My Top Kettlebell Core Exercises

My Top Kettlebell Exercises For Core Strength

I can remember the first time I ever picked up a 56lb throwing weight and tried to swing it (the movement is very similar to the kettlebell swing) and remember the thought that this swinging motion was seriously gonna do some physical damage, rip something or maybe even dislodge a testicle string.

However, that was before I started swinging kettlebells which does seriously train your core.

Now I'm not really one for going of and doing some core training as it doesn't sound right. I can picture myself going and doing some squats on bosu or swiss fitness ball (these are fine pieces of equipment) but these won't help me throw a weight very far, so I'd rather pick up some heavy weights off the floor and call that core training instead.

Now, I don't honestly think anything really beats squats, deadlifts, snatches and clean and jerk with a barbell. After all this is what has built the greatest athletes in the world but kettlebells can also be used for core strength training.

So aside from the standard kettlebell swing and snatch. These are my favourite core exercises with kettlebells.

1. Double kettlebell swing - take two kettlebells in one hand (make sure it's heavier than a normal swing)aim to swing the 2 weights about eye height. Check out my double kettlebell swing

2. The kettlebell flip - kb flip adds an extra explosive dimension and shocks the core muscles. Again the heavier the better and higher the better. Here I do double kettlebell flips but gives you an idea

3. The kettlebell windmill - Steve Cotter explains this better than anyone



4. The BUP clean or and BUP press with kettlebell - the bottoms up clean and bottoms up press are magnificent kettlebell core exercises. Ensure you train both sides.



5. One handed kettlebell farmers walk - take one or two kettlebells in the same hand and set off walking for distance with them. Go as far as you can and then switch hands and try to make it back to the start. Repeat until your beaten.

6. Turkish Get UP (TGU) and TGU sit up - a great all round core exercise, not ballistic in nature but certainly excellent. TGU sit up is literally the bottom position to being sat up with the kettlbell above your shoulder



7. Kettlebell and towel hammer wind up great exercise for rotational core power wwhich mimics the hammer wind up.

Don't forget that kettlebell training can be greatly assisted by interval training and proper timing, check out my Gymboss Timer Review