By Ryan Williams, B.S. Health and Fitness, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer

Kettlebell workouts are one of my favorite methods of exercise.  For being such a simple tool, a steel ball with a handle, they are very versatile and can offer a variety of benefits.  With small tweaks in movements and reps you can build strength, increase endurance or help blast calories to lose fat.  This post is going to focus on my 5 favorite movements to build muscle definition.  Before we dive into the fun stuff, a disclaimer on bells.  With the bell being such a unique tool, I highly encourage talking to a Personal Trainer for a full tutorial on form to make sure you stay safe.  To really focus on building definition, keep the rep ranges in the hypertrophic range (8-12 per set) and the weight moderate to high.  A general rule of thumb for building definition is 3-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

KB swings– (Additional disclaimer- kettlebell swings are very much a skill with a lot of intricacies.  Please talk to a Persians Trainer if you have questions on form.)  Approach a bell sitting at least a foot in front of your feet with your feet shoulder width apart and toes slightly pointed out. Grab the bell with both hands and a bend in your knees.  Brace your core and ‘hike’ the bell like a football between your legs.  As it travels behind you, hinge your hips and explode forward.  Let the bell travel up to chest height with your arms straight.  As it lowers, wait until the bell pulls your torso down and hinge at the hips.  When it is between your legs, repeat the explosion forward for rep #2.

• Why it’s great- kettlebell swings are known as the ‘king’ of kettlebell movements.  Similar to the deadlift, it focuses on the entire posterior chain but in a dynamic fashion.  It is a great exercise to not only build strength, but power and endurance too.

KB vertical style high pull- Start this exercise with the bell at arms length and feet outer hip width.  Sit into a squat with your weight through your heels.  Explosively stand up and use the momentum from your legs to help pull the bell to your chest with elbows higher than your hands.  Make this movement continuous and fluid.

• Why it’s great- kettlebell high pulls are one of my favorite ways to boost your metabolism.  It utilizes so many muscle groups in a dynamic fashion to really blast some calories and help create a lean and toned look.

KB snatch- Address a bell sitting a foot in front you with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly out.  Grab the bell with one hand and a bend in your knees.  Brace your core and ‘hike’ the bell between your legs.  Hinge your hips and explode forward.  As the bell reaches chest height, pull the bell towards your chest.  With the bell flipping over your hand, punch straight up to the ceiling and finish with your arm straight overhead and your shoulder down. Let the bell come straight down and between your legs into the second rep.

• Why it’s great- the snatch is an extremely tough exercise to master as it uses so many muscle groups and skill to perform.  It will torch calories and really help the toning process.  You will build lower body power, overhead stability, and a ton of core strength.

KB self supported row– Assume a staggered stance with one elbow supporting yourself on your knee.  Keep core tight and back flat.  Grab a bell at arms length and while keeping back still and your shoulder down away from your ear, row your elbow up to the ceiling and pinch your shoulder blade.  

• Why it’s great- the self supported row will help to build a ton of strength in your back and arms.  Because of the self supported aspect, you will also burn calories at a higher rate than a lot of other back exercises through the extra core involvement.  More bang for your buck!

Farmer carry/Suitcase carry– Depending on if you have 2 bells of the same weight, perform either the farmer carry (with 2 bells) or the suitcase carry (with one bell).  Make sure to pick up bells with a good deadlift.  Holding weight to sides, stand tall with good posture, shoulders back and core engaged.  Walk with an even and controlled gait for 1 minute on Farmer carry and 1 minute on each side for Suitcase carry.  Avoid any leaning 1 way or the other, especially with suitcase carry.

• Why it’s great- a carry movement like this will engage most every muscle in the body.  It is a great total body strength builder as well as a metabolic booster.  Building functional core strength, like this, is key to maintaining good posture and good skeletal health.