Exercises with a kettlebell on the back: how to pump up your back muscles with a kettlebell at home

The kettlebell is a sports equipment that allows you to work all the muscles of the body. Every man has tried to lift a weight at least once in his life. The projectile is extremely unyielding; even a 32 kg weight can become a problem for almost every adult representative of the stronger half of humanity. A kettlebell training program will help build muscle mass, increase strength and endurance.

Deadlift with kettlebell

Like the classic barbell deadlift, the kettlebell deadlift is a sure and reliable way to strengthen your back extensors. As you know, basic exercises that involve several muscles have a tremendous anabolic effect.

Technique:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the handle of the weight in both hands.
As you inhale, slowly move your pelvis back, bending your knees and tilting your torso forward. At the bottom point, touch the weights to the floor.
Exhale using your back to straighten your torso and stand completely straight.

Bent-over kettlebell row

In this exercise, the latissimus dorsi muscles are included in the work as much as possible. The advantage of the one-arm row option is the detailed study of each side.

Technique:

Lunge forward and bend your supporting leg. With the same hand, rest on your front thigh, and with the other, hold the kettlebell, dangling it in a straight hand.
Bend your torso forward approximately 45 degrees.
As you exhale, pull the weight toward your waist, feeling the work of your back muscles. In this case, the shoulder is slightly retracted back. Don't round your back.
As you inhale, slowly extend your arm.
Repeat the same on the other side.

General recommendations for implementation

This is an excellent dynamic movement that pairs well with static leg exercises such as the Chair, as well as other dynamic exercises such as glute deadlifts, various squats, or the Glute Bridge. To begin with, it is recommended to perform the movement without weights. After a while, when you learn to perform the movement automatically, you can begin to pick up dumbbells or a kettlebell.

Using dumbbells helps to increase the effectiveness of the exercises performed many times over, but you must remember that you cannot immediately use large weights - you can start with two-kilogram dumbbells. For men who are in good physical shape, you can start by using seven-kilogram dumbbells. You can find the top 7 exercises for pumping up the buttocks for men here.

Choose a platform of suitable height for yourself - from forty to sixty centimeters. If the platform has a height adjuster, it will be easy to adjust it to your height. This can be determined by trial walking. The knee of your working leg, which you placed on the platform, should form an angle of approximately ninety degrees. If the knee forms an acute angle, then all the load from the muscles will go to the joint, which creates a risk of injury.

Bent-over double kettlebell row

If you have two weights, this option will replace the bent-over row of a barbell or dumbbells, but will be no less effective. The main thing is to choose the appropriate weight.

Technique:

Take two weights and place your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your torso forward, almost horizontally, and lower your straight arms with weights to the floor. Bend your knees slightly. Don't round your back; support your spine with your core muscles.
As you exhale, use your latissimus muscles to pull the weights toward your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top point.
As you inhale, slowly straighten your elbows. Do not sway or change the position of your torso throughout the entire approach.

Example workout

Kettlebells are convenient because they take up very little space, so you can exercise with them both in the gym and at home.

We start each workout with a warm-up; this is necessary to prepare the muscles, avoid injuries, and warm up the ligaments and joints.

We stretch the neck by tilting the head back and forth and left and right. We swing our arms, rotate our forearms and hands. We squat two sets of 10-15 repetitions, do hyperextension two sets of 10 times. We lean forward, backward and left and right.

Beginners need to start training with exercises:

Squats with kettlebells.
Mahi.
Pulls to the chin.
Kettlebell press.

This will strengthen the muscles of the arms and back and prepare the body for correct movements during the snatch and push. Experienced athletes can use the listed exercises as warm-ups.

Example workout for beginners:

Warm up.
Squats with a kettlebell in front of you, 3 sets, 20 reps each. Girls just need to take 16 kilograms with both hands in front of them. For men, squats with two 16 kg weights on the chest are suitable.
Kettlebell swings – 3 sets of 20 reps
Rows to the chin – 3 times 20 repetitions
Press – 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Example training for experienced athletes:

Warm up.
Squats holding a weight above your head for 30 seconds on each arm.
Swings with changing hands – 2 minutes.
Snatch – 2 minutes with each arm.
Hold 2 weights on the chest – 2 sets of 1 minute.
Chest push – 2 minutes per arm.
Chest cleans – two minutes with each arm.

This workout can be done both in the gym and at home.

In the gym, exercises with kettlebells can be combined and included in bodybuilders’ training complexes to develop endurance, speed and coordination. For example, after leg training, perform kettlebell swings 3 sets 15-20 times.

If these workouts seem easy to you, simply increase the intensity of the lifts or add a minute to each set.

