11 Best Full Body Kettlebell Exercises That Help Build A Lean Physique

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Full body kettlebell exercises often require coordination and core stabilization, leading to improved body control and balance.

You can scale the exercises to suit different fitness levels by adjusting the weight of the kettlebell.

Regularly incorporating full body kettlebell exercises into your workout can improve muscle tone, endurance, and metabolic rate, aiding in weight management. It can also provide a full-body workout quickly, making it ideal for those with busy schedules.

Related: 10 Best Kettlebells That Can Help Build Strength And Power

Full Body Kettlebell Exercises for Total Body Conditioning

The following are excellent full-body kettlebell exercises that can provide a solid foundation to help you sculpt muscle, burn fat, and boost your fitness.

Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings involve swinging a kettlebell between your legs and up to chest height or higher.

They are full body kettlebell exercises usually performed using a hinge motion powered by your hips and legs, while using your arms to guide the weight rather than lift it, creating a pendulum-like swing.

They combine cardiovascular training with strength and flexibility, making them some of the best full body kettlebell exercises for improving heart health and stamina.

The explosive hip thrust in kettlebell swings helps develop power, benefiting many athletic activities.

Including kettlebell swings in your fitness regimen can give you a compact yet comprehensive workout that simultaneously addresses several physical fitness components, making it valuable for those with limited time for exercise.

Target Muscles

• Glutes and Hamstrings
• Core Muscles
• Latissimus dorsi
• Rhomboids
• Deltoids

Kettlebell swings also subtly engage other muscles like the quads and calves due to the need to stabilize and adjust during the repetitive swinging motion.

The swings are some of the best full body kettlebell exercises for burning calories while enhancing core strength, balance, and posture.

Kettlebell swings are versatile. Incorporating them into your training regimen can give you several benefits.

Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Goblet Squats are a type of squat performed with a kettlebell held at chest height with both hands, close to the body. They are a variation of the traditional squat that emphasizes proper squat form while engaging the upper body.

Goblet squats are excellent full body kettlebell exercises that primarily focus on the lower body but require upper body and core engagement to maintain balance and control of the equipment, providing a comprehensive workout.

Target Muscles

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Core Muscles
• Shoulders
• Arms

Goblet squats are excellent for building strength in the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Holding the kettlebell in front of the chest challenges your core muscles, which must work to keep the torso upright and stable.

It also encourages deeper squatting and helps improve flexibility in the hips and ankles, enhancing mobility. Regularly performing the movement can help correct postural imbalances and strengthen the muscles that support the spine.

Kettlebell Clean and Press

The Clean and Press are full body kettlebell exercises that combine two movements: the kettlebell clean and the overhead press.

The exercise begins with the kettlebell on the ground.
You start by performing a clean, which involves lifting the kettlebell to your shoulder in a fluid motion and flipping your wrist so the kettlebell rests on the outside of your arm.
Immediately perform a press, lifting the kettlebell overhead with a straight arm.
Return to the starting position and repeat.

Target Muscles

• Deltoids
• Triceps
• Back
• Traps
• Abdominals
• Obliques
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Lower Back

The clean and press are excellent full body kettlebell exercises that engage multiple muscle groups across the upper and lower body, making it an excellent choice for strength training, power development, and general conditioning.

The explosive nature of the clean and the required strength for the press combine to increase muscular strength and power. The overhead press component also improves shoulder mobility and rotator cuff stability.

Turkish Get-Up

The Turkish Get-Up is a multi-step full body kettlebell exercise known for its complexity and the several benefits it offers.

Starting from a lying position, you hold a kettlebell in one hand with the arm extended upwards. The goal is to smoothly transition from lying down to standing up, while keeping the kettlebell above you, and then to reverse the motion back to the starting position.

The movement is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises that works various muscle groups and improves multiple aspects of fitness, including strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination.

Target Muscles

• Shoulders
• Core Muscles
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Upper Back
• Traps
• Quadriceps
• Hips

The Turkish Get-Up exercise requires controlled movements and balance, training the body to function as a cohesive unit.

It engages nearly every muscle group, making it one of the most comprehensive full body kettlebell exercises for fitness enthusiasts looking to maximize efficiency.
It is a rewarding workout that offers extensive physical benefits, enhancing general fitness and performance in sports and daily life.

