These Kettlebell Squat Variations Strengthen Way More Than Your Glutes

Even on the busiest days at the gym — when every squat rack is occupied, a group of gym bros is hoarding the dumbbells, and non-stop texters have claimed the leg press machines as their personal couches — there always seems to be an available kettlebell to grab.

But don't just opt for a kettlebell when you need to quickly replace your usual equipment that's gone MIA. Instead, look at kettlebells as another way to level up your usual workout routine — particularly when it comes to squatting.

"Kettlebells almost become part of your body, so that's why they are pretty synonymous with this 'functional training' philosophy of being able to do movements you do in the real world," says Lacee Lazoff, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the founder of Bells Up. "Once you learn how to use them, I'd say they're a little bit more effective at being able to get strong than having a dumbbell," she notes.

The reason: You can't get lazy with your form when squatting with kettlebells, notes Lazoff. By holding the weight close to your chest or in a racked position (when you hold the kettlebell at your shoulders, bells outside the body, with elbows tucked into your sides), you have to engage your core and upper body to stay upright. When you do rack the kettlebell, you're able to hold more weight than you would be able to with a dumbbell, as the bell portion of the weight can comfortably rest on your forearm, explains Lazoff.

And since you need to have super solid form when squatting with a barbell to prevent injuries, kettlebell squats will help you lay the groundwork and perfect the squat movement before you move up to the big leagues. "That's why I actually find kettlebell squats to be the most beneficial for the general population than either the dumbbell or barbell," says Lazoff.

What's more, kettlebell squats can actually give you a full-body workout. "You have some opportunities with a kettlebell for what I and some of my friends call 'accidental exercise,'" says Prentiss Rhodes, a NASM-certified personal trainer and performance enhancement specialist. "You're actually working a little bit harder to stabilize the weight than you would with some other implements," he explains. Compared to that of a dumbbell or barbell, a kettlebell's weight isn't completely balanced, so you'll have to work harder to keep the bell straight throughout the exercise, training your body unilaterally (meaning, on one side) in the process, explains Rhodes.

Take, for example, a single kettlebell front squat. In the racked position, the kettlebell's uneven weight distribution will ask your core to remain strong and centered and your arm to stay in toward the midline, says Rhodes. That means the muscles in your upper body and core have to seriously buckle down to keep your body neutral and stable throughout the exercise, he adds. Plus, your forearm muscles will need to work harder to keep your wrist in a neutral position, he says. TL;DR: Your core and upper body are getting a strength-training workout while you squat, too.

Aside from providing bonus strength training for your upper body, kettlebell squats have the potential to create some major lower-body gains. Kettlebell squats help develop flexibility of your calf muscles, while your middle glute muscles (gluteus medius) work to keep you stable and prevent your knees from caving in, says Rhodes. Once you've reached the bottom of your squat, your biggest glute muscles (gluteus maximus) will help drive your hips out of the squat, while your quadriceps will help you extend the knees and spring back up to standing, he continues. Throughout the whole kettlebell squat movement, your hamstrings act as your glutes' support system, too. Simply put, all your lower-body muscles are activated every time you drop it low into a kettlebell squat.

Proper Form for Kettlebell Squats

Before diving into the biomechanics of a basic kettlebell squat, know that your form will look a little different depending on the exact type of kettlebell squat you're performing. (For example, your feet won't be positioned exactly the same when you do kettlebell sumo squat as when you try a kettlebell goblet squat.) But no matter how you're squatting, it's important to have a solid foundation before you casually pick up a weight and try a complex or heavy-loaded exercise.

For a no-frills, basic kettlebell squat, start standing with your feet roughly shoulders-width apart. Note that the exact distance from foot to foot and the angle at which your toes are pointed out will vary depending on your individual biomechanics, says Rhodes. For instance, if your legs are on the long side, you may feel more comfortable standing with your feet a bit farther apart.

Once your feet are in their proper place, stand tall in what Rhodes likes to call a "vertical plank position." Draw your shoulders down and away from your ears, brace your abs and glutes, tighten your quads, and lift your kneecaps, he says. As you sit down into your squat, bracing your core will help stabilize your spine so you can efficiently drive into the floor and pop back up to standing, he adds.