Approaches and repetitions algorithm for compiling a training complex

Determine your maximum - perform the exercise to the limit, and remember the number of repetitions.
Build your workouts based on this maximum, performing 60-80% of the previously established maximum repetitions in each working approach.
Rest between working approaches from 2 to 5 minutes. During this time, you need to completely restore your breathing.
Gradually increase the number of repetitions each workout. Watch your health, don't overdo it.

The number of working approaches when working out with weights ranges from 2 to 5. The number of repetitions will depend on your fitness, but should not be less than 15. Before starting each new exercise, do 2 warm-up approaches of 6-10 repetitions each.

What weight to take: 4, 8, 16, 24 or 32 kg

Choose the weight based on the number of repetitions; if you can’t do 15 repetitions, then the weight of the projectile needs to be reduced.

For young people, it would be wise to start with 16 kilograms for two-arm movements and 8 kilograms for one-arm movements. If the young man is well physically developed, you can start with 16 kilogram weights.

It is better for beginner girls to try with a 4 or 8 kilogram weight, depending on their preparedness.

First of all, hone the correct technique and only then increase the load. When training with kettlebells, it is not necessary to increase the weight of the apparatus each time. It is enough to increase the intensity of movements.

Swing kettlebells with two hands

Like most kettlebell exercises, swings work the large muscles of the body, but this variation works the back muscles the most, as well as the hips and glutes.

Technique:

Grab the arms of the weights with both hands and lift the weights off the floor, holding them straight in front of you. Place your feet slightly wider than your pelvis.
Bend your knees and swing the kettlebell back; while exhaling, use your pelvis to push your arms with the kettlebell up, bringing it to a horizontal position, no higher than your shoulder joints.
As you inhale, take the weight at the lowest point by also sitting down and pushing the weight up using a powerful impulse.

Benefits and harms

Kettlebell lifting develops such useful qualities as:

Strength – your grip strength will noticeably increase, your arms and shoulders will be stronger, and you will be able to work more effectively on the mass.
Speed – exercises with kettlebells are dynamic and require sharp muscle contractions, which allows you to increase speed characteristics.
Coordination – when lifting this projectile, the whole body works, and a person learns to control it more effectively.
Development of the core muscles - in order to lift and hold a kettlebell above your head, you work your abs, back and many small stabilizer muscles.
Endurance – due to the fact that almost the entire body works at the same time, the load on the cardiovascular system and breathing increases.
High energy consumption - when working with weights, a lot of calories are burned, which means that such exercises, together with proper nutrition, are effective for losing weight.
Strengthening ligaments and joints - kettlebell lifting has a beneficial effect on the elbows, wrists, shoulder joints and strengthens the spine.

Harm from exercise is possible if an athlete chooses too heavy weights for training or begins to perform complex exercises without prior preparation and practicing the correct technique. Injuries very often occur in unprepared people with underdeveloped muscles.

One hand swing

The swing is similar to the previous exercise, but is performed with one hand. It can be performed either alternately with each hand, or change hands at the top point. Let's look at the option without replacing hands.

Technique:

Hold the kettlebell with one hand and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
As in the previous version, as you exhale, swing the weight up, pushing your pelvis up to parallel with the floor.
As you inhale, accept the weight and continue swinging by inertia with one hand.
Then repeat the approach on the other side.

Raising a kettlebell to the shoulder

The exercise is performed with one light weight kettlebell, since the spine is under high load when lifting. Lifting also develops coordination and explosive strength, including large muscle groups. As you can see, this is another type of swing.

Technique:

Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, take the weight, swing it back and push it up with momentum.
In the middle of the amplitude, bend your elbow, pulling the weight towards your shoulder. Thus, the weight should be located at the top point on the back of the forearm.
Extend your arm and lower it down again, swinging between your legs and repeat the movement.

Contraindications

When performing exercises with weights, high loads are placed on the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the spine, knees, and hip joints; if pain occurs in one of these joints, you should stop exercising. Be sure to consult your doctor before starting training if you have chronic joint diseases or spinal problems.

Don't exercise while sick. Approach exercise with caution if you have hypertension. Avoid activities if you have heart disease.

Approach exercises with caution if you experience pain in your muscles and ligaments. Do not use this type of training if you have shoulder, elbow, or wrist instability.

Postpone training if the temperature is high or if you feel weak. Complete the course of treatment and fully recover, and then you can start exercising.

Kettlebell plank with arm raises

This is an excellent option for detailed work on the latissimus muscles, as well as position stabilizers, that is, the core muscles. To perform a plank you will need two weights. You can also perform the option with one kettlebell, with one hand placed on the floor, and the other with a kettlebell performing rows to the belt.

