Health & WellnessBeginnerPreview
Kettlebell Training
Build a complete foundation in kettlebell training by mastering the five core lifts with safe technique, sound programming, and progressive overload principles.
Complete beginners who want to build functional strength and conditioning using kettlebells, either at home or in a gym setting.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook is your hands-on companion to the Kettlebell Training course. Use it to record technique observations, track your session data, and build a personal program grounded in the five foundational lifts. Complete each section after finishing its corresponding course module for the best results.
The Hip Hinge and the Two-Hand Swing
Lock in the hip-hinge pattern and start logging your swing sessions from day one.
Exercise: Dowel-Rod Hinge Self-Assessment
Perform 10 slow dowel-rod wall-hinge reps in front of a mirror or record yourself. Review the footage and answer the reflection prompts below honestly. Do this at the start of week 1 and again at the end of week 2 to see measurable improvement.
- Were all three contact points (occiput, thoracic spine, sacrum) maintained throughout every rep? Note which point broke contact first if any did.
- At the bottom of the hinge, describe where you felt the stretch — front of hips, backs of thighs, or lower back. Which sensation indicates a correct hinge?
- Did your weight shift to your toes at any point? What cue will you use to keep it in your heels?
- Compare your week-1 and week-2 assessments: what specifically improved, and what still needs attention?
Worksheet: 8-Week Swing Session Log
Record every swing session for 8 weeks. Log the date, bell weight used, sets and reps completed, your RPE (rate of perceived exertion, scale 1–10), and one technique note per session — something you noticed or corrected. Review weekly to spot patterns.
- Date
- Bell weight (kg)
- Sets × Reps completed
- RPE (1–10)
- Total swings (sets × reps)
- Technique note or fault observed
- Correction applied or cue used
Checklist: Two-Hand Swing Technique Checklist
- Feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart, toes 10–20 degrees out
- Bell placed 30 cm in front of feet before the hike
- Gripping with fingers, not palm — wrist neutral
- Lats packed before the hike — shoulder blades in back pockets
- Sharp nasal breath in on the backswing (360-degree brace)
- Forearms in contact with inner thighs on the hike
- Hips drive forward violently — door-slam cue
- Arms stay relaxed until glutes and core lock out
- At the top: standing plank, bell floats at chest height, thumbs point to ceiling
- Piston breath — hiss on the power phase, inhale on descent
Exercise: 100-Swing Benchmark Test
At the end of week 8, perform your 100-swing benchmark test: 10 sets of 10 reps with your training weight (24 kg men, 16 kg women target) and record your total time. Rest only as needed between sets. This is your baseline — repeat at the end of every 8-week block to measure progress.
- What was your total time for 100 swings, including all rest periods?
- Which set felt hardest and why — was it conditioning, grip, or technique that broke down?
- What weight did you use, and does it meet the beginner benchmark for your category?
- Set a specific target time and weight for your next 100-swing test in 8 weeks.
The Kettlebell Clean and Press
Diagnose your rack position and overhead mechanics, and track your clean-and-press ladder progress.
Exercise: Rack Position Drill and Self-Diagnosis
Press the bell against your chest with two hands to find your rack, then release one hand and hold the position for 30 seconds. Have a partner or camera check your forearm angle, wrist position, and elbow location. Use the prompts below to document your findings.
- Describe your elbow position: is it at, above, or below your rib cage? What is the correct position and what adjustment do you need?
- Is your wrist neutral (straight) or dorsiflexed (bent back)? What does a bent wrist feel like during a long set and why does it matter?
- Where is the bell resting — in the crook of the elbow or on the wrist? What is one cue to fix a wrist-loaded rack?
- Does your shoulder feel packed (depressed and externally rotated) or shrugged? Practice the shoulder-packing test and note the difference in feel.
Worksheet: Clean-and-Press Ladder Tracker
Use this tracker for every clean-and-press session. Record the date, bell weight, number of ladders completed, the rungs in each ladder (e.g., 1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4), total reps per arm, and any notes on the hardest rung. Progress the rung count only when all ladders feel smooth and controlled.
- Date
- Bell weight (kg)
- Ladder structure (e.g., 1-2-3)
- Number of ladders completed
- Total reps per arm
- Hardest rung and why
- Ready to add a rung next session? (Yes / No)
Checklist: Press Technique Checklist — Review Before Every Session
- Shoulder packed before starting the press — depression and external rotation checked
- Lat engaged — imagine bending the handle in half
- Wrist neutral at the start of the press and at lockout
- Full-body tension created before pressing — glutes, core, and floor-grip active
- Bell travels on a slight arc, not straight up
- At lockout: arm is vertical, bicep is beside or behind the ear
- At lockout: shoulder punches up slightly — not shrugged down
- Descent takes 2–3 seconds — controlled, not dropped
- Side-lean, elbow flare, and lower-back arch all absent
The Turkish Get-Up
Document your TGU positions, track load progression, and use the quality-rating system to identify and fix asymmetries.
Exercise: 6-Position TGU Position Assessment
Perform one full TGU per side with your fist (no weight). At each of the six positions, pause for 3 seconds and have a partner or camera confirm alignment. Use the prompts below to document what you observe.
- At position 1 (loaded setup), is your arm exactly vertical and your planted foot flat? Describe your gaze direction and where the bell is relative to your shoulder.
- At position 3 (posted hand to floor), is your supporting arm directly below your shoulder, or does it drift? What happens to your overhead arm if the supporting arm drifts?
- During the sweep (position 4), did you maintain your gaze on the bell, or did you look at the floor? What is the consequence of breaking gaze during a loaded TGU?
