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Kettlebell Cardio Workout (20-Minute Kettlebell AMRAP)

Five of my favorite kettlebell exercises in one challenging kettlebell cardio workout at home. From kettlebell swings to squats, cleans and presses, this at home kettlebell workout is quick and effective. The AMRAP format means you can move at your pace — challenge yourself!

Challenge your strength and cardiovascular endurance with this full body kettlebell cardio workout.

Kettlebell training is one of my favorite ways to strengthen EVERY major muscle group in the body. These workouts build strength, power and endurance, making them effective strength and cardio workouts.

Bonus: this workout is done in an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) format. You work at your pace, completing as many rounds as you can in the 20-minute time period.

No kettlebell? No problem. You can do this entire workout with a single dumbbell (follow Rachel on the right in the workout video).

two women performing a kettlebell goblet squat hold in a full body kettlebell cardio workout

Kettlebell Cardio Workout FAQs

Is A Kettlebell Workout Good Cardio?

Yes! Kettlebell workouts provide a great, low impact way to raise your heart rate. Kettlebell workouts challenge your full body strength, cardio conditioning, balance, stability, flexibility and mobility.

What Kettlebell Exercises Improve Cardio Endurance?

Kettlebell swings are one of the best exercises to improve your cardiovascular endurance. The kettlebell swing is a dynamic, full body exercise that will raise your heart rate. That said, many kettlebell exercises engage multiple muscle groups at once. These compound movements increase muscle mass and raise your heart rate.

kettlebell workout for women | lateral lunge with kettlebell

Kettlebell Cardio Workout (20-Minute AMRAP)

Five kettlebell cardio exercises designed to push you in this 20-Minute Kettlebell AMRAP Workout. 

This is a great workout to come back to — measure your progress and see how many rounds you can get through each time you try the workout.

I suggest adding a full body workout like this to your weekly workout plan 1-2 times a week to build muscle, increase mobility, and improve endurance.

Workout Equipment:

Medium to Heavy Kettlebell or Singe Dumbbell.

I suggest a 15-30 lb kettlebell or 10-30 lb dumbbell.

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two kettlebells, a sweat towel and a water bottle

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Kettlebell Cardio Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 5 Kettlebell Exercises
  • AMRAP (as many rounds as possible — work at your pace, completing the number of repetitions listed next to each kettlebell cardio exercise before moving on to the next move)
  • Repeat All 5 Kettlebell Exercises As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 minutes

Workout Outline

  1. Kettlebell Swings (40 reps)
  2. Tap Back and High Pull (30 reps)
  3. Lateral Lunge and Narrow Squat (20 reps)
  4. Kettlebell Squat Clean and Squat Jack (10 reps)
  5. Burpee Pick Up and Overhead Press ( 5 reps)
two women performing kettlebell swings in a kettlebell workout for women

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Cardio Workout

5 Kettlebell Cardio Exercises At Home

Kettlebell Swings

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, and all the stabilizing muscles in your back and shoulders.

The kettlebell swing is a full body exercise with an emphasis on the hamstrings, glutes and back. A dynamic exercise that will increase lower body strength and raise your heart rate.

one woman performing kettlebell swings with a kettlebell and one woman performing swings with a single dumbbell in a cardio workout at home

How To Do Kettlebell Swings

  1. Start standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hinge forward at the hips to reach for the kettlebell in front of you. Place your hands on the horns of the bell, palms facing your body.
  3. Then with a slight bend in your knees and weight in your heels, ‘hike’ the kettlebell back between your legs to start the swing movement.
  4. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pushing your hips forward as you squeeze your glutes to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height. Aim for shoulder height, with arms extended out away from the body. Think long, loose arms (your arms are just a vehicle for moving the bell, your hips and glutes generate the power to move the bell).
  5. As the kettlebell begins to descend, think of catching the weight with your hip hinge, loading the glutes and hamstrings.

Tap Back and High Pull

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, upper back, lower back, shoulders and core.

two women performing a deadlift and high pull done with a single dumbbell in a full body strength and HIIT workout

How To Do A Tap Back (Staggered Deadlift) and High Pull

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a kettlebell in your left hand at your hip, palm facing in towards your body.
  2. Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
  3. Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Push your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the kettlebell down the front of your leg, core tight.
  4. Drive through your front right heel to push your hips forward; pulling your back left toe/hip forward, square and in line with your front right toe/hip.
  5. Use the momentum from your hips to pull the kettlebell up towards your left shoulder, performing a high pull. Your left hand is just a vehicle for moving the weight — the power comes from the hips, glutes and hamstrings.
  6. With control, lower the kettlebell back to the starting position and repeat.

Lateral Lunge and Narrow Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, quads, inner thighs (adductors) and core.

two women performing a lateral lunge and narrow squat in a total body kettlebell workout

How To Do A Lateral Lunge and Narrow Squat

  1. Start standing feet hip-distance apart, holding a kettlebell in your left hand near your left hip.
  2. Step your right leg out to the side as you push your hips down and back to perform a lateral lunge. Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight. Knees and toes point forward.
  3. Then push off your right foot to reverse the movement, pulling your inner thighs together as you stand tall to return to the starting position.
  4. Then sit your hips down and back to perform a narrow squat. Keep your chest up and core engaged to balance the uneven load of the kettlebell on the left side of the body.
  5. Drive through your heels, pressing your hips forward to return to standing and repeat the lateral lunge and narrow squat sequence.

