Kettlebells

[Sir Cornwell]

I've recently picked up a 35 pound kettlebell. I don't know if I'll go heavier very soon. I like it's small size and the convenience of being able to leave it anywhere around the house, ready to hand.

I looked it up online, but along with the $2/lb cost, it had about a $60 shipping fee. Then I checked local websites and only one place had them. Best $70 I've spent in a long time.

I've thought of getting a real weight set, but with the dust on my 2 1/2-5-10 rack getting thick. I just don't think that I'd use it much. Just another dust magnet.

The small, compact kettlebell is easy to focus my attention on. I find larger equipment with it's being bulkier and needing more room is just plain harder to mentally grasp. Small and heavy is beautiful. :cool:

[SlowBurn]

Wow shipping is killer on weights man (obviously), I mean is there seriously not a sporting goods store in your area with kettlebells? +1 for kettlebells

[Reptar]

Buying weights offline is stupid, your paying all shipping, local fitness shops FOR THE FUCKING WIN.

[SlowBurn]

Yea I said that. FUCK I hate people that basically repost plainly stated previous info....happens a lot.

[Sir Cornwell]

Why would anyone pay shipping fees for a purchase from a local place? Only a dude with muscles between his ears would do that or think that someone would.

IDK how it is in smaller towns though. I was quite surprised that only one chain had them available. So people in minor places might have to pay shipping.

[Toothlessjoe]

Kettlebells are awesome.

Buy more.

[HLC]

Haven't done it, but I gotta think you can swing a same weight dumbell just about as effectively as those magical kettleballs everybodies talkin about. I mean, the handle areas (grippable length) are pretty similar, if not longer on the dumbells.

[ayingerbrau]

Kettlebells were/are so overhyped it's unreal. Dumbbells offer all the benefits at a fraction of the cost, not to mention dumbbells are adjustable. If you want something for swings construct a T-Handle. Search RossTraining for more info on it. Easy to make, and a nice tool to add to the box.

There are some homemade kettlebells, but they're a bit shitty.

Any magical quality the kettlebell has can be replicated with other, cheaper equipment (preferably homemade).

DragonDoor would have you believe unless you buy their kettlebells you won't get the magical athletic prowess kettlebells bring you. Guess what? People think it's true. It's amazing what internet marketing did for kettlebells.

[ayingerbrau]

Kettlebells are awesome.

Buy more.

What's so awesome about them?

[Toothlessjoe]

What's so awesome about them?

They hel you use muscles you don't usually use in order to stabilize the weight. Dumbells can be used for the same exercises but I personally feel I get a better workout and results from Kettlebells. Dumbells are too ergonomic and safe if it makes sense? It's too ridgid and I tend to hit walls in my training often using them.

Lots of athletes and MMA practitioners like using kettlebells, so they can't be all that bad.

[ayingerbrau]

They help you use muscles you don't usually use in order to stabilize the weight.

So do dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, rocks, and any other .kind of freeweight that can move freely in three dimensional space.

Dumbells can be used for the same exercises but I personally feel I get a better workout and results from Kettlebells.

That's fair enough. If you honestly FEEL that you do get a better workout with them, power to you, but you're spending a lot more money, on a tool which is less versatile.

Dumbells are too ergonomic and safe if it makes sense?

Not really. Try stacking a 150lb dumbbell with odd plates you've scrambled together and you'll soon find there isn't a position in which you can "shoulder" the dumbbell. A solid dumbbell is a different story. Safe, effective barbell training is the fastest way to get strong. So I can't see why being safe would be a disadvantage.

Lots of athletes and MMA practitioners like using kettlebells, so they can't be all that bad.

They also use a whole variety of workout tools. It's rare to find people that use kettlebells specifically.

[postdiluvium]

[B]
1. So do dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, rocks, and any other .kind of freeweight that can move freely in three dimensional space.

2. Not really. Try stacking a 150lb dumbbell with odd plates you've scrambled together and you'll soon find there isn't a position in which you can "shoulder" the dumbbell. A solid dumbbell is a different story. Safe, effective barbell training is the fastest way to get strong. So I can't see why being safe would be a disadvantage.

3. They also use a whole variety of workout tools. It's rare to find people that use kettlebells specifically.

1. Not the same. Kettle bells swing, which forces your body to work more against the extra force the swing causes.

2. Its about functionality. Working with barbells, you have to keep the bar over your center of gravity. Kettle bells are about swinging the weight away from your center of gravity and working around it.

3. Baddest man alive
http://www.mma-core.com/images/fighters/full/Fedor_Emelianenko_1000823.jpg

Actually, all of my friends that fight and even the gym I train at focus on kettle bells for weighted training more than anything else. Its quite common to see kettle bells in any non traditional martial arts gym.

[negz]

Light weight kettlebells are good for quick "pick it up and knock it off" type conditioning workouts but the $$$/lb ratio isn't the best compared to something dumbells/barbells.

$2/lb. You paid $70 + $60 (shipping) = $130

For that you could've picked up ~180-200 lbs in assorted freeweight including a barbell or a pair of dumbells (assuming ~$.50/lb).

Not knocking on your choice. They are more ergonomic than free-weights and it's good to have options when it comes to training (to an extent).

:thumbsup:

[ayingerbrau]

1. Not the same. Kettle bells swing, which forces your body to work more against the extra force the swing causes.

2. Its about functionality. Working with barbells, you have to keep the bar over your center of gravity. Kettle bells are about swinging the weight away from your center of gravity and working around it.

3. Baddest man alive
http://www.mma-core.com/images/fighters/full/Fedor_Emelianenko_1000823.jpg

Actually, all of my friends that fight and even the gym I train at focus on kettle bells for weighted training more than anything else. Its quite common to see kettle bells in any non traditional martial arts gym.

1. You can build homemade stuff that "swings".

2. Sandbags, water balls and other types of equipment have the weight either sloshing or moving around which you have to work around. Functional for WHAT exactly? I think functionality is the biggest load of BS in the fitness industry.

3. Fedor isn't a great fighter BECAUSE of kettlebells.

4. Fair enough.

--> You can get bigger, stronger, faster, fitter and w/e else WITHOUT kettlebells, for a fraction of the price.

[kelsea killed hallenbeck]

I think kettlebells are great. They are not as magical as the dragondoor clan would like you to believe but they are very good for conditioning work. I would put them on my 'to buy' list before dumbbells but after barbells and weights.

You can do swings with a dumbbell but it feels very different. I have never tried the T-handle version. Kettlebell snatches are great. I can never do dumbbell or barbell snatch due to shoulder pain but I can do kettlebell snatches no problem. Also there are a lot of exercises (such as front squat, overhead presses, rows etc) that feel a lot more natural with a kettlebell because of the way you can hold them.

In short for strength sticks with barbell. But if you have spare cash buy some kettlebell. I recommend 1x16kg, 1x24kg. Maybe another 16 or 24kg for pair work depending on how strong you are.

[HLC]

I think the issue ayingerbrau is defending is not whether one would do better "lifting" barbells or dumbells versus swinging kettleballs.
It's a matter of finding something else to swing other than kettleballs.
To replace a kettleball, it's gotta be similar in size, i.e. not 6 feet long, is my take. But what's also probably important, it's got to have a gripping area that is somewhat similar to what the kettleball offers.
If someone offered a U shaped handle that slid over the straight handle of an adjustable dumbell , the kettleball industry would take a serious hit.