Kettlebell Swing Alternatives to Strengthen Your Lower Body For Every Fitness Level

When you're in need of a chill workout or one that puts your core through the wringer, try one of these kettlebell swing alternatives.

Welcome to Modify This Move, the ongoing series where you'll find everything you need to amend a standard exercise to meet your goals, your body, and your mood. Each story breaks down how to perform a foundational fitness move, then offers various modifications based on your current fitness or energy level, present or prior injuries, or the muscles you want to target most. So check your ego at that door and ensure every workout meets you where you're at today.

When you're short on time but are still in the mood for a training session that makes you feel strong (and shaky) all over, full-body workouts are typically the course of action. But you don't have to power through a dozen exercises, each of which targets just one or two muscle groups, to get in an effective, all-encompassing strength workout.

Instead, make the kettlebell swing, a total-body move in which you hike the weight from behind your butt and explosively swingit up toshoulder height, the star of the show. "You're using your entire body from the ground up," says Joanna Castro, an NASM-certified personal trainer and certified functional strength coach in New York. Specifically, you'll work your glutes, hamstrings, adductors, quads, forearms, lats, triceps, biceps, deltoids, and core just with this one move, according to the American Council on Exercise. Essentially, the move can be thought of as a vertical plank, adds Castro. "All parts of your body are invited to the party and are working together," she says.

And this statement rings true for both the classic kettlebell swing and its variations. In turn, you should feel comfortable using a progression or modification of the move that feels best for your body and works best for your fitness goals. If you're a newbie looking to lay the foundation for proper form (or a pro hoping to correct any bad habits you've developed), you can use a scaled-down kettlebell swing alternative that helps you focus on mastering the movement. Or, you can play with different kettlebell swing variations when you're in the mood for a workout that challenges your core or cardiovascular system. No matter your reason, don't feel ashamed to tweak the exercise so it meets you where you're at.

Ready to give the strength-building exercise a shot? Follow the instructions below to master the traditional kettlebell swing, then watch as Castro demonstrates how to mix up the exercise with four different kettlebell swing alternatives that work for all abilities and fitness goals.

A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, and a kettlebell on the floor about one foot in front of toes. Bend knees slightly and hinge at hips to lower arms toward the floor. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands and tilt it toward body.

B. On an inhale, hike the kettlebell back and up between thighs. Then on an exhale, press feet into the floor, squeeze glutes, and drive through hips to quickly stand up and explosively swing the kettlebell forward and up to shoulder height. Keep arms extended with a slight bend in elbows throughout the movement.

C. Hinge at hips, bend knees slightly, and drive the kettlebell back down and in between thighs.

If you test out the classic kettlebell swing and don't think it works for your body, abilities, or fitness level, you've got options. To ensure you get exactly what you want and need out of the strength-building exercise, consider utilizing a kettlebell swing alternative.

Here, you'll find kettlebell swing alternatives that scale the exercise up or down, plus options that work both your core and cardiovascular system. As you tackle your reps, continue checking in with your body and mind, and don't be afraid to try a different kettlebell swing variation if it doesn't feel right.

Overwhelmed by all the moving parts involved in a kettlebell swing? Scale back to a goblet clean, which helps you practice pressing into the floor and driving the weight up without the powerful swinging motion, says Castro. In this alternative, the kettlebell will be positioned directly underneath your hips rather than in front of them. "Anything closer to your body, your center of mass, will be easier and safer for you to do if you're still tentative about being more dynamic and explosive as with the kettlebell swing," she explains. "It's a good way to get people comfortable and connect with the ground better."

A. Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands at sides, and a kettlebell on the floor between feet.

B. Bend knees slightly and sit back into hips to lower arms toward the floor. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands.

C. Push through heels and thrust hips forward to lift torso and pull the kettlebell up off the floor. As the kettlebell approaches hips, bend elbows and allow it to continue traveling upward until it reaches chest height.

D. Before reaching the top of the movement, drop both hands down to the sides of the kettlebell handle, holding the weight in a goblet position in front of chest.

