We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Plus, the kettlebell workouts you should put them into and the best (and cheapest) kettlebells you can buy

It mightn't look like much, but take it from us: the kettlebell is your ticket to faster fitness. Packing the same weighty punch as dumbbells, and well-suited to the heart rate-spiking benefits of HIIT, these cannonball-shaped weights develop power, endurance, muscle and strength simultaneously for heavyweight results.

Even today, the kettlebell is underused and undervalued by most of the gym-going community, but don't let that fool you. As MH hero Arnold Schwarzenegger says, 'The muscle doesn't see what you're holding in your hands'. And since they're compact, adaptable and versatile, the kettlebell is an ideal bit of kit for the home workout warrior.

Ready to add this tool to your armoury? We run through the benefits of training with a kettlebell, reveal the most effective kettlebell exercises and workouts to burn fat, build muscle and increase fitness, and share our cast-iron recommendations for the best kettlebells on the market. Let's get to work.

The growing popularity of sports such as CrossFit and Strongman have helped drive kettlebell training and workouts into the mainstream, but the idea is nothing new. In the 19th century, circus strongmen used kettlebell weights — originally meant for weighing crops — to alter their physique, which gradually led to a rise in kettlebell training. Here's what they can do for you:

Owing to their design, kettlebells are one of the easiest weights to move around during your workout and can be stored away easily, from your car boot to your garden shed or garage. "You don't need anything more than one kettlebell in combination with your bodyweight to effectively train for strength, build muscle and conditioning," says online coach and personal trainer Tom Morgan. They're adaptable to your strength and fitness levels, too. Fitness brands such as Rogue and Bulldog stock kettlebells that vary in weights and sizes — from 4kg in weight all the way up to a whopping 68kg.

Usually, kettlebell workouts feature a high-rep range, meaning that multiple muscles are worked at once. If kept at a consistent pace, they can offer similar aerobic benefits to HIIT training. During a 2010 study, participants performing a 20-minute kettlebell snatch workout were found to burn 13.6 calories a minute, equivalent to "running a 6-minute mile pace". Similarly, by performing kettlebell circuits three times a week, you'll pump up your VO2 max by 6 per cent in just under a month, according to the NSCA’s TSAC Report.

Exercises like kettlebell swings can help increase your heart rate and burn extra fat muscle, but when it comes to building strength throughout your posterior chain – the muscles on the backside of the body – they really come into their own. Plus, the shape and size means they’ll work your muscles differently to barbells and dumbbells. "Kettlebells are best for swinging to develop your posterior chain," says Rob Blair, PT at The Commando Temple. "As these are your body's biggest muscles, you'll also torch calories."

Kettlebells are an incredibly useful tool for those looking to build their base of strength and mobility, so if you're struggling with your barbell back squat, for example, utilising the kettlebell goblet squat is a good way of practising proper form with a safer exercise that can then be upgraded as your strength increases. "Kettlebells give you the opportunity to move athletically with additional resistance from a variety of angles and more challenging positions," explains Jon Lewis, a personal trainer with fitness outlet Industrial Strength.

Most kettlebell exercises require you to move through multiple planes of motion – from swings, presses and carries to more dynamic movements, where a dumbbell or barbell may be more difficult to use. 'When you don’t have a barbell to throw a load of weight onto, you have an opportunity to move through larger ranges,' says Morgan. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research also found that kettlebell training contributes to a healthier lower back, owing to the loading and movement patterns.

Many kettlebell exercises are unilateral, meaning you use a single arm or leg. "This gives you the chance to train both sides equally, rather than relying on your stronger side to get through a movement," says Morgan. "It can help to address your weaknesses and make you stronger overall." Training one limb at a time also has a beneficial effect on your balance, he continues. "You're forced to stabilise yourself to manage the movement. For example, pressing overhead with one arm forces you to stabilise through your trunk."

Done right, kettlebell training will shore up your stability – but poor form can have the opposite intended effect. The most common injury that occurs using a kettlebell is in the lower back.

