This is where every kettlebell beginner starts their kettlebell journey PROPERLY.
“This kettlebell beginner course provides the fundamentals for using a kettlebell correctly and safely. It focuses on technique with easy, follow-along videos.
There are tips along the way about how to pace yourself, and I had never thought of practicing these new movements without a kettlebell first to make sure I was doing the exercises correctly. I specifically liked the mobility section. As a nurse, it is paramount for me to protect my back and have mobility if I want to stay in this profession.
As a beginner, I found the course wasn’t intimidating, and the goal is to legitimately pass on the skills and knowledge to get going with Kettlebells. Once I completed the course, there was a beginner workout to get started with.”
Matt
START HERE
Make sure you have 5 minutes to read this page. It’s worth it!
The beginner guide by IKU™ is for everyone who doesn’t know where to start with kettlebell training.
I will list a lot of experiences from other kettlebell users, which will provide you with incredible insight.
Whenever you are ready to get more from the Beginners Guide, just click on ENTER FREE COURSE.
Introduction
Hello, my name is Taco Fleur, kettlebell head coach for IKU™.

You can read more about my background and qualifications at the end of this page.
67,000 YouTube Subscribers, 16,000 Instagram followers, and 62,000 group members.
What if I told you I have been in the kettlebell world for over two decades and seen people make the same mistakes repeatedly?
What if I told you I could help you avoid those same mistakes?

People have a choice. Experience has shown that choice leans more towards getting a sweat on (working out) and worrying about what the person next to them does. This approach usually leads to a vicious cycle of injury, recovering, starting again, and injury.
With that said, the latter is not always a bad thing if it’s used properly, in other words, to gain experience by experimenting, which is something I highly encourage as well. I’ve seen better results with those who seek knowledge first (learn). Whatever the case, I’ve learned to be there for both.

Anna Junghans —Master of Sport / IKU™ Instructor
My mission, and that of my business, partners, and coaches, is to shorten the learning curve for you and make sure that you can keep training while making progress with the kettlebell.
After having taught thousands of kettlebell classes, and personal training sessions, completed many certifications, owned several gyms across the world, written many books, created many courses, taught workshops, ran seminars, and so much more, I not only have accumulated experience and a ton of knowledge on how to teach kettlebells, but I have seen people make mistakes that I can help you avoid.
I’m going to give you all of this for free with no obligations at all:
- 5 beginner steps
- Beginner workout
- Ebook
- Online course
- Videos
I have broken everything down, and you can have the IKU™ 5 Beginner Steps emailed to you over several weeks so that you can stay focused. I have created a short beginner kettlebell course to check your knowledge and steer you in the right direction you can enroll for free. After completing the course, you’ll even get an official certificate from IKU™.
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Too much to read? Drop your email and I’ll drip-feed the info.

If you don’t want to read the rest of the introduction and the experiences of other kettlebell beginners.
Are you READY TO:
Or read on and see what others experienced at the start of their kettlebell journey.
What did people struggle with when they first started with kettlebells?
And what did they wish they knew?
I can drip-feed the information via your email with no obligations that will help you avoid some of the major issues that seasoned kettlebell athletes spoke about below when I asked, “What did you struggle with when you first started with kettlebells? And what did you wish you knew?”
Make sure to read about the experience of someone who followed the process I created. You can read about that at the end of this page.
“I wish I had known more about how to build a solid base with basic kb exercises. I wish I had done more basic workouts and not rushed into exercises I was not ready for.
In the very beginning, my biggest struggle was the grip, hand insertion, and kb banging against my wrist.”
Maria Malachowska
“Grip, calluses often very raw or ripped. Wish I’d have known about proper grips and transition between them.”
Conor Adair
“I foolishly thought I could teach myself when I started and had a terrible time with snatches…overgripping and not keeping the elbow soft led to lots of torn hands and forearm bruises.”
Jeremy Crawford
“Calluses on hands, and which type of kettlebell to buy – ‘competition’ vs. ‘cast iron’”
Eugene Marshall
“Casting my clean out away from my body. I was performing this little shoulder bump type maneuver to start the drop. Filmed myself and got feedback from Taco Fleur during one of the challenges, it was awesome and I’m better now.”