Kettlebell Deadlift

The Kettlebell Deadlift is a variation of the conventional deadlift, performed using a kettlebell.

The exercise involves lifting the kettlebell off the floor from a squatting position and standing upright, using the strength of your lower body and back.

It is one of the excellent full body kettlebell exercises that target the lower body muscles but also require upper body and core engagement to execute, providing a comprehensive workout.

Target Muscles

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Erector Spinae
• Quadriceps
• Core Muscles
• Upper Back
• Shoulders

The deadlifts are some of the best full body kettlebell exercises for building strength in the legs and hips, helping to improve everyday movements like lifting and bending.

Regularly performing deadlifts can enhance core strength, helping to improve posture and preventing back injuries.

Deadlifts are known for their high metabolic demand, which can help burn fat and build muscle mass, helping to improve body composition.

Kettlebell Snatch

The Kettlebell Snatch is a dynamic and powerful exercise that involves lifting a kettlebell from the ground or between the legs in one fluid motion directly overhead.

It is a high-intensity move and one of the best full body kettlebell exercises that combine strength, power, and endurance training.

It engages multiple muscle groups and energy systems, making it an excellent choice for strength development and cardiovascular conditioning.

Target Muscles

• Deltoids
• Abdominals
• Obliques
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Erector Spinae
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps

Practicing snatches can significantly enhance your explosive strength, helping to boost your athletic performance.

Snatches’ high-intensity and repetitive nature make them excellent full body kettlebell exercises for cardiovascular workouts, helping to improve heart and lung health.

Snatches, like all other high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, are excellent for burning calories quickly, making them valuable full body kettlebell exercises in a weight management or fat loss program.

Kettlebell Windmill

The Kettlebell Windmill combines flexibility, strength, and stability.

It involves holding a kettlebell overhead with one arm fully extended while hinging at the hips to lower your torso sideways, reaching toward the ground with your free hand, and then reversing back to the starting position.

This exercise is notable for its unique range of motion and the coordination it requires.

The windmill is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises for targeting various upper and lower body muscles and improving multiple facets of physical fitness.

Target Muscles

• Shoulders
• Arms
• Obliques
• Core Muscles
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Lower Back

The windmill is excellent for building strength that translates well into everyday activities, particularly those requiring bending, twisting, or lifting. It is a comprehensive exercise that addresses several fitness and functionality areas, making it a valuable addition to fitness routines for developing strength, stability, and mobility.

Kettlebell Clean

Kettlebell Cleans are dynamic lifting exercises where you hoist the kettlebell from a low position to a racked position at the chest or shoulder.

The movement is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises that combines a powerful hip drive with a precise pull, finishing with the kettlebell resting on the outside of your forearm at shoulder height.

To perform the exercise,

• Place the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, standing with your feet at hip-width.
• Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to grasp the kettlebell with one hand.
• Extend your hips and knees and explosively lift the kettlebell, pulling it toward your shoulder.
• Rotate your wrist so the kettlebell moves into your front rack position, resting on your forearm and bicep, ensuring your elbow stays close to your body.
• Extend your arm to press the kettlebell overhead from the front rack position.
• Keep your core tight to maintain stability.
• Lower the kettlebell back to the front rack position, then to the floor, or repeat the movement.

Kettlebell cleans focus on the lower body and core for power generation, but also involve the upper body for controlling and stabilizing the weight.

Target Muscles

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Quadriceps
• Abdominals
• Lower Back
• Deltoids
• Biceps
• Forearms

The clean is a power movement that can enhance your explosive strength, benefiting sports and physical activities requiring speed or power bursts. You can apply the full body coordination and power generation from the exercise to athletic skills, helping to improve sports performance.

Handling the kettlebell strengthens the hands and forearms, enhancing your ability to perform other lifts and physical tasks.

Performing cleans in a high-intensity, repetitive manner can provide a vigorous cardiovascular workout, helping to improve heart health and endurance.

Kettlebell High Pull

The Kettlebell High Pull combines elements of a swing with a vertical pulling motion.

