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Why You Should Use Kettlebells for Your Next Back Workout—and 12 Powerhouse Moves to Try
Swing, clean, and row your way to a stronger back and better posture.
By Danielle Zickl•
The Key Muscles Targeted By Kettlebell Back Exercises
The Benefits of Kettlebell Back Exercises
12 Kettlebell Back Exercises to Try
Tips for Using Kettlebells In Your Back Workouts
Kettlebells—they’re in gyms, fitness classes, and maybe even gathering dust in the corner of your basement. If your typical dumbbell-only workouts are feeling a bit stale, adding kettlebells into the mix provides a slew of new options to slot into your routine.
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And while many people associate this piece of equipment with full-body workouts, they’re particularly effective for targeting your back muscles.
“Back workouts using kettlebells hit strength, stability, and mobility together, which is more dynamic than machines or barbells,” says Peloton instructor Jermaine Johnson.
Indeed, many popular kettlebell back exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously to build muscle and improve balance and range of motion. Not to mention, a strong back is crucial for carrying heavy objects in your daily life and preventing injuries in and out of the gym.
Whether you're a seasoned lifter or just starting your fitness journey, adding kettlebell back exercises to your fitness regimen can make a real difference in your back strength and overall well-being. Here’s everything you need to get started.
The Key Muscles Targeted By Kettlebell Back Exercises
While the goal of kettlebell back exercises is to work the muscles in, well, your back, these moves also tend to engage other muscle groups—namely, your core muscles, says Grayson Wickham, doctor of physical therapy and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Let’s get into it.
Latissimus Dorsi (Lats): Your lats are the largest muscles in your back. They run from your lower back up to your armpit and is responsible for moving your arms in all directions.
Trapezius (Traps): Your traps are diamond-shaped muscles located on either side of your spine in your upper back, and help stabilize and move your shoulder blades.
Rhomboids: Your rhomboids are located in your upper back, between your shoulder blades and your spine, underneath your traps, and help to move your shoulder blades.
Rear Deltoids (Delts): Your deltoids are a group of triangle-shaped muscles in your shoulders. They’re composed of three parts: anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear). Your rear delts, specifically, are located on the back of your shoulder, and assist in stabilizing your shoulders and lifting your arms backward, away from your torso.
Erector Spinae and Multifidus: Your erector spinae and multifidus are both groups of muscles that run along your spine. They stabilize your spinal column and help with spinal movement, posture, and balance.
Quadratus Lumborum: Your quadratus lumborum (aka QL) muscle lies deep beneath your erector spinae muscles and runs from the top of your hip bone up to your lower back. It moves your spine and helps maintain your posture by supporting your lower back and pelvis.
Obliques: Your obliques are the muscles located on either side of your abdomen that enable you to twist and bend your torso from side to side as well as resist those movements.
Forearm muscles: Your forearm muscles help to bend your wrist but are also key to your ability to grip objects, such as a kettlebell.
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The Benefits of Kettlebell Back Exercises
One of the most important areas of your body is your spinal cord (the bundle of nerves that run down your spinal column), which is a main component of your central nervous system, Wickham explains.
“One of your back’s main jobs is to protect your spinal cord at all costs,” he says. “When you have poor strength in your back—and core—muscles, your spine can be put in compromising positions, which can then put pressure on the nerves that come off of your spinal cord, and, in extreme situations, can damage your spinal cord itself.”
Both of these situations can lead to extreme pain, neurological symptoms, and weakness, but can be avoided by ensuring you have good back muscle strength, stability, and mobility, according to Wickham.
Indeed, your lats are one of the strongest muscle groups in your body and are your primary upper-body pulling muscles, Wickham says. Working your back promotes better posture, injury prevention, more pulling power, and balanced strength, Jermaine adds. That’s where kettlebell back exercises come in.
Sure, any piece of gym equipment can work your back muscles. But there are few ways kettlebells stand out from the crowd.
They Offer a Unique Stability Challenge
Kettlebells can be more technically challenging than dumbbells and barbells depending on the exercise you’re performing, Wickham says. That’s partly due to their shape, which resembles a cannonball with a handle on top.
Because the handle is separate from the weight, kettlebells allow for more dynamic and explosive movements, forcing your core and other supporting muscles to work harder in comparison to other pieces of equipment. This is important for building total-body strength and stability.
In fact, a 2024 review in Cureus found that athletes who trained with kettlebells “demonstrated significant improvements in maximal strength, power output, and muscular endurance.” And a 2022 study published in Sensors found that using kettlebells for overhead pressing movements activates your shoulder and back muscles more effectively than dumbbells because of the kettlebell’s center of gravity.
