The 10-Minute Full Body Kettlebell Workout That Will Hit All Your Major Muscles

Kettlebells are known worldwide as one of the most versatile fitness tools, even more than dumbbells and barbells.

These funny-looking weights allow the body to flow in all different planes of movement, requiring coordination and balance.

We have your back if you’re looking to get the most out of a 10-minute kettlebell full-body workout that hits all your major muscles.

By the end of this article, you’ll have three different kettlebell workouts for beginners, intermediate and advanced fitness enthusiasts.

Let’s go!

The Unique Benefits of Using a Kettlebell

One particular feature of the kettlebell is its shape. The handle on top of the weight creates more flexibility and movement opportunities.

It allows for double-hand and single-hand variations, bilateral and unilateral movements, strength and conditioning workouts, warm-up and mobility sessions, and more.

Because of this versatility, kettlebells are used around the world by beginners and even professional sports athletes.

Calorie Burning

Kettlebell workouts are known to be intense. The ease of use and practicality allows for high-intensity exercises that increase your calorie burn.

The amount of kettlebell exercise combinations available will ensure that your body always performs at its peak.

The longer you can sustain a high heart rate, the more your body will continue to burn calories even after you work out.

Muscle Building

With kettlebell training, you can move your body in different planes (sagittal, frontal, and transversal), allowing greater muscle recruitment.

There are over 600 muscles in our body, and almost all of them can be targeted with kettlebell workouts.

You can perform bilateral and unilateral movements and compound and isolation movements.

On top of that, you can add intensity, reps to failure, and different movement patterns to ensure all your biggest muscles are properly engaged.

Joint Mobility

The ergonomic design of the kettlebell enables a variety of dynamic movements. You’ll find several combined movement patterns.

Where the body goes, so does the kettlebell, and vice versa.

Kettlebell training work on the ability of our joints to mobilize freely and independent.

Most upper body exercises will pick on the shoulder, thorax, and spine mobility. While hip and ankle joints will be reserved for the kettlebell leg exercises.

Any kettlebell movement variation will expose your joint mobility or lack thereof.

Whether that’s pressing over the head, squatting, or deadlifting, if your mobility needs work, the kettlebell will reveal it.

Training Variability

Because kettlebells are so versatile and fluid, they can serve as the main ingredient for your workout routine or as an add-on.

Either way, you’ll have an effective workout full of dynamic exercises with minimal equipment.

You can include functional movement patterns such as the hinge, push, pull, and knee bend. Combining those 4, you can create an infinity of workouts that serve any purpose.

How Heavy Should The Kettlebell Be?

Kettlebells can weigh from 2kg to 40kg. It can be more and less, but it will indeed depend on your fitness level.

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A solid range can be between 3kg and 15kg for beginners and intermediate women. More advanced athletes are comfortable with 18kg-25kg.

Beginners and intermediate men can start within a 10kg-20kg range. But more advanced male athletes can perform with 25kg-40kg kettlebells.

Before picking the weight, it is crucial to understand the movements to perform, the volume, intensity, and the combination of exercises.

That leads us to form and technique.

Proper Kettlebell Form

With kettlebells, the movements tend to be fast and explosive, so maintaining a proper posture throughout is more critical than most believe.

For most movements, a solid starting position will have our feet stance wider than the hips, shoulder blades retracted, and a neutral neck.

This will vary and adapt depending on the exercise variation, fitness level, and workout intensity.

Keeping the core engaged should also be part of a proper form.

Let’s Warm Up

The purpose of the warm-up is to gradually increase your heart rate and blood flow and prep your neuromuscular system for the following activity.

The warm-up should be based on the main movements from the workout. But as general activation exercises, you can try this one:

• 20-30 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Floor Glute Bridge
• 20 Plank Shoulder Taps
• 10 Russian Kettlebell Swings (lightweight)

Repeat 2-3 times until your joints and muscles feel ready for action.

It’s worth repeating that the warm-up should imitate the primary movement patterns that will be done during the workout routine.

The 10-Minute Kettlebell Workout

Below you’ll find three workout variations for beginners, intermediate, and advanced. They will vary in intensity, volume, weight selection, and movement difficulty.

Expect your abdominal muscles to work extra hours during these workouts. 

Each exercise will have a YouTube link with the demo, so you can better understand how to perform them.

With all that said, let’s get this workout going!

Beginners

Beginners have less than 6 months of experience working out and little experience with kettlebells.

For this version, you’ll only need a single kettlebell.

Time prescription: 3 minutes ON: 2 minutes OFF (2 rounds, 10-minute total)

Weight prescription: Women (3kg-8kg), Men (8kg-12kg)

• 10 Goblet Air Squat
• 10 Kettlebell Halo (each direction)
• 30 Mountain Climbers
• 10 Russian Kettlebell Swing
• 10 Kettlebell Bent Over Row
• 30 Jumping Jacks

The goal is to maintain a steady pace throughout the entire exercise. Try not to stop in between movements but keep a solid form.

Intermediate

Intermediates have 6-12 months of fitness experience, are comfortable with slightly heavier weights, and can perform all the basic movements with a proper technique.

Time prescription: 10-minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) with little to no rest between rounds.

Weight prescription: Women (6kg-12kg), Men (15kg-20kg)

• 5/5 Single Arm Kettlebell Thruster
• 5/5 Kettlebell Lateral Lunge
• 10/10 Single Arm Russian Kettlebell Swing
• 5/5 Single Arm Kettlebell Shoulder Press
• 15 Kettlebell Goblet Squat

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Aim to perform all exercises with the same kettlebell, which means that your weakest movement should dictate how heavy you can go.

Remember to be mindful of your form throughout this AMRAP workout.

Advanced

The more advanced have 2 years+ of training experience and can move heavy kettlebells at high intensity without compromising their technique.

For this workout, we’ll use 2 kettlebells of the same weight.

Time prescription: 10-Minute EMOM (Every Minute On The Minute). Each movement will have a set of reps to be done under 1 minute; the remaining time (if any) will be for rest.

Weight prescription: Women (15kg-20kg), Men (20kg-30kg)

• Minute 1: Double Russian Kettlebell Swing (15 reps)
• Minute 2: Double Kettlebell Thruster (15 reps)
• Minute 3: Double Kettlebell Push Press (15 reps)
• Minute 4: Double Kettlebell Reverse Lunges (20 reps total)
• Minute 5: Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row (15 reps)
• Minute 6: Double Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift (15 reps)
• Minute 7: Double Kettlebell Hang Power Snatch (12 reps)
• Minute 8: Double Kettlebell Hang Power Clean (15 reps)
• Minute 9: Double Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift (15 reps)
• Minute 10: Double Kettlebell Front Squat (15 reps)

Remember, every time you finish the target reps for each movement, the remaining time will be for rest.

These are high-skilled and challenging exercises. They require solid coordination and mobility to nail them safely.

Pick a challenging yet manageable weight and leave your ego on the door!

Cool down and Recovery

After these 10-minute kettlebell workouts, your heart rate will be through the roof, and all your major muscles will be taxed.

A post-workout dynamic stretching routine will enhance the flexibility of muscles.

Here are 2 solid options for a well-deserved cool down and recovery session.

• Walk or bike for 5-10 minutes at an easy pace. This will help lowering down your heartbeat to baseline.
• Stretch your back muscles, shoulders, and glutes. Most movement patterns will target these 3 major muscular groups, so loosen them up.

Try to spend at least 10 minutes cooling down. This practice will ensure you stay healthy and ready for the next session.