10 Best Kettlebell Exercises For Boxing

Even though they've been around since the early 1700s, nobody outside of the old Soviet Union knew what a kettlebell was about 20 years ago. Their popularity spread quickly and they became a staple in American fitness centers. You can find them in every gym, with kettlebell-specific classes and even competitions. The design is relatively simple - basically a cannonball with a long handle. Weights and sizes can vary but for the most part, you do not need a relatively heavy kettlebell to get an intense, full-body workout.

The key is that unique, longer handle and the weight distribution being further away from the grip, allowing for ballistic exercises, like swings, that become a force multiplier based off the speed the kettlebell is traveling. Some classic kb exercises (again, like swings) can be done with a dumbbell as well but they are often easier and safer with a kettlebell. 

Many of the classic exercises also work the posterior section of the body, something that many people do not train enough and is critical to boxing. Plus they often really emphasize the kinetic chain working together, which is very translatable to boxing too. And finally, there is an explosive cardio component to the ballistic kettlebell exercises, so it is not just about building muscle.

There isn't a big downside to kettlebell training other than most people need some instruction on how to use them. You can watch somebody do a bench press and emulate it pretty easily but many of the kb exercises require more coordination and technique to perform properly. As always, improper form can definitely lead to injury, so be very careful. Even with good coaching, certain kettlebell movements like cleans and snatches are very hard to do without banging your wrist and forearm a little, at least at first. If you were looking to just purely build big, bulky muscle then kettlebell training may not be right for you, but leaner muscle mass and functional strength are definitely two benefits you can get.

How much this might translate to boxing depends a lot on you and the skills and strength you already possess. I know at least one high-level combat sports trainer (Phil Daru) who believes in kettlebell training for the athletes he coaches, but it's always tough to get real training info from the big name fighters as they don't necessarily want their competition to learn their secrets. Plenty of boxing gyms have the equipment and kbs can definitely be a good form of cross-training. Below are my Top 10 favorite exercises with kettlebells. Since describing them in words isn't always easy, I've included quick, no frills videos of myself doing each one.

NOTE: I highly recommend using some kind of weightlifting glove for most of these exercises and kettlebell training in general. A lot of them will give your palms some serious blisters otherwise.

1) The Kettlebell Swing

This is the most fundamental of all kettlebell exercises and other movements stem from it. At first,
the exercise may not seem like much. You are just holding onto the kb with both hands or a single hand and swinging it between your legs with your feet a little past shoulder width. The key is to hinge and drive your hips as the pure source of momentum for the swing. Your arms (or arm) simply acts as a loose strap and the knees should not bend significantly like they do in squats. You also want to make sure that the lower back is fused together with your hips so that you aren't putting stress on it. After about 30 seconds, you should definitely feel this is in your glutes and hamstrings

2.) Cleans

This is a more explosive move starting from the Hang Position (little bend in knees, kb hanging from one hand, arm and chest fused together), followed by a quick burst upward and pull from the lats to bring the kettlebell into the Racked Position (kb to middle of the chest, hand through the handle holding the kb up),

3.) Racked Squats

With the kettlebell still in the Racked Position, just regular squats up and down. What I like is doing this with an unbalanced load. You could do it with 2 kettlebells, both racked, for a little more balance but as boxing is all about shifting weight from one foot to the other, it is good to practice loading one side. 

4.) Bottoms Up Press

It's an overhead press but what makes this special is that you hold the kettlebell by the handle upside down before lifting up, requiring a very strong, stable wrist to lift without the kb falling down and banging your arm. This is directly beneficial for boxing as grip and wrist strength are important to throwing proper and safe punches. Shoulder stability and endurance helps too.

5.) Single-Leg Deadlifts

You don't need a lot of weight to get some good work in with single-leg deadlifts. And using a kettlebell allows you to hold the weight without burning up your forearms and easier balance. You can do this holding the kettlebell in the same hand as the leg that is down (ipsilateral) or the opposite (contralateral). I feel like ipsilateral is easier and then just use the opposite side for balance. The key thing to remember here is that when you stand up, you do so by pushing your foot into the ground and pressing hard without pulling with your lower back. This is another case where you want to fuse your entire back together and not use any of those muscles as prime movers.

6.) Handle Push-Ups

Certainly push-ups are not specific to kettlebells and even holding onto handles isn't either but using 2 kbs to do push-ups is specifically beneficial to developing your wrist and grip strength. Plus, the height of the kettlebells off the ground means you can get a greater range-of-motion out of your push-ups as you are able to get lower than you would with just hands on the ground.

7.) Suitcase Carry

If you're pressed for time and don't have a lot of space, you can certainly skip this one but it can be useful for developing muscular endurance as well as postural stability, which are certainly valuable to boxing. You just simply pick up a kettlebell, preferably a heavier one, on one side, let it hang, and walk it as far as you can for as long as you want. Just like the squat, you could do this with 2 kettlebells, one on each side, but I prefer the unbalanced load option for most sports training.

8.) Plank Drag

Great core exercise where you get into a high plank. reach one hand underneath your chest, and pull the kettlebell by its handle dragging it across the ground, all the way over to the other side, then do the same thing with the other hand. And the goal is to do this without rocking or shifting your weight too much, maintaining a strong plank throughout.

9.) The Snatch

This is a more advanced move that I would NOT recommend to anyone brand new to kettlebells who hasn't done a lot of swings or cleans. It starts off like a clean with one arm holding the kb in the Hang Position, followed by an explosive thrust & pull upwards. During that time, you will actually let go of the kettlebell for a split second as it travels upward, reinserting your hand in a high, extended arm position overhead. The trick is to do this so smoothly that there is very little to no impact on the wrist once you snap your hand into position and catch the kettlebell.

10.) The Turkish Get-Up

This can be very tough for people to learn as it has many steps and each step must be done individually, without attempting to blend or shortcut. It can be done with no kettlebell and just an empty hand but the kb gives you a chance to add some weight that is very easy to hold onto the entire time. In fact, you never need to close your hand at all because it will always be extended up towards the ceiling, with the kettlebell hanging from your palm. The idea is that you go from a lying position, to a half sit-up with your elbow down, then a full sit-up with your hand down, then the hips are lifted off the ground, one leg slides through the bring you into a half-kneeling position, then you straighten out, then as soon as you are stable, you stand up. Then you do it all over again in reverse. In some ways the reverse part is harder because people tend to drop down to the ground too fast instead of keeping it in tight, strong, individual step.

While challenging, the nice thing about the Turkish Get-Up is that it hits a lot of different muscles all at once, works both stability and mobility, and requires coordination and focus, and despite not being a fast or explosive exercise at all, you can still get out of breath while doing it. The hard part is remembering and executing all the steps as well as keeping your hand up the entire time, particularly with weight, so if you want to try this, do it without any weight first. Once you've mastered it, add the kettlebell and be particularly careful when you bring your foot through and get yourself into that half-kneeling position. It is very important that you straighten out first before attempting to stand up. Not doing so can be dangerous for your lower back so take things SLOW.