They Unlock More Movement Variety
Kettlebells allow you to move one arm at a time. “Performing a single-arm exercise allows you greater degrees of freedom for a movement, versus being stuck in a relatively fixed motion using a machine and even a barbell,” Wickham says.
Allowing your shoulder to move through as much of its full range of motion as possible allows you to tailor the movement to you versus having to move through a more rigid path of motion using a machine, Wickham continues.
“This is important from an injury prevention perspective and allows you to perform an exercise through your full unique range of motion,” he says.
12 Kettlebell Back Exercises to Try
1. Kettlebell Lawn Mower Row
Wickham likes this row variation because it allows you to rotate your torso and adds a core and hip stability component to the move.
Come into a split-stance position with your left leg forward and right foot planted on the floor behind you, balancing on your toes. Bend your left knee, and bend at your waist so your torso is nearly parallel with the floor, resting your left elbow on your left thigh. Hold a kettlebell in your right hand below your right shoulder, palm facing in toward your left leg.
Row the kettlebell up toward your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blade toward your spine.
Slowly reverse the movement, extending the right arm to lower the weight and return to the starting position.
Complete all reps on the right side, then repeat on the left side.
2. Kettlebell Bent-Over Row
Wickham likes this move because the kettlebells allow each arm to move through their own unique range of motion. “The bent-over row is one of the best exercises for building back strength and hypertrophy,” he says.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart holding a kettlebell in each hand. Hinge at the hips until your torso is at about a 45-degree angle, maintaining a flat back. Allow the kettlebells to hang directly beneath your shoulders.
Pull the kettlebells up toward the sides of your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep your eyes gazing toward the floor, with your palms facing each other for a neutral grip.
Slowly lower the weights to return to the starting position.
3. Kettlebell Swing
Jermaine recommends the kettlebell swing because it engages the entire posterior chain (i.e., muscles on the back of the body). For an added challenge, try single-arm kettlebell swings to work on your coordination.
Start standing with your feet about shoulder-width distance apart and a kettlebell on the floor a few inches in front of your feet. Maintaining a flat back, bend at the knees and hips to reach down and hold the handle with both hands. Tip the handle of the bell toward you and engage your core and lats (think: shoulder blades down and back).
From this position, inhale and swing the kettlebell back between your legs; stop the swing when your arms touch your body.
Exhale and drive your hips forward, propelling the kettlebell upward as you lift your torso and straighten your knees. Swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height, squeezing your glutes at the top.
From the top of the swing, inhale and allow the bell to swing back down and back between your legs.
When your arms are just about to hit your body, hinge at your hips and bend your knees to start the next swing.
4. Kettlebell Renegade Row
The renegade row is another classic kettlebell back exercise Jermaine recommends for working your lats, rhomboids, and traps.
Start in a high plank position with each of your hands on the handle of a kettlebell. Set your feet to a wide stance to help with stability.
Brace your core to keep your hips square as you row one kettlebell up toward your lower ribs, keeping your elbow close to your side.
Slowly lower the kettlebell back to the ground and repeat on the other side.
5. Kettlebell Deadlift
Deadlifts work your lats, erector spinae, and traps, which is why Jermaine is a fan of this exercise. Adding deadlifts to your workouts can improve your posture and even reduce your risk of back injuries.
Stand with your feet about hip width distance apart, toes facing forward, and a kettlebell between your feet.
Bend your knees and push your hips back to grab the kettlebell with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing backward). Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.
Lift the weight off the floor, pressing your hips forward and straightening your knees while keeping your shoulders down and back.
Hold for one second at the top with your hips and knees locked, and your chest open.
Slowly reverse the movement to lower the kettlebell to the floor and return to the starting position.
6. Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift
The sumo deadlift is extremely similar to a regular deadlift, only your feet are in a wider stance. This variation protects your lower back from strain and injury more effectively, according to the International Sports Sciences Association.
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width distance apart with your toes facing forward, with a kettlebell between your feet.
Bend your knees and push your hips back to grab the kettlebell with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing backward). Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.
Lift the weight off the floor, pressing your hips forward and straightening your knees while keeping your shoulders down and back.
Hold for one second at the top with your hips and knees locked, and your chest open.
Slowly reverse the movement to lower the kettlebell to the floor and return to the starting position.
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7. Kettlebell High Pull
The high pull works your traps, rhomboids, and delts—not to mention the core muscles in your abdomen and lower back—making it another one of Jermaine’s favorite kettlebell back exercises.
Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart with your toes facing forward and a kettlebell in between your feet.
Bend your knees and push your hips back to grab the kettlebell with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing backward). Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.
In one explosive move, push into the floor, straighten your legs, and pull the kettlebell up toward your chin with your elbows above the shoulders and pointed up.
