Kettlebells are great. When used smartly, kettlebell training can teach you to move your body in unison so that you can wield any object safely and expertly. It can improve your sports performance and your ability to deal with any physical aspect of day-to-day life, like lifting a carry-on in the overhead bin.
But kettlebell training demands great technique and if you visit your local gym you'll probably see countless examples of good exercises performed badly, and some that are wholly unsuitable for beginners.
The prime suspect, in my view, is the kettlebell swing. Countless times I've seen this move render people doubled over in pain or clutching their lower back in distress. That goes for the young and old, experienced and inexperienced—even seasoned trainers like yours truly.
So I've created a list of the "worst" kettlebell exercises for beginners. And when I say "worst" I don't mean bad or that they should be avoided at all costs. Only that if you're an absolute beginner who's not working with an in-person trainer, they're probably best avoided until you've built up more strength and training experience. Experience gained by, for instance, getting comfortable with my suggested safer alternatives.
Swerve: Kettlebell swing
The problem with this move is that it involves swinging a weight away from your center of gravity. If you don't know how to engage your core and it doesn't remain switched on and braced effectively, you'll feel it in your lower back—and not in a good way.
The second issue is that often people assume you need to use your upper body to lift the weight to your eyeline. If anything, your upper body should be very relaxed throughout this exercise with your upper-back muscles slightly retracted. Instead, your glutes and hips should be generating all the power needed for each upward swing of the bell.
Start with: Romanian deadlift
In its place, I recommend learning to perform a good morning with a light kettlebell held with your arms straight to keep the weight close to your center of gravity throughout.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a light kettlebell with both hands, palms facing you.
- Keeping your back flat, hinge at the hips and sit your butt back to lower the weight straight down your legs until your feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
- Drive your hips forward to straighten up, squeezing your glutes hard at the top of the lift.
Swerve: Goblet squat
My bugbear with the goblet squat is similar to that of a front squat. Unless you're able to keep your weight on your heels effectively, you're liable to tip too far forward, and instead load up your lower back.
Start with: Sumo squat
The sumo squat, by contrast, keeps the kettlebell safely between your legs and below your midpoint throughout. That means, once you've dialed in the technique, you can use a reasonably heavy kettlebell to build strength and power in your lower body.
How to do it:
- Hold a kettlebell between your legs in both hands with arms straight and feet shoulder-width apart, or wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your torso upright, bend at the knees and hips to lower until the weight taps the floor.
- Press through your heels powerfully to drive up to standing.
Swerve: Kettlebell thruster
Thrusters are terrific strength and cardio builders when done right, but there's often too much going on for beginners. It also involves holding the weight in front of your chest, as with the goblet squat, which can flare up your lower back.
Start with: One-arm push press
I prefer to nix the lower body element of this move for beginners and instead focus on the upper body with a one-arm push press, which allows for a more natural rotation of the shoulder joint when pressing the bell overhead.
How to do it:
- Hold a light kettlebell with your elbow bent and the bell resting on the back of your forearm and your hand by your shoulder.
- Engage your core and bend your knees to lower into a quarter squat, then extend your legs powerfully and use this momentum to press the bell straight up overhead.
- Allow your hand to externally rotate as you press overhead, finishing with your palm facing forward.
- Lower under control.
Swerve: Kettlebell clean
The kettlebell clean is performed one-handed (or with two kettlebells), requiring you to swing the weight from between your legs to shoulder height on one side. As such, if you're not confident bracing your core or that you have the balanced strength to work unilaterally (one side at a time) this move can pull you out of shape on your weaker side.
Start with: Three-point bent-over row
My preference to challenge your back muscles is to create a stable base with a three-point bent-over row so you can safely address any weaknesses on one side.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet wide apart and rest your hand on a sturdy chair or table to create a three-point base.
- Position the kettlebell in the middle point between your feet and hand, and bend your knees to flatten out your back so that it is parallel to the floor.
- Grasp the handle and retract your shoulder blade to engage your upper back, then bend and draw your elbow past your torso to lift the bell into your ribs.
- Lower the weight under control and repeat.
Swerve: Kettlebell snatch
The kettlebell snatch is simply a glorified one-arm kettlebell swing. It involves bringing the bell from between your legs and then punching it overhead one-handed. It's an advanced exercise you'll often see included in a devilish CrossFit WOD (workout of the day) which has no place among a gym newbie's repertoire.
Start with: Kettlebell GTOH
That said, learning to bring a weight from the floor to overhead is a useful beginner skill worth perfecting. Enter: the ground to overhead.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a light kettlebell between your feet.
- Bend your knees and hips to lower and grasp the handle with your arms extended.
- Keeping your torso upright, push through your heels powerfully to extend your legs and lift the weight to chest height, keeping the kettlebellbell close to your body.
- Tuck your elbows under the kettlebell, then press the bell overhead.
- Reverse the movements back to the start.
