Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kiel DiGiovanni, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
Kettlebells are an incredible tool for building muscle, boosting strength, and unleashing explosive power. When people think of kettlebells, they almost automatically think of the classic kettlebell swing. There's nothing wrong with that, but they then set the kettlebell down and move on with their workout. Don't stop there. You're missing out on a wealth of fantastic kettlebell exercises that could elevate your workouts To show you, we'll lay out a 3-day kettlebell workout you can do anywhere!
Quick History Of Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell training has become extremely popular in the past few years as an alternative to the typical barbell and dumbbell training. However, kettlebell training is not new and has been around for centuries.
Interestingly, kettlebells were initially developed in the 1700s to help measure crops. Their use as a training tool began later in the sport of Strongman in the 1800's. Their effectiveness eventually led them to be adopted by the general fitness population in Russia around the 1900's.
Although kettlebell use exploded in Russia, it wasn't until the 1990s that Pavel Tsatsouline, a former trainer of Soviet Special Forces soldiers, brought kettlebell training to the US.
Kettlebell training began to catch on, coincidentally with the rise of "functional training," such as Crossfit. This catapulted kettlebell training from an obscure training tool to being found in almost every gym worldwide.
Additionally, kettlebell training is so effective that it has become a common choice for lifters seeking a minimalist training style. This includes using kettlebells for home workouts or taking one to the beach for muscle-building in the sun.
How To Workout With Kettlebells
Even though kettlebells seem like specialized pieces of equipment, they're not. You use kettlebells like you would a pair of dumbbells and follow the same principles.
This includes the following:
- Similar rep scheme
- Exercise order
- Exercise variation
- Training different systems
3 Types Of Exercises For Your Workout
This section will cover some kettlebell exercises and general advice on rep schemes.
1. Kettlebell Swings
As mentioned numerous times, kettlebell swings set kettlebells apart from other training equipment. They involve swinging a kettlebell by performing a powerful hip extension, which propels the kettlebell up.
You're going to use 3 different ones.
Kettlebell Swing
This classic kettlebell swing requires you to use both hands to grab a single kettlebell. Standing over a kettlebell, you grab the handle with both hands.
To begin, your position will resemble a deadlift. The most important points are:
- Hips flexion with your hips pushed back.
- Straight back with shoulders pulled back
- Vertical shins
You let the kettlebell swing back slightly from this position, then perform a powerful hip extension to swing it up to eye level.
When you perform these, you should not use your arms much. Think of your arms as ropes attached to the kettlebell, and the movement is coming from the hip extension – kind of like swinging your legs on a swing.
A common error is squatting the kettlebell. When you swing, only allow minimal forward movement in your knees. Most of the power comes from your hips fully extending and "popping" the kettlebell up.
Single Arm Kettlebell Swing
The single-arm kettlebell swing is the exact same thing as a kettlebell swing, except you'll use one arm (You probably could have guessed that). Other than that, everything is the same biomechanically.
That said, because the kettlebell is on one side, it will produce more stress on the core to maintain stability.
You can perform one hand at a time or alternate hands during the swing. If you do this, you switch hands at the top of the swing as the kettlebell transitions from going up to coming down. There will be a moment when the kettlebell will be "floating," which is when you switch hands.
Related: Single vs Double Kettlebell Training, Which is Better?
Kettlebell Swing From Dead Stop
The kettlebell swing from a dead stop is similar to the above, except you just perform the first big swing and then let the kettlebells come back to the ground and reset. As the kettlebell doesn't build up inertia from movement, this first swing is more challenging and requires more force.
You could also perform this with two kettlebells if you want.
2. Kettlebell Power Exercises
In addition to kettlebell swings, your program will use various power exercises, specifically…
Push Press
The kettlebell push press is performed in the same manner as a dumbbell push press.
Single Arm Push The biomechanics are the same.
The procedure is the same as above, but now you'll use just one arm at a time as the load is offset, requiring more core stability.
Squat Jump
To perform a squat jump, hold two kettlebells down to your side. You then drop into a quarter squat followed by a maximal jump.
3. Kettlebell Strength & Hypertrophy Exercises
The last group of kettlebell exercises you'll use are typical strength and hypertrophy exercises. This includes movements such as:
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift
- Goblet squat
- Glute bridge floor press (Decline floor press)
- Gorilla rows
Kettlebell Full Body Split
This 3-day kettlebell will use a full body split, meaning you'll train every muscle group during each session three times a week.
Most research suggests that training a muscle group twice a week is optimal.¹ For example, if you train a muscle using 10 sets during the week, this would be divided into two different sessions.
Dividing the volume makes the best use of the work/recovery cycle: You train one day, go home, rest for 2-3 days, and then train again.
At the same time, it will result in the highest-quality workload. Doing all of your work during one session can build up fatigue, ultimately resulting in less work since you're tired.
That said, training a muscle three times a week can also be effective if the overall total volume is kept at an appropriate level. Therefore, each muscle group will be trained with 1-2 exercises every session.
The Best 3 Day Kettlebell Workout
Now that you understand kettlebells and the essential training variables a bit better, we'll lay out your 3-day kettlebell workout.
These workouts are meant to be used in a nonconsecutive manner, with 1-2 days of rest in between. This can look like:
- Monday/Wednesday/Friday
- Monday/Thursday/Saturday
- Tuesday/Friday/Sunday
You get the idea. If you follow those rules, it doesn't matter what days you use, making it flexible for anyone.
Here are two ways to run each session.
- You can run through the exercise in a typical, consecutive manner.
- You could also run through each session like a large circuit. In fact, this type of training is common with kettlebell workouts and is a great way to emphasize conditioning.
Keep in mind you could also alternate between these two methods such as:
- Alternate on a weekly basis – 1 week use traditional sets, then 1 week use circuit
- Alternate sessions
Regardless, depending on your time, you can use 3-5 sets per exercise or run through 3-5 cycles.
Kettlebell Workout 1
| EXERCISE | REPS |
| Kettlebell Swing | 20 Reps |
| Single Arm KB Push Press | 6-12 Reps |
| Goblet Squat | 6-12 Reps |
| Decline Floor Press | 6-12 Reps |
| Single Arm KB Row | 6-12 Reps |
| Single Leg RDL | 6-12 Reps |
Kettlebell Workout 2
| EXERCISE | REPS |
| KB Swing From Dead Stop | 10 Reps |
| Squat Jump | 5-10 Reps |
| Sumo Deadlift | 6-12 Reps |
| Renegade Rows | 6-12 Reps |
| KB Elevated Pushup | 6-12 Reps |
| Unilateral Deadlift (Hold 1 KB) | 6-12 Reps |
Kettlebell Workout 3
| Single Arm KB Swing | 20 Reps |
| KB Push Press | 10 Reps |
| KB Lunge | 10-20 Reps |
| Gorilla Row | 10-20 Reps |
| Alternating KB Floor Press | 10-20 Reps |
| KB March | 10-20 Reps |
You'll notice that many exercises have a large rep range. This is simply because not everyone has a complete range of kettlebells. We don't want to prescribe 6 reps if someone only has a small kettlebell with which they can do 12 reps.
Therefore, take the rep schemes as a guide. The most crucial part is you work up to a 7-9RPE or work up just until failure.
Progressing This Kettlebell Workout
Progressing with a kettlebell workout should theoretically be done like any other type of training workout – you just want to do more work overtime, usually by increasing the load or total reps.
As such, it's obvious that this would be more easily done if you had a wider range of kettlebells of different sizes. This would allow you to progress since you could simply use a heavier kettlebell easily.
However, we understand that everyone may not have access to a collection. Therefore, your progressive overload will be limited. You will have two options:
- You can increase the reps and sets over time. This will gradually increase the workload.
- You can decrease rest time between sets and exercises. While this doesn't increase the workload, it still increases intensity by requiring the same amount of work to be done in the same amount of time.
Eventually, you will reach a point where you should invest in some heavier kettlebells.
Benefits Of Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell training is a fantastic training method, whether used alone or as part of your workout. If you're not using kettlebells, here are some reasons you should.
1. Versatility
You're cutting yourself short if you've only used kettlebells for swings. In reality, you can use a kettlebell virtually in the same manner as a dumbbell.
Due to its design, the kettlebell is remarkably versatile and can be used in various exercises. Some examples of kettlebell training include:
- Kettlebell swings
- Power exercises
- Strength and hypertrophy
Heck, you can even use kettlebells to improve bodyweight exercises. For example, you could hang a kettlebell from your foot and do chin-ups or dips. You could also use a kettlebell for offset or raised pushups.
2. Add Unique Movements With Kettlebells
Kettlebell swings are the most common exercise for a very good reason: they're unique to kettlebells. You could technically use a dumbbell similarly, but it's not the same, as your grip will be dampened.
These swings can only be done with kettlebells. It just so happens they're one of the best movements to improve and strengthen hip extension.
3. Kettlebells Produce Insane Power Production
You don't need to perform Olympic movements to produce power—you can just use kettlebells. In fact, you can perform numerous kettlebell exercises to produce power.
For starters, kettlebell swings are essentially power exercises. They require you to produce high amounts of force to swing the kettlebell quickly. Doing this relies on explosive hip extension, which is the same movement used in deadlifts and vertical jumps.
4. Kettlebell Training Builds Awesome Conditioning
Another aspect that distinguishes kettlebell training from traditional forms of training is its ability to improve conditioning, specifically swings.
Kettlebell swings require maximal efforts repeatedly for an extended duration. This increases what's known as anaerobic conditioning or anaerobic endurance.
Anaerobic endurance is slightly different from what we usually associate with endurance, such as long runs. As mentioned, it improves your body's ability to repeat maximal efforts continuously.
Everyone needs this.
Anaerobic conditioning is crucial for the majority of sports. For example, MMA is all the rage these days. If you pay attention to a match, you see it's composed of light-intensity periods interspersed with high-intensity bouts.
But even if you don't play traditional sports, this is crucial. Using kettlebells to improve your anaerobic endurance will increase your exercise capacity and allow you to perform maximally throughout a workout.
5. Burn Calories
Who would have thought swinging around a 20kg piece of metal would burn calories!? But seriously, they can be a very effective tool to build calories.
Some studies suggest a 20-minute kettlebell workout can burn up to 260 calories!²
However, we can combine these burned calories with the increase in your conditioning and anaerobic capacity. You'll quickly realize just how beneficial kettlebell training can be.
6. Can Use Anywhere
Last, you can use kettlebells anywhere. You can bring one to the park or even have a sunset workout. You can use them in your house, the gym, literally anywhere.
Final Thoughts
You now have an incredible 3-day kettlebell workout you can do anywhere. Whether you're looking to completely change your training or just add a little variety to your overall program, the kettlebell training found here could, and likely will, make a massive difference in your physique and conditioning.
Related: 4-Day Kettlebell Workout Plan
Check out our full collection of kettlebell workouts
References
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 11, 21 Apr. 2016, pp. 1689–1697, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8.
- Schnettler, Chad. “Energy Cost and Relative Intensity of the Kettlebell Workout.” Wisconsin.edu, 2024, minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/46602, http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/46602. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
Garett Reid
Author