Kettlebells

badly_dubbed

anybody else use kettle bells alongside normal training?

just ordered a set 16kg, 24kg and 32kg basically for all round strength and conditioning, hopefully itll give me a wee boost on the leg building as i seem to lack a bit power

if anyone uses them, any insights on some decent workouts for the legs
8)

Garz

:shock:

I have a 20kg set and they are beefy!

Afterwards I realised that 16kg or below would be better suited for conditioning. This is based on all round exercises and not just legs though.

Eddy S

As alluded to by Garz, if you’ve not used kettlebells before you might be surprised just how heavy the larger ones are. It’s not like handling a large dumbell.

You would be better off looking out some of the instructional DVDs especially to pick up the correct techniques and handling of the kettlebells then working out a programme for yourself. A few gyms have classes for them too.

I was getting a great workout and seeing condition and strength benefits over the last year using ‘just’ 16kg until I broke my leg in Nov.

W.R.T. leg workout, squats are the obvious lift/exercise. You can hold the kettlebell(s) in a variety of ways. But also learning and doing all-round conditioning sets like the kettlebell swing will give your legs a very good workout too.

ScottieR3

I have used 12kg and now use a 16kg for an all over body conditioning workout, i deliver furniture for a living and see myself as very strong in most areas. i can highly recommend them, i suggest getting onto youtube and use this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRpbM9nzDcM



If you can still stand after then ur doing well :shock:

badly_dubbed

thanks folks

1stGenRex

Kettlebells are an awesome training tool, but without proper technique, it's VERY easy to hurt yourself with them (not just by dropping them on your toe). Be very careful that you're focusing on techinique while using them.

inaperfectworld

I go to kettlebell sessions with a trainer and his sessions have got me very, very fit.
Each session is different sometimes lactate threshold work with floor exercises or a variety of kettlebell exercises. The great thing about kettlebells is that they work most of your muscles at the samre time so muscles develop in balance as opposed to bench presses which just do one muscle group.
I would advise starting not higher than a 16kg as without having a good technique you can hurt yourself
The group I go to has men and women from their 20s to 60plus.

mrwibble

Turkish Getup, that is all I will say. The most awesome exercise you can do with the kettlebell. Try doing a 15 minutes rep...

inaperfectworld

Yep your right about the turkish get up; works every muscle in your body in the one exercise.
I've just been doing one or two kettlebell sessions weekly and only a couple of weekly short commutes since the autumn. Had a bit more of a ride today and felt as though I have lost no fitness. Actually think I felt stronger than last autumn. I also started on a 12 kg a year ago and quickly moved to a 16kg but the 16kg was starting to feel not hard so I've just moved upto a 20kg (it is hard once again).
Moving the kettlebell suddenly gets a lot easier when you get the technique right: some people get it quickly but it has taken me a long time. It is good when you feel that a weight you were struggling with starts to feel too light

gaffy

without thinking about your size weight muscle etc you will not need the 32 unless your interested in doing solely weights for muscle gain

kettlebells are essentially for cardio - cardio with a 32 is nigh on impossible

highly recommend seeking advice or researching proper technique, tossing a cannonball incorrectly can ruin you. i read a while back im sure you could google it about the guy who started blogging about how he broke his arm, blaming it on pavleys book (russian fella who started kettlebells), saying his book didn't show technique well enough, hard truth is you cant learn technique from a book.. basically the guy was using kettlebells for 4 months, went out to do a normal 25 rep snatchs and completely shattered his arm - my diagnosis repeatedly using a 24kg kb incorrectly.

wow i just realised this post was started like 3 months ago, but yeah anyway, kbs are the bomb i started on a 12 would recommend it but you will find youll need a 16 soon after
double 16s are a great weight for a lot of people and 20s are for regular users and 24 if your a tank

i find getups boring as hell lol

if you want to focus on legs i would recommend bulgarian dips

stand in front of a chair, place the tongue of your trainer/top of your foot on the edge of the chair behind you, holding kb in side rack/double rack or by horns and lower yourself down in a squat with your other foot bent at 90 degrees out in front and then spring up and jump as high as you can..

Garz

I would swap my 20's for some 16's if anyone is interested?

gaffy

id be interested in buying one 20 but it would have to be wolverson stylee cause they're the bomb and so it matches, no need to reply if its not, cheers.

Roscoe_foley

mrwibble wrote:

Turkish Getup, that is all I will say. The most awesome exercise you can do with the kettlebell. Try doing a 15 minutes rep...

That makes me feel physically sick thinking about it! :shock: