The Kettlebell Workout That Will Build Strength, Size, And Melt Fat

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For some weird reason, people have very strong opinions when it comes to kettlebell training. Some people are insufferably dogmatic in their approach to kettlebells, and view them as the one and only tool that you could ever need to develop strength, size, and athleticism.

Whereas on the exact opposite side of the spectrum you have old school bodybuilding bros who look at the use of kettlebells as a complete waste of time, an easy way to get hurt, and needlessly toying with new technology. Never mind the fact that kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years.

When it comes to kettlebells, as with most things in the fitness world, or the world in general, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Kettlebells themselves aren’t some new fangled technology that is making all the kids today soft and weak. They’ve been around for as long as people have actively tried to lift weights, and they’ve gotten plenty of people strong. Now there are even adjustable kettlebells which are perfect for home gyms, so you don’t need to own 40 sets.

But they also aren’t the end all be all of strength training tools that some kettlebell disciples would have you believe.

In fact, when used properly you can utilize kettlebells to help you build more strength, size, and shed fat faster than you ever thought possible. The trick to it is to building combinations of kettlebell exercises that utilize major muscle groups together, and don’t leave time for much rest.

Here’s a perfect kettlebell workout you can do to build strength, size, and shed fat:

Double kettlebell clean into double kettlebell front squat x10 on both

Kettlebell thruster x10

Turkish get-up x1 per side

Perform 5 rounds total, resting as little as possible.

A few key things to keep in mind:

You don’t want to go too heavy on the swings to start with. Ideally you’ll be able to choose a weight that allows you to move seamlessly from double swing to front squat straight into thruster. This allows you to hit more compound muscle groups at once, while forgoing rest, which means faster fat loss.

On the Turkish get-up it’s imperative to choose a lighter than you think necessary weight to start. These can be a brutal son of a bitch, and the risk of injury is high when you’re in a fatigued state.

Tanner is a fitness professional and writer based in the metro Atlanta area. His training focus is helping normal people drop absurd amounts of fat, become strong like bull, and get in the best shape of their life.