As a strength coach for 15 years, I can tell you from in the trenches experience that there are only a handful of really, really good exercises that you absolutely “need” to learn. That goes with barbells, dumbbells, and the same goes with kettlebells. Variety is always nice, and once you’ve become proficient at the basics, progressing to more advanced exercises is a fun thing to do. But never forget, that the basics will always rule, and also never forget how much your can challenge yourself within the basics. 

Here’s an example:

Cindy has a 8kg kettlebell, and she’s gotten pretty darn good with handling that weight with kettlebell goblet squats, kettlebell swings, kettlebell strict press, and turkish get-ups, alternating sumo rows, and kettlebell snatching.  These are the 6 basic kettlebell exercises listed below by the way. Cindy figures that since these exercises are now relatively easy with her 8kg kettlebell, she thinks she needs to move on to more “advanced” exercises. While of course, Cindy can certainly do that; however, what about Cindy bell’n up and using a 12kg with those same 6 exercises? Moving up 4kg may not seem like much, but I promise you, it is a humbling experience no matter who you are.

In essence, these basics will always provide results. Get very, very strong in them. Of course mix in variety and advance your movements to more complex ones, because not only are they fun but also beneficial. Just do not mix in variety at the expense of not getting strong in the basics.

One of the foundational exercises of using kettlebells, is the kettlebell goblet squat. This basic exercise is ever-challenging as you increase the amount of weight over time. Be sure to keep your weight distributed on the outside edges and heels of your feet. Keep your chest proud and back flat. Take deep breath, hold through the descent, and exhale hard as you return to the top of the squat.

One of the foundational exercises of using kettlebells, is the kettlebell goblet squat. This basic exercise is ever-challenging as you increase the amount of weight over time. Be sure to keep your weight distributed on the outside edges and heels of your feet. Keep your chest proud and back flat. Take deep breath, hold through the descent, and exhale hard as you return to the top of the squat.

Imagine you’re in your 80’s and you’re able to do this movement. Don’t you think you’ll be a pretty bad (and by bad we mean good) senior citizen if you’re able to pull this off even without any external resistance?! That’s how you have to look at movement and how your treat your body. If you don’t use it, you lose it. We look at the Turkish Get Up as the ultimate “don’t get old” movement. The Turkish Get Up takes a little getting used to, so be sure to watch this video as much as you need and practice getting up and down, first without weight, and then ever so slightly add progressive resistance to it.

Overhead pressing is sorely underrated and oftentimes placed below horizontal pressing like floor presses, and pushups. This isn’t the case. The ability to press things overhead, when you think about it, is quite a bit more functional than horizontal pressing in every day life. Don’t minimize the overhead strict press. It builds strength in the shoulders, triceps, upper chest, and trunk. It is a very humbling exercise and being weak in it will hinder progress with many other kettlebell lifts.

Alternating Sumo Rows One of our favorite horizontal pulling movement is the Alt. Sumo Rows. It presents a very functional movement pattern that we do in daily life when bending over and pushing/pulling something from the ground. This exercise of course builds the mid back and arms, but it also isometrically works the pressing muscles of the arm pushing the kettlebell through the ground while the other pulls. Additionally, it is a great trunk exercise by stabilizing that rotational force. And, because you’re in a sumo stance, of course your lower body is having to work as well, making this, like most kettlebell exercises, a total body exercise.

Perhaps the king of all kettlebell movements is the 1-arm kettlebell snatch. While it obviously looks cool, it is one of the very best power developing exercises, but with the kettlebell as you tool, also gives this exercise a powerful fat melting component when used for conditioning. There’s a reason the Secret Service uses the kettlebell snatch as one of their gross physical capacity tests to make sure they are fit for service. We would recommend that you know how to perform a 1-arm swing, clean, and high pull before moving onto the snatch.