Kettlebells are the $***!

[street_fighter]

I just got a couple kettlebells yesterday, I wasn't too sure about what weight to get, I'm a lightweight so I got a 16kg and a 24 kg (about 35lbs, and 53lbs). Man, I can barely feel my body today, I'm floating. F*** gyms, you can do pretty much anything with these babies, all compound lifts and sick grip strength. I will miss heavy squats though, but I can do alternating lunges, and some interesting squat variations with these...

How do you guys train, any circuits, or programs you use? Whats your favorite exercise? I'm quite fond of the turkish get-up, but Im scared to put it at the end of a circuit, I can see me getting KOed...

[cjurakpt]

just did a seminar at LKFMDC's school this past weekend, and had a great time! It wa taught by one of his instructors, Tim O'Connor, and was a great intro to the skill set -
(BTW, to show you how me and Dave think alike: my intended first comment to him was going to be "Dave, you may want to dial 9-1- on your phone"; he beat me to it, saying, "Chris, I have the ambulance waiting downstairs...")

incidently, one of my friends, Mike Pekor who is a taiji teacher out here on LI who's big into full-powere pushing and whatnot, now swears by them - and I agree, as they are very functional in terms of how they train you

so, I just went out and bought a 16kg the other day, now that I have recovered from the initial experience; interesting sidenote: the 16kg (35 lbs) is the "traditional" weight from Russia - 16 kg was originally 1 "pood" which is a unit of measure used in Russian agriculture prior to conversion to the metric suystem enforced by the Communist Party (1924, i think?); the old expression goes "you don't really know a man until you've eaten a "pood" of salt with him" - meaning that the amount of time it takes to eat that much salt at table with someone is a long time (you don't eat a "pood" all at one sitting, duh - although if you did, you might get to know someone pretty well...)

ok, just some mindless ramblings...

[lkfmdc]

interesting sidenote: the 16kg (35 lbs) is the "traditional" weight from Russia - 16 kg was originally 1 "pood" which is a unit of measure used in Russian agriculture prior to conversion to the metric suystem enforced by the Communist Party (1924, i think?); the old expression goes "you don't really know a man until you've eaten a "pood" of salt with him" - meaning that the amount of time it takes to eat that much salt at table with someone is a long time (you don't eat a "pood" all at one sitting, duh - although if you did, you might get to know someone pretty well...)

true Chris, all the way....

[cjurakpt]

true Chris, all the way....

hey, I reseamble that remark?

(just wait until I finish my treatise deconstructing the kinematics of the basic 2-handed swing...I've even got some opinions from an "expert" on this forum...)

[lkfmdc]

just wait until I finish my treatise deconstructing ......

runs, in horror, screaming from the room

[cjurakpt]

runs, in horror, screaming from the room

well, it was the only way to get to the ha gow first...

[Dale Dugas]

I just got a couple kettlebells yesterday, I wasn't too sure about what weight to get, I'm a lightweight so I got a 16kg and a 24 kg (about 35lbs, and 53lbs). Man, I can barely feel my body today, I'm floating. F*** gyms, you can do pretty much anything with these babies, all compound lifts and sick grip strength. I will miss heavy squats though, but I can do alternating lunges, and some interesting squat variations with these...

How do you guys train, any circuits, or programs you use? Whats your favorite exercise? I'm quite fond of the turkish get-up, but Im scared to put it at the end of a circuit, I can see me getting KOed...

Glad to hear you are liking the balls of iron.

Ive been using em for a while now.

Here is a vid of me wearing my 60 pound weight vest and throwing up two 50 pounders and walking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBaBv0rbUk4

Be well, train hard

[Ben Gash]

I too love the kettlebells, and I too don't regret cancelling my gym subscription.
My "home gym" consists of a stepper, 2 kettlebells and a pair of grippers.
Has anyone tried clubbells? The downside of kettlebells is the lack of lateral movements.

[kismet]

Love those kettlebells, fantastic and versatile. Trained last night at home with them and really aching this morning. Usually try to very the exercises I do from single, double and alternating - swings, clean press, snatch press, turkish get up, squats.

I believe you can train lateral exercises with kettlebells. Just looking on youtube or reading around you can find a wealth of information and loads of different exercises.

Check below for lateral swing.

http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=77

[Suntzu]

a "quick" circuit from the other day:

clean and jerk - 5 rep each arm
turkish get up - 1 rep each arm

clean and jerk - 4 rep each arm
turkish get up - 2 rep each arm

clean and jerk - 3 rep each arm
turkish get up - 3 rep each arm

clean and jerk - 2 rep each arm
turkish get up - 4 rep each arm

clean and jerk - 1 rep each arm
turkish get up - 5 rep each arm

shoulders will be fried crispy when done....

[street_fighter]

very cool boys. taking notes. kettlebells keep suprising me. very versatile. what do you guys think are the best KB exercises for raw power? is there any way to add difficulty to lifts when your weight is getting too light? i get the feeling I am going to outgrow my little bells very soon...

[Suntzu]

i use my smaller ones in several ways to keep them challenging....

- high reps as part of a circuit
- assistance movements for bigger lifts.... eg. barbell deadlfts + kb squat cleans..... bar squats + swings etc...
- double kb exercises
- google "escalating density training"
- buy a bigger one

[WinterPalm]

Here's something:

1 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
2 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

2 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
4 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

3 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
6 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

4 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
8 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

5 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
10 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

4 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
8 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

3 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
6 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

2 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
4 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

1 Pullup (Strict, chest touching the bar)
2 Kettlebell Clean and Strict Press

Then do:
1-Arm Snatch: 10 Reps Each Side for 10 Sets. Timed rest of exactly 30 Sec.

Enjoy.

[street_fighter]

alright, been playing with EDT now for almost a month (starting the day you recommended it, suntzu). I'm in love! it has completely changed the way i think about training. i have made ENORMOUS gains. my body has changed completely (also due to me chugging weight gainer everyday). i'm pretty sure i've gained about 10 pounds (which for me, is a miracle.)

I'm doing 20 minutes of military press & snatches. 5 minute break, then 15 minutes of swings & renegade rows (/bent rows). then a five minute core work out. i'm doing sets of 30+ one arm swings with the 24 kg, its killing me, in a good way.

i am just wondering about rest periods. strangely enough, i don't usually wake up swore the next day like i used to with isolation weight training. i want to start training w/ KB everyday instead of every other day. probably day 1, upper-body, day 2, lower body+bodyweight&core. just wondering if its a good idea?

also, ive been kinda back and fourth on swings, no pun intended. which do you guys feel is more beneficial, one arm or double swings???

thanks alot, for all your help

[Scott R. Brown]

also, ive been kinda back and fourth on swings, no pun intended. which do you guys feel is more beneficial, one arm or double swings???

Do Both, single arm one day and two arm the next. Throw in some plyometric jumps on the up swing from time to time too. Watch it on the down swing though, don't get carried away. Keep Your back flat/straight.