Beginners’ Guide: What Are the Best Kettlebell Workouts to Lose Weight at Home?

Kettlebells are some of the best workouts because they help us get maximum returns in the least amount of time. Most virtual fitness trainers consider their regimes incomplete without a proper 15-minute workout of lifting these weighted bells.

Studies show that performing intense rounds of exercise, even for as little as 15 minutes a day, can help you lose a substantial amount of weight. The key is to pick the right equipment, the right workout and most importantly, have the right mindset.

Why Should You Go for These Specific Workouts?

Kettlebell workouts are a mix of aerobic and anaerobic styles. They can help you outpace the results you may derive from doing cardio exercises or lifting weights alone. A 20-minute kettlebell workout is worth about an hour on the treadmill.

These exercises improve the strength and flexibility of several muscle groups. You might know that most personal trainers recommend interval training and being persistent with them. Kettlebell exercises are similar to these high-intensity interval training exercises but they can be done more easily.

Kettlebells vs Dumbbells

Fitness-minded men and women use dumbbells and kettlebells for strength training and cardio exercises. The very shape, size, and form factor of these two pieces of equipment make them specific for different types of exercises.

The center of gravity of kettlebells is just below their handles- this is vastly different from the dumbbells that have their weight distributed on either side. The former can thus be used for the more dynamic clean and swing exercises while the latter is good at static strength movements like triceps building.

Benefits of doing kettlebell workouts for men and women

According to a study conducted by the American Council of Exercise, an average person burns 400 calories in 20 minutes while performing kettlebell exercises. You can’t burn as many calories by simply running on a treadmill in the same period.

Research also shows that such exercises can reduce pain in the neck, shoulder, and back by improving core stability and increasing core and upper body muscle strength. This helps those obese people (both men and women) who are looking to shed some extra weight.

Here are some other benefits of doing these exercises for weight loss and muscle toning:

1. Improves physique or figure

2. Helps build core strength

3. Improve the body’s balance and stability

4. Burns fat faster

5. Tones muscles

6. Helps with targeted muscle groups

7. Works best for those who do not prefer cardio, HIIT, or Pilates

8. Easy to learn and continue

It is easy to note that kettlebells can be used by men and women of all age groups, especially if they are looking to tone their flabby arms and belly. The key is to have the right balance of weight and technique because any sudden jerk while lifting these bells can cause an injury.

Tip: These round weights can help individuals combine strength training with cardio for efficient muscle-gaining and fat loss sweat sessions.

Kettlebells Workouts for Beginners

Kettlebell exercises use the whole body to build both strength and endurance. Beginners can use the fitness equipment to work on their stamina, build lean muscles, and burn extra flab faster.

The exercises such as the deadlift and swing are targeted at the organs most susceptible to fat storage. With more movements being pressed into action for such organs and muscle groups together, the rate of burn calories is usually higher than most of the other kinds of exercises with weights that only work one muscle at a time.

If you’re a beginner, here’s how to do a simple kettlebell exercise to shed some pounds:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

2. Bend at the hip and grab the kettlebell with both hands.

3. Leave your knees slightly bent and use your hips to pull the weight up.

4. Bend again at the hips until the kettlebell is on the floor and lift it again.

5. Keep looking ahead.

6. Keep your back straight and use your hips to complete the motion.

Here’s Some Quality Advice by Our Virtual Fitness Experts

If you’re convinced that kettlebells could save your life – or at least a huge chunk of your time, then you’re in for a treat. Our virtual fitness experts have designed an exclusive kettlebell workout along with helpful tips on how you can choose the right kettlebell to burn major calories within a short period.

The following workouts should be performed 3 days a week (such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for the best results. If you want to boost your workout efforts, you can increase the number of reps. Be sure to give yourself a day’s rest to allow your body to recover completely.

You can either do this by taking one day off (recommended for beginners) or add in low-impact exercises or cardio such as swimming, jogging, and walking. Rest days will help you train hard each session, without any aches, pains, and excuses.

Kettlebell Workout Routine for Men and Women

Unlike other workouts, you shouldn’t count the number of sets in the traditional fashion of counting reps, resting, and then doing another set. Since you want to get the most out of these 15 minutes, you’ll not put your weight down and perform the movements seamlessly without breaks.

Move from one exercise to another as if they’re components of the same movement. This is a complex exercise but it will still help you burn more calories within a given time, set your muscles ablaze, and of course, melt that fat away.

Tip: Studies show that complex workouts help you burn calories for as long as 72 hours after you’re done working out – even when you’re asleep.

3-day schedule

Perform 7 reps of each movement and repeat full circle 4 times. Add in 1 rep per movement each week with no more than 1-minute rest, if needed.

1. Day#1: Monday

• Kettlebell swings

• Kettlebell shoulder press

• Kettlebell squats

2. Day#2: Wednesday

• Kettlebell squats

• Kettlebell swings

• Kettlebell shoulder press

3. Day #3: Friday

• Kettlebell shoulder press

• Kettlebell squats

• Kettlebell swings

Kettlebell arms and triceps workout

There are some exercises that you can do using this equipment to build stronger arms. These exercises are:

• Push Press

• Kettlebell Jerk

• Close Grip Push Up

Kettlebell chest workout

When it comes to building chest muscles, people flock to bench presses and other exercises. They often miss the point that kettlebells can offer them the same results with the same effort. Here are some popular exercises that you do to build your front upper section:

• Floor Press

• Seesaw press

• Decline Floor Press

• Push up

Kettlebell shoulder workout

Shoulders are a very important part of our body but some fitness professionals overlook them in favor of biceps, back, and chest workouts. You should rather go for these exercises because they can give you better results in much less time as compared to other body parts.

• Half-Kneeling Bottoms Up press

• Turkish Get Up

• Turkish Get Up With Press

However, be sure to know that shoulders are prone to dislocation and the muscles there can tear quite fast if worked upon improperly.

Upper body kettlebell workout

The upper body comprises the shoulder, chest, arms, and back. These body parts require specialized exercises as mentioned above. You might notice that these workouts are a lot similar to the ones done with dumbbells and you may use that familiarity to switch easily.

• Overhead press

• Push Press

• Single-Arm Push Press

• Chest Press

Hire a Virtual Trainer to Work out Better With Weight-Training Exercises

You could choose to work with a virtual fitness trainer at your home to get the most of these high-intensity exercises. This fitness coach would help you do them properly and regularly so you could get better results. He will also keep you away from making the mistakes that a beginner could make.

As you continue with kettlebell workouts, you will find that your heart rate and pulse rate have increased. You may now decide to cool down and do some brisk running or other high-intensity moves to lose some weight faster and tone your muscles.