By Will Duru | BSc Sport Science | Personal Trainer | 10+ Years Experience
I love kettlebell training. I have been using kettlebells with my clients for years, and it is one of my favourite ways to train. Why? Because a kettlebell does so much with so little. One piece of equipment. Six exercises. Your whole body gets worked.
When a client tells me they train at home, travel a lot, or only have 30 minutes, a kettlebell workout is the first thing I reach for. It is simple. It is effective. And it works every single time.
This workout is called Total Body Kettlebell Strength. I designed it for my clients and use the 12REPS app to plan it, log every set and rep, and track their progress over time. In this newsletter, I will take you through it step by step.
Why I Love Giving My Clients Kettlebell Workouts
As a personal trainer, I have many tools I can use with my clients. Barbells, dumbbells, cables, machines. But if I had to pick just one, it would be a kettlebell. Let me tell you why.
It Builds Strength
A kettlebell builds real, usable strength. Because the weight hangs below the handle, your muscles must work harder to control it. Your grip gets stronger. Your core gets stronger. Your whole body must work together to move the weight. That is not the same as sitting on a machine where the movement is fixed for you. With a kettlebell, your body does all the work.
It Improves Your Coordination
This is something most people do not think about. Exercises like the clean to press need your whole body to work together in the right order at the right time. You must pull, catch, and press in one smooth movement. That takes coordination. The more you practice it, the better your body gets at linking movements together. I see this with my clients all the time. After a few weeks of kettlebell training, they move better in everything they do.
It Builds Endurance
When you do 10 reps of a kettlebell exercise in 20 to 30 seconds, your heart rate goes up. When you do that for six exercises with short rest periods, you get a serious cardio workout also while time working on strength. My clients are always surprised at how out of breath they get. That is the beauty of kettlebell training. You build strength and endurance in the same session. You do not need to do a separate cardio workout.
It Improves Your Mobility
This is the one most people miss. Kettlebell exercises like the front squat, the lunge, and the deadlift all take your joints through a full range of motion. When you do these movements with a load, you are not just stretching. You are strengthening your body in those deep positions. That is how you build real mobility that lasts. I have had clients who could not touch their toes when we started. After a few months of kettlebell work, they could get into a deep squat with no problem.
“A kettlebell does four things at once. It builds strength, endurance, coordination, and mobility. No other single piece of equipment does all of that.” – Will Duru
That is why I keep bringing my clients back to kettlebell training. It is not just one benefit. It is four benefits in one session. And you only need one piece of equipment to get all of them.
What This Workout Trains
This is a total body session. Every major muscle group gets worked.
Lower body: glutes, quads, hamstrings, and abductors. The front squats, lunges, and deadlifts cover all of these.
Upper body: chest, shoulders, and lats. The clean to press, elevated push-ups, and gorilla rows cover all of these.
Core: your core is working the entire time. Every exercise in this workout forces your core to keep your body stable under load.
You are not training one muscle at a time. You are training your whole body as one unit. That is how your body is meant to work.
The Workout
This is an advanced workout. But if you are a beginner, do not let that scare you. Use a lighter weight and take longer rest periods. Good form is more important than going heavy.
For most men, a 12 to 16 kg kettlebell is a good starting point. For most women, 8 to 12 kg. Pick a weight that is hard but still lets you do all 10 reps with good form.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Focus |
1 | Kettlebell Clean to Press | 4 | 10 | 45s | Shoulders, core |
2 | Kettlebell Front Squat | 4 | 10 | 45s | Quads, glutes |
3 | Kettlebell Elevated Push-Up | 4 | 10 | 45s | Chest, triceps |
4 | Gorilla Rows | 4 | 10 | 45s | Back, lats |
5 | Kettlebell Lunges | 4 | 10 | 45s | Legs, glutes |
6 | Kettlebell Deadlift | 4 | 10 | 45s | Hamstrings, back |
Try to finish each set of 10 reps in 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 45 seconds between exercises. The full session should take 30 to 40 minutes.
How to Do Each Exercise
Here is a quick breakdown of each exercise and what to focus on.
- Kettlebell Clean to Press
This is two movements in one. You clean the kettlebell from the floor to your shoulder, then press it overhead. It works your shoulders, upper back, core, and grip. It also builds explosive power because you must move the weight fast during the clean.
