Kettlebell core training – What does it look like and what can it do for you?
It’s often said that kettlebell training is great for core strength, and there are many well-designed studies to back that up. At the Bristol Kettlebell Club we decided to test that idea ourselves with an 8-week kettlebell-only strength program—no bodyweight core exercises like planks or sit-ups. Before the 8 weeks began, we tested our starting point using the basic forearm plank. It was a max-plank-for-time test: the clock started and the BKC members held their plank for as long as they could maintain a strong position.
Before Plank Test Times
| Name | Before Time (mm:ss) |
|---|---|
| Claire | 1:10 |
| Liza | 1:15 |
| Denise | 2:10 |
| Emma | 2:00 |
| Wendy | 2:05 |
| Kelly | 2:10 |
| Nic | 2:00 |
| Suz | 2:20 |
| James | 4:00 |
| Rachel | 4:00 |
How the Kettlebell Core Training Program Was Designed
Our training runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and we built the plan around strengthening every muscle that contributes to a solid plank. People often think of the plank as an “ab exercise,” but it also challenges the lower back, shoulders, and quads. Weakness in any of those areas will limit your plank time, which is why kettlebell-based strength work is so effective for developing core endurance.
On Mondays we used a one-arm swing progression to build low-back endurance, followed by different variations of heavy carries (rack carries, suitcase carries, farmers carries, etc.) and high-rep push presses for shoulder stamina.
On Wednesdays the group increased their offset double front squat weights by 2–3 sizes, followed by more carries, plus deadlifts, presses, and rows.
Fridays focused on a heavier two-hand swing workout, more carries (are you noticing a theme here), and split squats for added glute strength. The training was progressive, loads were tracked, and the whole body was developed evenly—exactly what you want when building real core stability.
Final Results After 8 Weeks of Kettlebell Core Training
| Name | Before | After | Improvement (%) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claire | 1:10 | 2:15 | 92.9% | 15/24 |
| Liza | 1:15 | 1:30 | 20.0% | 22/24 |
| Denise | 2:10 | 2:30 | 15.4% | 6/24 |
| Emma | 2:00 | 2:00 | 0% | 9/24 |
| Wendy | 2:05 | 2:30 | 20.0% | 10/24 |
| Kelly | 2:10 | 3:15 | 50.0% | 23/24 |
| Nic | 2:00 | 3:00 | 50.0% | 9/24 |
| Suz | 2:20 | 2:30 | 7.1% | 13/24 |
| James | 4:00 | 6:00 | 50.0% | 16/24 |
| Rachel | 4:00 | 5:00 | 25.0% | 9/24 |
Commentary on the Results
When you look at the final numbers one thing is very clear – kettlebell training works incredibly well at developing your core muscle and it isn’t just the kettlebell strength exercises that do this, a large part of our program was based on kettlebell swings, which are generally considered a cardio exercise. This program clearly shows how effective those exercises are at not just increasing your cardio (which they also do very efficiently) but also increasing strength around the midsection.
You also have to keep in mind, the majority of the BKC members have been training for many years, the longer you train the less adaptations you make, so to get a 50% increase in core strength in 8 weeks for someone who has been using kettlebells for 5–10 years is exceptional. In the scientific studies on kettlebell core training, the participants are usually new to kettlebell training, and when you introduce any kind of new training stimulus you generally see rapid improvement. Here’s one such study.
That’s why in those studies you see crazy numbers like a 300% improvement – you can’t get that if you’ve been training progressively for many years, just bear that in mind.
All in all I’m very happy with the results of this program. It will serve as a very good foundation to build even more strength as we go into our next progressive training cycle. If you’d like to get involved grab this free class pass for a Wednesday night and I’ll see you there.
Pete
Owner/Coach @ Bristol Kettlebell club
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