Kettlebells- just got one- anyone else use them?

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I'm well excited about getting myself a kb, not sure if 16kg is still going to be a bit too light and I should go for an 18kg. Is there any test I can do with a dumbbell to work this out? - e.g. simulate a typical KB exercise but with a dumbbbell?

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Hey Southpaw,

Should just get a 16kg mate. At the beginning instead of worrying about the weight, one should maximize technique and in the mean time build conditioning. Untill you start to be able to knock off 2 mins of swings, snatch etc. with the 16kg, I wont think of getting a heavier one at start because movments like the windmill requires extra techniques. No point at the beginning not being able to do some of the exercise but try to grind it through yea? (Hmm Richie ?)


Just my opinion

Cheers for that Loki.

Rich is away for a lil bit I think.

Yea he is on abit of a vacation

Loki wrote:

Hey Southpaw,

Should just get a 16kg mate. At the beginning instead of worrying about the weight, one should maximize technique and in the mean time build conditioning. Untill you start to be able to knock off 2 mins of swings, snatch etc. with the 16kg, I wont think of getting a heavier one at start because movments like the windmill requires extra techniques. No point at the beginning not being able to do some of the exercise but try to grind it through yea? (Hmm Richie ?)


Just my opinion

Loki trains me in the physical stuff like strength cardio and KBs... he is referring to my attempt/failure to turkish getup with my 20kg kb.... that he told me would be too heavy

Thanks for the advice.

Nice to see you getting mildly rinsed Rich.

guys we have a physical section

im going to move all training threads there

With regards to what weight you should get, I personally got a 16, then after a few months of swings, snatches and clean & presses got a 20. However, upon attempting a tgu for the first time I found a 16 to be too heavy so bought a pair of 12's so I could practice the tgu as well as lifts with double kettlebells. For the record, im 5'11 and weigh 14 1/2 stone, about 12 stone lean .

Youtube is great for picking up tips on exercises and examples of training plans. Do a google search for Dave Whitley, who calls himself the Iron Tamer, he gives away a free ebook called 101 kettlebell workouts when you sign up to his newsletter.

Yours,
Beev

not with kettle belts, but i like oldschool training!
most fitness guys look like gaypeople.. muhahah
and their strengt is different.

but kettle belts are really that good??

how much they kost?

Thanks for the kind comments Rich and sticking the link on your site. Wu Ming will be a bit low on stock before next year as we're having a re-think. I never thought I'd say it but iron is expensive now and affecting everyones prices. I'll still try and keep them low though, the reason I started it is true! I thought I'd add my two cents about why I think they're good, from a personal point of view.

not really the KB as such but most of the top KB people really teach good technique. e.g. Keeping the shoulder sucked in is good for lots of reasons and will help with your TGU (!) Obviously, should be using good technique in any lifting but a lot of gym people seem to have forgotten it and concentrate on the pump/burn or some such other thing.

They say it's the off-centre weight that makes the difference with KB's but I just think it works for what ever reason, so don't trouble my brain too much. Like with free weights you have to use your stabilising muscles more and then some so it's definitely related.

You seem to get stronger in all the right places. Your mid-section, back, lats, legs and they all start working together, which is good for fighting and every day life. When I started using them it was this feeling of a better structure (body wise) that made me think they were so good, and then decide everybody else should be using them! I'd just say try it, most people are surprised, the remaining tend to be really stubburn!

no worries Sean, feel free to post your link here in the forum

Hi Sean,
I received a 16kg from Wu Ming today. Your whole attitude towards customer support was fantastic. It really doesn't take much to be efficient in the delivery process in a short space of time, with an easy way to pay, and a email saying that were I to have any problems (which I didn't), I could contact you.
I can't say enough how relieving this was to find in a time of useless incompetent prats that you are not one of them.
Compared to DIESEL and Abercrombie and Fitch who hit me with attitude and 6 day delivery times.

Thanks Sean.

-btw I did get your link from this thread.

All I ask for now is a very basic tutorial video link. I've checked out several videos on youtube, and am still confused on when I should bend my legs, when I shouldn't, and how to stop the KB hitting into my forearm gentlyish when I snatch (one video said this was bad) - it seems inevitable to me.

EDIT: My KB no longer hits my forearm when I hold a good grip - I guess this is correct, and looks to be so compared to videos.

Ok, I have to say you guys are insane to do tabata KB swings.....that is a large heavy chunk of metal over your head. And I have found when doing tabata's that my fine motor skills go right out the window!!! Nope, not gonna be doing that one....I will do other things as a tabata, but yikes!! You all are INSANE!!!

Where can I get footage of these KB swings? (the overhead ones etc. tabata) - I tried YouTubing tabata KB swings to no avail.

just so you know tabatta is the format, the swing is just the movement, so check a video of a kb swing then follow the on off on off format of the tabatta

I dont recommend it... try tabatta format with burpees first just so you get an idea of how "blown" this gets you

Ok cheers will do. Thanks Richie.

I read a very cool article on Tabata and how it works and why it works, but I can't find it again. I did find this article which is really complete and has lots of good info!!!

http://www.cbass.com/SEARCHOF.HTM

The swing shouldn't place the kettlebell directly overhead in any case, so there should be no worry about a fatigue-induced injury really.

Mick

I love my kettlebells, fantastic bits of kit. I am 5'8 and 11 stone so I started off with a 16kg and bought Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel.

His beginner workout is 12 minutes of swings twice a week and 5 minutes of get ups twice a week. Once you get all that down you move on to learning the snatch and the clean and press. That's enough for me but I like to try other things like windmills and bottom up curl and press from time to time.

There are good clips on youtube of KB technique. When I do the swings I get the bell out at face/shoulder level, not all the way overhead.

I bought a 24kg recently and the first few times I used it my forearms were fried. I can still only press it 2-3 times with good form in a row. It's going to keep me busy for a while.

Hi South Paw,

Thanks for the kind comments and apologies for not replying sooner. I'm not on here too often because I'm normally fed up of the computer by the end of work. Just email (sean@wuming.co.uk) if you're after any specific answers and I'll answer much quicker. A video of the basic moves will come to the website over the winter when I visit home and get my hands on a video camera, so I'll post a link if this thread is still going. To answer one of your questions:

banging the forearm: although you have to grip it try not to do it too tight as your hands will be shreaded after a while. The best method for stopping the banging that I've read is Pavels. He calls it taming the arc. You have to remember that a snatch isn't an extension of the swing. The arm should bend as you pull it up to the high position and then you punch up to finish the movement.

Have a look online for Steve Maxwell, Pavel or Steve Cotter for some good technique. You'll find some of them actually have an open hand at the top of the snatch (but it's not compulsory!)

Are you wondering when to bend your knees in the snatch?

There may be some advantages to swinging over head like the flow of your movement if you don't like to pause but I'd just stick to the snatch myself.

I'll check back soon or just drop me an email.

Cheers,
Sean

I rolled two sixes the other day so that called for 12 minutes of snatches. I had raised a nice blister on my left hand by the end of that. I've drained it and am letting it dry out. Any tips for hand conditioning?

My calluses are quite high up on the palm but the blister came up just below the callus under my little finger.

It sounds like we're both following Pavel's stuff. If you have the book rather than the DVD then there is a small section about looking after the hands. I built up the skin slowly which seems to have helped. If a callus is getting a bit big I try and smooth or pick it back so that it won't catch and pull at the skin when training, but haven't done anything else.

www.wuming.co.uk is the link for Sean's site

Sean, you'll be seeing me soon enough mate, Im coming back to Liverpool and me and the girlfriend both need a KB upgrade

Im glad certain folks harangued me persistently into getting one