

You own a single moderate kettlebell, have not trained with one before, and want to learn the basics while building strength.

The deadlift comes before the swing so you learn the hinge slowly, then the swing practices it fast at low reps. The split squat, press and row each work one side at a time, which makes a single bell challenging. Sets stop at 2 to 3 reps in reserve while you learn, so technique holds on every rep.

Kettlebell Basics
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Turkish Get-UpReps per side. Slow 2 × 1–3 3 1 min
Kettlebell Deadlift1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Kettlebell SwingStop while every rep is still fast 3 × 10–15 3 1 min
Kettlebell Split SquatReps per leg 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Kettlebell Overhead PressReps per arm 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Kettlebell RowReps per arm 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
How to run it
Train three non-consecutive days a week. Do the get-up first while you are fresh, with a light bell or no bell until the steps are smooth.
How to progress
Add reps first. When the press and row reach the top of their ranges for all sets, slow the lowering to 3 seconds. Move to a heavier bell when the slow reps also top out; swings usually need the heavier bell first.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

20 minutes, one bell, swing is solid

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets42 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

You know the swing and clean, have one bell and about 20 minutes, and want strength and conditioning in the same session.

Pairing a lower and an upper move keeps you working while the other side recovers, so 14 hard sets fit in 20 minutes. The clean and press and suitcase squat are done one side at a time for loading, the lateral lunge covers side-to-side movement, and swings close the session. Sets go to 1 to 2 reps in reserve; rest stays short.

Kettlebell 20
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Kettlebell Clean & PressReps per arm 3 × 5–8 2 1 min
A2 Kettlebell Suitcase SquatReps per side 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
B1 Kettlebell RowReps per arm 3 × 8–12 1 1 min
B2 Kettlebell Lateral LungeReps per side 3 × 8–10 2 1 min
Kettlebell SwingFast reps 2 × 15–20 2 1 min
How to run it
Run the pairs back to back, rest 45 to 60 seconds and repeat. Three times a week on non-consecutive days.
How to progress
When every set in a pair reaches the top of its range, cut the rest by 15 seconds before adding reps beyond it. Move up a bell once the session feels easy at 45 seconds of rest.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Two pairs: a light and a heavy bell

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets47 a week
  • Per workout~45 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

You have two matching bells of one size and one or two heavier ones, and you can train two to three times a week for 40 to 50 minutes.

The heavy bell goes to the lifts your legs and hips drive, swings, deadlifts and split squats, and the matching light pair goes to the lifts limited by your shoulders: thrusters, gorilla rows and the windmill. Two different sessions cover every pattern, with the heavy hinges at 2 reps in reserve and the lighter shoulder work at 1.

Kettlebell A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Swing1 warm-up set firstHeavy bell 4 × 10–15 2 75 s
Kettlebell ThrusterLight pair 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Kettlebell Gorilla RowReps per arm 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Kettlebell Step-UpReps per leg 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Kettlebell WindmillReps per side. Light bell 2 × 5–8 2 1 min

Open Kettlebell A in the session builder

Kettlebell B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Deadlift1 warm-up set firstHeavy bell 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Kettlebell Split SquatReps per leg. Heavy bell 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Kettlebell Overhead PressReps per arm 3 × 6–10 1 90 s
Kettlebell Good Morning 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Kettlebell SnatchReps per arm. Only if your swing is solid 3 × 5–8 2 90 s

Open Kettlebell B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate A and B two or three times a week with at least a day between. Keep the snatch to days you feel fresh, and only once your swing and clean are solid.
How to progress
Double progression on every lift. When the heavy bell gets light on swings and deadlifts, move it to the thruster and press, and get a heavier one for the hinge.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can you get a full body workout with just a kettlebell?

Yes. A single bell covers the hinge, squat, lunge, press, row and total-body lifts like the clean and press. One-arm and single-leg versions keep it hard enough for strength and muscle while you only own one weight.

What is a good beginner kettlebell workout?

Deadlift, swing, split squat, overhead press and row, 3 sets each with 2 to 3 reps in reserve, three times a week. Add a light Turkish get-up at the start. The first plan on this page lays it out.

What is the hardest kettlebell exercise?

Among common lifts, the snatch and the Turkish get-up demand the most skill. The snatch needs a sound swing and clean first, and the get-up needs shoulder control in every position. Learn both with a light bell.

What kettlebell weight should I start with?

Choose a bell you can press overhead with one arm for about 5 to 8 clean reps. Your hinge and legs will handle more, so a second, heavier bell for swings and deadlifts is usually the first one you will want to add.

How many times a week should I do a kettlebell full body workout?

Two to four times a week on non-consecutive days. Three sessions is a good default; if you add a fourth, keep it lighter or focused on skill work like get-ups.

How many swings should I do in a set?

Stop while the bell still floats up fast and your hips finish every rep. For most people that is 10 to 20 reps per set; once the swing slows down, the set has done its job.

Is kettlebell training cardio or strength?

Both, depending on how you set up the session. Heavy bells with full rest build strength; lighter bells, supersets and short rest make the same lifts raise your heart rate.