An advanced 5-day kettlebell program structured around the StrongFirst grind/ballistic distinction. Upper/Lower sessions anchor the week; Push, Pull/Ballistic, and Legs days drive elite strength and conditioning. Each pattern is hit twice weekly.
Mastery of the kettlebell requires an uncompromising approach to volume and movement quality, which is the cornerstone of the Kettlebell Advanced - 5-Day Movement Split. When you are an experienced practitioner with a collection of heavy bells, this StrongFirst-style structure offers the absolute peak of kettlebell training, blending power-based ballistics with heavy grinding strength.
This five-day split demands 55 minutes of daily focus, partitioned into Upper, Lower A (Squat), Push-Press, Pull-Ballistic, and Lower B (Hinge) sessions. Day 1 (Upper) features the KB Clean & Press, KB Overhead Press, Row, Renegade Row, TGU, and Farmers Carry. Day 2 (Lower A) focuses on the KB Front Squat, Swing, Reverse Lunge, Goblet Cossack Squat, and KB March. Day 3 (Push) introduces the heavy KB Clean & Press, Shoulder Press, Renegade Row, and Goblet Carry. Day 4 (Pull/Ballistic) attacks your explosiveness with the KB Snatch, KB Clean, Row, Chest-Supported Row, and Swing. Finally, Day 5 (Lower B) rounds out the week with high-rep Swings, Romanian Deadlifts, Single-Leg RDL, and the TGU.
This advanced split is based on the conjugation of heavy grinding and ballistic work. The grinding days build absolute structural strength and hypertrophy, while the ballistic days (snatches, swings, cleans) drive explosive power and elite metabolic conditioning. By separating these into specific training days, you allow your central nervous system to recover from high-intensity power movements while still providing the muscles with enough mechanical tension to force growth.
Over the eight weeks, you will transform your body into an elite athletic machine. You will see maximum density in your shoulders, traps, back, and posterior chain. Your ability to stabilize heavy weights will skyrocket, and your endurance for complex, high-intensity movements will be vastly improved. This is the pinnacle of functional, kettlebell-based performance training.
This rigorous 55-minute protocol is reserved exclusively for the advanced kettlebell athlete. You must have access to multiple heavy bells and be fully comfortable with technical movements like the Snatch and the heavy TGU.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Kettlebell Clean & Press | 4 × 8 per side | 120s |
| Kettlebell Overhead Press | 4 × 10 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Row | 3 × 12 per side | 90s |
| Renegade Row | 3 × 8 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up | 3 × 3 per side | 120s |
| Farmers Carry (Trap Bar) | 3 × 20m | 60s |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Kettlebell Front Squat | 4 × 10-12 | 90s |
| Kettlebell Swings | 4 × 15 | 90s |
| Kettlebell Reverse Lunge | 3 × 10 per side | 90s |
| Goblet Cossack Squat | 3 × 8 per side | 60s |
| Dumbbell Goblet Squat to Press | 3 × 15 | 60s |
| Kettlebell March | 3 × 30s | 60s |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Kettlebell Clean & Press | 5 × 5 per side | 120s |
| Kettlebell Overhead Press | 4 × 8 per side | 90s |
| Smith Machine Shoulder Press | 3 × 10 per side | 90s |
| Renegade Row | 3 × 8 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Goblet Carry | 3 × 20m | 60s |
| Farmers Carry (Trap Bar) | 3 × 20m | 60s |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Kettlebell Snatch | 4 × 8 per side | 120s |
| Kettlebell Clean & Press | 3 × 8 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Row | 3 × 12 per side | 90s |
| Chest-Supported Row Machine | 3 × 12 | 90s |
| Kettlebell Swings | 3 × 20 | 60s |
| Dead Bug March | 3 × 10 per side | 45s |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Kettlebell Swings | 5 × 20 | 60s |
| Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift | 4 × 12 | 90s |
| Single-Leg RDL | 3 × 10 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Deadlift | 3 × 12 | 90s |
| Kettlebell Reverse Lunge | 3 × 12 per side | 90s |
| Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up | 3 × 3 per side | 120s |
The Kettlebell Elite 5-Day Strength & Power plan is 5 days a week, with sessions of about 60 minutes, over 8 weeks.
The Kettlebell Elite 5-Day Strength & Power plan uses a kettlebell.
The Kettlebell Elite 5-Day Strength & Power plan is an advanced plan for experienced lifters. If you are new to training, start with a beginner plan first.
Yes. The full plan is free to read here and to follow in the StayActive app, with no subscription and no ads.
You must treat your recovery as part of the workout. Because this is a high-frequency, high-intensity split, your sleep, hydration, and nutritional intake must be perfect. If you feel your performance drop on the Push or Pull days, take an extra rest day immediately; intensity is far more important than mere attendance.
For this advanced split, having a pair of heavy working weight bells is highly recommended, alongside at least one lighter bell for technical work and one very heavy bell for grinding strength. The diversity of weights allows you to manipulate volume and intensity effectively throughout the five-day cycle.
The grind movements (presses, squats) drive muscular hypertrophy by keeping tension high, while the ballistic movements (snatches, swings) build deep, dense muscle and improve the definition of your legs, glutes, and back. The result is an athletic, functional physique that looks harder and more powerful than one built purely on machines.
If you cannot perform a Kettlebell Snatch, you must spend two weeks practicing the form with a light bell before attempting this program. The snatch is the highest-level ballistic kettlebell movement. Attempting this five-day split without snatch mastery will result in wrist and shoulder discomfort and limit your total training volume.
This structure is completely inappropriate for anyone without a solid foundation in kettlebell basics. Even if you are an advanced lifter with barbells, the technique required for high-volume kettlebell ballistics is distinct. Jumping into this without years of specific kettlebell experience will lead to injury and frustration.
Yes, absolutely. The central nervous system takes much longer to recover from ballistic power movements than from standard machine lifting. If you feel unusually slow, lethargic, or notice a sharp decline in your snap during snatches and swings, you are overtraining. Scale the intensity back and prioritize rest.
The snatch and Turkish get-up require good technique before adding load. Invest time in skill practice before going heavy.
Track this plan free — sets, rest timers & AI coaching
New to the gym and feeling lost? This beginner-friendly 5 day gym workout plan helps you build …
A beginner 3-day kettlebell program covering all major movement patterns. Learn the fundamental…
A beginner kettlebell program with dedicated Upper, Lower, Push, Pull, and Legs days. Provides …
An intermediate 4-day kettlebell upper/lower program. Increase training volume and introduce th…