Dumbbells and barbells get all the love, but a single kettlebell can give you just as good of a full-body workout without taking up half your living room.
These at home kettlebell workouts for women cover 10 exercises that target your glutes, core, back, and arms in one 30-minute circuit. Some are beginner-friendly, while a few will test your coordination a bit more.
Just grab your kettlebell and work through the full list:
Kettlebell Swings
There’s a reason this move is a staple in just about every kettlebell workout out there. It fires up your glutes, hamstrings, and core all at once, which makes it the perfect way to open up this kettlebell circuit workout.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, holding the kettlebell with both hands.
- Hinge at your hips and swing the kettlebell back between your legs.
- Thrust your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to swing it up to chest height.
- Keep your arms relaxed — all the power comes from your lower body.
- Let it swing back down and repeat.
Goblet Squats
If you’ve done regular squats before, you’ll feel right at home with this one.
The only difference is that holding the kettlebell at your chest adds extra resistance, which means your core has to work harder to keep you stable.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly outward.
- Hold the kettlebell tight against your chest with both hands, elbows tucked in.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower down like you’re sitting in a chair.
- Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Static Lateral Lunges
Most exercises move you forward and backward, so this one switches things up by taking you side to side instead.
If you haven’t done lateral movements in a while, don’t be surprised if it feels a little awkward at first. It gets smoother with each rep, though!
How to perform:
- Stand in a wide stance, much wider than your shoulders.
- Hold the kettlebell close to your chest in a goblet hold.
- Shift your weight to one side, bending that knee while keeping the other leg straight.
- Lower as far as you can, keeping your heel flat on the floor.
- Push off to return to center, then shift to the other side.
- Alternate back and forth without moving your feet.
Single Arm Staggered Rows
This is where the full body kettlebell workout really shifts focus to your upper body.
You’ll pull the weight toward your ribcage one arm at a time, which is great for building back strength and evening out any imbalances between sides.
How to perform:
- Step one foot forward and the other back in a staggered stance.
- Hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back flat.
- Rest your non-working forearm across your front thigh for support.
- Hold the kettlebell on the same side as your back leg, arm hanging straight down.
- Pull it up toward your ribcage, elbow tight against your body.
- Squeeze your back muscles at the top, then lower with control.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Snatch
Fair warning, this one takes a bit of coordination to get right. It’s one of the more advanced moves in this workout, but don’t let that scare you off. Just start with a lighter weight until the motion feels natural.
How to perform:
- Stand slightly wider than shoulder-width, kettlebell on the floor between your feet.
- Hinge down and grab the kettlebell with one hand.
- Explosively drive through your legs and pull it upward, keeping it close to your body.
- Punch your hand straight up toward the ceiling and lock your arm out overhead.
- The kettlebell should rotate softly to rest on the back of your forearm.
- Reverse the motion to bring it back down, then switch hands.
Figure 8 Lunges
For this exercise, you’ll pass the kettlebell between your hands in a figure-8 pattern as you lunge. It sounds simple enough, but coordinating the pass with each step takes more focus than you’d expect.
How to perform:
- Stand tall with your feet together, kettlebell in your right hand.
- Step your right foot back into a reverse lunge, both knees at about 90 degrees.
- At the bottom, pass the kettlebell under your front thigh to your left hand.
- Push off your front heel to stand back up.
- Step your left foot back into a lunge and pass the kettlebell under to your right hand.
- Continue alternating in a figure-8 pattern.
Staggered Romanian Deadlifts
Your hamstrings are going to feel this one because the staggered stance puts most of the load on your front leg.
If you’re wobbly at first, just slow things down and let your body find its footing.
How to perform:
- Stand hip-width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand.
- Slide the opposite foot slightly back, resting only the ball of that foot down.
- Keep most of your weight on your front foot.
- Hinge at your hips and lower the kettlebell down your front leg.
- Go until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstring, keeping your back flat.
- Drive through your front heel to stand back up.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Alternating Clean to Press
This two-part movement takes the kettlebell from the floor all the way overhead, so you’re covering a lot of ground in a single rep.
And since you’re alternating sides, both arms get equal work throughout this kettlebell circuit workout.
How to perform:
- Stand shoulder-width apart, kettlebell on the floor between your feet.
- Grab it with one hand and explosively pull it up.
- Rotate your wrist underneath to catch it at shoulder level in the rack position.
- Press it straight up overhead until your arm is locked out.
- Lower it back to your shoulder, then drop it to the floor with control.
- Grab it with the opposite hand and repeat.
Chest Press
After all those standing exercises, you’ll finally get to lie down for this one.
But don’t let the position fool you, because pressing with a kettlebell is trickier than pressing with dumbbells since the off-center weight forces your stabilizer muscles to work overtime.
How to perform:
- Lie flat on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the kettlebell over your chest with both hands on the handle.
- Start with your elbows bent and resting on the floor at a 45-degree angle.
- Press the kettlebell straight up until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower it back down until your elbows gently tap the floor, then press back up.
Dead Bugs (Single/Double Leg)
You’re almost done!
To close out this at home kettlebell workout for women, you’ll hold the weight steady overhead while moving your legs.
If the double-leg version feels like too much, start with single-leg switches and work your way up.
How to perform:
- Lie on your back, holding the kettlebell straight up over your chest with both hands.
- Lift your legs into a tabletop position with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor.
- Single Leg: Extend one leg out until your heel hovers above the floor, then return. Alternate legs.
- Double Leg: Extend both legs out at the same time, then pull them back. Stop if your lower back arches.
Article Medically reviewed by
I’m fitness coach Ashley Castleberry, an NASM-certified personal trainer and nutritionist, as well as a coach on an established YouTube Channel with over 1 million followers. With certifications from major fitness brands, I specialize in athletic, HIIT, and strength training. Leveraging my experience coaching clients on lifestyle changes, I provide customized exercise and nutrition guidance to help people reach their fitness goals, whether that be weight loss, muscle gain or overall health improvement.
