The mrs was getting drawn in by an infomercial last night & nearly pushed the button.
Just wondering if anyone on here used them & what you think.
i bought one - i like it. i don't use it enough.
what weights was she looking at? i bought a 10kg and within a few sessions would like to progress to a heavier one and keep the 10kg for other things.
technique is really important - apparently very easy to do your back in with them...
keep the 10kg for other things.
Paperweight?
Door knocker?
The problem with kettlebells is that they are not adjustable, and they are expensive per KG compared to dumbells.
They aren't a magic bullet and most kettlebell exercises can also be done just as effectively with a dumbell.
That said, I quite like them and if I had a garage with a home gym in it (one day!) then I would have a few of different weights in there.
Ebay has some decent value sets.
I use them heavily, predominately RKC influenced training. Excellent training; cardio, fat burn and muscle all in one. Weight loss without the dishonour of aerobics. Would be careful buying off TV and generic shops, especially those rubberised lightweight ones, the handle is the secret to a good kettlebell. Best ones I have came from London Kettlebell, the bells here look good; http://www.ukkettlebells.com/ [i](note; the clubbells are excellent training tools I can barely type as my forearms are dying from a early morning session with them)[/i]
Loads of information online, google Pavel Tsoutaline and Mike Mahler for some of the best information. 'The Russian Kettlebell Challenge' and 'Enter the Kettlebell' by Pavel are good starting points. 'Viking Warrior Conditioning' has blasted my body, and is the most painful training I've ever tried 80 sets of 15 seconds on 15 seconds off with kettlebell snatches. Highly recommend a Gymboss timer if you want to get serious with them!
As for the claim most training can be done with a dumbbell as opposed to a kettlebell, whilst partly true as technically it's weight, it's also complete rubbish. The kettlebell doesn't rest in balanced state and is used for much more dynamic exercises. It will give a better all round strengthening, clubbells are even more unbalanced and work on 3 planes whilst lifting. Due to the dynamic forces being used a 15 lb. clubbell gets the exerciser the equivalent of a workout with a 54 lb. kettlebell or a 75 lb. dumbbell. Therefore, the dynamics of kettlebell swings will generate greater forces than a dumbbell.
As a rule of thumb men start on 16kg and women on 8kg. Don't go too heavy they weigh more than their suggested weight when being used. Learn the two hand swing as this the base movement, then one arm swings, then stuff like military presses and the snatch will come easily.
Pavel's book have some interesting tips on the techniques you need to master, wall squats and towel swinging are both good ideas when learning the basics.
get one very good for cardio they get your heart rate going just dont get boged down with the million of videos on you tube try to pick your exercise that will complement your riding eg core legs shoulders ect very good piece of kit in the right hands.
I use one for the first time 2 days ago. 5 sets of 20 swings, with about a minute rest between sets. My legs are still sore, so must have done something!
Got mine, 20kg, off ebay £30 delivered.
I used one of my physio's for a while and followed the Pavel dvd, although it is good he told me(the physio) just to wrap a towel through a single disc weight to achieve the same result.
Would this be the Ryan Shanahan one by any chance? If so, I would heartily recommend it, especially if, like me when I bought it, you haven't used kettle bells before or worked out for a while.
It comes with a 5kg bell, which sounds like nothing but with the type of exercises it is more than enough. I progressed to a 12kg after 3 weeks which was quite a strain - seriously 😳
For a full body workout in as short a time as possible, I don't think you can go wrong.
As for the claim most training can be done with a dumbbell as opposed to a kettlebell, whilst partly true as technically it's weight, it's also complete rubbish. The kettlebell doesn't rest in balanced state and is used for much more dynamic exercises. It will give a better all round strengthening, clubbells are even more unbalanced and work on 3 planes whilst lifting. Due to the dynamic forces being used a 15 lb. clubbell gets the exerciser the equivalent of a workout with a 54 lb. kettlebell or a 75 lb. dumbbell. Therefore, the dynamics of kettlebell swings will generate greater forces than a dumbbell.
LOL, Koolaid much?
The main reason that kettlebell training works like it does is not because of the shape of the weight it is because the exercise selection is for much more dynamic exercise, such as one arm snatches, swings, turkish getups etc.
Do these with a dumbell, and guess what? You get much the same benefit, but using a cheap, adjustable bit of kit.
I like kettlebells, but am just pointing out that they aren't magic, they are just weights.
what Didnothingfatal said, and Stuey. his 3rd para is the point you should look at.
KB's are far less stable and therefore don't "isolate" muscles as much, ensuring that the supporting muscles also get a good working - thats very important if your using them to strengthen for an all round stability / support with a purpose such as mtbing.
My view is that having 2 x 16kg KB's at home is far less space / cost than a rack of weights or Gym attendance, and much more versatile.