Intermediate

Kettlebell Burpee

The kettlebell burpee has you grip the handles of two kettlebells through the floor phase of the burpee, adding stability work for the grip and shoulders on every rep. The bells raise your hands off the ground, which keeps the wrists neutral and the chest working through a comfortable range. It slots neatly into circuits alongside swings and cleans since the same bells stay in your hands, and it builds pushing endurance without needing a bar or bench.

Equipment
Kettlebells
Body part
Chest, Quads
Type
Cardio, Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Press, Squat
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Secondary
Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Deltoid Anterior, Gluteus Maximus, Extensors
Tertiary
Upper Rectus Abdominals, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set two kettlebells shoulder-width apart and grip the handles firmly.

  2. 2

    Jump or step your feet back to a plank while holding the handles.

  3. 3

    Lower your chest toward the floor between the bells, then press back up.

  4. 4

    Hop your feet forward toward the kettlebells.

  5. 5

    Stand tall holding the bells, adding a small jump if prescribed.

  6. 6

    Return to the plank position and repeat for reps.

Tips

  • Keep the kettlebells from tipping by pressing straight down through stacked wrists.
  • Set the bells wide enough that your chest can drop between them at the bottom.
  • Pick lighter bells for high reps so the burpee stays a conditioning tool, not a grind.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The handles end up angled across your body rather than in line with your arms, so every push-up twists the wrist while the bell leans toward the tilt.
  • Kettlebells set on a thick mat sink and lean the instant you load them, which starts the plank on two moving points; put them on flat, firm floor before the first rep.
  • Raised hands let the chest sink well below the handles, and dropping until the shoulders stretch loads the front of the joint hard; level with the handles is deep enough.
  • Feet land outside the bells on the way in, so standing up needs an extra shuffle with a bell in each hand; aim the feet just behind the handles instead.
  • You stand up with the bells hanging off straight arms, which drags the shoulders forward and rounds the upper back for a moment on every rep.

Frequently asked

How many kettlebell burpees should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Work in rounds rather than long sets: five rounds of five reps with 60 to 90 seconds between them, using bells of roughly 8 to 12 kilos, and step the feet back instead of jumping for the first few weeks. Once five rounds of five feel steady, move to sets of eight, then to a time format such as 30 seconds of work at the top of every minute for eight minutes. Keep the bells light enough that the push-up between them stays smooth at the end of a round.
What can I use instead of kettlebells for a kettlebell burpee?
Hex dumbbells are the better swap, since flat sides do not tip the way a bell does. Push-up handles or parallettes give the same raised, neutral hand position without any load. If you own only one kettlebell, set it aside and do a plain burpee with your hands on the floor, because a single bell under one hand tilts the whole plank and is not worth the trouble. Cast-iron bells with wide flat bases are the most stable option if you are buying with this in mind.
What is the kettlebell burpee good for, and when should I skip it?
It is a circuit movement: it builds pushing endurance and grip while keeping the same bells in your hands for swings, cleans or presses, so a whole workout runs without changing equipment. The raised handles also keep the wrists neutral for people who find flat-palm push-ups uncomfortable. Skip it if the only bells available are heavy, because the plank becomes a balancing act, and skip it on a soft or uneven surface. If your push-up is not yet strong, do burpees on the floor first and add the bells later.

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