Kettlebells?

Originally Posted by robertorex

Click to expand...

how do you like the super smooth handles? I'm not sure how I feel about them. I've only ever held kettlebells with a bit of texture and that's what I'm more comfortable with atm.

The handle is smoother than my DD 1 pood, but it doesn't bother me. If it did, I'd chalk up or wrap it with tape. I bought the DD KB first, when they had some super sale a while back, but would never pay full DD price. I like to play around with KB's but I don't feel they are any more special than a DB. Use a DB for snatch, C&J, swing, Turkish Get-Up, etc. and you get the same results. I guess juggling is one KB only exercise, but I don't juggle. KB's do feel heavier for their weight, but can't you just grab a heavier DB? I do like the impact that KB's have had in fitness - full body movements done at a heart-racing pace. Unfortunately, DB's are often used in isolation exercises only.

this goes back to the whole "what's so special about kettlebells" discussion, but I really like the momentum play and ballistic shock you get when you're swinging around a weight that's off-center from you. With a dumbell it just never felt quite the same to me. The one exercise for which I think a dumbell might actualy be better than a kettlebell is the turkish getup, but whatever. I like KB's and I think they'll fill most of what I need.

Originally Posted by robertorex

Click to expand...

this goes back to the whole "what's so special about kettlebells" discussion, but I really like the momentum play and ballistic shock you get when you're swinging around a weight that's off-center from you. With a dumbell it just never felt quite the same to me. The one exercise for which I think a dumbell might actualy be better than a kettlebell is the turkish getup, but whatever. I like KB's and I think they'll fill most of what I need.

I like them, but I just find it hard to justify the price. For the price of a 1.5 pood w/ shipping, I can buy a lot of DB's off Craigslist or a set of new 45 pound bumper plates. There is something cool about them, though, that just makes you want to pick them and play with them.

If it's not a bother, fill me in on your KB workouts (days per week and exercise/reps/sets). I teach and am off for the summer. I'm always up for a new fitness routine. I usually O-lift in the summer as I have a nice platform and bumpers in my garage, but I'll mix in Crossfit, Ross Enamait and any other routine that will kick ******. Maybe I'll give KB's a three month whirl and see if it changes my opinion.

Originally Posted by Grayland

Click to expand...

I usually O-lift in the summer as I have a nice platform and bumpers in my garage, but I'll mix in Crossfit, Ross Enamait and any other routine that will kick ******. Maybe I'll give KB's a three month whirl and see if it changes my opinion.

I'm jealous.

Just get a cheap 53# KB. I think Bumpers are far superior...

gym just got in a set, from 12 to 75 lbs. going to play a bit on an "off" day

Originally Posted by Grayland

Click to expand...

The handle is smoother than my DD 1 pood, but it doesn't bother me. If it did, I'd chalk up or wrap it with tape. I bought the DD KB first, when they had some super sale a while back, but would never pay full DD price. I like to play around with KB's but I don't feel they are any more special than a DB. Use a DB for snatch, C&J, swing, Turkish Get-Up, etc. and you get the same results. I guess juggling is one KB only exercise, but I don't juggle. KB's do feel heavier for their weight, but can't you just grab a heavier DB? I do like the impact that KB's have had in fitness - full body movements done at a heart-racing pace. Unfortunately, DB's are often used in isolation exercises only.

The DD bells have smoother handles because they're made for high rep C&J and snatch. The national competition is something like max number of lifts in 20min and if you have a rough handle it'll tear your hands apart.

Originally Posted by Grayland

Click to expand...

I like them, but I just find it hard to justify the price. For the price of a 1.5 pood w/ shipping, I can buy a lot of DB's off Craigslist or a set of new 45 pound bumper plates. There is something cool about them, though, that just makes you want to pick them and play with them.

If it's not a bother, fill me in on your KB workouts (days per week and exercise/reps/sets). I teach and am off for the summer. I'm always up for a new fitness routine. I usually O-lift in the summer as I have a nice platform and bumpers in my garage, but I'll mix in Crossfit, Ross Enamait and any other routine that will kick ******. Maybe I'll give KB's a three month whirl and see if it changes my opinion.