My tip: Keep the kettlebell close to your body. Do not let it swing out wide. Tuck your elbow in during the clean. Lock your arm out fully at the top of the press.
- Kettlebell Front Squat
Hold the kettlebell at your chest with both hands and squat down. Go as deep as you can while keeping your back straight. The weight at the front makes your core work hard to keep you upright. This is one of the best exercises for building quad and glute strength.
My tip: Keep your chest up. Push your knees out over your toes. Drive your heels into the ground to stand up. Do not rush the way down.
- Kettlebell Elevated Push-Up
Put both hands on the kettlebell and do a push-up. The raised position puts more work on your chest and shoulders. The kettlebell is not stable, so your core and smaller stabiliser muscles must work harder than a normal push-up. I love this exercise because it makes a simple movement much more challenging.
My tip: Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Do not let your hips drop. Lower your chest to the kettlebell, pause, then push back up.
- Gorilla Rows
Stand with your feet wide and the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Bend at the hips, grab the kettlebell with one hand, and row it to your hip. Lower it back down and repeat on the other side. This is a great back exercise. Because you are only rowing with one arm at a time, your core has to work hard to stop your body from twisting.
My tip: Keep your back flat. Pull the kettlebell to your hip, not your chest. Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top.
- Kettlebell Lunges
Hold the kettlebell at your chest and step forward into a lunge. Drop your back knee towards the floor, then push off your front foot to come back up. Lunges are one of the best exercises for building single-leg strength. They also improve your balance and help fix any imbalances between your left and right legs.
My tip: Take a big step forward. Keep your torso upright. Do not let your front knee shoot past your toes. Alternate legs with each rep.
- Kettlebell Deadlift
Stand with the kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Push your hips back, bend down, grab the handle, and stand up by driving your hips forward. This is one of the most important exercises you can do. It works your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. I give this to every single client because a strong posterior chain protects your back and improves everything you do.
My tip: This is a hip hinge, not a squat. Push your hips back. Keep your chest up. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top.
My Advice to You
I have been training clients for over 10 years. In that time, I have seen people overthink their training more than anything else. They think they need more equipment. They think they need more exercise. They think they need to train for longer.
The truth is simple. You need a good plan, one piece of equipment, and the discipline to show up and do the work. This kettlebell workout is proof of that. Six exercises. One kettlebell. Your whole body gets stronger.
If you have never tried kettlebell training before, start here. Start light. Focus on your form. Use the 12REPS app to plan this workout, log your sets and reps, and check your progress over time. I promise you will feel the difference after your first session.
And if you have been training with kettlebells for a while, use this workout to test yourself. Try a heavier weight. Cut your rest periods down. Push yourself to finish each set of 10 reps in under 25 seconds. That is where the real results come from.
“You do not need a gym full of equipment. You need one kettlebell, a plan, and the willingness to work hard. That is it.” – Will Duru
How to Use the 12REPS App for This Workout
I designed this workout for my clients and use the 12REPS app to plan it and keep track of everything. Here is how you can do the same.
Plan the Workout
Open the app and set up this session with all six exercises. You can see the exercises, sets, reps, and rest periods all in one place before you start. No more standing in the gym trying to remember what comes next. Your plan is right there on your phone.
Log Your Sets and Reps
As you work through the session, log every set. Record the weight you used and how many reps you completed. This takes a few seconds between sets, and it makes a huge difference over time. If you do not write it down, you will forget. And if you forget, you cannot progress.
Track Your Progression
This is the part most people skip, and it is the most important part. The app keeps a record of every session you do. After a few weeks, you can look back and see if you are lifting more weight, doing more reps, or finishing your sets faster. That is how you know you are getting stronger. That is how you know the work is paying off.
I check progression with every single one of my clients. It is the difference between people who get results and people who stay the same. The 12REPS app makes it easy to do this on your own, without paying for a personal trainer.
Key Reminders
Use a timer for every rest period. Stay off your phone.
Complete 10 reps in 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 45 seconds.
Pick a weight that challenges you but still lets you keep good form.
If you are a beginner, go lighter and rest longer. Build up over time.
Log every session in the 12REPS app to track your reps, sets, and weights over time.
Use the progression tracker to check if you are getting stronger week by week.
Ready to Try It?
Plan your workouts. Log your sets and reps. Track your progress.
Your personal trainer in your pocket.
