Kettlebell back workouts are a great tool to build back strength and muscle. Given that their center of gravity is constantly changing, kettlebells replicate the forces that you might find in real-life activities, improving not only your performance but also your daily life.
Kettlebells are known for bridging the gap between strength work and stamina.
A strong back brings many benefits with it, such as:
- Protection against chronic back pain
- Protection against back injury
- Maintain optimal posture
- Increased overall strength
- Better performance in lower and upper body lifts
- Prevention against strains and sprains that can occur during sports and daily chores
- Positive body image
Creating a balance between both pushing and pulling exercises is important to avoid any postural or overly dominate movement patterns. Make sure your kettlebell training includes both pulling and pushing workouts to reap all the benefits of a strong back.
Whether you are stuck at home with only kettlebells at hand or simply enjoy a good kettlebell workout, add these WODs into your training and strengthen your back.
KETTLEBELL BACK WORKOUTS
WOD 1 – DUO BRUTUS
AMRAP in 35 Minutes:
Part A: AMRAP in 4 minutes
- 1 Left Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing (24/16 kg)
- 1 Right Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing (24/16 kg)
- 1 Swing Clean
Rest 2 minutes
Part B: AMRAP in 6 minutes
- Ground-to-Overheads (24/16 kg)
Rest 3 minutes
Part C: AMRAP in 20 minutes
- Max Racked Deadlifts (2 x 40/32 kg)
- Suitcase Carry (1 x 32/24 kg)
For Parts A and B: partners work independently. For Part C: partners share the work.
For Part B, Ground-to-Overhead, only the start and end position are defined. You can either dead clean or swing clean and then push press or jerk, or you can directly perform a kettlebell snatch.
For Part C, the deadlifts are with one kettlebell racked and one kettlebell dead on the ground. Pick your weights wisely, it’s 20 minutes of work.
The kettlebell deadlift movement pattern mirrors all daily life exercises where you have to pick something up from the floor. Make sure you keep your midline tight and maintain a neutral spine.
No matter what your goals are, the deadlift should be one of your main exercises to strengthen your back. A singe arm kettlebell deadlift works your posterior chain, including your glutes, hamstrings and lower, mid and upper back muscles.
Workout by Cavemantraining
Kettlebell Back Workout 2 – Claudia
5 Rounds for Time:
- 20 Kettlebell Swings (55/35 lb)
- 400 meter Run
The cornerstone of kettlebell training, the kettlebell swing is a full body exercise with big focus on your back muscles.
As a dynamic movement, the kettlebell swing works both your strength and cardio, and will help you develop great explosive power. The swinging movement pattern will strengthen your lower back by forcing you to stabilise the link between your hips and your upper back.
Read More: The Hardest Kettlebell Workout You Will Ever Try
WOD 3 – Secret Service Snatch Test
AMRAP in 10 Minutes:
- Kettlebell Power Snatches (24/16 kg)
The kettlebell snatch is an incredibly dynamic and aggressive full-body movement and makes for an excellent kettlebell back workout.
There are not many muscles that aren’t used during the kettlebell snatch, which requires you to lift an object from the floor and bring it to the overhead position.
This workout was posted as a challenge for high-level athletes on Instagram by Matt Chan, a former CrossFit Games athlete, a member of the CrossFit Trainer Staff and a CrossFit Level-4 Coach. The challenge was to get 200 repetitions within the 10-minute time window.
WOD 4 – The Cavemanator Challenge
One Attempt for Max Reps:
- Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press
- Kettlebell Clean-and-Jerk
- Kettlebell Half Snatch
You are allowed one attempt at max reps of the exercises with only one switch for each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. No more than one second before moving the weight, in other words, resting longer than one second is now allowed. Putting the weight down is not allowed.
For the strict press, you only need to press up and you can drop the weight back into a racking position. For the snatch, you can squat under.
There are no scaling options for this challenge.
Intended Stimulus: The strict presses are to tax the shoulders so much that you won’t be using them for the exercises where you should not be using them, i.e. the jerk is a lower-body exercise and not a press, and the snatch is too, get that weight as high as possible with the power from the lower body and press out.
Strategy: Employ a pendulum clean rather than a hip hinge or hardstyle clean, your grip will go before anything else.
The kettlebell clean is a great exercise to train your back muscles. Based on the deadlift movement pattern, it includes a more dynamic and explosive movement. You can add this exercise into your training by cleaning a single kettlebell (and then swapping sides) or using two kettlebells at the same time.
The mental toughness you’ll develop through workouts like this will make you unstoppable.
Workout by Cavemantraining
Kettlebell Back Workout 5 – Sneaky Anna
AMRAP in 20 Minutes:
- 4 Double Kettlebell Half Snatches (2×16/12 kg)
- 4 Burpees
- 4 Double Kettlebell Deadlifts (2×16/12 kg) (between the feet)
“The half snatches target the glutes, hammies, upper back, shoulders. The burpees—the way they should be done—really tax the glutes, if you squeeze them to pull your pelvis up,” says coach Taco Fleur, the creator of this workout. “Come up into a nice neutral position before you attempt your next rep. The squat deadlift targets the quads.”
You can play with this workout by swapping the double kettlebell deadlifts to single leg deadlifts.
The single leg kettlebell deadlift is one of the best exercises to develop a strong core for rotational movements. Make sure you maintain a strong midline and neutral spine throughout.
Workout by Cavemantraining
WOD 6 – Annabelle
For Time:
- 50 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
- 104 Goblet Squats (24/16 kg)
- 50 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
- 104 Kettlebell Ballistic Rows (24/16 kg)
- 50 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
- 104 Kettlebell Push Presses (24/16 kg)
- 50 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
- 104 Goblet Squats (24/16 kg)
- 50 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
This is a long workout, so set out at a pace you think you’ll be able to hold throughout.
Kettlebell Ballistic Row: Similar to Bent Over Row, hold the Kettlebell on one hand and bend your upper torso 45 degrees down. Push the Kettlebell down close to the ground and pull it up to your hips and switch hands.
Workout by Luke Downing
Colossus Back Kettlebell Workout
- 6 minutes of UKC AMRAP
- 4 minutes of 50 bent-over rows
- 6 minutes of UKC AMRAP
- 4 minutes of 40 bent-over rows
- 6 minutes of UKC AMRAP
- Finish with 30 bent-over rows
If you finish your bent-over rows before the end of 4 minutes, use the remainder for rest.
The Ultimate Kettlebell Combo (UKC) consists of:
- Deadlift (squat movement)
- Hang clean (squat movement)
- Swing clean (hip hinge movement)
- Swing (hip hinge movement)
- Half snatch (hip hinge movement)
- Press (strict)
- Drop and repeat
Renegade rows work on your upper back as well as your core muscles. They are a demanding exercise but will help you strengthen and stabilise your back and midline, as well as help you build muscle.
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WOD 8 – Burptacular
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps for Time:
- Burpees
- Kettlebell Thrusters (32/20 kg)
- Burpees
- Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (32/20 kg)
- Burpees
- Kettlebell Swings (32/20 kg)
Use one kettlebell. For the Thrusters hold the kettlebell in a goblet position and finish with the kettlebell and both arms overhead.
This kettlebell back workout has a recommended time cap of 30 minutes.
