Krazy Kettlebells

Lots of folks claim you can’t get bigger muscles by working out with a kettlebell. There are many good weight lifters who say that skinny guys won’t get more muscular unless they use dumbbells or barbells in their resistance training. But that’s not really accurate. In fact, you can add weight and muscle with kettlebells if you know what you’re doing. And I’m going to show you how to do just that.

Guess what: there are no strength training tools simpler than kettlebells. Kettlebells are simple in form and function, and so are kettlebell exercises that you do to get better physically. But just because they’re simple doesn’t mean they’re not ultra-effective. With a kettlebell routine, you’ll be able to reach any goal you set for yourself.

Three moves make up all good strength training programs: squats (legs), pushing moves, and pulling moves. Without these three aspects of a strength training program, you won’t be able to add very much muscle mass and you’ll remain at your present level of power and strength. With all three of these bases covered, it’s a simple matter to get stronger as long as your nutrition is acceptable and you’re gaining weight. But many guys who don’t have much time in the gym don’t know how to use kettlebell exercises to work these three areas. That should be the main sticking point of any kettlebell routine: to find moves that replace and/or complement barbell exercises traditionally used to gain weight.

Another problem exists, and kettlebell users often run into this. The theory of progressive resistance is what I’m referring to. Simply put, progressive resistance is the idea that you need to add weight to the bar each time you lift if you want to get stronger.

Barbells are designed to make it easy for us to add progressive resistance into our lifting programs. Putting more weight plates on the barbell is very easy. Kettlebells, on the other hand, are not as easy to add weight to. There really was no reliable way to add weight to a kettlebell workout until recently.

But with modern adjustable kettlebells, all that has changed.

It’s child’s play to use a modern adjustable kettlebell. You can easily dial in your working weight, and it’s simple to add weight on a regular basis as your body gets stronger and more capable. In fact, one adjustable bell replaces 3 (or more) traditional fixed-weight kettlebells. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that they cost a bit more up front. In the long run, it’s less expensive to use adjustable bells than old-fashioned fixed bells. The list of the best adjustable bells includes the Ironmaster adjustable kettlebell for guys who really work out seriously, and the Stamina kettle versa bell for folks that plan to use less weight but still get a great kettlebell workout.

Once you get your hands on a kettlebell that makes it as easy to change weight and workout intensity as barbells or dumbbells do, your exercise routine will get you the results you are after. Don’t let your gains and progress stall because of the drawbacks of cast-iron kettlebells. So don’t waste time with fixed-weight bells. Get an adjustable kettlebell because it’s the state of the art as far as kettlebell workouts is concerned.

It’s one of the most common complaints about kettlebells — that kettlebell prices are crazy expensive — and most kettlebell enthusiasts know this is the reason kettlebells are not more popular.

Market forces drive prices

Kettlebells are still somewhat new. And that’s why they cost so much. It’s the companies that are early into any given market that can charge a premium for items that later become much more common — and much less expensive.

So it’s almost a certain that kettlebell prices will fall in the future.

But how far will they fall? Read on.

Indicators

Most kettlebells are pretty simple to manufacture. Simpler than dumbbells even. So it’s not the manufacturing process in and of itself that is keeping the costs up.

And shipping costs are high because of the continuing high cost of oil. But they shouldn’t be very much higher (if at all) than dumbbells. So that’s not the reason either.

Basically, we expect prices to fall a bit when more manufacturers and distributers get into this market.

Final word

Finally, the most important factor that will bring prices down to reasonable levels is market saturation. When there are finally so many kettlebells in circulation that people start to sell them second-hand, prices will inevitably fall.

Right now, it’s still hard to get your hands on a ‘bell in some areas. But when more and more folks have them, prices will naturally fall.

So what’s your guess? How long will it be until reason prevails? When do you expect kettlebell prices to fall?

Lots of people are learning that kettlebells offer performance and ease of use that is unrivaled among other sorts of exercise and strength training equipment.

But it can be confusing because although kettlebells seem like a simple item, there are lots of different sorts of ‘bells available.

We all want to get the most bang for our buck and make sure to get the things that really suit us.  So with that in mind, here is a quick guide to the sorts of kettlebells that are available and which of them will probably suit you best.

Wide handles or regular stubby handles

The handle of your kettlebell has a lot to do with how you can use it.  Some older, traditional ‘bells had thick, stubby handles.  These are good for normal kettlebell workouts that feature a lot of overhead moves like snatches, jerks, presses, and the like.

Thick handle kettlebells ‘fit’ in the crook of your hand very comfortably, and they don’t really move around much as you put them overhead.

But wide-handle bells are becoming very popular because people find them more versatile than the stubby, thick ones.

With a wide handle, you can easily do two-handed moves like swings.  And, it becomes a bit easier to let the ‘bell swing around your arm during moves like windmills or turkish getups.

So unless you’re lifting really heavy overhead, a wide handle kettlebell is probably the best choice for you.

Adjustable kettlebell or fixed-weight?

The number one innovation to come along in recent times (at least as far as kettlebell folks are concerned) are adjustable kettlebells.  These combine the best features of good strength training equipment like adjustable barbells or dumbbells, with the unique training benefits of good old kettlebells.

In other words, the best feature is that they are adjustable in weight and they let you choose the proper training weight for whatever exercise you’re planning to do.  This means you won’t have to do heavy swings with a light ‘bell, or light jerks with a wrist-breaking heavy kettlebell.  You’ll always be just right.

Iron or steel?

The newest trend is towards steel kettlebells.  They’re precision-machined to be just the right weight, and they have a better fit and finish than traditional cast iron bells.

But unless you plan to compete in a sanctioned kettlebell competition, it’s really not necessary to spring for the extra expense of a steel kettlebell.

Get yourself either an adjustable ‘bell, or a cast iron bell that’s coated with vinyl to prevent rust.  Either way, you’ll be happy with your new aquisition.

If you’re in the market for a workout that combines the best of both worlds — strength and conditioning — and is based on good old-fashioned hard work combined with a bit of new-fangled exercise theory, why not give kettlebell training a try?

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about kettlebells:

The kettlebell … is a cast iron weight (resembling a cannonball with a handle) used to perform ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training.

But what does that really mean?  Read on and I’ll explain…

Ballistic exercises are those that you do with power and speed, as opposed to exercises that train pure muscular strength.  Ballistic movements put stress not only on the muscle fibers, but on tendons and ligaments too.  They’re used for speed and power development, and the main goal of ballistic training is to develop overall athleticism rather than brute strength.

Although it’s a bit of a stretch to claim that kettlebells develop ‘cardiovascular’ capacity, many guys (and gals) who work out with kettlebells use high rep exercise schemes that promote cardio conditioning.  It’s this sort of versatility that makes kettlebell training everything to every man.

Strength training is an obvious benefit of kettlebell work.  After all, kettlebells are weights and, for the most part, what we do with them is simple resistance training.

Flexibility, however, is a bit harder to understand in the context of kettlebells.  But when you examine most of the popular kettlebell movements — like swings, for instance — you’ll notice that it takes you through a full range of motion that can’t help but develop and maintain good functional flexibility.

So don’t be afraid to add some kettlebell moves into your next fitness workout.  If you’re like many of the folks who have done just that, you’ll probably find that kettlebells are just what the doctor ordered for anyone who needs to spice up their fitness workouts and cover all the bases when it comes to strength, flexibility, and cardio conditioning training.