If I could only keep 1 weight to build muscle at home, I'd pick a kettlebell — here's why

I've been working out with weights for over a decade. My main focus was (and still is) to build functional muscle that'd help manage my chronic health condition. It also means a strong focus on developing core strength.

I began training with dumbbells and switched to a pair of adjustable dumbbells when I started working out at home. But if someone told me I had to choose just a single weight to use from now on, I'd pick a kettlebell.

The best kettlebells are incredibly versatile, don't cost anywhere near as much as adjustable dumbbells, and are more attuned to my goals: building full-body muscle, a stronger core, and blending in some cardio to my strength sessions. Here's why.

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This TRX kettlebell is the one I've been using for the past year during home workouts. The handle is easy to grip (even with sweaty hands) and easily accommodates two hands. The flat base stops it rolling all over the place, and it's durable enough that it survives long stretches outside.

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They're incredibly versatile

It's a hard trade, deciding between dumbbells and a kettlebell. After all, I just reviewed the Chris Hemsworth-approved Centr Smart Stack dumbbells and loved them. But if it was down to the wire, I'd still pick a kettlebell.

You can do loads of great strength training moves with dumbbells, even classics like biceps curls and bench presses. But you can do almost all of those with a kettlebell, too.

The same is partially true the other way around (kettlebell exercises with a dumbbell), but have you ever tried doing a dumbbell swing? I end up hitting my legs with the weight, and it's just a bit ungainly.

Whereas kettlebell swings, once you perfect your form, are — I don't want to say easy, they're a tough exercise — pretty uncomplicated. The weight passes between your legs with plenty of space, and the handles on a kettlebell are better for a two-handed grip.

They're great for working your core

Okay, great, so you can do a load of exercises with them, why's that a big deal? I mean, the same could technically be said about a can of beans, but that doesn't mean they are the ideal tool for the job.

This comes down to the design, with a (often) large enough handle for a comfortable two-handed grip, with a ball-style weight hanging underneath. This offsets the weight, so you have the effect of gravity pulling you off-center before you begin.

Even if you just hold the weight in one hand by the handle, you can feel the force it exerts, pulling you down on one side, and your muscles have to oppose that movement, especially your core.

This effect gets more pronounced once you start moving the weight around, and to keep you balanced (so that you don't fall over), your core engages. This section of mid-body muscle connects your upper and lower body, and plays a vital role.

Aside from connecting your legs to your torso, your core helps promote blood flow (that's one of the major reasons I train this area), improves your performance in multi-muscle compound exercises, and reduces your risk of injury from poor form.

It's a cardio workout too

I've never been so worn out as after my first round of kettlebell swings. Until that point, I'd mostly opted for repetition-based workouts, not time-bound. But with swings, the aim is usually to keep the move going for around 30-45 seconds.

That's a lot of swings! And it's an intense, full-body move that works muscles in your legs, arms, chest, and core. So doing as many reps as you can in the time is a tough ask, which, in turn, boosts your heart rate.

Raising your heart rate means you burn more energy during your workout, but practicing like this gradually helps increase your metabolism, the amount of energy you burn throughout the day, for fat-burning results.

You could say the same if you attempted to do dumbbell swings, and although I'm sure some people swear by them, I have two issues. First, I hit myself with dumbbells, which hurts, but also slows down the exercise and reduces the amount you can do.

And secondly (and possibly more importantly), the way the weight hangs on a kettlebell makes it better suited to flowing through the air at speed. Because the force is off-center, it also works your core more as you attempt to keep it under control.

More from Tom's Guide

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• No gym, no problem — build a stronger core and boost your metabolism with this 30-minute full-body kettlebell workout