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Looking to increase my overall strength and fitness. Kettlebells seem to be the way to combine cardo and strength in a short workouts.
Question is what Kettlebells should I go for? I've tried a few today manly doing shoulder press 16kg was too light, 20kg harder and 24kg a struggle. Should I go for 20kg and just increase the reps or 24kg build the strength and then the reps? Also buy two of the same weight for squats etc or just another single bigger weigh and are the competition ones any better for their uniform size?
kettlebells are expensive, remember you will get used to the weight and need to buy bigger ones pretty quickly.
a good set of dumbells can be used to replicate a lot of the exercises.
You should be doing different exercises with kettlebells, traditional set would be 16,24,36 kg
KB's behave very differently to dumbells, and the exercises and goals are different. Both are great, but quite different tools.
Get a cast one, do some research, master the movements and you'll get results. IMHO best when combined with a bodyweight strength routine (oly rings are my favorite)
If your after strength, hit squats, bench press, deadlifts, lat rows, shoulder presses. Try the Stronglifts 5x5 program. Fitness, well you've got your bike.
Make your own kettle bells with bits of old rope and jonnies filled with cement.
16,24,36 kg
Start with an 8Kg, then go up, starting out swinging a 16KG bell is asking for trouble!
No interest in hitting by weights again and bodged surgery has left me with a seriously weakened core hence why I was looking at Kettlebell exercises.
Wrecker, I've been watching the Paval Tsatouline videos for the exercises and correct techniques but any suggestions for others is most welcome.
craigxxlI've tried a few today manly doing shoulder press 16kg was too light, 20kg harder and 24kg a struggle. Should I go for 20kg and just increase the reps or 24kg build the strength and then the reps? Also buy two of the same weight for squats etc or just another single bigger weigh and are the competition ones any better for their uniform size?
Well done, you're a beast! 😉
Personally I'd buy two of the same and go one lighter than what you might imagine. Unless of course money and space are no object.
Reason being, awkward technical moves like the turkish get up are more about finesse and technique than brute force and most or certainly a lot of kb moves can be done with two in tandem.
I watched a few of the Pavel vids when I started, he's obviously good but the russian tough guy schtick wore thin. I found that the more I used them, the more efficient I got (and the better my form). KB's are great for me, as I'm no spring chicken I like dynamic, movement based exercises. Keeps all of my stuff from stiffening. I dearly love doing the old push-lower fixed plane stuff, but my training time is better spend staying mobile than getting as strong as possible. I still do additional core stuff based on the twist-bend-hold principle. I have a 16 and 2x20's. It is more strength endurance than strength to me.
Loads of stuff on youtube, I'd start there.
IMO Kettlebell swings are the number one exercise. Full posterior chain workout. Just make sure you get your technique bang on and don't over extend, otherwise, you'll risk doing damage to your lower back.
If not use to them, I'd find a decent KB instructor and have a few sessions so as to get the technique really dialled. You'll be doing Turkish Getups in now time. They are cracking for all over stability and core. First time I saw a guy doing them in the gym, I thought "WTF is that guy doing!"
You'll definitely need more than one. So just buy one, say 16kg and then buy another when you feel like it.
If you can shoulder press 16kg that's already not bad imo, so maybe start with that. I started swinging 12kg and ended doing 60-70 swings in one go with it. That's when it's time to upgrade I reckon. But you have different ones for different exercises.
I still use my 12 for upper arm stuff, but I have a 24 for goblet squats which is good. I wish I had a 16 for stuff like Turkish get-ups though. If you have a partner their uses may overlap, so if get a 16 for get-ups then my wife will use it for swings.
Is tehre a good resource - youtube (with specific link) or online video you lot follow?
I've an 8kg kettle bell i kinda need to 'use properly'!
Ta
DrP
Keeps all of my stuff from stiffening
Wrecker what exercises do you do specifically?
I started with 2x12kg, 2x16, 2x24 and then got some heavier ones.
Have since given the 2x12kg away as they were too light.
Not used them for months now, although the wife does use them occasionally. Mainly do bar work, OL stuff.
The 16kgs mainly get used as door stops for the workshop!
I LOVE the kb snatch. Done right it's explosive, promotes good hip mobility, shoulder stability and appears to work lots of muscle groups. TGUs, windmills, halo's, figure 8's, balustrades all good. Doing stuff like kb presses on one leg to make it tricky (single leg movements are great imo) I find overhead squats with kbs inexplicably hard on my core.
I have some only rings, a skip rope, and some paralettess to supplement.
Create lots of instability and imbalance, make all of the little muscles and tendons earn their lunch.
The 16kgs mainly get used as door stops for the workshop!
I'll take one from you if you like 🙂