Technique with two kettlebells:

Place weights approximately shoulder distance apart on the floor.
Grasp the arms with your hands and stand in a plank position, building an even line throughout your body.
As you exhale, perform one kettlebell row using your lats and slowly return the kettlebell to the floor.
Then perform a row with your other arm and continue alternating arms until the end of the set, without arching your lower back or lifting your pelvis up.

And also read: All exercises for the back → 5 effective exercises with kettlebells on the shoulders → Kettlebell lifting after 40 years - how to do it? Exercises with kettlebells for triceps →

Kettlebell exercises that will help you become the “Hulk”

The kettlebell is one of the universal and inexpensive exercise machines that even a schoolchild can afford, because this equipment can not only diversify your activities, but also strengthen your muscles!
In this article we will discuss what exercises can be done with the help of a “weightlifter”, as well as how to choose the right one, because they come from different materials.

Go?

Let me look at the advantages, first.

So that you certainly do not doubt the effectiveness of weights.

With the help of a kettlebell, you can work out the main muscle groups and just increase your strength!

And what else?

— You can lose enough calories, in 10 minutes of exercise you can lose about 200 kcal, this doesn’t even always happen when running;

— Increased strength endurance;

— Strengthening the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;

— Strengthening the back muscles, thus you don’t have to worry about problems with the spine;

- You can practice both at home and on the street;

— A weight takes up exactly as much space in your apartment as a tea cup or food plate

By the way, kettlebell lifting is very typical of Russian athletes - remember who was included in the Guinness Book of Records, or who you could most often see with a kettlebell in their hands on the pages of history?

Exercises with a kettlebell

So that you certainly do not doubt the effectiveness of weights.
With the help of a kettlebell, you can work out the main muscle groups and just increase your strength!

And what else?

— You can lose enough calories, in 10 minutes of exercise you can lose about 200 kcal, this doesn’t even always happen when running;

— Increased strength endurance;

— Strengthening the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;

— Strengthening the back muscles, thus you don’t have to worry about problems with the spine;

- You can practice both at home and on the street;

— A weight takes up exactly as much space in your apartment as a tea cup or food plate

Exercises with a kettlebell

We will focus on these two pictures, look carefully so as not to miss anything!

Goblet squats with kettlebell

These squats give a good workout to the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, lower back, hamstrings, and calves. They also help strengthen your shoulders and biceps. Let me make a reservation right away that this exercise should not be done by those who have lower back problems. Initially, you do not need to squat deeply, but only until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Russian crunches with kettlebell

You look at the picture and think, “Oh, some bullshit,” but in reality this is a complex exercise, only it pumps up the abdominal and back muscles. If you have problems with your spine, then you should forget about twisting.

Deadlift with kettlebell

This exercise will work the back extensors, hamstrings and buttocks.

Don't forget to watch your lower back and its position

Kettlebell row to the chin

These activities are great for targeting the core muscles of the body. The delta, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi work the hardest. To start, place your feet shoulder-width apart!

Kettlebell swing

A basic kettlebell lifting exercise that can involve almost all major muscle groups. In particular, the exercise is good for the buttocks, hips and back. Lift the apparatus by working the hip joints, not the knees or back.

One-arm kettlebell press

I’ll tell you right away - do you have back problems? Then skip this wonderful exercise, which is aimed at developing the muscles of the shoulder girdle. During its execution, of course, other muscles also receive a certain load. Here you should carefully monitor the brush because it should not bend either inward or outward.

Bent-over rows

Perhaps this is the last exercise on my list, which is aimed at working the back muscles. This exercise, they say, is great even for women, because it works the biceps and shoulders. To maintain balance, keep your hand on your knee.

How to choose a kettlebell?

The market offers cast, cast iron, titanium, and even plastic, as well as collapsible weights.
So what to choose from this whole variety for your loved one? Let's look at kettlebells.

Choose based on your preferences and weight. For example, I like classic cast iron weights, but with a vinyl coating, so as not to injure your floor, you might like something else. Everyone has different tastes. In general, I recommend coming to the store and testing the weights - how they fit in your hand, are they comfortable to use, etc.

I’ll say right away that you should choose a more standard form, because... any “decorative” weights can only cause harm. Well, let's say a weight in the shape of a gorilla's head. It’s better to pass by, but if you bought it, put it on a shelf to admire.

What weight should I choose?

If you are just starting out, then 10 kg will do, for women it can be 8 kg, or 2 x 4. You should not take 40 kg right away, this can cause serious injuries. Weight can be increased gradually. Of course, for greater convenience, it is better to have 2 sets of weights, you never know today you lift 10 kg, and tomorrow you can easily lift 25.