Modification: Option to omit the uneven load and hold a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest.

Kettlebell Squat Clean and Squat Jack

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, outer glutes (side butt), inner thighs, calves, shoulders and core.

two women performing a kettlebell clean and squat jack in a kettlebell cardio workout at home

How To Do A Kettlebell Clean and Squat Jack

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, toes pointing forward. Hold a kettlebell with both hands by the handle (aka horns) at your chest.
  2. Bend at your knees and sit your hips back as you lower the kettlebell down towards the ground, performing a squat. Option to tap the bottom of the kettlebell on the ground if your range of motion will allow.
  3. Then drive your hips forward to stand tall as you jack your feet together, performing a squat jack.
  4. As you stand tall, pull the kettlebell up towards your chest (this is the ‘clean’ portion of the clean squat). If you’re using a kettlebell, slide your hands down the horns of the kettlebell, catching the weight at your chest.
  5. Then jack your feet wide as you lower the kettlebell back down and repeat.

Modification: Option to omit the jump and step in and out.

Burpee Pick Up and Overhead Press

Targets: Full body with an emphasis on the legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, shoulders, abs and core muscles.

Burpees have been named one of the best fat-burning HIIT exercises.

two women performing a burpee with overhead kettlebell press in a full body kettlebell workout

How To Do A Burpee and Overhead Kettlebell Press

  1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Place your kettlebell between your feet in the center of your mat.
  2. Engage your core and lower your hips down to the bottom of a squat as you plant your hands on the mat.
  3. Step or jump both feet back to a high plank position. Create a straight line with your body from head to feet.
  4. Pause for a moment, then in one explosive movement, step or jump both feet forward. Feet should land near your hands as you pop up into low squat position.
  5. Pick up your kettlebell with both hands and drive through your heels to stand. Keep the kettlebell close to your body as you pull it up to shoulder level (hands slide down the horns as they did in the kettlebell clean).
  6. Once you reach a standing position, perform an overhead press by driving the kettlebell overhead with both hands.
  7. With control, lower the kettlebell down and repeat this complex, full body kettlebell exercise.

Modification: Make this low impact by performing a walking burpee. Option to add an incline by placing your hands on a chair or bench and performing burpees from an incline.

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14 comments
  1. I am sweaty! First time I’ve had to pause a workout and I was happy my daughter interrupted for a bandaid she didn’t actually need. Bananas! 🍌🍌

  2. WOW! Thank you for sharing. I am glad your Mother is alive and will be around for years to come. God was watching over you and your mom that day. He knew your mom still had work to be done on this earth.
    My dad’s side of the family has a history of heart disease. That is why I try to do my best and keep my heart healthy for me and my husband.
    I remember that my uncle died of a heart attack when I was in the 6th grade and I was DEVASTATED. He lived with us for a while when working in our area and he was such a fun uncle. I remember after we found out about heart attacks, high fat, heart disease, etc., my mom changed our diets IMMEDIATELY (this was in the late 80s when fat free was all the rage). Now, mind you, I am 11 yrs old and having to eat fish instead of meat, what the?!?! Ground turkey in our tacos?!?! Nonfat milk?!!? What the what. Looking back, it was the best thing my mother did for us and our family. I honestly think that is why my Father is still alive today after all of his siblings and his parents passed away from heart disease and heart attacks.
    Also, after learning about Bob Harper’s heart attack and realizing it can happen to ANYONE. I also got CPR certified. I could save a life some day.
    Much love, xoxo

    • Amy! Thank you so much for reading this post and sharing your family’s story as well! I’m so sorry to hear about your Uncle. I love the interest you’ve taken in heart health and congrats on getting CPR certified; it really is a life skill everyone should have! Cheers to heart health! xo-Lindsey

  3. Thank you for sharing this story Lindsay. You saved your Mother’s life. You are an inspiration to all of us who have the opportunity to know you and learn from you.

    • Rosanne! You’re so kind, thank you for your kind words and for reading today’s post. I feel so blessed that God had plans to keep my mom with us! Thanks again and have a great night! xo-Lindsey

  4. You are an inspiration, Lindsey. I am adding “get CRP certified” to my immediate to do list. Also can’t wait to try this workout!

    Really looking forward to watching you walk down the runway this Saturday in a one of a kind red dress that supports such an importance cause! You are such a rockstar!

    • Anna! I love it, CPR is a great life skill to have! I’m so excited you’re going to be there Saturday night; looking forward to it!!! xoxo-Linds

    • Thanks so much for following along and checking out today’s post! It’s been a crazy year, but if sharing this story can encourage people to get CPR certified it’s serving a big purpose because CPR really does save lives! Thanks Brandi and I hope you’re doing well! xo-Lindsey

  5. As someone who works in an ER, I know the benefits of good quality CPR. I can only imagine what it’s like to do it on a family member. I thank you for bringing attention to the life saving affect of CPR. I’m glad that your mom is doing well!
    And happy early birthday to Brody!!

    • Mallory! Bless your soul, working in the ER takes an incredible amount of skill, patience and all sorts of stuff I don’t have. And I never thought I’d have to actually do CPR in my life, let along on my own mother; but I’ve never been so thankful for being CPR certified! CPR really does save lives and CPR education should be highly valued! Thanks so much for checking out today’s post and all that you do! And Brody says thank you! xo-Lindsey