Top 3 Kettlebell Workouts For Women to Burn More Calories

It seems nowadays that everyone who knows a thing or two about working out is falling in love with kettlebell training. Those strange looking iron bowling balls with handles on top are being hoisted, swung, and pulled by power-lifters, bodybuilders and general fitness enthusiasts the world over as they strive to get stronger, leaner and fitter. And it’s not just the guys who are making the kettle-bell switch. The reason is clear – kettlebell training is a great way to get fitter faster.

The Benefits of Kettlebell Workouts

– Enhances functional fitness by working major muscles groups together

– Boosts explosive power and strength

– Develops muscular and cardiovascular endurance

– Burns a lot of calories (An intense workout can burn 20 calories per minute.)

– Strengthens and stabilizes the vital core muscles

– Works the often neglected muscles of the mid and lower back

Working with Kettlebells

Kettlebells are not designed to be used interchangeably with barbells or dumbbells. There are exercises that can be done with both. However, the real advantage of kettlebells comes when they are used as the foundation for ballistic movements that combine endurance, fat burning, and functional fitness all in one exercise. Kettlebells will not make you look like a bodybuilder. But, if you’re more interested in a sleek, toned, athletic look while supercharging your stamina and cardio fitness, then they may just be the ideal tool for you.

Let’s check out three of the best kettlebell workouts for women who want to achieve their goals faster. First, though, some fundamental performance tips.

The Fundamentals of Kettlebells

Stance

– Feet shoulder width apart

– Weight on heels

– Knees stay in line with toes

– Focus on a point six feet in front of you

Back Posture/Core

– Maintain a neutral spine position – do not over-flex or over-extend your spine

– Pull back and down with your shoulders

– Place equal pressure on both feet

– Draw the ribcage back slightly

Grip

Swing Type Movements

– Make a hook with your hand to grasp the kettlebell

– Don’t squeeze the handle

– Leave your thumb free

Clean Type Movements

– Wrap the thumb and index finger around the handle

– Leave the rest of the grip relatively loose to allow the bell to rotate

Hip Movement

– Wear tight fitting clothing that will not impair your natural movement

– Position the kettlebell a little ahead of you

– Ensure that your feet are firmly set with your heels pushing into the floor

– Lead from the hips in every movement. As you squat down push your hips back

– Focus on snapping your hips by pushing your butt back

– Crease at your hip flexors, sit back on your hips as far as possible, keeping the shins vertical and the hips as far back as possible

– In the upright position, ensure that your abs are tight and braced and your quads are tight

Breathing

– Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth

– Stay relaxed and breath evenly without pursing your lips

– Keep your abs tight

Women’s Kettlebell Workout 1: Fat Loss

This workout is designed to burn the maximum number of calories in the shortest amount of time. It involves 10 intervals of 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off. The suggested resistance is an 8kg (18lb) kettlebell, but adjust to suit.

Exercise No.1: Alternating Kettlebell Swing

Swing the kettlebell between the legs using a quarter squat motion. Make sure that you maintain a neutral spine position throughout. Snap the hips as you come out of the squat to build momentum. Swing the kettlebell up to about shoulder height. Alternate hands at the top of the motion.

Rest 20 seconds

Exercise No. 2: Crush Curl

Squeeze the kettlebell on either side (don’t grip the handle). Try to use only the palm of your hands and not your fingers to grip the kettlebell. Keeping your elbows in at your sides, curl the kettlebell up to your chest and back down again. Tense your abs and keep your entire core as tight as possible.

Rest 20 seconds

Exercise No. 3: Clean and Press (Right Side)

Grab the kettlebell with one hand. Squat down and then power up and clean the kettlebell to shoulder height in what is called the rack position. Now perform a mini squat to provide momentum to drive the kettlebell overhead. Keep your back perfectly flat the entire time. Don’t round the chest, either; arch it forward. Get into a fluid, seamless motion.

Rest 20 seconds

Exercise No. 4: Clean and Press (Left Side)

This is the same as Exercise No. 3, but done on the left side.

Rest 20 seconds

Exercise No. 5: Halo Tricep Extension

Grab the kettlebell and invert so that the weight is above your hands as you hold it chest level. Now bring the kettlebell around your head in a halo motion. Keep your head perfectly straight and looking ahead. Stop when both hands are behind your head and, keeping your elbows in, perform a full tricep extension to lower the kettlebell behind you head. Now complete the halo going around the other side. Make sure to bring the kettlebell around in front of your chest on every revolution. Keep alternating directions back and forth.

Rest 20 Seconds

Exercise No. 6: Burpee Jerks

This is a combination of two separate exercises – a burpee and a high row. Start with a burpee by kicking your feet back and dropping down into a push-up position. Jump back up to grab the kettlebell. Stand up straight and row the kettlebell up to your chin level. Drop it back down and move immediately to your next burpee.  Ensure that you maintain a straight line with your body on the row.

Rest 20 Seconds

Exercise No. 7: Toe Touch Crunch

Lie on a mat on your back with your knees up. Grab your kettlebell on the side of the handles. Straighten your legs to form as close to a 90-degree angle with your torso as possible. Hold the kettlebell at arm length pointing toward your toes. Now perform a crunch by contracting your abs tightly. Keep the core tight even when you drop back down to the floor. Crunch your hands up to your toes as high as you possibly can. Keep your lungs open and ensure that you are maintaining a smooth range of motion throughout.

