Kettlebell Squat
Kettlebell squat. A natural path and core engagement. It works mainly the quads, glutes and adductors, with help from the lower back and calves.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 0.6× bodyweight (47.5 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.4× (25 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Kettlebell Squat
- Hold the kettlebell by the horns against your chest, elbows pointing down, feet about shoulder width with the toes slightly out.
- Brace your core and squat down as deep as you can with a flat back and the heels on the floor.
- Push the knees out over the toes; the elbows can brush the inside of the knees at the bottom.
- Stand up through the mid-foot and exhale at the top, keeping the bell tight to the chest the whole time.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Quads | Quadriceps femoris |
| Primary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Primary | Adductors | Adductores |
| Secondary | Lower back | Erector spinae |
| Secondary | Calves | Triceps surae |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Quads loaded with an upright torso
- Less lower-back shear than back squats
- Brutal core and upper-back demand
Strength standards for Kettlebell Squat
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.4× | 0.3× | 32.5 kg | 17.5 kg |
| Gold | 0.6× | 0.4× | 47.5 kg | 25 kg |
| Platinum | 0.8× | 0.55× | 65 kg | 32.5 kg |
| Diamond | 1× | 0.7× | 80 kg | 42.5 kg |
| Obsidian | 1.25× | 0.9× | 100 kg | 55 kg |
| Painite | 1.5× | 1.05× | 120 kg | 62.5 kg |
| Antimatter | 2× | 1.4× | 160 kg | 85 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Kettlebell Squat, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Kettlebell Squat work?
It works mainly the quads, glutes and adductors, with help from the lower back and calves.
How do you do Kettlebell Squat?
Hold the kettlebell by the horns against your chest, elbows pointing down, feet about shoulder width with the toes slightly out. Brace your core and squat down as deep as you can with a flat back and the heels on the floor. Push the knees out over the toes; the elbows can brush the inside of the knees at the bottom. Stand up through the mid-foot and exhale at the top, keeping the bell tight to the chest the whole time.
What is a good Kettlebell Squat for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 0.6× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.4× for women, Diamond at 1× and 0.7×. For an 80 kg man that is a 47.5 kg and a 80 kg one-rep max.
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