"Typically, it's with the kettlebell swing, because of its dynamic nature – moving back and forth quickly at the hip joint," explains Wardingley. " This exaggerated flexion and extension at the hip puts a lot of force through the lower back."

Arching your back, failing to engage your glutes in an overhead press, and folding in a goblet position are also common culprits in kettlebell training, he says, so double down on your technique or risk busting your lower back. You've been warned.

Why? Initiated by a powerful hip thrust from your hamstring and glutes, opting for heavier weights (once the move is mastered, of course) for up to 90 seconds a set will vastly improve your anaerobic fitness, accelerating your heart-rate and ignite a fat-burn that the bench press can only dream of.

Why? As one of the most criminally under-rated full-body exercises, the punishingly effective thruster offers a full-body blitz that other moves can't even get near. A move reserved for CrossFit zealots, this is not. By combining a front squat with an overhead press, you're transforming a drab move into a compound exercise that builds full-body power.

Why? Powerlifting moves needn't be restricted to barbells bending under crippling weight loads. Instead, the kettlebell clean and press offers the opportunity to increase grip strength, become stronger in overhead movements (your shoulder press will thank you) and will help you learn the lesson of maintaining a rigid core during all lifts.

Why? Studying the benefits of the kettlebell snatch, the University of Wisconsin found that participants burned around 20kcals a minute while performing kettlebell snatches, during a work/rest split of 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off. Plus, the researchers found that participants performing the kettlebell snatch usually maintained 86 to 99 per cent of their maximum heart rate, making it an essential move for easy weight loss.

Why? Functional and an easy gym brag, the kettlebell pistol squat is the king of mobility moves. Ideal for oiling the stiff joints of desk-jockeys and gym bros, it'll also set your Instagram feed ablaze. Helping you master the holy trinity of fitness — stability, strength and mobility — it'll challenge your core (there's more to a six-pack than crunches and planks, after all) and will build sportive-worthy quads while increasing balance.

Why? When it comes to simple fat-burning, it's hard to beat the squat. As one of the royal compound moves (alongside the deadlift and the bench press), the kettlebell goblet squat builds huge lower-body strength and more powerful glutes that can be transferred to your deadlifts and your running technique.

Why? Ideal for building grip and plugging onto the end of a tough workout, farmer's walks also pack heavy-duty muscle onto your upper-back while fighting lower-back pain and being a useful conditioning tool and fat-loss. There's nothing a kettlebell farmer's walk can't do.

Why? All the benefits of a traditional shoulder press – that is, building functional strength in almost every single upper-body muscle in your body – without needing a dumbbell to get it done. It'll bolster your bench press and solidify your core, too.

Why? No bench? No problem. Get your chest pump with this move instead. While it may limit the range of motion you would achieve with a bench, you'll still build serious strength in the top portion of the lift – placing emphasis on your triceps and stabilising shoulder muscles.

Why? It might not pump up your hard rate, but that doesn't mean it's ineffective – as you'll soon find out. Give your arms, abs and shoulders a complete workout with this move, which requires coordination, flexibility and tenacity in equal measure.

Why? By doing kettlebell swings with one arm, you'll increase the demand you place on the shoulder stabilising muscles and correct any muscle imbalances. The result? Growing guns for fun, one arm at a time.

Why? The move involves virtually every muscle, while balancing the weight overhead will really test your shoulders and core.

Why? Similarly to the Turkish get-up, this move requires a large range of motion and employs almost all of the muscles in your posterior chain.

Why? The dead-stop component of this exercise allows for a powerful, concentric pull and a strong, muscle-building contraction in the lats.

Why? An intense, full-body move, and would any list of best exercises be compete without burpees?

Why? The kettlebell front squat is a perfect move for anyone who don’t yet have the wrist or shoulder mobility to do the same move with a barbell.

Why? A safe and effective overhead press takes good shoulder and upper back mobility, while the walk will boost your balance and core strength.

Why? “The first part activates your shoulders, lats, and core. Then, the windmill works on your hinge, which taps into your glutes and hamstrings," says Hollywood PT Don Saladino.