Rest 20 Seconds

Exercise No. 8: Lunge Drop and Row (Right Side)

Again we combine two traditional weight exercise here – the lunge and the one arm row. Start in a wide lunge position. Grab the kettlebell with your right leg – your right leg should be the back leg in the lunge position. Keeping your back in a straight line with that extended leg, row the kettlebell up toward your ribcage. Make sure to keep your elbow in at your side. As you lower the kettlebell, simultaneously perform a lunge. Be sure to touch the rear knee right down to the ground. Keep alternating between the two motions – row and lunge.

Rest 20 seconds

Exercise No. 9: Lunge Drop and Row (Left Side)

This is the same as Exercise No. 8, but done on the left side.

Rest 20 Seconds

Exercise No. 10:  Kettlebell Swing

Grab the kettlebell with a two-handed overhand grip. Keeping a neutral spine, begin the swing by snapping the hips to get the kettlebell going. Bring the kettlebell nice and high to shoulder height. At the high point, it should be at a 45-degree angle pointing away from your body. Keep the lungs open, the core motion nice and tight and you back and chest arched.

Women’s Kettlebell Workout No. 2: 5 Minutes of Madness

This is a super intense maintenance workout for those days when you’re super busy and don’t have time for a regular 30-minute workout. Remember that workout effectiveness doesn’t rely on how long the session, but how intense and how consistent your training is. This one is guaranteed to wipe you out!

Note: You should wear wristbands when doing this workout.

Exercise No.1: Snatch with Kettlebell

Place the kettlebell in front of your body. Take a wide stance and grab the kettlebell with one hand in an overhand grip. Begin by doing a one arm kettlebell swing. Bring the kettlebell up until it is almost overhead. Now start bending your elbow slightly as you raise the kettlebell and punch the kettlebell overhead. This will cause the bell to rotate and rest against your wrist and lower arm. Keep the kettlebell in the overhead lockout position. Keep your wrist neutral and your hand open. Hold for a couple of seconds then bring the kettlebell back to the floor. That is one repetition.

Perform 5 reps of the kettlebell snatch with each arm.

Exercise No. 2: Kick Through Push Ups

Start in the top push up position. Step your left foot up to your left hand. Now kick through your right leg across and past your left foot. Then return back to the start position. Don’t let your right foot touch the floor until it returns to the start position. Now do a full push-up.

Perform 4 reps on each side, alternating.

Now go back to 5 snatches one each side.

Continue going back and forth between snatches and kick through push ups for 5 minutes.

Women’s Kettlebell Workout No. 3: The Ultimate Challenge

This challenging workout is designed to fat track the fat burn while strengthening the core and improving functional fitness. The workout involves 5 rounds of a 5-exercise circuit. Every exercise should be performed for 20 repetitions. The only extra equipment you’ll need, apart from a kettlebell, is a pull-up bar. If you can’t do full pull-ups, use a chair or a training partner to perform assisted pull-ups.

Exercise No. 1: Kettlebell Swing

Grab the kettlebell with a two handed overhand grip. Keeping a neutral spine, begin the swing by snapping the hips to get the kettlebell going. Bring the kettlebell nice and high to shoulder height. At the high point, it should be at a 45-degree angle pointing away from your body. Keep the lungs open, the core motion nice and tight and you back and chest arched.

Exercise No. 2: Spiderman Push-ups

Perform regular push-ups, but bring a knee to your elbow each time. Make sure that you keep your hips flat.

Exercise No. 3: Goblet Swing Lunge

Grab the kettlebell on the side of the handles. And hold it up at chest level. Now step forward into a deep lunge. Bring your rear leg down until the knee just kisses the ground. You want to have a 90-degree angle between the front hip, knee, and ankle. Step back to the start position. Now step back into a rear lunge. Continue, keeping the dumbbell at chest level, until you complete the required number of reps.

Exercise No. 4: Pull Ups

Grab a chinning bar with an underhand, shoulder width grip, and hang with your elbows slightly bent. Pull your chin up above the bar, hold for a second or two, and lower your body with control. Let your legs hang straight down and don’t jerk your way up. Just pull yourself up in a smooth motion and then let your body down under control.

For maximum stretch and contraction, lower yourself to the very bottom of each rep and pull up until your chin touches or goes above the bar.

If you are unable to perform one complete repetition on a chinning bar, start by doing reverse push-ups. Perform reverse push-ups as follows:

• Fix a bar 1 meter above the ground (you can do this on a Smith machine).
• Lie down so that the bar is directly over your chest.
• Grab the bar with an overhand grip that’s slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Lift your torso and legs off the floor so that only the back of your heels remain planted on the floor.
• Pull in your abs and hold your body in a straight line from head to heels.

Exercise No. 5: Sumo Deadlift

Take an exaggerated stance over the kettlebell with your feet a little wider than shoulder width and your feet pointed slightly out. Maintain a neutral spine as you bend down to grip the kettlebell with a two-handed overhand grip. Hinge the hips and push the butt back. Keeping your abs tight, drive through the thighs to lift the kettlebell as you stand upright. As you return the kettlebell to the ground try to place it behind your heels. This will help to prevent the back from rounding.

The three kettlebell workouts described above are tough. But they are also exactly what you need to develop functional fitness, get rid of unwanted body-fat, build lean muscle and get strong. Just remember to follow the basic technique guidelines, select a kettlebell that’s challenging but not too heavy that you’ll risk form and always maintain a neutral spine. You’ll soon discover why kettlebells are the gym goer’s new best friend.

Have questions? Ask me in the comments below.