Believe it or not, you can get a pretty badass workout using only a kettlebell or 2.
In fact, there are some CrossFit kettlebell workouts that will leave you on the floor in a sweaty mass on the floor.
Don’t believe us? Try some of these brutal CrossFit kettlebell workouts below and let us know how it goes.
25 CrossFit Kettlebell Workouts
These CrossFit kettlebell workouts will challenge you both mentally and physically.
#1 Arnie
For Time
21 Turkish Get-Ups, Right Arm
50 Kettlebell Swings
21 Overhead Squats, Left Arm
50 Kettlebell Swings
21 Overhead Squats, Right Arm
50 Kettlebell Swings
21 Turkish Get-Ups, Left Arm
Use a single Kettlebell (2/1.5 pood)
Arnie is a Hero WOD that is done to honor Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, 34, who was killed in the line of duty in 2009 when his emergency response vehicle went off the side of the road and fell 800 feet into a steep canyon during fire suppression activities.
This workout is a brutal way to kick off this list. It’s not easy as not Hero WODs are. CrossFit veteran Bill Grundler has done this workout in 25:49. If you can top that you are definitely a beast.
Jordan is a British Hero WOD that is done to honor Jordan Bancroft, Duke of Lancashire Regiment, who was shot in Afghanistan on 21/08/10.
This one is simple and straightforward but I wouldn’t call it easy. Finishing this WOD in under 20 minutes is considered decent.
#3 Freddy Krueger
21-15-9 Reps for Time
Kettlebell Swings (70/53 lb)
Burpees
While this workout isn’t as scary as the actual Freddy Krueger it isn’t a walk in the park either as the kettlebells are on the heavy side.
#4 Blood Thirsty
5 Rounds for Time:
600 meter Run
40 Russian Kettlebell Swings (2/1.5 pood)
20 Air Squats
Five rounds of this bad boy will give you jelly legs. A decent time on this workout is about 30 minutes.
#5 Burptastic
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps For Time
Burpees
Kettlebell Thrusters (32/20 kg)
Burpees
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (32/20 kg)
Burpees
Kettlebell Swings (32/20 kg)
If you love burpees then is workout is for you. On the thruster hold the kettlebell in a goblet squat position then raise the kettlebell over your head at the top of the movement.
#6 Orlando #9
For Time using a (70/53 lb) kettlebell (scale back as needed)
6 Russian Kettlebell Swings
49 meter Farmer’s Carry
12 Alternating Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings
49 meter Farmer’s Carry
20 American Kettlebell Swings
49 meter Farmer’s Carry
8 Left-Arm Kettlebell Swings
8 Right-Arm Kettlebell Swings
49 meter Farmer’s Carry
49 Russian Kettlebell Swings
49 meter Farmer’s Carry
This workout will challenge your grip and set your shoulders on fire. Enjoy!
#7 Drago
For Time
100 American Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
200 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
*Every time you put the kettlebell down, perform:
5 Burpees
10 Push-Ups
15 Air Squats
This workout is no joke and takes some game planning. It’s named after the Russian from the Rocky movies. Because the American kb swings beat you down, then the Russian swings “break you”. Good luck!
#8 Steve Sipton Sr
For Time
400 meter Run
25 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
25 Burpees
25 Air Squats
25 Kettlebell Push Press (1.5/1 pood)
1 mile Run
25 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
25 Burpees
25 Air Squats
25 Kettlebell Push Press (1.5/1 pood)
400 meter Run
This WOD is done to honor Steve Skipton Sr, a Goose Creek Fire Department in South Carolina. Steve, also a 9/11 first responder, lost his battle with stage 4 cancer in 2014. He was just 41 years old.
This workout is long and will grind you down. Be mentally and physically prepared.
#9 Bangers and Mash
10-minute AMRAP
2 Russian Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)*
4 Burpees
*Add 2 reps after each round
Why is it called “bangers and mash”? I have no idea, maybe they thought it sounded funny. It’s a good posterior chain and midline workout though.
Maybe you eat bangers and mash after? I guess we will never know.
#10 Claudia
5 Rounds for Time
20 Kettlebell Swings (55/35 lb)
400 meter Run
If you are a beginner this would be a good one to try, scale back on the kettlebell weight if necessary.
#11 Joseph Grzelak
For Time
100 Kettlebell Swings (32/24 kg)
2 Burpees at the top of each minute
This WOD is done to honor Joseph Grzelak who was killed in the attacks on New York on September 11, 2001.
This one is only 8 minutes long so don’t pace yourself too much.
#14 Nothing But a Kettlebell
4 Rounds for time
5 Goblet Cleans
10 Bodyweight Squats
15 Kettlebell Swings
20 Toe Taps
15 Kettlebell Swings
10 Bodyweight Squats
5 Goblet Cleans
#15 AMRAP KB Workout
AMRAP in 20 minutes
6 KB Swings
6 Handstand Push-Ups
6 KB Overhead Squats (right side)
6 KB Overhead Squats (left side)
This one is a good whole body workout.
