Weight training with dumbbells or barbells can help build strength and muscle, but adding kettlebells to your routine can help you boost explosive power, speed, and stamina, too.
Kettlebells can be used for most weight exercise, but are ideal for training powerful, dynamic movements, according to Ben Foster, head coach and founder of the People's Athletic Club.
"If someone only has access to a kettlebell, they can very easily get a full-body workout, but its unique value is athletic development," he told Insider.
Learning how to control the momentum of the weight can help you get a full-body workout to cultivate strength, skill and cardio all at once. To make the most out of kettlebell training, build from foundational exercises to more technical moves like Olympic lifts, Foster and other trainers say.
Start with the basics like squats, deadlifts, and presses
If you're new to fitness and picking up a kettlebell for the first time, it's best to learn the right technique from a qualified trainer, according to Miriam Fried, NYC-based personal trainer and founder of MF Strong.
"People won't even know how to hold it," she told Insider.
Experienced athletes can also benefit from a coach, since holding a kettlebell properly takes a different approach than other types of weight.
"There's generally more technique and position awareness that's needed because of the handle and how it's positioned, it's not as natural or neutral," Foster said.
Before jumping into high-intensity workouts, practice basic kettlebell exercises like deadlifts, goblet squats, presses, and rows so you're confident moving the weight properly.
Swings can help you nail kettlebell technique
The kettlebell's weight distribution below the handle makes it tricky to learn, but ideal for powerful, dynamic movements like the kettlebell swing.
Swings can help drill the hip hinge movement, as well as get you comfortable with controlling the momentum of the weight, both of which are foundational to other exercises.
Kettlebell cleans and snatches can help you build full-body strength and power
Once you've got a solid swing, a more challenging progression involves Olympic weightlifting techniques: the clean and the snatch.
Typically performed with a barbell, cleans and snatches require good stability and mobility to even attain the correct positions.
Kettlebells have the advantage of giving you more options for positioning your body.
"It's more approachable and easier to manipulate than a barbell because you have more freedom in the shoulder and hip," Foster said.
Both movements use the power of your lower body, strong hip extension, and core stability to drive the weight up from the floor. A kettlebell clean ends with the weight at your shoulder (front rack position). A kettlebell snatch brings the weight overhead in one motion.
For both, you'll need to let the weight rotate around your wrist to avoid it slamming into your arm.
As with any challenging exercise, a good coach is recommended for learning Olympic weightlifting (kettlebells or otherwise) safely and effectively.
Combine kettlebell exercises to work on stamina
As you become more advanced in kettlebell training, you won't necessarily need bigger weights.
Unlike dumbbells or barbells, kettlebells aren't always conducive to adding weight, since a heavier kettlebell demands better technique, according to Fried.
Instead, progress kettlebell exercises by adding intensity and linking movements together.
A series of exercises in a kettlebell complex or "flow" increases the time your muscles spend under tension to build strength. Combined movement also spikes your heart rate to train cardio and endurance with weights.
Examples of simple kettlebell combos to try include a swing to a goblet squat, a clean to a press, or a snatch to an overhead squat.
