Kettlebell exercises can take your workout up a few notches by challenging the muscles in different ways and bringing variety to your leg routine.
These exercises can not only help you get bigger and stronger legs but also provide other benefits, like improved functional and cardiovascular fitness, enhanced strength, and more.
Kettlebell Exercises for Legs
Here are six fabulous and effective kettlebell exercises that can help you develop bigger and stronger legs:
1) Goblet Squat
It can help develop bigger, stronger legs by engaging the quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, and glutes.
How to do the exercise?
- Begin in an upright standing position with your feet apart slightly wider than hip distance and toes angled outward.
- Grasp the weight at your chest height, with your elbows bent and angled to the ground.
- Keep your spine neutral and core braced to lower your body into a squatting position.
- Keep a tall posture throughout the movement. In the bottom squat position, both elbows must be inside the knees. Repeat.
2) Kettlebell Squat Clean
This kettlebell exercise works on the upper body, besides helping develop bigger, stronger legs.
How to do the exercise?
- Begin in an upright standing position while clutching a kettlebell in both palms and positioning it in between your feet on the ground.
- Squat down by grabbing the weight through the top handle. Assume a standing position while simultaneously pulling the kettlebell to chest height.
- Squat down with weight in this position. Keep alternating and repeating.
3) Bulgarian Split Squat
It's an excellent kettlebell exercise that can help develop stronger legs by unilaterally working on your muscles.
How to do the exercise?
- Begin by standing a couple of feet in front of a bench, with your back against it.
- Clutch a kettlebell in both palms, and hold it over your chest.
- Keep your shoulder blades rolled down and backwards, with your core region engaged.
- Raise your left foot, and position it on the bench at your back.
- Bring your body into a squat position, with your right foot by bending your knee.
- Press onto the sole of the front foot to bring your body into the starting position, and repeat.
- Swap the legs, and repeat.
4) Single Leg Deadlift
It's an unilateral kettlebell exercise that can help you get stronger legs by engaging your hamstrings and glutes. It can also help correct muscle development of the legs.
How to do the exercise?
- Start in an upright standing position while clutching the kettlebell in your left hand.
- Supporting your bodyweight on the right leg, slide your left leg to the back while keeping it straight.
- Bring the weight towards the ground while keeping it tucked in towards you.
- Lower your leg back to the starting position by using your hamstrings and glutes.
- Swap sides, and repeat.
5) Kettlebell Racked Squat
It's an underrated kettlebell exercise that engages the quads, hip flexors, and glutes. Besides helping you get stronger legs, it can also build better stability.
How to do the exercise?
- Begin by clutching kettlebells in both palms and positioning them right in front of your shoulders, with wrists neutral, elbows bent, and tucked along your sides.
- Squat to the ground as per your mobility level.
- Assume your starting position by engaging your glutes and quads. Repeat.
6) Kettlebell Wall Sit
This is a powerful strength-builder kettlebell exercise that can engage the calves, glutes, and quads. It can also enhance muscular endurance.
How to do the exercise?
- Begin by clutching a kettlebell in both palms and positioning it at chest height.
- Position yourself against the wall, with your back facing the wall and body about two feet out.
- Slide down the wall with your back till your knees are bent at 90 degrees, and thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Keep your core region engaged, with your knees right over your shoulders. Hold for a few minutes before assuming the standing position.
Bottom Line
The aforementioned kettlebell exercises are some of the best and most effective ones that can work on the lower body, core, and upper body.
The functional movement of these workouts puts less strain on the back. Overall, the entire body can benefit from these full body exercises.