I’m looking to get some kettle bells to help with my upper body strength. I don’t want to bulk up so considered going lighter weight.. maybe 12 or 14kg

Are there any experts here who could advise please?

Thanks 🙂

I love Kbs. Don’t know what size is for you though. I have a 16 and two 20s. Buy a decent cast iron one.
Oh, and you will not bulk up unless you eat to bulk up.

Thanks Wrecker.. I certainly don’t eat to bulk up! 🙂

I’d get a 12, 16 and 20.
Depending on the exercise you need different weights.

I wouldn’t concern yourself about bulking up, that is down to diet as much as anything.

I started with a 12kg but quickly moved (in weeks) to a 16kg. Only after a long long while (year +) have I moved to 20kg (Tried 24kg but wasn’t quite there).

I am amazed at the change in my core strength.. something I didn’t really have before. I certainly have more muscle… I don’t know if you’d call it bulk though.

FYI – I’ve been following the “art of strength enter the kettlebell pdf” – google it and Pavel’s enter the Kettlebell vid.

Are there any experts here who could advise please?

Plenty, pay someone for a few one on one kb sessions, swinging dirty great big lumps of metal about is a pretty good way of knackering yourself. Find someone to teach you proper form and go from there.

Why kettle bells and not dumb bells – are there advantages?

(just a question, not picking at OP or owt!)

I started with a 12kg but quickly moved (in weeks) to a 16kg.

This.

Haven’t touched them for 2 years, maybe I should!

FYI – I’ve been following the “art of strength enter the kettlebell pdf”

Is this it?

That’s the one. Basically it’s Pavel’s workout written in an easy to read format.

Took me a year or so to do the whole 12 weeks as it doesn’t mix so well with babies and riding bikes

Thanks All, appreciate the input.

I’m going to check out the e-books thanks wanderer 🙂

Do those people that use them find they benefit bike riding? I struggle with my arms after a long or tough day so hoping to build strength

I ******* hate my kettlebell, so it must be good 😉

Just a 12kg here which is plenty for me, and I’m not exactly a weakling.

What exercises & reps are those of you with a 20-24kg one using it for?

As a single piece of equipment for all round exercise, I can’t think of anything better. Used correctly, it improves mobility, core strength and metabolic conditioning. Used with a set of gymnastic rings (and a pull up bar obv), you can get into very, very good shape indeed.
My 20s get used for deadlift burpees, rows, press, loads of stuff. Probably a bit more focused exercises than the 16.

So another question (I’m looking at you Wrecker I’m sorry!) 😉

Do you think 1 or 2 are necessary?

I love kettlebells – they’ve worked wonders for me, i’d recommend going to a class for a while to get your technique properly sorted and an idea of what weights you need before shelling out – as previously mentioned you might find that you progress quite quickly as your core strength builds.

To give you an idea, i’m not very big (5’7″ / 73kg) & I started with 14/16 for most exercises at first, but now warm up with a 20 and use everything up to a 36 for something or other.

You can always chuck in some variations instead of moving up weights though – on a good day I can strip press a 28 but if you press the ‘bell upside down it requires a hell of a lot more grip strength and I need a 20 instead…

I’m guff at the Turkish get up though

I do a KB class once per week on a Monday at 6am. Its an awesome way to start the week. I do pretty much everything (swings/squats/presses/turkish-get-ups) with a 16kg although some of the routines we do include doubling up and doing squats and presses. (2x16kg)

Overall as others have said, i’ve just seen an improvement in overall mobility and core strength. Highly recomend you get someone to show you what to do. I found that with a 12kg, my technique was poor, however moving to a 16kg improved things massively. If you’re based Manchester way i can receomend a very good coach/trainer

Dave

Can anyone recommend any good Youtube videos? Ideally something for a total beginner and something to build up to.

Obviously millions to choose from but as a total wannabe I can’t tell what I should be starting with.