Slowly lower the kettlebell to the floor to return to the starting position.
8. Kettlebell Dead Clean
Cleans work your traps, deltoids, lats, and forearm muscles. Jermaine favors the move as a way to build strength, endurance, and coordination.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart, with a kettlebell on the floor between your feet.
Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grab the kettlebell handle with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing backward). Keep your back flat, chest up, and shoulders pulled back.
In one explosive movement, drive through your feet and forcefully extend your hips and knees, pulling the kettlebell vertically up the front of your body.
As the kettlebell rises, quickly pull your elbows high and then pull them under the bell, shifting your grip from the top of the handle to the horns (where the handle meets the bell). Bending your knees slightly to “catch” the kettlebell in the rack position at your chest.
Pause, then lower the kettlebell back to the floor with control, returning to the starting position.
9. Kettlebell Halo
Kettlebell halos are a superstar move for building upper back strength and improving shoulder mobility while also drilling core stability.
Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart. Hold a kettlebell upside-down (bottom of the bell pointing up) in front of your chest, with your hands gripping the horns—the sides of the handle where it attaches to the bell. Your elbows should be bent and tucked in close to your sides.
Inhale to move the kettlebell over the top of your right shoulder, lifting the left elbow. Then circle the kettlebell behind your head, lifting the right elbow so both elbows are pointing up toward the ceiling.
Exhale to continue the circle, passing the kettlebell over the left shoulder and dropping the left elbow. Continue to rotate back to the starting position until the bell is in front of your chest.
Repeat or reverse directions.
10. Kettlebell Windmill
The kettlebell windmill hits your shoulders and obliques—and, as a bonus, helps improve hip mobility. That’s why Jermaine suggests adding it to your kettlebell back training.
Start standing with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and a kettlebell in your right hand racked at shoulder height. Press the bell overhead so the weight is directly over your right shoulder. Point your left foot out slightly.
Turn your head to look up at the kettlebell, and pack your shoulder blades back and down. Keeping your core engaged, start to hinge at the hips, pushing them backward and to the right. Allow your left knee to bend while keeping the right leg straight.
Reach the left hand down the left leg toward the floor, rotating your shoulders so your chest is open to the front and your shoulders are stacked directly underneath the kettlebell.
Pause for a few seconds at the bottom, then slowly reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
11. Kettlebell Good Morning
When you work your posterior chain with the good morning, it improves your spinal alignment and therefore your posture.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold a kettlebell in front of your chest.
Hinge forward from your hips while keeping your core engaged, pushing your hips back while keeping your back flat. Hinge forward until your upper body is parallel (or almost parallel) to the floor.
Pushing your hips forward and lift your chest to slowly return to the starting position.
12. Kettlebell Single-Arm Snatch
As long as you have the proper shoulder mobility and stability to perform this exercise with good form and technique, Wickham recommends the kettlebell snatch because it’s a full body exercise that incorporates explosive movement.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart and place a kettlebell in between your feet.
With a neutral spine and your core engaged, bend your knees and push your hips back to reach down and grab the kettlebell with your right hand using an overhand grip (your palm facing backward).
Swing the kettlebell back between your legs, then drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell up toward your right shoulder.
Once the kettlebell reaches shoulder height, punch your right hand toward the ceiling so you end with your right arm straight and the kettlebell overhead.
Bend your right elbow to reverse the movement, returning to the starting position.
Complete all reps on the right side, then repeat on the left side.
Tips for Using Kettlebells In Your Back Workouts
Jermaine recommends doing kettlebell back exercises two to three times per week. “That can be on dedicated strength days or mixed into full body sessions alongside other lifts, machine work, or cardio,” he says.
Choose a kettlebell weight that challenges you for the last two to three reps without wrecking your form, he adds. If you’re brand new to lifting or a beginner to kettlebell exercises, stick with lighter weights, and slowly increase as you get more familiar with the exercises, Wickham adds.
When doing each move, your spine should stay neutral and your core should be braced, according to Jermaine. “Control the bell—don’t let it control you,” he says.
Jermaine’s favorite ways to incorporate kettlebell back exercises into his routine are in circuits, AMRAPs (as many reps as possible), or EMOMs (every minute on the minute). “I specifically focus on swings as they build explosive hip power, light up the posterior chain, and carry over to everything from deadlifts to sprints,” he says. To get a taste of how Jermaine likes to program kettlebell workouts, try one of his Kettlebell Strength classes on the Peloton App.
For help planning your strength routine, check out Peloton’s Personalized Plans feature or the comprehensive kettlebell programs in the Peloton App and Peloton Strength+ app.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
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