And maintaining this "straight" spine — aka when your lower back has its natural, slight inward curve (the lumbar curve) and your upper back has its natural, slight outward curve (the thoracic curve) — is an important safety step. "Lifting constantly with a flexed spine or rounded back can put pressure on your discs and can cause a little bit of wear and tear through those discs," says Rhodes. Form that bad habit, and you could experience inflammation and irritation in the intervertebral discs and nagging back pain, according to the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria, Australia. Conversely, "some people overcompensate by lifting with an arched back or hyper-ached back, and that puts a little bit of load on the skeletal structure of your spine, which is also not good," adds Rhodes. Over time, repeatedly hyper-extending the low back while you exercise can lead to fatigue or fracture in the spinal vertebrae, according to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority.

At the bottom of your range of motion, check in on your knees and make sure they're not pushing outward or carving in, which could harm the knees, says Rhodes. Then, push through the center of your foot, stand straight back up into that vertical plank position, and voilà — you've successfully performed a kettlebell squat.

How Much Weight to Use for Kettlebell Squats

Just like the right amount of protein, carbs, and calories to consume post-workout, the best weight to use when performing kettlebell squats will be different for everyone, depending on your fitness level and goals. If you're a total newbie, start training with a lighter weight that allows you to complete a greater volume (say, 12 reps), which will help teach the nervous system to properly activate the muscles being used throughout the move and train the body to perform a proper squat, says Rhodes. As you gain strength, increase the weight and decrease the volume, aiming to finish five to eight reps instead. Once you can work through those squats with ease, amp up the weight even more and try to hit one to five reps, he encourages. (See also: This Heavy Kettlebell Workout Will Give You Serious Strength Gains)

That's not to say your experience level should completely dictate your choice of weight — what you're trying to achieve with your workout matters, too. "If you're working on more endurance, you want to do that with a lighter weight," says Rhodes. "If you're working on your top-end strength — so you're not only working on the muscle, but you want your nervous system to understand that it's okay to push that much weight — you're definitely doing fewer repetitions with longer recovery," he explains. (ICYMI, here's the difference between muscular strength and muscular endurance.)

By the same token, remember to stick to the range of motion that you can control, so don't go deeper or lower than you can successfully lift with proper form. As you continue to practice, your range of motion will increase.

Six Kettlebell Squat Variations to Add to Your Leg Day Workout

Before you start dropping it like it's hot, make sure you properly warm up (try this dynamic routine designed for weight lifting), says Rhodes. As for which kettlebell squat variations are worthy of a spot in your regular rotation, Rhodes has one simple answer: All of them. Provided you can maintain proper form throughout, you should incorporate numerous different types of kettlebell squats into your workouts.

How to Do a Kettlebell Goblet Squat

If you're completely new to kettlebell squats, don't pick up a bell and immediately attempt a seriously challenging weighted pistol squat. Instead, start with a kettlebell goblet squat. By starting out your kettlebell squat routine with something as simple as a goblet squat, you have the opportunity to nail down the proper form and work on expanding your range of motion before trying out complex moves, says Rhodes. "There's less to manage, not a lot to focus on, and you don't have to worry about learning extra technique, [such as] getting the bell into the rack position," he says.

In this position, you have a few options for how to hold the kettlebell. For a basic kettlebell goblet squat, you'll hold the kettlebell's handle with two hands, with its weight pointing straight down to the center of your base. If you're using a light weight and have trouble keeping your chest up throughout the move, try wrapping your hands around the bell part of the weight and pushing your hands into it. This move will activate your back muscles, which in turn improves your posture and stops your shoulders from rounding, notes Lazoff. If you're still struggling to keep your back upright, try holding the weight out in front of your chest, which will make the kettlebell act as a counterbalance and keep your back nice and tall, she says.

A. Stand with feet shoulders-width apart, holding the kettlebell with one hand on each side of the handle at chest. Draw shoulders down and away from ears.

B. Keeping chest lifted and spine straight, bend knees and shift hips back to lower into a squat, until reaching the bottom of the body's range of motion.