Sure. Currently I work out 5x/week with kettlebells exclusively on three days. This summer I'm going to get into a routine focusing on double kettlebells 3x/week and heavy overhead squatting 2x/ week. Haven't settled on a good 2 KB routine yet, but here's a circuit I like for single kettlebells twice a week:

5x squat clean each hand
5x push press each hand
5x clean and jerk each hand
5x snatch each hand

for 5 rounds, rest 90sec-120sec in between rounds.

On the third day, I just do 5 sets of 4 turkish getups, each hand. On off days, I just pick up the kettlebell and military press it in sets of 5-7 whenever I feel.

Another one I use every now and then is:

5x military press each hand
5 pullups

for 5 rounds, rest 1min in between each round. Then finish off with a "pyramid" snatch workout - you snatch once with your right, once with your left, twice with your right, twice with your left, and so on... till you get to 8,9, or 10 with each hand. then once you get there, reverse the pyramid and go down. No time constraint on this exercise, you can take small breaks in between the big sets but just do it as fast as you can with good form.

Hope it helps.

Originally Posted by jaydc7

Click to expand...

I'm jealous.

Just get a cheap 53# KB. I think Bumpers are far superior...

I already have 35 lb and 53 lb KB. I also have an adjustable plate-loading KB (Iron Woody?) that is OK for swings and presses.

Originally Posted by thekunk07

Click to expand...

gym just got in a set, from 12 to 75 lbs. going to play a bit on an "off" day

I wish I could afford to go to a nice gym, or a gym with nice equipment at least. The trainers at my school's gym are tools and won't even let me borrow the gymnastics rings

^Buy your own. Although I had to sneak them into the gym at my college.

Originally Posted by robertorex

Click to expand...

Sure. Currently I work out 5x/week with kettlebells exclusively on three days. This summer I'm going to get into a routine focusing on double kettlebells 3x/week and heavy overhead squatting 2x/ week. Haven't settled on a good 2 KB routine yet, but here's a circuit I like for single kettlebells twice a week:

5x squat clean each hand
5x push press each hand
5x clean and jerk each hand
5x snatch each hand

for 5 rounds, rest 90sec-120sec in between rounds.

On the third day, I just do 5 sets of 4 turkish getups, each hand. On off days, I just pick up the kettlebell and military press it in sets of 5-7 whenever I feel.

Another one I use every now and then is:

5x military press each hand
5 pullups

for 5 rounds, rest 1min in between each round. Then finish off with a "pyramid" snatch workout - you snatch once with your right, once with your left, twice with your right, twice with your left, and so on... till you get to 8,9, or 10 with each hand. then once you get there, reverse the pyramid and go down. No time constraint on this exercise, you can take small breaks in between the big sets but just do it as fast as you can with good form.

Hope it helps.

Thank you. One thing I do really like about KB routines is that they are normally set up in a "complex" fashion. One exercise right after the other with very little rest. I also like the idea of the 2 hand workouts a la Mike Mahler.

Originally Posted by thekunk07

Click to expand...

gym just got in a set, from 12 to 75 lbs. going to play a bit on an "off" day

Make sure you read up on proper technique and watch some youtube demos

Originally Posted by Flambeur

Click to expand...

Make sure you read up on proper technique and watch some youtube demos

plus a million. I hurt myself first starting out just muscling **** up, something you def. don't want to do even if you can.

Originally Posted by jaydc7

Click to expand...

^Buy your own. Although I had to sneak them into the gym at my college.

I know I just dropped $180 on kettlebells, but I have trouble paying $70 for pieces of plastic, to put it crudely. Granted the KB's are just "pieces of iron" but oh well... I'll probably man up and get them sooner or later anyway.

Originally Posted by Grayland

Click to expand...

Thank you. One thing I do really like about KB routines is that they are normally set up in a "complex" fashion. One exercise right after the other with very little rest. I also like the idea of the 2 hand workouts a la Mike Mahler.

One of my favorite* conditioning workouts is 5 rounds of:

1 Minute of KB Swings (Max Reps)
1 Minute of KB Presses (Max Reps)
1 Minute of Heavy Bag work or Full Contact sparring (if using bag count max number of full power strikes)

I keep the weights on the KBs down since it's supposed to be more of a conditioning exercise. Swings at 1.5 pood max and presses at 1 pood.

*By favorite I mean it makes me want to die.