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One of the benefits of training squats with kettlebell is the wide variety of exercises you can do. I assure you that you will not get bored of knowing and practicing new exercises.
Squats with Kettlebell Muscles Worked
The squat is by far the most popular lower body exercise in gyms, but… What muscles does it work?
Most people when asked “which muscles do squats work” will say mostly quadriceps (more specifically vastus lateralis, rectus femoris and vastus medialis).
The truth is squats work not only quads and glutes, but also about 20-25 other muscles that are involved in movement of your knee.
Besides working extra muscles, squats are great for strengthening weak points in hip flexors (psoas) due to the fact that you need to push the knees forward while keeping pelvis down.
Are there Benefits Using a Kettlebell for Squats?
Yes, there is. You can use a variety of different squat types to work many muscles that are hard to reach. Main benefits are:
– it’s easier to learn proper form due to the fact that kettlebell is held still while your legs do the movement.
– learning proper form will help you to avoid injuries.
– it’s easier to overload lower body muscles with kettlebell squats. The weight distribution changes due to the fact that your hands are stationary which causes more stress on knees and quads.
As a result, if done right, you target different areas of your leg muscles.
How to do Squats with Kettlebell
There are many ways you can hold a kettlebell for squatting. Besides the most popular front squat, there is also goblet squat, Russian swing and even bottom-up kettlebell squats. Here I will describe how to do front squats with a kettlebell.
Front Squats with Kettlebell
Choose a kettlebell that is light enough to allow you to go as low as possible so your upper body can follow your legs and knees.
I would recommend starting with 16 kg (35 lbs) and progress from there. Trust me – if you’re able to do front squats with 16 kg, you will be able to do much more.
1) Set up your grip – it’s important because those muscles are used for holding the kettlebell still while doing squats. Make a “hammer” grip by joining together thumb and fingers from both hands, putting them on top of each other.
2) Lift the kettlebell up to your chest so it’s resting against your body. Your forearms should be pressing against each other. The reason for this lift is to ensure that you don’t put unnecessary pressure on your lower back during squats.
3) Make sure you look forward not down or up , tuck your chin in and tighten your stomach.
4) Start lowering your body by pushing your hips back and bending the knees. Don’t let your knees go forward. Keep them behind the toes. This is one of many squats variations – you need to make sure if you want to target different areas of your legs that you change squat type from time to time .
5) Continue going down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. You can check if you’re going low enough by checking if the kettlebell (or whatever weight you use) is above the floor – if it’s too low, it will not be visible from this angle.
6) Push through your toes and straighten your legs and hips to come back to the starting position.
7) Finish the workout by stretching your lower back muscles.
Tips for Front Squats with Kettlebells
- When doing front squats, make sure that knees are pushed forward and always stay behind your toes.
- When lowering yourself down, don’t let your butt go backwards (unless you want to stretch out hamstrings in this variation.
Kettlebell Squats for Glutes and Hamstrings
The best is to use a squat type that works your glutes and hamstrings, such as goblet squats. Start with one kettlebell of appropriate size (for example 16 kg for men and 8-12kg for women) or two kettlebells of the same size if you want to work more on endurance.
Go down until the handle of kettlebell is just bellow your knees, then go up while keeping legs straight. Squat down again and repeat until you can’t do it anymore.
Frequent errors of the kettlebell squat
- Keep legs close together.
- Looking up, it will make your cervicals have some tension.
- Looking very low will cause you to lose your balance.
- Press the kettlebell hard with your hands.
- Bend your back when you go down, breathe in deeply and contract your abdomen so that this does not happen to you.
Kettlebell Squat Variations
So now you know how to do squats with kettlebells. If you want to give yourself a challenge, try doing one hand front squats with two kettlebells, or even better – if you are confident enough – goblet squats with 2 kettlebells of the same size.
If that seems easy enough, here is another great option – push press with kettlebells. You can also grab a pair of dumbbells and do dumbbell squats, which provide the best balance between leg workout and lower back workout if you plan to train those areas too.
Kettlebell Squats vs Barbell Squats
Some people think doing kettlebell squats are more difficult than barbell squats because you need to control the kettlebells yourself, they’re harder for your balance. On the other hand, barbell squats are more comfortable to do.
To tell you the truth both types of squats are good if done properly, but usually kettlebell front squats target muscles in the upper part of your legs better than squats with a barbell.
Squats with Kettlebell Alternatives
If you really want to work on your legs but squats with kettlebells are just too difficult for you, try some easier exercises.
Machine leg curls can provide adequate resistance and help build muscle mass without putting too much pressure on your back, knees or ankles.
To tell the truth, there are so many options of squats variations out there that I can say I’m done with this post.
I could write it for days, but the bottom line is – either you do not have enough knowledge to do squats, or you are just lazy. If I were you, I would forget about all the excuses and start working out now!