Once you've nailed down the traditional kettlebell swing, you may feel ready to take your workout to the next level. One way to do just that: Try the kettlebell swing complex, which incorporates four exercises — a swing, clean, squat, and shoulder press — into one move, says Castro. "You're getting more bang for your buck," she adds. More specifically, this exercise will increase the challenge on your glutes, hamstrings, and quads, plus your deltoids, thanks to the added squat and press.

A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, and a kettlebell on the floor about one foot in front of toes. Bend knees slightly and hinge at hips to lower arms toward the floor. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands and tilt it toward body.

B. On an inhale, hike the kettlebell back and up between thighs. Then on an exhale, press feet into the floor, squeeze glutes, and drive through hips to quickly stand up and explosively swing the kettlebell forward and up to shoulder height. Keep arms extended with a slight bend in elbows throughout the movement.

C. Hinge at hips, bend knees slightly, and drive the kettlebell back down and in between thighs.

D. Do one more kettlebell swing, then at the top of the movement, drop both hands down to the sides of the kettlebell handle, holding the weight in a goblet position in front of chest.

E. Sit back into hips and bend knees to lower into a squat until thighs are parallel or almost parallel with floor, keeping chest up and preventing back from rounding.

F. Press through feet to straighten legs and return to standing. Then, quickly press the kettlebell above head toward the ceiling until arms are fully extended.

G. Lower the kettlebell back to chest and shift hands back to the top of the kettlebell handle. Then hinge at hips, bend knees slightly, and drive the kettlebell back down and in between thighs to perform the next rep.

Explosively swing the kettlebell with just one arm, and you'll put your core stability to the test, says Castro. During this movement, your core has to work harder than usual to keep you stable and prevent your trunk from rotating toward the working side, which is essential in protecting your spine from injury, she explains. As you test out the kettlebell swing alternative, remember that your free arm should mimic the movement pattern of your working arm; as you hike the kettlebell back, your free arm should also extend behind your body, says Castro.

A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, and a kettlebell on the floor about one foot in front of toes. Bend knees slightly and hinge at hips to lower arms toward the floor. Grab the kettlebell handle with left hand and tilt it toward body.

B. On an inhale, hike the kettlebell back and up between thighs, with right arm mimicking the movement pattern on the outside of right thigh. Then on an exhale, press feet into the floor, squeeze glutes, and drive through hips to quickly stand up and explosively swing the kettlebell forward and up to shoulder height. Keep left arm extended with a slight bend in elbow throughout the movement. Right arm continues to mirror the actions of left arm.

C. At the top of the movement, grab the kettlebell handle with right hand and remove left hand. Hinge at hips, bend knees slightly, and drive the kettlebell back down and in between thighs. Left arm should mimic the movement pattern on the outside of left thigh.

By doubling up on weights, you'll also amp up the cardiovascular challenge, as you'll need to work twice as hard to explosively thrust the kettlebells, says Castro. "It's a good way to run sprints without actually running," she explains. "If anyone has a bum ankle or they can't really flex their toes, they can still get that cardio burst while keeping their feet safe [with this exercise]." As you set up your stance, know that you'll need to place your feet further apart than usual to ensure there's enough room for the bells to swing in between your legs without hitting you, she adds.

A. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, and two kettlebells on the floor about one foot in front of toes. Bend knees slightly and hinge at hips to lower arms toward the floor. Grab each kettlebell handle with one hand and tilt them toward body.

B. On an inhale, hike the kettlebells back and up between thighs. Then on an exhale, press feet into the floor, squeeze glutes, and drive through hips to quickly stand up and explosively swing the kettlebells forward and up to shoulder height. Keep arms extended with a slight bend in elbows throughout the movement.

C. Hinge at hips, bend knees slightly, and drive the kettlebells back down and in between thighs.

Photography: Anthony CunananArt direction: Jenna BrillhartModel and fitness expert: Joanna CastroHair and makeup: Tee ChavezActivewear: Girlfriend CollectiveWorkout bench: Ignite by SPRI