I was recently asked why I love kettlebell training so much for fat loss and why I put a kettlebell focus in almost every one of my training days.

One of the most important things for me when designing a training day or a program is to get a good workout in as little time as possible because I know that every person in the world has things that they need to do other than just working out. For that reason, I always find myself including kettlebell training in my programs.

Kettlebells really give you the most bang for your buck. Rather than taking the time to do cardio and then following that by lifting weights, kettlebell training provides the benefits of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning, all while building your explosive power and functional strength. You’re getting everything you could need in just half-an-hour of working out!

On top of that, kettlebells are an incredible tool for burning calories, which means that they serve you really well when you’re looking to burn off fat and add muscle at the same time.

I think that everyone should be training with kettlebells, especially if they have a goal of losing fat, so for that reason, I decided to make a list of my top 5 kettlebell exercises for quick fat loss.

 

The Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is always my top pick for losing fat using a kettlebell.

Though it focuses on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back), the kettlebell swing activates every muscle in the body and blasts the heart rate to a level you might recognize from when you were doing sprints in high school.

This movement has been called “The King of Exercises” because of the plethora of benefits it provides:

1. Burn as many as 100 calories in 5 minutes
2. Increase muscular strength and endurance drastically
3. Improve posture and prevent lower back pain

You can cultivate these amazing benefits by adding kettlebell swings to your routine regardless of the level you’re at.

Recommendation:

• Beginners: 3 x 10 - Kettlebell Swing
  
  
• Intermediate: 5 x 10 / Arm - Single Arm Kettlebell Swing
  
  
• Advanced: 10 x 10 - Double Kettlebell Swing

The Kettlebell Snatch

The kettlebell snatch is another favorite of mine when it comes to quick results for fat loss using kettlebells. It’s a technical movement that, once mastered, becomes an unbelievably beneficial tool for your arsenal.

Like the kettlebell swing, the kettlebell snatch activates most of the musculature in the body, but adds an additional emphasis on the shoulders and arms.

The snatch is a beautiful, explosive movement that gets its power from the lower body, engages your core, and builds up the shoulders which are used to stabilize the weight overhead. It pumps up your heart rate, engages your entire body, and helps you boost your weaknesses.

Recommendation:

• Beginners: 3 x 10 / Arm - Single Kettlebell Snatch
  
  
• Intermediate: 5 x 10 / Arm - Single Kettlebell Snatch
  
  
• Advanced 5 x 10 - Double Kettlebell Snatch

The Kettlebell Clean & Press

In terms of the technique required to be able to perform the movement correctly, the kettlebell clean & press falls between the kettlebell swing and the kettlebell snatch. In terms of calories burned when performing the movement, it’s right up there with the rest of them.

The kettlebell clean & press is phenomenal for losing fat fast because it requires you to pause between the initial explosive movement and the press, so it’s really like you’re getting two exercises rolled into one. The first, the clean, which forces you to explode from your lower body and cultivate as much power as you can manage; and the second, the press, which requires you to push with your delts, chest, and triceps to get the weight overhead.

This version of the exercise is much easier on the body than the barbell alternative, but still requires extreme levels of coordination and core stability, making it a challenging endeavor for everyone from beginners to the most elite.

Recommendation:

• Beginners: 3 x 10 / Arm - Kettlebell Clean
  
  
• Intermediate: 5 x 10 / Arm - Kettlbell Clean & Press
  
  
• Advanced: 5 x 10 - Double Kettlebell Clean & Press

The Kettlebell Front Squat

As a lower body exercise, the kettlebell front squat is a true champion for building up a solid squatting foundation and helping you to shed fat. Developing good form here directly translates to good form on the barbell squat, and doing high sets and reps gets you the burn we both know that you couldn’t live without.

Since this exercise has more of a lower-body focus, you’ll notice that incorporating it into your routine will get you increased strength and power in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as tightening and building endurance in your core.

(Not to mention the incredible calorie-burning potential).

Recommendation:

• Beginners: 3 x 10 - Kettlebell Goblet Squat
  
  
• Intermediate: 5 x 10 - Kettlebell Goblet Squat
  
  
• Advanced: 5 x 10 - Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Kettlebell Lunge & Press

 

The kettlebell lunge & press is a pretty serious step to take, and you’ll notice that if you want to get the fat-burning, muscle-building benefits from this exercise, you need to have some pretty good leg and shoulder strength, to begin with.

Once you do feel ready to take on this challenge, you’ll quickly notice that your glutes explode in size and your hips and knees get crazy stable. These benefits directly carry over to sports and everyday life as you’ll be able to run faster, jump higher, jump further, and you probably won’t feel any kind of nagging joint pain anymore.

Recommendation:

• Beginners: 3 x 10 / Leg - Kettlebell Lunge
  
  
• Intermediate: 5 x 10 / Leg - Kettlebell Lunge & Press
  
  
• Advanced: 5 x 10 / Leg - Walking Double Kettlebell Lunge & Press\

 

 

 

As you’ve seen, these 5 kettlebell exercises are amazing for incorporating the whole body and building muscle while seriously burning fat. You can add these movements into your existing routine, or use them together for an intense kettlebell-focused workout.

I recommend that women start out with 15lbs and men with 25lbs, working up as you feel comfortable and capable. It’s important to remember that kettlebells are a very technical instrument, so it’s much better to start off lighter and focus on mastering the movement than it is to push yourself too hard - you can quickly find yourself stuck at home recovering from an injury.

But if you’re stuck at home and you aren’t injured, whether that’s because you’re taking care of the kids, or you don’t have transportation, or you just don’t have the time to get a two-hour workout in, I recommend you check out The Home Bodyz Fitness Program.

The Home Bodyz Fitness Program is the holy grail of home workouts, and incorporates kettlebells, dumbbells, and calisthenics into incredible 30/45 minute workouts that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re looking to burn fat or pack on lean muscle mass, The Home Bodyz Fitness Program is exactly what you need to accomplish your goal.

You can check it out here.