I want something dynamic to strengthen my core, tried pilates but wasn't that great so signed up for yoga to keep things loose and can't afford to join a gym. Time can get pretty tight so thought a set of kettle bells allows a short intense workout to keep things ticking over in the dark months and beyond.

So is anyone using them? What's good/bad? Better than traditional bench and weights?

Don't know where to start with *good* info on routines etc?

why was pilates not great?

find a forest……..

or, get a swiss ball, balance board and some dumbells

There just hype to sell non adjusting weights at high prices IMO. Buy some dumbells/barbell save some cash and be able to do a wider variety of movements. Not saying they wouldn't work but traditional freeweights only workouts would be better than Kettlebells only workouts.

If you want to try dynamic lifting be careful, work on your form or you could do yourself a nasty.

A great core/back/flexibility excercise is the overhead squat

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/295/

Pilates is great so you must be doing something wrong.

May I recommend this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Pilates-Strength-Sandie-Keane/dp/140271971X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284811881&sr=8-1

Pilates is great so you must be doing something wrong.

thats the sort of even handed comment i expected from stw 😀

I have no doubt pilates is good but classes i went to were bit pants, might get that book though cheers

used trad weights when i was younger and they did their job but thought something a bit more dynamic might make it more interesting

but yes im with you all the way re. form, saw some horrific technique even with simple dumbells at the gym i worked in

EDIT: idave that vid is somewhere between genius and hilarity. If I lived somewhere near that I'd be running about like a loon too (though poss not barefoot or wrestling men on a beach)

I've been using kettlebells for 2 years and combined with a variety of pushups there's very little else you need.

All the main movements involve the core and unless you want to add lots of mass I don't think you can go wrong.

Start with a 16kg and high reps and take it from there; The kettlebell is the singlespeed of the weights world so I'm sure you'll get some marmite replys.

Try http://www.crossfit.com for wmv files showing movements

Good luck, its addictive

cool cheers

Is it possible to get a sort of dumbell kettle bell? I can see the use of a kettle bell but when you've already got the weight plates etc it'd be a shame to have to buy an expensive non-adjustable. Seems like all it needs is a base, a post and a handle…

Don't know about kettle balls, but Pilates ROCKS