5 Kettlebell Movements Every Tactical Athlete Should Know (and Use!)

Easy Kettlebell Movements to Incorporate into your Training

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By Benjamin Toderico MS, CSCS

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The tactical athlete doesn’t have the luxury of an off season or even a preseason to rest and prepare. The time to prepare is usually within the same 24 hours that you need to perform. Because of this, you always need to be ready to go and to perform with strength, power, and endurance. The job demands athletic movement, often under load, and potentially for a long period. You need to be able to perform at a moment’s notice frequently to preserve your life, a team member’s life, or a citizen’s well-being. Your training needs to reflect this reality. Kettlebells can assist you in training to perform your job while under load.

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The unique design of the kettlebell (KB), with its handle offset from its center of mass, allows for unique, but productive, movements. The kettlebell swing is the foundational movement, but the kettlebell can be used for many movement patterns that deserve a spot in your exercise toolbox. From loaded carries to unilateral movements, the kettlebell has unlimited versatility.

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5 Kettlebell Exercises to Try

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\n1. Waiter’s Carry

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The waiter’s carry is a loaded carry, where the athlete holds a kettlebell in one hand extended over their head and walks for a certain distance. The exercise challenges posture and stabilization, which may translate to improved traditional lifting exercises and job performance.

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Single side carrying and overhead carrying are some of the more demanding tasks for a tactical athlete. Challenge and build capacity in training to reduce the stress during job performance.

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• Choose a moderate weight KB
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• Hold the kettlebell with the bend of the handle in the web of your hand with the bell resting on the back of your wrist in the front rack position with your elbow under your shoulder and your hand in front of your armpit resting on your chest.
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• Keeping your wrist neutral, press the KB overhead. Keep your arm straight, palm facing forward or toward your head and your bicep inline or slightly behind your ear.
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• While balancing the KB overhead, walk with an upright posture for 10-20 yards. Switch sides and return to the start.
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• Start with 1-2 trips per side, and add a trip every week or two until you are doing 3-5 trips per side.
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\n2. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

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The goblet squat is a front squat variation where the athlete holds the kettlebell by the horns or the bell at about clavicle height and performs a squat. Holding the load to the front at shoulder height allows for a more upright posture and more closely approximates how a tactical athlete might have to lift a load in the field, compared to other resistance training exercises.

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• Select a moderate to heavy KB.
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• Grip the KB on the horns of the handle and hold the KB at chest height.
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• Standing with your feet hip to shoulder width apart, keep your torso upright, push your hips back, and squat down as deep as your flexibility allows, keeping your feet flat and your low back in neutral.
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• Stand back up and repeat for a total of 8-15 repetitions, based on your goals and weight used.
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• When adding the exercise into your routine start with 1-2 sets and add a set each week until you are performing 3-5 sets.
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\n3. Single Leg RDL
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The single leg RDL challenges and strengthens the posterior chain, crucial for performance under load. Performing the exercise using one leg at a time improves balance and reduces strength differences between legs, both of which reduce injury potential.

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• Hold the KB down at your side with your palm facing your leg. Keep the KB on the same side as the support leg.
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• Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your support leg slightly bent, and keep your other leg inline with your torso as you hinge forward for balance.
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• Hinge forward as far as your flexibility allows, working toward getting your torso horizontal.
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• Maintaining a stiff core, reverse direction to an upright posture. You can touch your balance foot to the ground at the top of the movement to maintain balance. As you become more skilled at the exercise, you can try to maintain the single foot stance without your toe touching at the top of the movement.
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• Perform 8-15 repetitions based on your goals and weight used, and then switch sides.
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• When adding the exercise into your routine, start with 1-2 sets and add a set each week until you are performing 3-5 sets.
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\n4. Kettlebell Shoulder Press
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The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of any joint and is also one of the more frequently injured joints. Having strong shoulders reduces injury potential and allows an efficient transfer of power from the legs and core to the arms, enhancing tactical job performance.

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• Choose a light to moderate weight KB.
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• Hold the kettlebell with the bend of the handle in the web of your hand, with the bell resting on the back of your wrist in the front rack position. Position your elbow under your shoulder and your hand in front of your armpit, resting on your chest.
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• Keeping your wrist neutral, press the KB overhead. Once your arm is fully extended with your bicep inline or slightly behind your ear, return the KB to the starting position.
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• Perform 8-15 repetitions, based on your goals and the weight used, and then switch sides.
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• When adding the exercise into your routine, start with 1-2 sets, and add a set each week until you are performing 3-5 sets.
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\n5. Bulgarian Split Squat
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Many athletic moves and job-related activities for the tactical athlete involve a staggered stance or a lunge position. To perform optimally in these positions the tactical athlete needs single leg squat strength and balance. The Bulgarian split squat demands the tactical athlete maintain balance while challenging the single leg strength. Your support leg will rest on a bench behind you while you perform a single leg squat.

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• Stand with your feet about hip width apart and a weight bench about two feet behind you.
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• Bend the knee of the non-exercising leg and place the top of your foot on the bench behind you.
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• Maintain an upright posture and perform a single leg squat.
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• If you are too far from the bench you will feel stretched out, like you are trying to stretch your hip flexor. If you are too close you will feel like you are going to push yourself forward. Adjust accordingly to get your stance comfortable before you add weight.
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• Once you have your position, perform the squats using a light to moderate weight KB in one hand resting at your side.
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• Perform 5-15 repetitions, based on your goals and weight used, and then switch sides.
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• When adding the exercise into your routine, start with 1-2 sets and add a set each week until you are performing 3-5 sets.
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Be Performance-Ready

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The tactical athlete needs to be ready to perform all the time, and needs to be able to do so while under a load. Squatting and core strength, balance, and shoulder strength/stability are critical to the injury prevention and performance of the tactical athlete. Adding these kettlebell exercises to your programmed routine enhance your personal job performance and will reduce your injury potential, all while maximizing your longevity.

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Incorporate these exercises into your training routine, or find them in one of the hundreds of highly effective and adaptable training plans in the O2X Tactical Performance App.