"I want buy kettle bells", was the words of a friend mine Simon Chandler who wanted to get himself and his family into some exercise. Simon knows me as a fitness trainer under my business name of Stay Slim and Avoid the Gym, and approached me around a year ago wanting to get into regular exercise. A year ago I got Simon onto some of the basics with some structured cardiovascular training and some nutritional advice. Simon came back recently to me for some advice on buying kettlebells as he wasn't sure which size, make or even the best place to buy them from. I gave him the recommendations he needed and off he went. This Scenario gave me the idea behind my post today to give people advice on what kettlebell size to get and a place to buy them from.
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| Standard Cast Iron Kettlebell |
Kettlebells range from 4kg-alway up to 40kg, going up in weight increments of 4kg, so you got 4kg, then 8kg, then 12kg and so on typically, and there are 3 main types of kettlebell. There is the cast iron kettlebell which are commonly used in the health and fitness industry, although they are not always made of cast iron it is recommended you do buy the cast iron one as it will last you a life time. The only thing that can really go wrong with it is that the paint does chip away sometimes especially if used outside on concrete and begins to rust slightly. To overcome this you can buy a kettlebell that comes with a rubber casing around he bottom of the kettlebell which protects the paint work and cast iron.
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| Vinyl Coated Cast Iron kettlebell |
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| Competition Kettlebell |
The second type of kettlebell is the competition kettlebell, more expensive than regular cast iron one as its made of stainless still and the way it is made. The competition kettlebells are made to a standard size regardless of the weight. So the 4kg will be the same size as the 40 kg, what they do is the 4kg is a hollow shell and they make the skin of the shell more thicker to increase the weight of the kettle bell. The reason for the competition kettlebells being the same size but a different weight is that if the kettlebells are smaller in size it will travel through the air faster than a kettlebell that is bigger. All it does is standardised the air resistance during the swing on all weights, although you will gain a training advantage from this, its not essential. One big advantage they do have being stainless still it will never rust.
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| Weight Adjustable kettle bell |
The 3rd type of kettlebell are ones that have adjusting weight plates on them so you can change the weight of the kettlebell. This is great if you don't want to own lots kettle bells to save on storage space. The main draw back is that you have to keep changing the weight as where if you own a set of kettle bells you can just pick hop another kettle bell.
So whether you are complete beginner to kettle bells and exercise or the more experienced exercise here is the complete guide on what kettlebells to get.
The 4Kg Kettlebell
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| 4kg Kettlebell |
In terms of kettle bell training the 4kg does not do a great deal for the body overall as kettlebell training is about the swing movement which works the Thighs, Glutes, lower back and abdomen. However I do own a few myself as they are great for isolation exercises such as bicep curls, tricep extensions and lateral raises.
The 8kg Kettlebell
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| 8kg Kettlebell |
The 8kg is a great starter kettle bell, its good a good weight for swing and can also be used for other compound work too like squats and shoulder press. You can also use it for isolation exercises such as bicep curls, tricep extensions and lateral raise.
The 12 kg Kettlebell
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| 12 kg Kettlebell |
The 12 kg kettlebell is a good one to add to your set as you will quickly become use to the 8kg on most of the compound exercises such as squats, swing, cleans, and the snatch. It will take a bit longer with the more advanced moves such as the turkish get and windmill along with many isolation exercises like bicep curls.
The 16 kg Kettlebell
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| 16 kg Kettlebell |
The 16 kg kettlebell is good for some who is naturally strong and wants to get into kettlebell training. You should add this to the starter set too as you maybe able to do some of the main compound exercises such as dead lift, squat and two handed swing. For exercises such as bicep curls and shoulder press the 16 kg maybe be difficult for novices to intermediate levels of strength training.
The 20 kg Kettlebell
The 20 kg would be more suitable for a person who has been using the 8kg,12kg,16kg for 3-6 months and now finding those weights unchallenging. If someone has been weight/strength training for a longtime then they should also be ok the 20kg kettle bell. The 20 kg kettlebell may not be suitable for the majority people for isolation exercises such as single arm bicep curls and tricep extensions. If you are at starter level and you do want to purchase a 20 kg kettlebell for your kettlebell set then this will be fine as you can use it for squats and dead lifts
The 24kg Kettlebell
The 24 kg is a weight that is really for the intermediate-advanced level kettle bell user or someone who has a history of strength training. The 24 kg ketltebell is going to be mostly used for your compound movements such as squats, dead lifts, one arm rows, two handed and singlehanded swing, cleans, and snatch. Experienced lifters could use the 24kg kettlebell for shoulder press, bicep curls and tricep extensions.
The 28kg Kettlebell
The 28 kg kettlebell is for the more experienced kettlebell traininer and weight lifter. A lot of people could well dead lift or squat with a 28kg kettlebell. However the swings, snatch or cleans will only be able to be done by more experienced kettlebell users. An experienced lifter or kettlebell trainer should be able to shoulder press this weight and use it for one arm rows. The 28 kg kettlebell is not much use for for single isolation works such as one arm bicep curls, unless you are an very experienced to elite lifter/athlete.
The 32kg Kettlebell
The 32 kg kettlebell is most likely going to be used solely for compound exercises by most people such as the dead lift or squat. However using it for the swings, cleans and snatches are for very experienced kettlebell users. The isolation exercises are going to be very difficult with the 32 kg kettlebell and should only be attempted by very experienced or elite lifters.
The 36kg and 40kg Kettlebell
The 36 kg & 40 kg kettlebell fall into the same category in many ways, again most people may well be able to some compound training with these weights such as dead lifts and squats. If you are able to swing these two handed you are doing very well. If you are doing a single hand swing or even the clean and or the snatch then you have well and truly mastered the art of kettlebell training. Shoulder press and one arm rows of the 36&40kg kettlebell is possible for the advanced weight trainer.
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