# Kettlebell Full Body Session A full-body kettlebell session moving from swings and deadlifts into pressing, rowing, and a loaded carry. - URL: https://formaroutines.com/routines/kettlebell-full-body-session/ - Duration: About 36 min - Admin slug: kettlebell-full-body-session ## Before you start Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care. ## Exercises ### 1. Kettlebell Swing 3 sets · 15 reps · 75s rest This is a hip hinge, not a squat. The bell swings because the hips snap, not because the arms lift. #### Steps - Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front of you. - Hinge at the hips, grip the handle with both hands, and tilt the bell back toward you. - Hike the kettlebell back between your legs, keeping your back flat and arms relaxed. - Snap your hips forward explosively to launch the kettlebell up to chest height with straight arms. - Let the bell float briefly at the top, then let it fall back down and load the next hinge. - Catch the bell between your legs with a soft hinge and immediately drive into the next rep. #### Cues - Hike the bell. - Snap the hips. - Arms stay loose. #### Common mistakes - Squatting the bell up and down instead of hinging the hips back and snapping forward. - Lifting the kettlebell with the arms and shoulders instead of letting the hips do the work. - Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under load. - Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the swing instead of finishing with squeezed glutes. ### 2. Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift 3 sets · 10 reps · 75s rest Wide stance, chest tall, bell between the feet. Stand up by pushing the floor away. #### Steps - Stand with feet wider than shoulder width and toes turned out about 30 degrees. - Set the kettlebell on the floor between your feet, directly under your hips. - Hinge at the hips, bend the knees, and grip the kettlebell handle with both hands. - Brace your core, lift your chest, and flatten your back into a strong starting position. - Drive through your heels to stand up tall, finishing with squeezed glutes and locked-out hips. - Lower the kettlebell back to the floor under control by hinging the hips back and bending the knees. #### Cues - Feet wide. - Handle between feet. - Drive hips forward. #### Common mistakes - Letting the knees cave inward on the way up, which loads the joints instead of the glutes. - Rounding the lower back at the bottom of the lift, which strains the spine. - Pulling with the arms instead of driving the floor away with the legs. - Hyperextending the lower back at lockout instead of standing tall with squeezed glutes. ### 3. Kettlebell Thruster 3 sets · 8 reps · 75s rest One movement: squat, then drive straight into the press. Keep the bells close to the body. #### Steps - Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell racked at each shoulder. - Brace your core and squat down by pushing your hips back and bending the knees. - Reach a depth where the thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping the chest tall and bells racked. - Drive explosively through your heels to stand back up out of the squat. - Use the leg drive to launch the kettlebells overhead and lock out at the top with arms extended. - Lower the bells back to the rack position and immediately squat into the next rep. #### Cues - Squat then press. - One smooth motion. - Breathe at the top. #### Common mistakes - Pressing the kettlebells overhead before standing fully upright, which kills the leg drive. - Letting the chest collapse forward at the bottom of the squat, dumping the bells out of the rack. - Letting the knees cave inward at the bottom of the squat, which loads the joints unsafely. - Going too heavy and turning the rep into a clean-and-press instead of a fluid thruster. ### 4. Kettlebell Row 3 sets · 10 reps · 60s rest Hinge forward with a long spine and row both bells to the hips. Shoulders stay square. #### Steps - Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor outside each foot. - Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip both handles, letting the bells hang from straight arms. - Brace your core and pull both kettlebells up toward your lower ribs, leading with the elbows. - Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top and keep the elbows tucked close to your sides. - Lower the bells slowly back toward the floor, fighting the descent for the full range. - Repeat for the full set without losing the hinge position or rocking the torso for momentum. #### Cues - Hinge steady. - Pull elbows back. - Lower with control. #### Common mistakes - Standing more upright as the set goes on, which turns the row into a shrug. - Yanking the bells up with arm-only effort instead of pulling with the back. - Letting the elbows flare wide, which shifts work off the lats and onto the rear shoulders. - Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which loads the spine instead of the back muscles. ### 5. Kettlebell Seated Overhead Press 3 sets · 10 reps · 60s rest Sitting removes the leg drive, so the shoulders do all the work. Start lighter than you would standing. #### Steps - Sit on a bench with back support and a kettlebell in each hand, racked at your shoulders. - Plant your feet flat on the floor and brace your core to lock the torso in place. - Press both kettlebells straight up overhead until the arms are fully extended. - Finish with the wrists stacked over the elbows and the bells resting on the back of the forearms. - Lower the bells slowly back to the rack position with elbows tracking forward, not flaring wide. - Pause briefly at the bottom, reset the brace, and press again for the next rep. #### Cues - Sit tall. - Press over shoulder. - Control the rack. #### Common mistakes - Arching the lower back to leverage the press instead of staying braced and vertical. - Letting the wrists bend backward at lockout, which strains the joint. - Pressing the bells out in front of the head instead of straight up over the shoulders. - Bouncing the kettlebells off the shoulders at the bottom instead of pausing under control. ### 6. Kettlebell Assisted Bulgarian Split Squat 3 sets · 8 reps · 60s rest · both sides One leg at a time exposes side-to-side differences. Hold support until the balance settles. #### Steps - Stand a few feet in front of a bench and place the top of one foot back on the bench behind you. - Hold a light kettlebell at chest height with both hands cupping the horns in a goblet grip. - Brace your core and check that your front foot is far enough forward for the knee to bend cleanly. - Lower straight down by bending both legs until your back knee almost touches the floor. - Keep the kettlebell tight to your chest and your torso upright through the full descent. - Drive through the front heel to stand back up to the starting position and reset for the next rep. #### Cues - Front foot loaded. - Torso tall. - Down slow, up strong. #### Common mistakes - Placing the front foot too close to the bench, which forces the knee to push past the toes uncomfortably. - Letting the front knee cave in at the bottom, which strains the knee and shifts work off the glute. - Leaning forward over the front leg, loading the lower back instead of the working leg. - Pushing off the back foot for help, which removes the single-leg challenge from the rep. ### 7. Kettlebell Farmers Carry 3 sets · 30s hold · 75s rest Walk tall for the whole hold with a bell in each hand. Shoulders back, ribs down, breathing steady. #### Steps - Set two heavy kettlebells on the floor at your sides, just outside your feet. - Hinge down to grip both handles with a strong, full-fist grip and a neutral spine. - Stand up by pushing through your heels and locking out your hips and knees at the top. - Pull your shoulders down and back to stand tall with the kettlebells hanging at your sides. - Walk forward with short, controlled steps, keeping your core braced and ribs stacked over hips. - Walk for the target distance or time, then hinge to set the kettlebells down with control. #### Cues - Stand tall. - Ribs down. - Walk quiet steps. #### Common mistakes - Slumping the shoulders forward under the load, which strains the upper back and reduces grip endurance. - Swinging the kettlebells with each step, which wastes energy and breaks the bracing pattern. - Holding your breath through the carry, which spikes blood pressure and shortens the working set. - Setting the kettlebells down by collapsing the spine instead of hinging cleanly to the floor.