Core Blasting Kettlebell Ab Workout With Allo

Standard Kettlebell Swing

We’ll start off with the standard kettlebell swing. This exercise is a great way to transition from your stretching and warm-up routine into your main workout focus working all of your core muscles. 

With any swinging kettlebell exercise, it’s important to maintain proper posture throughout in order to avoid strain or injury. Start with the lightest weight possible as you get a feel for the form and move up as gradually as possible. It’s always okay to move back down if you feel your posture being compromised or during recovery from an injury. 

If you are not able to swing the kettlebell all the way up to shoulder height, that is perfectly alright and just bring it up as high as you can. With enough practice and patience, you will be able to practice the full swing in no time. 

1. Set your stance so that your feet are just wide of shoulder-width apart and grab the kettlebell with both hands, palms facing toward you, allowing the weight to elongate your arms and rest between your legs.
2. Bend your knees and hinge from the hips as you inhale and let the kettlebell fall back and down between your legs even more to create momentum for your upward swing. 
3. Keep your core engaged and your upper body in a neutral, upright posture as you drive through your heels to push your hips forward and swing the kettlebell up to come to a standing position with your arms straight out in front of you parallel to the ground at shoulder height.
4. Let the weight swing back down between your legs with your knees bent and your hips sunk back to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for 12-15 reps.
6. Repeat for 3 sets.

Windmills

While kettlebell windmills are not overly complicated in their motion, they can be somewhat difficult so be sure to start out light and move your weight up gradually. This exercise will strengthen your stabilizer muscles while also giving some attention to your shoulders and arms for an overall upper body workout as well as an ab workout.

1. Stand with your feet just outside of hip-width apart while holding the kettlebell with your right hand.
2. Push the kettlebell up over your right shoulder and lock your arm straight up so that your bicep is next to your ear.
3. Turn your left foot slightly out as you pivot your right hip backward.
4. Look up at the kettlebell as you reach your left arm down your left leg letting your left hand rest on your knee or shin if you cannot get your left hand all the way to the ground.
5. Engage your core and maintain control as you slowly reverse the motion and come back to a standing position. 
6. Repeat for 10-12 reps.
7. Switch sides and repeat for another 10-12 reps.
8. Repeat for 2 sets.

Kettlebell Lateral Swings

Lateral kettlebell swings are fairly similar to standard kettlebell swings aside from the fact that instead of swinging the weight out in front of you, this time, you will be swinging the weight from one side to the other at the same time as you lift it upward. 

There is an even greater need to maintain proper posture with this exercise as the added rotation of the spine makes strain or injury more likely and even potentially more severe should the worst occur. Use a mirror, film yourself, or have someone watch you at the gym as you begin learning how to do lateral swings to make sure that you are protecting your back, hips, and knees with proper posture.

1. Ground your feet down a bit beyond shoulder-width apart as you bend your knees to reach down and grab the kettlebell from in front of your right foot with your left hand only allowing your shoulders to rotate slightly so that your right shoulder is pointing upward. 
2. Keep your knees and hips soft as you swing the kettlebell up and out to the left. 
3. Drive through your hips and straighten your upper body as you come to a standing position at the top of the motion with the kettlebell raised out to the side at shoulder height.
4. Maintain a steady path as you allow the weight to swing back down, careful not to hit yourself in the knee, as you hinge from the hips and bend in at the knees. 
5. Rotate your shoulders again as the weight swings past your center but be sure not to over-rotate and twist your spine too far.
6. Repeat for 12-15 reps.
7. Switch arms and repeat for another 12-15 reps.
8. Repeat for 3 sets.

Turkish Get-Ups

The Turkish get-up is one of the most difficult kettlebell exercises as it requires moving through multiple postures from flat on the floor to a kneeling position and all the way up to a standing position all while holding a kettlebell above your head. 

If you have never attempted this exercise before, you might want to start without using a weight at all for the first few times to make sure that you are performing each stage of the exercise correctly while simply holding up your fist to imitate how your body will be positioned once you start using the kettlebell. 

1. Start on your back with your arms and legs out to the sides in a star position.
2. Hold the kettlebell, or make a fist, with your right hand and raise it straight up toward the ceiling as you bring your right foot flat to the floor a few inches from your hips so that your knee is bent and pointing upward.
3. Shift your weight to your left hip and use your left forearm and hand to push yourself up to a seated position, still with your right knee bent and your right foot near your hip. 
4. Keep your chest high and your eye on the kettlebell as you support yourself through the L of your left hand and your planted right foot to lift your hips up and create space for you to bring your left leg under you with your knee to the ground. 
5. Once you are stable on your right foot and left knee you can remove your left hand from the ground and straighten to come into a traditional one-leg kneeling position with each leg having a 90-degree angle at the knee. 
6. Shift your weight onto your right foot and curl your toes under your left foot before driving through the right heel and pushing yourself up to a standing position all the while keeping your eyes on the kettlebell held over your head.
7. Start to reverse the motion by coming back down onto your left knee.
8. Place your left hand on the ground and slowly lower your hips to the ground as your sweep your left leg back out in front of you.
9. Maintain control as you slowly bring your torso to the ground and shift your weight so that your body is flat on the ground, back in the start position. 
10. Repeat for 8-10 reps.
11. Switch sides and repeat for another 8-10 reps.
12. Repeat for 2 sets.

Plank Pull-Through

Plank pull-throughs are a great way to end your workout, especially if you feel like you can’t get up off the floor after doing the Turkish get-ups. This exercise is straightforward but still challenging and gives you a chance to incorporate more functional movements into your kettlebell ab workout. 

1. Start off in a standard straight-arm plank with your kettlebell set just behind your left hand.
2. Keep your chest up, your core engaged, and your head high as you shift your weight into your left hand and reach underneath your torso to grab the kettlebell.
3. Slide the kettlebell over to the same spot on the other side and return your right hand to the mat. 
4. Shift your weight to your right hand as you reach over with your left hand and slide the kettlebell back to the start position.
5. Repeat for 10-15 reps.
6. Repeat for 3 sets.