Kettlebells: Core Strength Made Simple

Oct 15, 2025
 

If you’ve been following the 12-week program, by the end you’ll be ready to take on kettlebell workouts. These are more dynamic than traditional core exercises, helping your body resist movement and develop true core stability.

But if you don’t have kettlebells yet, don’t worry. The full 12-week program is designed to prepare you for them. Once you’ve built that foundation, kettlebells add a new level of challenge that makes your core stronger and more adaptable.

Why are kettlebells good for core stability?

Kettlebell training works so well because the weight moves dynamically around your body.

Every time you swing, pass, or control the kettlebell, your core has to resist unwanted movement. That means keeping your torso stable while everything else is moving around it.

A simple exercise:
Start by standing tall, holding the kettlebell with both hands, and slowly passing it around your body.

Without guidance or training, most people will find they sway with the movement. But that’s exactly what you want to avoid.

The real work happens when you keep your shoulders level and your body resists the urge to twist or lean. That’s when you know your core is engaged properly.

You’ll feel your arms working, which is great, but the real benefit comes from your torso resisting rotation.

How to build core strength and stability with kettlebells

Once you’ve mastered those simple standing passes, try some simple progressions.

The first one I suggest is to get into a kneeling position instead of standing.

This shortens the lever and makes the exercise more intense, because you can’t use your legs for balance.

To make it more dynamic you can move the kettlebell faster. This forces your core to react more quickly to control the shifting load, which further develops strength and stability.

If you focus on what’s going on in your body, as you pass the kettlebell around, you’ll notice the different areas of the core switch on:

  • When it’s at the front, your front muscles work hardest
  • When it’s at the side, your obliques take over
  • When it’s behind you, you’ll notice your back muscles stabilising you

As another progression option, try starting from behind your body and bringing the kettlebell around to the front. This will force your core to work a little harder to resist being pulled off balance.

The key to all of these is controlling the movement and not letting the weight control you.

A more advanced dynamic kettlebell exercise

To make things more advanced, try starting with the kettlebell up high, taking it around the back, and bringing it back up again.

You can see a demonstration of this around 2:25 in the video tutorial.

Here, your torso works to stop you from being pulled around by momentum. Although you do want to harness some of that momentum to help you with the movements. Small pulses help move the weight smoothly from one position to the next, and your body learns how to stay rigid when it needs to, while still staying dynamic.

Get the foundations right first

Kettlebells are more advanced because they demand control, coordination, and a solid foundation. But before you get there, you need to build that base through exercises like arm raises, leg raises, and side planks.

Once you’ve built enough upper and lower body strength, then you can start moving the kettlebell, catching it near your shoulders, or passing it dynamically around your body.

That’s the essence of dynamic core training. You’re not just building a strong core that holds still; you’re training a core that can transfer energy between your hips, arms, and legs. And that’s exactly what you need for real-world movement and sports performance.


If you want to build core strength and stability safely, kettlebells are an excellent progression once you’ve developed the basics. They teach your body how to stay strong and resist movement - which is essential not only for lifting and sports, but also for protecting your back in everyday life.

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