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Get the most out of these top-performing fitness staples with foundational movements designed for full-body training.

Kettlebells can be a great way to round out your training regimen, boasting plenty of full-body benefits in each bell-shaped piece of equipment. But what good is a fitness must-have if you don't know how to use it correctly?

Like a barbell or dumbbell, there are plenty of kettlebell-specific movements out there to help you get the most out of this effective workout gear. From the simple to the intricate, you can construct an entire fitness routine centered around kettlebells. Before we outline some popular and worthwhile exercises, however, it helps to understand why kettlebell training is so effective.

While kettlebells are simple in their nature — just a cast, bell-shaped piece of metal with a thick handle — there's a plethora of benefits baked into this traditional training essential. One aspect that makes kettlebell training so effective is the unbalanced structure of the weight itself. This unbalanced frame creates stress across multiple muscles groups through movement and lifts, allowing for a versatile approach to training. You can train for power and strength one day, coordination and mobility the next, all with the same singular kettlebell.

The multiple muscle group engagement also promotes cardiovascular training, allowing your workouts to pull double duty in one singular session. When you lift a kettlebell, you're also raising your heart rate as you control the load throughout the movements, thus instilling a sense of cardio and making your training sessions as efficient as they are effective.

Lastly, kettlebells don't take up a lot of space, and given how multiple workouts can be performed with just one kettlebell, they make for a wonderful addition to any home gym setup. You don't need a full rack of kettlebells to generate positive numbers — just one weight can do the work of a handful of dumbbells or plates.

You might believe that because kettlebells are unbalanced by nature, you need to create a death grip at the handle to best control the load throughout any exercise. Actually, to get the best experience possible without tearing up your hands, you want to sit the handle across where your fingers meet your palm — think where calluses form — and then securely grasp the thick handle. This can allow the kettlebell to move with your exercises rather than trying to control the weight against its momentum. Additionally, if you feel you're unable to find the right handle for your training needs, there are other accessories like chalk or weightlifting gloves to give your hands that much-appreciated tackiness.

Now that you understand just how beneficial kettlebell training can be to your overall fitness regimen, it's time to put these effective tools to use. Below are our five favorite kettlebell movements that focus on a variety of muscle groups.

As with any new training movement, take your personal fitness level into consideration before diving in. Make sure you’re comfortable with the kettlebell weight to avoid injury or improper form. If you’re trying these movements for the first time, we recommend an initial test run sans kettlebell to learn the proper technique. Once you’ve got your form in order, you can then add your kettlebell and begin to reap the benefits of kettlebell training.

Begin your goblet squat with your feet hip or shoulder-width apart, toes pointed straight ahead. Hold the kettlebell at chest height either at the handle sides or “cupping” the bell — picture holding a large goblet in front of you, hence the name. Pull the kettlebell close to your body and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Next, sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower yourself into the bottom of your squat position. Keep your chest up and back straight, going as low as you can while maintaining that goblet grip in front. Drive through your feet to propel yourself back to a standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Start your suitcase deadlift in a standing position with your kettlebell at your side. Take a hip-width stance with your feet, toes pointed slightly out. Next, sit your hips back and begin your descent, maintaining a neutral torso and straight back. Once you’ve reached your kettlebell, grab hold and tighten your scapular muscles like you would a conventional barbell deadlift.

Once you’re ready to ascend, drive through your feet and bring your hips back in to reach that standing position. Maintain your core so your body and free shoulder isn’t counterbalancing the kettlebell on one side. Aim for a level shoulder plane and resist rotating to accommodate the weight imbalance.

Start by cleaning the kettlebell up to the rack position, bending at the hips and rotating your grip so your hand is through the kettlebell’s window and the bell is resting on the back of your forearm. Next, engage your core and maintain that rigidity throughout the press. Then, with your wrist straight and stacked directly over your elbow, swing your arm out at a 45-degree angle to engage the lat. Keep your forearm and bicep at a 90-degree angle, then press up over your head in a straight trajectory. Maintain that straight upward press so as to not put strain on the shoulder, controlling the kettlebell in both ascension and descent.

If you’re struggling to maintain balance, we like to keep our free hand in a fist at our side. This can help you focus on balancing throughout the movement while also keeping the required tension.

Begin lying on your back in a starfish position with your kettlebell in one hand. Raise your kettlebell straight up so your arm is perpendicular to the floor, locking your shoulder in for stability. Keep your gaze on your raised kettlebell throughout the entire movement.

Next, bend your knee on the same side as your raised kettlebell, planting your foot back near your butt and outside your hip. Then, push through your heel to raise your chest and bend your free arm for support, resting on your elbow. From here, place your free palm down on the ground and prop yourself up more, extending your arm and using your abs to maintain that seated position.

Then, use your abs and hips to raise your butt off the floor so your only contact points are your palm and bent leg. Next, take your extended leg and sweep it under your frame toward your butt, placing your knee and ankle in a straight line with your propped hand. Your knee should be stacked directly under your hip.

Next, shift your weight back toward your heel, raising your torso and bringing your palm up from the ground to get into a haf-kneeling stance, like you’re taking a knee on the sideline. Then, push off and get yourself into a standing position. Finally, repeat all the aforementioned steps in reverse to return to your lying position.

Hold your kettlebell in one hand while in a standing position. Next, sit your hips back and drop your chest to as near parallel as possible, similar to a barbell row. Next, Contract your lats and row the kettlebell to the center of your chest, maintaining that tight torso to eliminate any rotation. Row the barbell with some momentum, and once it's at its highest point, release and quickly re-grip with the other hand. Control the kettlebell to the bottom position and then repeat. If done properly, it should look like you’re explosively pulling a rope, with quick hand movements and control throughout the exercise.

Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart with your kettlebell on the floor in-between your feet. Next, hinge at the hips, bend at the knees and maintain a straight back as you go down to grip the kettlebell. Thrust your hips forward as you begin your ascension, engaging your glutes and core in the process. Keep your arms straight as well to create a pendulum and the swinging motion synonymous with this exercise.

When the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, make sure your knees are straight and your glutes contracted for a full hip extension. Use the kettlebell's momentum to bring your body back to the starting position, and then repeat for however many reps your workout calls for.

Think you're up for adding these effective exercises to your daily routine? Here are a handful of our favorite kettlebells to supplement your at-home training room:

Editor's Note: The following prices shown represent kettlebells weighing 16 kg or 35 lbs (one of the most common kettlebell weights). Prices will vary depending on weight.