Are Kettlebells Good for Your Legs & Stomach?

Those oddly shaped weights with handles you may have seen at the gym can be the key to stronger abs and legs. Kettlebells, once used by Russian strongmen in the 18th century, are all the rage again in many fitness facilities. Much of the appeal of these weights is their versatility and effectiveness. Use them to harness momentum to build power or hoist them as you do traditional free weights to build classic strength. Many standard kettlebell exercises work the entire body, with particular emphasis on the stabilizing muscles of the stomach and the powerful muscles of the thighs, glutes and calves.

  1. Swings

    • Swings are some of the most iconic and effective kettlebell moves. The classic kettlebell swing, for example, focuses primarily on the hips, glutes and thighs, while also calling on your stomach and other core muscles for stabilization. Do this move by standing with your feet hip-distance apart, with a kettlebell between your feet. Hinge forward from your hips and grasp the kettlebell with both hands. Before lifting the weight, draw in your abs. Exhale as you swing the kettlebell upward so your arms are parallel to the floor, straightening your legs. Allow momentum to swing the bell back down through your legs as you bend the hips and knees. When your momentum stops, Immediately swing the bell back up to chest height. You can do swings with a single arm, alternating swings with a catch or swings with a snatch at the top -- all of which benefit the legs and stomach. Master the basic swing before trying the more advanced moves.

    Windmills

    • Windmills are kettlebell exercises that focus predominantly on the muscles of the core, including the stomach. Paul Katami, a certified personal trainer featured in the Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners DVD, told Fitbie that the standing windmill activates all the muscles of the abdomen. To do the move, hold a kettlebell in your right hand and stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Press the weight up and over your head, then turn to look up at the kettlebell as you bend sideways from the waist, trying to touch your left foot with your left hand. Brace your abdominals as you lift up to the starting position. Repeat the same motion and number of repetitions for each side. To modify the move for beginners, start in a half-kneeling position with one knee on the ground and the other foot planted so the knee forms a 90-degree angle. You'll side bend toward the leg that has the knee on the ground.

    Functional and Power Moves

    • Kettlebells enable you to train functionally, meaning you mimic movements that are done in real life, such as twisting, lunging and pulling. Functional kettlebell moves train the legs and stomach muscles along with the shoulders and back. For example, the farmer's walk, for which you hold a heavy kettlebell in each hand and walk on your tip toes across a room, targets the calves, hamstings and glutes. The Turkish get-up, for which you hold a kettlebell as you rise from a reclined position to a stand, requires a lot of work from your abdomen and your legs. Power moves, including the kettlebell clean and press, and the kettlebell snatch, require you to use precise movements to raise a kettlebell from the floor to above your head, using a burst of strength from your legs and stabilization from your core.

    Basic

    • You can also use kettlebells to perform basic strength-training movements for your stomach and leg muscles. For example, hold a kettlebell in each hand alongside your thighs as you squat or lunge. Hug a kettlebell across your chest as you perform crunches or use a kettlebell for rotational ab exercises such as a seated twist.