Rick Silcott
Racking, grip transition, hand insertion, cleaning, and other kettlebell techniques are what I will cover in the guide.
These are the main issues that kettlebell beginners experience:
- Elbow tendinitis
- Lower back pain
- Forearm bruising
- Damaging the shoulders
- Ripping the hands
The main reasons:
- Rushing into exercise not ready for
- Not learning about grip and hand insertion
- Not following a program or routine
Early on, I realized that grip and racking are two of the major fundamentals, and I guarantee that there is no other organization that spends as much time on the points that lay the proper foundation. We were the first to write a whole book on just grips.
I will be giving this ebook to you for free during the process. I’ll also give access to a video with a special drill I designed many years ago and have had tremendous success with in creating muscle memory, understanding of grip transition, hand insertion, and racking.
What are things that help to stay consistent and motivated?
Staying motivated, putting in the work consistently, and not giving up are super important things for beginners. Especially those who are seeking to lose weight. Setting out a good process in which you can clearly see small results and kettlebell training becoming part of your lifestyle is key.
Kettlebell beginner needs
Based on my experience, this is what kettlebell beginners look for:
Kettlebell Beginner Weight
The easiest answer to the question “What kettlebell weight to begin with?” is 12kg and 16kg kettlebell weight for males, and 10kg and 14kg or 8kg and 12kg for females. But in reality, there is a whole lot more to it, as people have different abilities, backgrounds, experience, and goals.
Kettlebell Beginner Exercises
The best beginner kettlebell exercises are the fundamentals. The Clean is a requirement, as anything you do overhead or racked requires you to clean. The other kettlebell exercises are the Squat, Press, and Row. These exercises will give you a full-body workout, and you can add the Kettlebell Swing as well.
Kettlebell Beginner Workout
The IKU™ Kettlebell Beginner Workout that I designed based on the fundamentals and for a full-body workout is one of the most effective beginner workouts, and although it has the word “Beginner” in it, don’t confuse that with easy as it’s super scalable.
Kettlebell Beginner Program
A workout is something that you do once or repeat as part of your program. A program is designed to help you progress, either with strength, cardio, mobility, form and technique, or a combination of other goals.
I’ll be giving you the following workout with a video that explains what to do.

You even get an official IKU™ Certificate of Participation when you enroll in the free course and complete it. Beware, you do need to be interested in learning what a beginner needs to learn about.

Are you ready to learn about kettlebells?
Sales, Marketing, and Taking Your Money
I’ve been in business for over 20 years, and to this day, I do not like sales or marketing. You know, the salesy stuff (sell aggressively and superficially) to convince you to part with your money.
Everything I write is me and not some AI or salesperson. If we did not live in a world where people make money based on the benefits/services they can provide, and money wasn’t required to survive, then I would offer everything for free.
With that said. On this website, I will provide you with some of the basics and fundamentals completely free, and I hope to do that in such a way that you can see how this tiny tip of the iceberg is worth the time investment to become the best you can be with the kettlebell. Both my team and I will help you understand the kettlebell and also yourself through a long-term, enjoyable process.
“I was never a big lifter or gym enthusiast, so I never really knew what to do, what movements to put together for a workout. Same when I started working with kettlebells. These workouts you’ve put together are awesome, takes the thinking out of it so I can focus on the work.”
Tom Sharrock
If you don’t want to read About Taco Fleur.
Are you READY TO:
About Taco Fleur
I have over 2 decades of experience helping beginners understand the kettlebell and train safely. I specialize in providing beginners with tools, tips, and techniques to be able to begin and sustain a beneficial kettlebell workout that will be able to establish their primary workout habits well into the future. Including the proper body positioning, the weight size selections for each exercise, and any other variables that beginners should be aware of.
Hello, my name is Taco Fleur. The first thing I’d like you to know about me is that I do not know everything; I don’t pretend to know everything, and I never will. I’m on a path of lifelong learning. I believe there is always something to learn from someone, no matter who they are.