I keep it simple. Do the whole workout with a 16kg.. Then I’ll do it with a 20kg. Then 24kg….

If you really want to do simple and.. sinister, google Pavel’s Simple and sinister workout. Swings and turkish getups. Once you can do the whole with one weight in 15 minutes, progress to the next.

I have a 10, 15 and 20, although 12, 16 and 20 are the more common weights. Lots of interesting exercises with them. I was surprised how hard proper goblet squats are! Copious free MTBing specific advice and exercises from James Wilson on bikejames.com and his related Facebook, pinkbike articles, etc.

Swings alternated with push-ups are a great warm up. Turkish Get-Ups are a huge challenge to master (maybe I’ll get there in a few years?)

Do you think 1 or 2 are necessary

Some people say that you should only use 1 because the concept of the kettlebell is that you are utilising more muscles to stabilise the offcentre load so if you’re using 2 you are balanced and missing other muscles….

does that make sense?

Do you think 1 or 2 are necessary?

Not really. I only had two as (at the time) I used them as my sole training equipment. Start with one (I recommend that wolverston fitness cast iron ones).
Class? maybe, I have never had one but I have done a lot of different types of training so I had a knowledge of form do’s and don’ts. I have subsequently been complimented on my form by numerous instructors!
TGU’s have to be hardest easy-looking exercise out there!

yeah it does thanks, so would it be better to stay unbalanced then to properly feel the effects? like with arm rows for example?

Look up Steve Cotter on youtube – he’s pretty handy with them & there’s a good few basics video’s he’s done, like this:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEhtHrmQOnA[/video]

😉

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAGD69oM18w[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-7Nc0O_QZA[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUFAEkzI404[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CreCOrf9ExM[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clo63vBMI6o[/video]

just saying…

Instead of swingning those macebells around for fun, those guys should become lumberjacks & they could make a few quid at the same time 💡

http://breakingmuscle.com/kettlebells/how-to-do-the-perfect-kettlebell-swing

These series of articles are useful

Not sold on the macebell, but I’ve been after a mace for a while. I must say that a sledgehammer would probably be just as good though.

That’s great! Cheers all. Hit the button on one last night, will possibly report back on injuries then post for sale 😉

Those breaking muscle articles look good.

I find kettlebell sessions are great cardio workout,just wish I could find a class/instructor in Malvern, I really struggle with the Turkish get up.

I love mine – 12kg here and its made a huge difference to core strength and upper body mobility/strength, as well as really helping me get some decent all round exercise while our daughter was tiny.

Worth looking at James Wilson’s site http://www.bikejames.com as he has a good KB programme on there, and on YouTube search for Funk Roberts MMA. Funk is a savage though – he’s conditioning coach to quite a few top fighters. The MMA Kettlebell workout video is particularly brutal.

KB’s can be useful for conditioning but you need to make sure your technique is good to ovoid risk of injury. You ether need to spend a good bit of time teaching yourself, video feed back can be usful or find a good instructor. Pavel, as already ready said, is a good place to start. KB workout is quite anaerobic so mountain biking on top can make it tough to recover from.

Personally I prefer basic lifts such as deadlift, presses, weighted pull ups 1-5 reps 3-5 min rest between sets and 2 – 4 sets, never to failure.

Pavel ‘power to the people’ or ‘easy strength’ is not to bad or google
‘phil maffetone strength’ who has some good articles and basically says something similar to Pavel.

Another thumbs up here, but I’d say you need a range. 24kg is good for me for goblet squats and swings, but I’ve got no chance of doing the one arm presses with it, I use 12kg for that. I’d also want an 18 for get-ups, my Mrs could also use it for swings.

I like the macebells as the movement is smooth and I think it better to do lots of lower stress movements than a few high stress movements with the risk of messing it up and injuring youself.

For instance you can do 360s with a medium macebell in order to keep things smooth, and then just spin it faster to get more effective weight.