This Kettlebell Back Workout Will Strengthen Your Upper Body and Build Better Posture

 

This Kettlebell Back Workout Will Strengthen Your Upper Body and Build Better Posture

 

There are just four moves.

You probably don’t spend much time thinking about your back—after all, it’s in the back. But it is super critical, which is why we have a kettlebell back workout that will help you strengthen this often overlooked but very vital area.

“Back strength is really important,” NASM-certified personal trainer Alicia Jamison, CPT, a trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. And there are a few reasons why.

One: Your back muscles are what keep you upright, whether you’re walking, sitting, or generally just moving in any direction. Without a strong back, you are at risk of collapsing forward in pretty much any scenario. Moreover, back strength is a key part of good posture, and taking the time to work on your back strength can help improve it, since optimal posture requires muscular strength and endurance across multiple muscles on your backside, as SELF previously reported.

Thing is, all the slouching we do on a daily basis not only worsens our posture, it also deactivates and weakens our upper back muscles, explains Jamison. Your back can also become weak if you overtrain your frontside muscles. Too many chest exercises, for instance, can lead to tightness in the frontside of the body (like your pecs), weakness in the back (like in your rhomboids and lower traps), and an overall imbalance between the anterior (frontside) and posterior (backside) chains.

That’s why it’s important to devote some strength training time to those all-important back muscles. And this kettlebell back workout does just that, helping strengthen your back muscles, correct muscle imbalances, and improve your posture. Now that’s what we call a workout win.

You can do the following kettlebell strength routine, which Jamison created for SELF, two to three times a week, either as a standalone workout or paired with another superset focused on an additional muscle group, like legs or glutes, to make it more of a full-body routine. Just make sure to warm-up first so that you don’t jump in with cold muscles. Also important: Schedule at least one day in between sessions (really, 48 hours is ideal) so that you give your muscles enough time to recover.

Ready to fire up your back and reap serious functional benefits in the process? Keep scrolling for a four-move kettlebell back workout that may just become the new favorite in your routine.

The Workout

What you need: Two sets of kettlebells: one light to medium weight (about 5–15 pounds) for the renegade row, halo, and single-arm row, and one medium to heavy weight (about 20–35 pounds) for the Romanian deadlift. Of course, these weights are just guides—they’ll differ on an individual basis, depending on your fitness experience and other factors. One rule of thumb for picking the correct weight is that you should find the last two reps very challenging.

Exercises

Superset 1

• Renegade Row
• Romanian Deadlift

Superset 2

• Halo
• Single-Arm Row

Directions

• Do each move in Superset 1 for 6–10 reps. Try not to rest in between moves. After Superset 1, rest 90 seconds, then do each move in Superset 2 for 6–10 reps. Try not to rest between moves.
• Rest 2 minutes, then repeat the entire sequence again. Complete 3–5 rounds total.

1

Renegade Row

• Start in a high plank with your left palm on the ground and your right hand gripping the top of a light to medium kettlebell. Your shoulders should be stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended wider than hip-width apart behind you (it’ll help with stability), and core and glutes engaged. This is the starting position.
• Pull your right elbow back to do a row, keeping your elbow close to your torso. Keep your abs and butt tight to prevent your hips from rocking.
• Lower the weight back down to the starting position.
• This is 1 rep. Do 6–10 reps, then switch sides and repeat.

This move targets your rhomboids, back extensors, lats, deltoids, and traps, as well as your core. Increase your range of motion to make this harder as you row by elevating your non-working hand on a bench or step, says Jamison.

 

2

Romanian Deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms relaxed by the front of your quads with a medium to heavy kettlebell in your hand. This is the starting position.
• Hinge forward at your hips and bend your knees slightly as you push your butt way back. Keep your back flat and shoulders engaged as you slowly lower the weight toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Keep the weight close to your body.
• Keeping your core tight, push through your heels to stand up straight and return to the starting position. Keep the weight close to your shins as you pull. Pause at the top and squeeze your butt. That’s 1 rep. Do 6–10 reps.

This move primarily works your glutes and hamstrings, but it also incorporates upper back work. Make sure you grip the middle part of the kettlebell handle, says Jamison, as this will help target your lats and upper back muscles.

3

Halo

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a kettlebell bell-up at your chest with both hands gripping the handle. This is the starting position.
• Lift the weight to eye level and slowly circle it around your head counterclockwise, making a halo shape. As you circle the weight around your head, maintain a tight core, and keep your elbows close to your body.
• Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Then repeat in the opposite direction.
• That’s 1 rep. Do 6–10 reps.

This exercise is great for your core (which, yep, includes your back) because your midsection automatically fires as you circle the kettlebell around your head. It also helps shoulder stability, since it works the rear delts in the back of your shoulders, too.

4

Single-Arm Bent-Over Row

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a light to medium kettlebell in one hand by the handle with your other hand resting on your hip or thigh.
• With your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and bend your knees slightly, so that your back is no lower than parallel to the floor. (Depending on your hamstring flexibility, you may not be able to bend so far over, which is fine.) Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
• Do a row by pulling the weight up toward your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to your body. Your elbow should go past your back as you bring the weight toward your chest.
• Pause here, squeezing your shoulder blades, and then slowly lower the weight by extending your arm toward the floor. That's one rep.
• Do 6–10 reps with one arm, and then repeat on the other side.

This unilateral move (meaning, one arm works at a time) engages your back and core muscles. Make it harder by keeping your shoulders square the entire time instead of resting your non-working hand on your hip or thigh, says Jamison.

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