#16 Black Cat
AMRAP in 12 minutes
12 Wall Ball Shots (10/6 kg)
12 Kettlebell Swings (20/16 kg)
12 Kettlebell Snatches (20/16 kg)
100m Sprint
This one is on the shorter side so don’t pace yourself too much.
#17 Kettlebell Dreams
15 Minute AMRAP
15 KB Swings
15 Double KB Front Squats
15 One Arm KB Chest Press
15 One-Arm Kettlebell Row (each side)
5 Turkish Getup (each side)
This bad boy uses a kettlebell for every exercise. Pick a weight that will challenge you.
#18 Iron Ranger
For Time
22 second Silence
94 Goblet Squats (2/1.5 pood)
94 Push-Ups
94 Sit-Ups
94 Russian Kettlebell Swings (2/1.5 pood)
22 Burpees
This workout is done to honor Army Ranger SGT. Joshua Rodgers, when he was laid to rest. Born August 22, 1994, he died on April 27, 2017.
The name “Iron Ranger” is from his high school football mascot, the Ironmen and his position as a Ranger in the US Army. The 94 reps represent his year of birth of 1994. The 22 represent his high school football jersey number as well as his date of birth, and how old he was when he died.
#19 Fat Amy
For time
50 Air Squats
10 Burpees
40 Sit-Ups
10 Burpees
30 Lunges (alternating legs)
10 Burpees
20 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
10 Burpees
10 meter Bear Crawl
10 Burpees
20 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
10 Burpees
30 Lunges (alternating legs)
10 Burpees
40 Sit-Ups
10 Burpees
50 Air Squats
If you like a workout with a lot of variety then this one is for you.
If you are a beginner this workout could take over 18 minutes, if you are a badass that is in serious shape you could get it done in about 11 minutes.
#20 Georgie
AMRAP in 21 minutes
7 Burpees
11 Push-Ups
22 Kettlebell Swings (54/35 lb)
Buy-in: 65 Sit-Ups
If you can get over 350 reps on this workout you are doing pretty good.
Score is the total number of reps completed in 10 minutes.
This workout was created by Matt Chan, it was directed toward high-level athletes to see if they could get over 200 reps in 10 minutes.
#22 Nasty Bells
For Time
21-18-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Kettlebell Thrusters (2×20/14 kg)
Bell Facing Burpees
This workout combines thrusters and burpees, a combination that everyone loves to hate.
#23 Cast Iron Maiden
6 Rounds
6 KB Two-Handed Cleans
6 KB Goblet Squats
6 KB Russian Swings
6 Lunges
6 Push-ups
6 Burpees
This workout has some nice variety, reminds me of The Seven, which is one of my favorite CrossFit workouts.
#24 Dork
6 rounds for time
60 Double-Unders
30 Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1 pood)
15 Burpees
If you can’t do double under do 120 single rope jumps.
This workout is done to honor Boston firefighter Michael “Dork” Kennedy, 33, of Boston, Massachusetts, who died fighting a nine-alarm fire on March 26, 2014.
#25 King Kettlebell
5 Rounds for Time
15 Kettlebell Swings (75/55 lb)
10 Lunges
15 calorie Assault Air Bike
10 Push-Ups
15 Sit-Ups
10 Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls (75/55 lb)
This is another one that has some nice variety, if you don’t have access to an airbike run 400 meters instead.
Benefits Of Kettlebell CrossFit Workouts
Kettlebell workouts and CrossFit are like that power couple everyone talks about — each cool on their own, but put them together, and it’s next-level amazing. First off, let’s talk about what kettlebells bring to the table. These funky-looking weights are versatile. You can swing, lift, and push them in ways that tap into both strength and cardio. Plus, the way they’re shaped makes your body work harder to balance, firing up those stabilizer muscles that often get ignored.
Now, throw that kettlebell into a CrossFit routine, and things start to get really interesting. CrossFit’s all about functional movements and high intensity, right? Well, kettlebells fit in perfectly here. They can be used in classic CrossFit moves like the snatch or thruster, adding a whole new layer of complexity. You’re not just building muscle; you’re also upping your cardio game and working on your coordination all at once.
So why should you care about this combo? Versatility is the name of the game. You’re never going to get bored because the exercise options are almost endless. The kettlebell lets you hit multiple fitness elements at once — strength, endurance, flexibility, you name it. The result? A workout that’s incredibly efficient and holistic. And let’s be real, in our busy lives, getting the most bang for our workout buck is a total win.
And don’t even get me started on the calorie burn. Thanks to the high-intensity nature of CrossFit, combined with the full-body engagement from kettlebell moves, you’re going to be torching calories like nobody’s business. Plus, both kettlebells and CrossFit help you build lean muscle mass, which boosts your metabolism in the long run.
All in all, if you’re looking to spice up your workout routine, mixing kettlebells and CrossFit could be a game changer. You’re not just working out; you’re turning yourself into an all-around athlete. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to feel like an absolute powerhouse when they step out of the gym?
Wrap up
There you have a mountain of kettlebell CrossFit workouts to choose from. If you can’t find one you like maybe you need to stop being so picky.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
