Coach Zoe Target your biceps, triceps, and shoulders at home. Simple yet effective kettlebell exercises for arms to build strong and lean muscle.
Arm workouts don’t need to be boring and filled with endless curl variations, kickbacks, and some weird grip strength forearm exercise you found on social media.
Believe it or not, arm exercises can actually be fun, challenging, and feel like they contribute to better total body performance. Not just for those “sun’s out, guns out” kind of days 😉
Although there is nothing wrong with isolation exercises like the previously mentioned, I find that when I train my arms in a compound and functional approach, I actually look forward to my workout.
One of my favorite ways to get a killer arm workout in is by using a kettlebell. The thick handle improves grips strength while the shape always for a variety of intensity, range-of-motion, and total arm movements for an increased cardio benefit.
Are kettlebells good for your arms?
Kettlebells are an effective way to build strength and muscle definition in your arms. They can be used to target your deltoids, triceps, and biceps while simultaneously improving forearm strength due to the thick grip of the handle.
Just like a dumbbell, a kettlebell is a free weight that requires stability and allows for a full range-of-motion but with the added versatility due to it’s shape.
How to get rid of flabby arms with a kettlebell?
To improve the shape of your arms, you need to build muscle by strength training your arms twice a week with a kettlebell that allows 8-15 repetitions each set before nearing fatigue.
This total training load (volume x intensity) will optimize your arm workouts for muscle size and strenghth. Combine this strategy with gradual fat loss to get rid of those softer “flabby” arms.
But don’t worry, you won’t turn into the she-hulk. Instead, you will actually reveal firm and feminine muscle definition that shows you spend time in the gym.
If you are nervous about getting “too big” head over to my post How Can A Woman Get Strong And NOT Bulky for a more in depth explanation on the impact weight lifting has your physique. I’ll explain why it should definitely be included in your workout routine.
How to train arms with a kettlebell?
Use a kettlebell to target shoulders, triceps, and biceps with a variety of compound exercises in 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps each within your workout. Be sure to include 3-6 exercises per targeted muscle.
You may find that there is a lot of overlap when using a kettlebell. That’s because most kettlebell exercises are compound and infrequently will you isolate one muscle.
In my opinion, that is the beauty of kettlebells… functional strength training. Strengthening our bodies with movements that we replicate in our daily lives outside of our workouts.
Functional strength training increases muscular strength and endurance while improving joint stability and support.
The best way to optimize performance while minimmizing risk of injury.
Kettlebell exercises for arms
Below are 11 different kettlebell exercises for arms with the description on how to perform each one along with the targeted (arm) muscle(s).
Kettlebell Halos
- Target Muscles: Shoulder
- How to perform: Hold the kettlebell by the handle with both hands at head height. Trace the bell around your head in a circle until you land at the starting position.
Kettlebell Overhead Press
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Tricep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the “horns” of the handle at chest height. Keeping the elbows at shoulder width, press the bell overhead until your elbows reach full extension, then return back to start.
Kettlebell Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Tricep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the base with both hands overhead with elbows fully extended. Keeping the shoulders flexed and biceps in line with the ears, slowly lower the bell behind your head by bending the elbows. Return to start.
Kettlebell Upright Row
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Bicep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by handle with both hands, arms extend down in front of you. Lifting the elbows high and keeping the bell close to the body, draw the bell up your midline until elbows are full flexed and bell is chest height. Return to start.
Kettlebell Slingshot
- Target Msucles: Shoulder, Bicep, & Tricep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the handle with one hand, arm extended down in front of the body. Gently hinge at the hips, bringing the bell slightly between the legs. Thrust hips forward to swing the bell up to chest height and immediately pull the bell towards you, drawing the elbow back. Immediately push the kettlebell back out and swing down to start postition. Continue reps with a momentous rhythm.
Kettlebell Clean
- Target Msucles: Shoulder & Bicep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the handle with one hand, arm extended down in front of the body. Gently hinge at the hips, bringing the bell between the legs toward the ground. Thrust hips forward to initiate momentum, immediately shrugging the shoulder of the bell hand keeping the bell close to the body, and finish with a partial pull. As soon as the bell is chest height, scoop your elbow to the body, rotating the base of the bell around the wrist so it lands against the shoulder. Lower the bell to start position. (Note: this is a more complex move that takes practice and attention to detail.)
Kettlebell Push-Up
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Tricep
- How to perform: Start in a plank postition with one hand placed on the face of the kettlebell (it should be flat on it’s side). Slowly lower your chest to the floor while with your elbows close to the body and maintaining an engaged core, hips level with the shoulders. Once full depth is reached, push through both hands to extend elbows and return to start position.
Kettlebell Supine Chest Press
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Tricep
- How to perform: Start supine on the floor, holding the base of the bell with both hands above the chest and elbows bent, touching the floor. Begin by pressing the bell upwards until elbows reaching full extension, bell over the chest. Return to start.
Kettlebell Bus Driver
- Target Muscles: Shoulder
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the base with both hands, arms extended (with a slight bend in the elbows) out in front of you, chest height. Turn the kettlebell clockwise 90 degrees right, return to start then 90 degrees left, return to start.
Kettlebell Curl
- Target Muscles: Bicep
- How to perform: Hold the bell by the “horns” of the handle, arms extended down towards the floor. Keeping the elbows tight to the ribcage, bend at the elbow as you bring the kettlebell up to your chest. Return to start.
Kettlebell Bent Over Row
- Target Muscles: Shoulder & Bicep
- How to perform: Begin bent over at about 45 degrees, hinging at the hips. Support yourself with one arm gently pressing against the same side thigh. The other arm will hold the kettlebell by the handle, with the arm extended down toward the floor. Keeping the elbow close to the body, pull the bell up towards the same side hip while bending at the elbow. Continue until full range-of-motion is reached then return to start.
At Home Upper Body Workouts with Kettlebell Exercises for Arms
For those days you don’t feel like writing your own workout, join me for either of these killer kettlebell arm workouts! You will see both of these workouts feature many of the exercises listed above but with different programming.
- 10-Minute Upper Body Kettlebell Strength Workout
- Get in a quick upper body strength session in just 10 minutes with this nonstop kettlebell workout. Just one kettlebell needed to hit arms, shoulders, chest, back, and abdominals!
- TABATA Upper Body Kettlebell Workout
- Strengthen the entire upper body with this kettlebell workout. Utilizing Strength and power exercises in a tabata format for quick intervals that will improve muscular performance. This is a prenatal safe workout, BUT can be done by anyone, prenatal or not!
Now that I have got your hooked on kettlebells, check out my post Kettlebell Exercises For Legs That Build Strong & Lean Muscle to shape your entire body!
Pin it for later or send to a friend!