I’ve been physically active since the day I arrived on this earth in 1973. I got serious about training in 1999, touched a kettlebell for the first time in 2004, and got serious about kettlebell training in 2009. I’m here to do what I love most, and that is to share my knowledge with the world.
Some of the qualifications I obtained are:
- StrongFirst SFG1 + SFG2
- Russian Girevoy Sport Institute Kettlebell Coach
- International Kettlebell Sport and Fitness Academy Certified Kettlebell Coach
- International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation Certified Kettlebell Teacher
- Kettlebell Sport Rank 1
- HardstyleFit Kettlebell Level 1 Instructor
- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
- CrossFit Judges Certificate
- CrossFit Lesson Planning Certificate
- Kettlebells Level 2 Trainer
- Kettlebell Science and Application
- MMA Fitness Level 2
- MMA Conditioning Level 1
- BJJ Purple Belt
- and more…
Owner of Cavemantraining™ and IKU™ (International Kettlebell University). Author on BoxRox. Featured in 4 issues of the Iron Man magazine. I have owned and set up 3 functional kettlebell gyms in Australia and Vietnam, and lived in the Netherlands, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, Italy, Tanzania, Albania, and I’m currently living in Greece.
Click to see some of my personal bests
Don’t let my personal bests intimidate you, instead, let them inspire you as I am able to help you reach your goals with the kettlebell as well, whatever they may be.
Some of my personal bests are:
- 30 consecutive days of Kettlebell Strength training
- 2 × 28kg/62lb (total 56kg/124lb) half snatch
- 36kg Hardstyle Snatch
- 100 Hardstyle snatches under 5 minutes with a 20kg/44lb
- 1 hour unbroken clean and jerk with a 16kg/35lb
- 45 minutes unbroken clean and jerk with a 20kg/44lb
- 400 burpees performed within one hour
- 500 kettlebell snatches, 500 swings, and 500 double-unders completed in one session
- 250 alternating dead clean and presses in one session with 20kg/44lb
- 200 pull-ups in one session
- 200 unbroken kettlebell swings with a 28kg/62lb
- Most kettlebell swings completed in one session with a 28kg/62lb (1,501)
- Most total kettlebell swings completed in 28 days with a 28kg/62lb (11,111)
- Windmill with a 40kg/88lb kettlebell
- Chest press with two 40kg/88lb dumbbells (total 80kg)
- Lugged a 16kg/35lb kettlebell up a 3,479m mountain
- 160kg deadlift
- 50 CrossFit Burpees and 100 single-arm swings unbroken in 5:34
- 85kg Olympic Squat Snatch
- 300 unbroken clean and jerk with 20kg/44lb kettlebell
- 10-minute unbroken clean and jerk 80 reps with 2 × 16kg/35lb kettlebells
- 532 unbroken snatches and achieved rank 2 in kettlebell sport
- 100 TGUs @ 20kg/44lb in one session
I mention these PBs not to boast but to demonstrate that I have a good understanding of technique and movement across different areas.
My own training and goals are geared around GPP (General Physical Preparedness), which involves kettlebell training, calisthenics, mobility, and CrossFit.
I like high-volume reps, but I also like greasing the groove now and again. My main goals are to remain as agile and mobile as possible, to train in as many planes of movement as possible, and to learn as many different exercise combinations and movements as possible while having fun and enjoying other ways of movement, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
I’m no Arnold Schwarzenegger and never will be, but strength is not solely defined by physical appearance and huge bulging muscles.
I’d like to end with, I am over half a century of age, and I still function like I did when I was 20. I still outdo the majority of the young ones. I have never had any major injuries. No shoulder, knee, or hip replacements. This is a testament to the training methodology that I follow and provide to others.
What people say about my coaching:
“I am a 72-year-old Pilates Instructor, and I have just finished a three-day in-person Kettlebell Course with Taco Fleur. This is absolutely the best Course that I have ever done; easy to understand and has lots of useful information with Taco and his assistant Anna always ready to help you out with any difficulties and help you to execute the exercises correctly. It’s fully worth the money I put in. I highly recommend Taco Fleur as an expert Coach for anyone wishing to improve their Kettlebell technique and move on to the next level.”
