Any kettle bell-ers out there?

I’ve 75% moved to kb from olympic lifting. My 50y old wrists and shoulders were saying no more please.

I found swings very dull but 6 weeks in now – loads of variety from YouTube (Mark Wildman) and I’m really enjoying it.

What’s your experience?

I’m 53 and love my kettle bells, it just feels like a more whole body an interesting way to look after yourself. I like Lebe Stark too.

You’ll be buying clubs soon too if you keep watching Wildman…

I’m the same, the majority of my training is with bells. Have a big pull up bar mounted to the side of the house I can have my rings on as well. I just like training with them, mainly TGU and other slightly technical movements. All I wish is I lived somewhere with warmer weather as scotland does not lend itself to training outside 8 months of the year 🙂

I started with kettlebells then moved to bar work when I joined a gym.

That closed last September and although I joined another gym I didn’t really like it – too busy with groups of youngsters chatting rather than working – and have dropped off the fitness wagon.

What sort of kettlebell programs are you doing and how many times a week? – inspire me to dust off my bells.

Yea those clubs flow looked too good so I got out my sledge hammer and rapidly conked myself in the knee.  But I’m improving. Sheild cast and inside outside circles are addictive.

Yep, I have a pull up bar on the side of the house and built a big open shelter in the garden so I can go out, whatever the weather.

I don’t follow an actual program, I prefer to constantly mix things up. The garden has various levels for step ups, box jumps, we have a skipping rope, exercise bands, ab roller, a bench and a motley old collection of weights and dumbells.
I do a mix of interval training using a simple interval timing app and strength training.

That said, I have no desire to have big muscles, I just want to be healthy and fit. I do stretching at night while watching TV using moves I’ve picked from Adrienne on Youtube.

Kettlebells are so versatile. I use them in about 80% of my workouts. So many variations to try

Russian Swings (single/double), American swings, Deadlift, Low row, high row, tactical lunge, overhead lunge, press/pushpress, single arm bench press, curls, around the world, halo, TGU, figure of eights, cleans, clean+press, front/lateral/arc raises… probably loads more, I cant remember!

Best, most useful bit of equipment in any home gym

I’m mainly working towards Ring Muscle ups and bar muscle ups. The bells definitely compliment this by working the rest of the body and keeping muscular balances in check.

Again I have a very loose routine but always finish with an EMOM of the heavier bell 10 reps every minute for 10 rounds. It’s probably the only n9n negotiable.

My programs are based round the rings and bar 3x a week. The rest is general conditioning so nothing set in stone. TGU a couple of times a week. 5 in each side always keep me humbled 🙂

Love them, do two or three 30 mins sessions a week just mixing things up as they provide such a holistic workout, swings, cleans and snatches mostly with a few other targeted bits. I also mix in some general balance and flexibility stuff after various knee injuries have left me weak on my left side

What do we think about mace bells? A (huge bodybuilder) friend recommended them to me as a noob. He said start with 4 kg, and you’ve just made me think, I’ve got a 4 kg sledgehammer right here.

where do I start to learn, YouTube?

Did you all get into it by DIY learning or have a pro teach you the correct technique? I’m confident of relatively static movments, ie goblet squat, but less so with more dynamic ones, ie swing.

Secondly, any book recommendations?

54yo with a cranky lower back.

Since adding KBs to work outs my back has got “better”. Not cured, but it no longer gives me pain constantly.  I put it down to the core strength improvements and the dynamic style of KB workouts.

Much more fun than other weights.

I started with 8kg for single handed movements, and 12kg for two handed.

Now I’m comfy with 12 and 16, and 20 sometimes.

All self taught, with some occasional YouTube lessons.

I have 2 x 4kg kettlebells (starting small, history of back problems!)

Can anyone recommend a good YouTube channel to follow?

following this one…

I get bored easy so for me the trick is forever changing complex movement routines.

Now I’ve got some basics sorted my current goto movement for general conditioning is:

-Single arm swing clean.

-Press out.

-Backward lunge

– Side bend to touch the ground with the free hand then back to upright.

-Stand up from lunge and walk forward.

– Snatch down then back to the clean.

5x right arm right leg

5x right arm left leg

Repeat for left arm etc..

Add weight and repeat. For a total of 40. 12kg then 16kg bell.  By my final reps, it’s all pretty ropey.

I like the Wildman suggestion of not putting the weight down at all. It’s a fun challenge.

Mobility – Turkish get ups.

Power and Strength – Single and double handed clean and jerks – olympic style. These are my fave tbh as I’m a meat-head at heart.

@RidingDave

Mark Wildman on YouTube.

Did you all get into it by DIY learning or have a pro teach you the correct technique? I’m confident of relatively static movments, ie goblet squat, but less so with more dynamic ones, ie swing.

Secondly, any book recommendations?

Yes I did find a local instructor via Strongfirst which ironed out what I was doing wrong. Sadly I have a shoulder issue so haven’t done any this year. Instuctor also taught me how to do Turkish Get Ups as I can’t see how many people could learn that from videos successfully.

Dan John online for all things Kettlebell. Plenty of You Tube stuff, podcast and books.

Get yourself in front of a mirror. Or film yourself. No better learning tools.  And actually notice (with your brain) what you are doing right and what are your work ons.

I learnt Turkish getups from YouTube.  It’s easier to learn than it looks. And it’s easier to learn with a slightly heavier bell (8kg better than 2 kg) as it forced you to have a vertical arm.

I’ve been using them for 5+ years now, twice a week for about an hour each time – it’s made a real difference to my general strength and fitness. I initially used some of the routines for from Greg Brooks, which were very useful. I now have a set from 4 kg up to 28 kg. The best advice I can give when learning a new technique is to start with a light weight until you’ve nailed the technique, then increase the weight very gradually. Unlike dumbbells, where you hold them at the centre of mass, kettlebells are held away from the centre of mass, so there is greater potential for injury (pendulum effect) if the technique isn’t quite right.

This channel has some good kettlebell routines https://www.youtube.com/@CarolineGirvan