- At the standing lockout (position 5), is your bicep beside or in front of your ear? Note any difference between your left and right sides.
Worksheet: TGU Session Log with Quality Ratings
Log every TGU session. Record the date, bell weight, reps per side, and a quality rating for each side (1=struggled with position, 2=solid throughout, 3=effortless). Only progress weight when you achieve quality-3 for two consecutive sessions on both sides. Note the specific position where quality drops.
- Date
- Bell weight (kg)
- Reps — left side
- Quality rating — left (1/2/3)
- Reps — right side
- Quality rating — right (1/2/3)
- Weakest position (left)
- Weakest position (right)
- Ready to increase load? (Yes / No)
Checklist: TGU Safety and Quality Checklist
- Arm-bar drill completed (1 per side) before every TGU session
- Fist-up warm-up performed if introducing a new weight
- Gaze stays on the bell for every single position — no exceptions
- Arm remains vertical (not forward) at every position — string-to-ceiling cue active
- Sweep is slow and controlled — hips create maximum space before knee lands
- Left hand leaves the floor only after left knee is firmly placed
- Stand is driven through the front heel — not pulled up by the trunk
- 1-second pause at the standing lockout before beginning descent
- Descent mirrors every position of the ascent in reverse order
- Quality rating logged in session log immediately after completing each side
The Snatch and Your Complete Program
Build the snatch from the high pull up, design your personal 12-week program, and set your benchmark targets.
Exercise: High-Pull to Snatch Transition Drill
Spend two sessions exclusively on the high pull before attempting the snatch. In session 3, attempt 3 slow snatches per side, focusing on the punch-through insertion. Use the prompts below to document the transition and identify any issues before increasing volume.
- In your high-pull practice, where does the elbow reach at its apex relative to your shoulder? Is it at, above, or below shoulder height?
- On your first snatch attempts, did you feel impact on the wrist (catching) or a smooth insertion (punching through)? Describe the sensation and what adjustment you will make.
- During the snatch descent, did the bell drop freely or did you guide it with the elbow close to the body? What happens to the shoulder if the bell free-falls?
- What weight are you using for the snatch relative to your swing weight? Does it match the 2-sizes-down guideline?
Worksheet: 12-Week Program Design Worksheet
Use this worksheet to design your personal 12-week kettlebell program based on the templates from the course. Fill in your starting weights for each lift, your benchmark targets at week 12, and your planned sessions per week. Review and update your targets at week 4 and week 8.
- Starting date
- Days per week training
- Starting bell — two-hand swing (kg)
- Starting bell — clean and press (kg)
- Starting bell — TGU (kg)
- Starting bell — snatch (kg)
- Week 12 target — swing (reps in time)
- Week 12 target — C&P (ladder structure)
- Week 12 target — TGU (load kg per side)
- Week 12 target — snatch (reps in time)
- Week 4 check-in notes
- Week 8 check-in notes
Checklist: Long-Term Milestone Checklist — Check Off When Achieved
- Completed 50 two-hand swings in a single session with correct technique
- Completed 100 two-hand swings in under 10 minutes
- Performed 3 clean-and-press ladders of 1-2-3 per side without form breakdown
- Performed 5 clean-and-press ladders of 1-2-3-4-5 per side
- Completed 1 full TGU per side with a loaded bell (first weight above fist)
- Completed 3 quality-3 TGUs per side with 12 kg (women) or 16 kg (men)
- Performed 5 high pulls per side with smooth elbow path and no forearm impact
- Performed 10 snatches per side with punch-through insertion (no wrist impact)
- Completed 100 snatches in 10 minutes (5-minute test as intermediate step)
- StrongFirst Simple: 10 C&P + 10 pull-ups + 100 swings in one session
Exercise: Personal Weak-Link Analysis
After completing the full course, rate your current ability in each of the five foundational lifts. Use the scale 1 (technique still forming), 2 (reliable technique, building conditioning), 3 (benchmark achieved, ready to progress weight). This analysis tells you where to focus your next training block.
- Rate your two-hand swing (1/2/3) and describe the single most important thing you still need to improve.
- Rate your clean-and-press (1/2/3). Is your limiting factor the clean, the rack, or the press? Be specific.
- Rate your TGU (1/2/3). Note which of the six positions is weakest on each side and what drill will address it.
- Rate your snatch (1/2/3). If you have not yet attempted the snatch, what is the prerequisite you still need to meet before beginning snatch training?
Your Action Plan
- Week 1: Perform the dowel-rod hinge drill for 10 reps before every session and complete the rack-position drill for 2 minutes daily
- Week 1–2: Execute the 2-hand swing program (5 sets × 10 reps, 3 days/week) focusing exclusively on technique — no load increases until form is consistent
- Week 2: Add the TGU fist-up drill to every session warm-up; complete both sides before any loaded work
- Week 3: Introduce the single-arm swing and begin clean-and-press with 3 ladders of 1-2-3 per side
- Week 4: Load the TGU with the lightest available bell; apply the quality-rating system and log every session
- Week 5–6: Advance swing volume to 8 sets × 10; add one rung to C&P ladder (1-2-3-4); begin high-pull practice 2 × 5 per side
- Week 7–8: Attempt first snatches (3 per side) only after confirming high-pull technique is consistent; use a bell 2 sizes below swing weight
- Week 8: Perform the 100-swing benchmark test and record your time; compare to entry-level standard
- Week 9–12: Follow the full 12-week integration template with snatches replacing high pulls; track all five lifts in the session log
- Week 12: Complete the personal weak-link analysis worksheet and set specific targets for your next 12-week block
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