Ranil Glen Seneviratne
“For many years I followed Taco’s YouTube channel and gained so much from this extremely informative content. As I progressed during my kettlebell journey I enrolled in Taco’s online courses and received 1:1 feedback on how to improve my technique, I would not pass a section until Taco had assessed everything as correct and up to the standards expected.
Moving on from this I have also joined Taco’s online group where the coaching is 1:1, excellent feedback is provided from Taco and every part of the skill is broken down and analyzed. Taco has helped me with swing (spotting a simple grip change), cleans and currently is coaching me through strength and sport routines.
Taco is passionate about kettlebells, passionate about correct technique, passionate about high decorum within his online channels and its members, and most passionate about coaching his students correctly.
Pleasure being trained by Taco!!”
Chris Connor
“I started my journey with KBs a couple of times without significant progress; I even managed to injure myself while doing exercises from YouTube. It was only when I joined Taco Fleur sessions and started to film my training, thanks to the constant valuable feedback and attention (not to mention professionalism and passion) of Taco, I started to move forward. What’s really important for me – the instructor is helping to identify and reach the targets of the student. Highly recommend!”
Oleksiy
“When I started with kettlebell training, I thought that will be easy. At that time, I made a video of myself when I got the home camera for my dogs. I looked at it and I thought: ‘Wow, it looks perfect.’ After a few months, I decided to try to train with IKU™ and see if it made any difference. Well, I have to say there is a HUGE difference. That was the best choice I have ever made and I don’t regret it.”
Peter Kurent
GET STARTED WITH KETTLEBELLS
Let’s get started!
Are you (click A or B, but preferably A as it will help you more):
One of our members followed the beginners process perfectly and is making huge progress, I wanted to know what made him follow the steps laid out. So I asked ” I’m hoping to understand why you decided to do it the right way. If you can help me with this, then perhaps I can help others.” and he answered.
“Yes more than happy to explain, for me it’s a combination of your approach to coaching and my previous experience with injury:
1) I could tell from the YouTube videos then from the welcoming process once I signed up that you and Anna are genuinely interested in helping people progress and see your expertise so that gave confidence to follow the process and work patiently
2) I had a previous severe injury 12 years ago and could hardly walk for 2 years and no proper training for 4 years. Declined surgery, did lots of daily physio and eventually made it back to complete recovery and regular training. So I really appreciate being injury free and want to keep it that way, gives me a lot of motivation to follow the process patiently!
3) I was doing walking with weight and barbell training in the garage. I had had some 1:1 barbell coaching before a few years ago but since then had been training alone with no feedback. A couple of months ago I jarred my back squatting and that made my mind up to get some proper coaching and some kind of community. I had followed your videos before and decided that a combination of gradually progressing in kettlebell training and walking in the mountains with weight will serve me well to cover all fitness bases so I’m in it for the long haul over a period of years and not in a rush for quick results.”
Adam (IKU™ Gold Member)
I’ll end with one more feedback from someone who jumped straight in and got injured. I asked why the videos for alternatives, progressions, and common mistakes were ignored and the advanced workout version was performed. Which is what we usually see with anyone new.
“My workout from last week was not the best example as I was unprepared so got straight in and did not look at alternatives so it was a disaster. But I will take everything onboard and work on basics, alternatives etc .
But to answer your question, nothing you are doing wrong. More on our side. It’s not we are not interested, it’s more a question of discipline and forming new habits and unlearning others while finding out what we can do/can’t do to evaluate our starting point. What you have created is incredible and is massive so we are like kids in a sweet shop and over optimistic and a bit overwhelmed.
We wanna get stuck in, we’re motivated so we wanna try the hard things. But kettlebell does not work like that. We also come from a different fitness background. We’re the gym bros who wanna lift heavy (a bit generalised but you get it) so we have to unlearn.
