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Does anyone use kettlebells?

MckennaWilson Posts: 15 Joined: 2009/07/26	2009/07/26, 07:28 PM Hey does anyone here use kettlebells? I discovered them a couple of years ago and LOVE them! Right now I'm lifting 26lbs and sometimes 56lbs. Its fun and versatile and I love it a lot :)
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/07/26, 08:08 PM I love 'em. They are part of my regular routine.
bigjockhill Posts: 88 Joined: 2009/07/03	2009/07/26, 08:13 PM Hey guys, what are kettlebells, sounds like something you would use to make coffee:laugh:
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/07/26, 10:14 PM Basically, a kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a handle and you swing it around. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettlebell
MckennaWilson Posts: 15 Joined: 2009/07/26	2009/07/27, 08:43 PM Cool! What do you do with em TimDay? I generally do cleans, swing, presses, rows...
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/07/27, 08:54 PM Turkish Get Ups are good... but lately, swings, rows, clean and press and snatch.
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2009/07/27, 09:44 PM Kettle balls are much more difficult to use then dumbells. More muscles are used during the movement as they take much more muscle to balance them. Physique will also look bulkier. -------------- Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. Ivan (GO HABS GO!) Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/07/27, 10:30 PM To a certain extent, DBs and KBs can be interchangable. The way the weight hangs on the KB makes it somewhat different to toss around, too.
MckennaWilson Posts: 15 Joined: 2009/07/26	2009/07/31, 05:32 AM Before I bought KBs, I used DBs for the same exercises. They worked pretty well, but the KBs are MUCH better to use. My forearms get banged up a bit as a result but I think its worth it :) Its not that they bang into my arms, its that my arms got bruised once, and now the bells rest against them, creating like a pressure bruise type thing. Better with wrist bands! I used to just use DBs, you know the standard bicep curl, tricep kickback etc... and got real bulky. With kettbells, its all round toning - no bulk here!
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/07/31, 08:07 AM As you get better with KBs, you should have less and less bruising... if the bruising continues, you should check your form.
MckennaWilson Posts: 15 Joined: 2009/07/26	2009/08/02, 04:27 AM You can't really see the bruising anymore but it hurts still! Its not that they bang down onto my arms... just when I do presses they're leaning against the sore spot making it worse!
george Posts: 789 Joined: 2000/12/01	2009/08/03, 11:12 PM Very interesting. One of my friends has recently started with them and swears by them now. Seems I'll have to give these a try as well.
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2009/08/04, 08:49 AM The soreness should go away as you use them more and more.
jspiked Posts: 47 Joined: 2009/06/14	2009/08/05, 09:44 AM my gym doesn't have kettle bells. Although we did use them back in high school during wrestling season. I loved doing cleans and snatches -------------- When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot, and hang on. ~pres. Roosevelt
gammimc Posts: 2 Joined: 2010/05/04	2010/05/04, 12:51 AM Are there any good DVD's that can help get a person started? And, what weight of KB should the average male start with? ============ Quoting from TimDay: I love 'em. They are part of my regular routine. =============
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2010/05/04, 08:47 AM Buy the book "Enter the Kettlebell" and the accompanying DVD. They are by Pavel Tsatsouline. I don't have the DVD yet, but apparently they are a very good companion. As for starting weight. It depends upon your current level of fitness. I would say certainly, if possible, have a 25lb and a 35lb bell handy. Tons of information at dragondoor.com -------------- I see the words you are typing, but all I read is *click*click*click* Fat loss isn?t under the control of the magic fat loss fairies. - Alwyn Cosgrove
gammimc Posts: 2 Joined: 2010/05/04	2010/05/04, 12:49 PM TimDay: Thank you for the info. Been reading about kb's a lot lately, they sound very intriguing.
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2010/05/04, 07:30 PM They are my favourite tool right now, although I've added in some barbell work, too. Stick with the Program Minimum in Enter the Kettlebell for a while. Focus on Swings and the Turkish Get Up.