It involves swinging the kettlebell between your legs and then, explosively pulling it up to shoulder height with the elbows leading the way.

The exercise transitions from a powerful hip extension to a rapid upper-body pull, making it vigorous and challenging.

The high pulls are some of the best full body kettlebell exercises for developing power, strength, and coordination across various muscle groups.

Target Muscles

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Deltoids
• Upper Back
• Trapezius
• Core Muscles
• Forearms and Grip

High pulls can improve your ability to generate quick, powerful movements, helping to improve your performance in many sports and physical activities.

To perform the exercise

• Stand with your feet at shoulder-width and the kettlebell placed between your feet. Hinge at your hips to grasp the kettlebell with both hands, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
• Drive through your hips and extend your knees explosively to generate momentum, like a kettlebell swing.
• As the kettlebell rises, bend your elbows and pull them toward your chin, leading with your elbows and keeping them high and wide.
• Keep the kettlebell close to your body during the pull.
• Lower the kettlebell back between your legs in a controlled manner, ready to repeat the movement.

The high intensity and dynamic movement involved in the exercise can also help boost cardiovascular endurance when performed in multiple repetitions.

Kettlebell Front Rack Lunge

The Kettlebell Front Rack Lunge is an exercise where you perform lunges while holding a kettlebell in the front rack position, i.e., with the kettlebell resting on the outside of your arm, close to your chest, with your elbow pointing forward and down.

That adds an upper body and core component to the traditional lunge, making it one of the full body kettlebell exercises for working your upper and lower body muscles.

Target Muscles

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Abdominals
• Lower Back
• Shoulders
• Upper Back
• Calves

To perform the exercise,

• Clean the kettlebell into the front rack position, resting the equipment on your forearm and bicep, close to your chest, with your elbow tucked in and wrist straight. Keep your torso upright and core engaged.
• Step forward into a lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor while keeping the front knee aligned over your ankle. The kettlebell will challenge your balance and core stability.
• Push through the heel of your front foot to return to the standing position.

Lunges are fundamental for developing strength in the legs and hips. Holding the equipment in the front rack position also builds strength in the shoulders and upper back.

Thus, the front rack lunge is one of the best full body kettlebell exercises that benefit almost every major muscle group, improving muscle tone and strength and enhancing functional capabilities.

Kettlebell Deadlift to Upright Row

The Kettlebell Deadlift to Upright Row combines the deadlift and the upright row.

This exercise starts with a deadlift. You lift the kettlebell from the floor using a hinge movement from your hips and knees.
Once standing, you transition directly into an upright row by lifting the kettlebell along the front of your body to approximately chest height, leading with your elbows.

The deadlift to upright row is one of the potent full body kettlebell exercises for engaging several muscle groups. It combines the benefits of a hinge and pull movement in one fluid sequence, enhancing strength, power, and coordination.

Target Muscles

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Quadriceps
• Core Muscles
• Deltoids
• Trapezius
• Biceps
• Forearms

This exercise provides a robust strength training stimulus, targeting the lower and upper body to build muscle mass and strength.

To perform the exercise,

• Stand with your feet at hip-width and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Hinge at your hips
• Slightly bend your knees and grab the kettlebell with both hands, keeping your back flat and core engaged.
• Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees to stand up straight, lifting the kettlebell in line with your body.
• Immediately pull the kettlebell toward your chin when you reach a standing position, leading with your elbows and keeping them high and wide.
• Lower the kettlebell back to your thighs, then hinge at your hips to return it to the floor, completing the deadlift phase.

The deadlift to upright rows is one of the excellent full body kettlebell exercises that build lower-body and upper-body strength, focusing on the glutes, hamstrings, traps, and shoulders, while engaging the core muscles for stability. They are excellent movements for functional strength and muscle endurance.

Final words from LiveLife

Kettlebells are versatile and highly effective for engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously, ensuring a full-body workout in less time. They offer a unique and efficient way to engage the entire body, making them an exceptional tool for building strength, enhancing flexibility, and improving fitness.

The full body kettlebell exercises we have explored can challenge your body in new ways, promoting muscle growth and fat loss to help sculpt a lean, strong physique. Make them part of your training regimen to help push you towards your fitness goals.