Kettlebell is a whole new discipline and different approach. Its a bit like martial art. You need discipline and its slow progress. So we need to be reminded always that the alternatives are as good (I know you do but you might have to repeat 1000s more times lol).
With Kettlebell, unless you get your foundations right, the rest wont go well. You can’t wing it. It’s a lot to get started so we are like kids in the wild lol. There is a misconception out there about kettlebell that it is easier than it is so it is a bit of unlearning process on one side and learning the other side. Nothing wrong on your side. Just learn, unlearn and get more disciplined with choosing the right level of exercise. Thank you for the coaching today. I’ll take everything onboard.”
Anonymous Inner Circle Member
The point. Even when there is everything available to keep from getting injured, even if there is a whole video on how to adjust a workout to make it suitable, even when there is a video on how to perform the exercises, a video on how to spot mistakes, and even when there are coaches to ask questions!
It all comes down to whether you can say:
- I need to focus on the fundamentals
- I need to make sure I prepare myself for workouts and adjust as required
- I need to leave my ego at the door
- I need to invest time in learning
- I need to respect the kettlebell
- I need to slow down and follow the IKU™ 5 Beginner Steps
The 5 steps are explained to those who follow the process on this website and start by selecting A) READY TO LEARN and stay along for the educational journey.
“I remember after my first ‘introduction to kettlebells’ with an instructor and because I was unfit, I could barely walk. It was hard to get back on the horse and continue with the regular workouts.”
A good instructor will structure your progression so you can walk and be ready for your next workout, which should be a gradual and step-by-step progress.
The Kettlebell Story of Connor Adair
Before and after kettlebell training

I started my kettlebell journey at the start of 2019. I didn’t do this as wasn’t able to get to the gym, I did it because I realized that my weight had
gotten out of control since I stopped playing football (soccer for some).
I joined a Facebook group which I’m still part of now and started with a cast iron 16kg kettlebell, this thing was rough and heavy as sin. I kept
trying to do workouts with it but quickly realized, even with my lack of knowledge that it was too heavy and I couldn’t complete workouts suitably so I dropped to a 12kg.
A few months passed, and I went to 16kg again. Throughout my kb mission, I came across Cavemantraining (IKU now), and I was intrigued by what Taco and Anna were offering. And it really got me thinking about alternative ways to use kettlebells. I did a few of their workouts and quickly found that they were something I really enjoyed.
I signed up for their Inner Circle group and am still in it to this day, 4 years now, I think. When I started, I did a few workouts and got the courage
to video myself for feedback as I realized the potential for me to improve. The first thing I was told was to leave my ego at the door, I had no problem with this at all, even though being a male, you think you can do it all (we can’t). Kept posting, and early on, I was told to remove the gloves and wristbands that got me through a lot of tough workouts.
I was worried about this, but when reading all the correct information regarding grips, grip transition, and racking, I knew this had to be done. I struggled at the start but kept asking for feedback, which I always got. Over time, I look back and think, what was I doing with the gloves and bands, as Taco says, they actually stop you from learning proper form and technique. So I plodded along, gaining confidence and adding weight over time when it was safe to do so, and I would always ask if it was safe enough to do.
What is taught is MMC, mind-muscle connection, and that was a complete game changer for me. Actually, thinking about lifts and what muscles need to be used, it’s easy to see if you’re not using them! At the start, I picked up some injuries, but that’s because I was still just trying to bang out sloppy reps with poor form and technique.
Now I’m up to working safely with heavy kettlebells and have taken many online certifications with IKU and passed them all. I gained rank 3 in kettlebell sport for 10 minutes snatch with 1 hand change. Is my form perfect, no! Is it at a really good intermediate level, yes!
I know that moving forward, it will certainly get better as well with further coaching, and it’s so easy to utilize. Pick a workout, video yourself, request feedback, and then work on the feedback and post more videos. I did eventually lose the weight I had piled on, getting from 16.6st down to under 14st now and at a comfortable position with how my body looks now.
Anyway, hope this helps someone who is thinking of learning proper kettlebell form and technique to take the leap and join IKU, you certainly won’t regret it. —Connor Adair