C. Press through center of feet and engage glutes to return to standing.

How to Do a Kettlebell Sumo Squat

If you're taller or have super tight hips and need a little help dipping lower into your squat, turning your toes slightly out and performing a sumo squat is the way to go, says Lazoff.

A. Stand with feet shoulders-width apart, toes pointed out at a 45-degree angle, holding the bottom weight of the kettlebell with both hands at chest and the handle directly below chin. Draw shoulders down and away from ears.

B. Keeping chest lifted and spine straight, bend knees and shift hips back to lower into a squat, until reaching the bottom of the body's range of motion.

C. Press through center of feet and engage glutes to return to standing.

How to Do a Narrow Kettlebell Squat

While most people think of the sumo squat as the ultimate inner-thigh move, a narrow kettlebell squat is the better option to work those muscles, says Lazoff. "In a narrow squat, your inner thighs are working really hard, and that's actually what pulls you out of the squat when you come up," she says. "Sumo squats aren't necessarily needed," she adds. (See also: The Best Inner-Thigh Exercises of All Time)

A. Stand with feet as narrow as possible, between hips-width to shoulders-width apart. Hold the bottom weight of the kettlebell with both hands at chest and the handle directly below chin. Draw shoulders down and away from ears.

B. Keeping chest lifted and spine straight, bend knees and shift hips back to lower into a squat, until reaching the bottom of the body's range of motion.

C. Press through center of feet and engage glutes to return to standing.

How to Do a Kettlebell Front Squat

The kettlebell front squat is a super popular exercise, but it does require some technique, including the ability to pick two kettlebells up off the floor and bring them to your shoulder in one clean movement, says Rhodes. Remember to keep your forearms vertical when you bring the kettlebells into the front rack position to prevent them from slamming into your chest. (If performing the move with two kettlebells is a no-go, try the unilateral kettlebell front squat, which uses just one kettlebell, below.)

A. Stand with feet shoulders-width apart and two kettlebells facing toward body, with ankles in line with the handles. Grab a handle with each hand and sit back into hips (like when prepping for a deadlift).

B. With straight spine, propel the kettlebells up vertically by thrusting hips forward. As the kettlebells approach hips level, bend elbows and bring them tight to the side, and allow the kettlebells to continue traveling upward until they reach chest level. As the kettlebells approach the top of the movement, flip each palm up to catch the ball of the kettlebells at the shoulders, bringing them to a stop in the racked position.

C. Keeping chest lifted and spine straight, bend knees and shift hips back to lower into a squat, until reaching the bottom of the body's range of motion.

D. Press through center of feet and engage glutes to return to standing.

How to Do a Unilateral Kettlebell Front Squat

This kettlebell squat is similar to the front squat, but by using one bell that's loaded on one side of the body, the weight will put a little more demand on your core, says Rhodes. (More: What Is Unilateral Training and Why Is It Important?)

A. Stand with feet shoulders-width apart and one kettlebell facing toward body, with one ankle in line with the handle. Grab the handle with one hand and sit back into hips (like when prepping for a deadlift). Extend the opposite hand out to the side at an angle.

B. With straight spine, propel the kettlebell up vertically by thrusting hips forward. As the kettlebell approaches hips level, bend elbow and bring it tight to the side, and allow the kettlebell to continue traveling upward until it reaches chest level. As the kettlebell approaches the top of the movement, flip palm up to catch the ball of the kettlebell at the shoulder, bringing it to a stop in the racked position.

C. Keeping chest lifted and spine straight, bend knees and shift hips back to lower into a squat, until reaching the bottom of the body's range of motion.

D. Press through center of feet and engage glutes to return to standing.

How to Do a Kettlebell Cossack Squat

The cossack squat not only strengthens your quads, glutes, hip flexors, and core, but it also challenges your balance and stability as you sink into the squat and point your toes to the ceiling. (Not to mention, it also serves as a solid groin stretch.)

A. Stand with feet shoulders-width apart, holding the kettlebell with one hand on each side of the handle at chest. Draw shoulders down and away from ears. Take one giant step out to the left.

B. Squat as deep as possible to the left, while turning right toes up and flexing right foot (right leg remains straight and torso leans slightly forward to maintain balance).

C. Press through center of foot and engage glutes to return to standing. Repeat on the other side.