I’ve had a chance to play around with my new kettlebell a few times now. At first it was a little intimidating…
Jake approaches my new kettlebell cautiously
But after a while, it became routine.
Jake finds the whole kettlebell thing very boring
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OK so the cat wasn’t impressed. What are your first impressions?
Here are my first impressions of the kettlebell (and I reserve the right to change my mind):
- The kettlebell is so much easier to swing than a dumbbell of the same weight…
- …and it feels lighter to swing than a dumbbell of the same weight.
- But it feels heavier than a dumbbell of the same weight when you’re just carrying it around.
- The kettlebell is so much easier to press cleanly than a dumbbell of the same weight. The way the kettlebell sits in the groove and pulls backwards and activates the lats makes for a really nice, smooth press. With a dumbbell, I always feel like I am controlling it in the lateral plane as much as moving it vertically.
- The bottom-up press is a lot harder than it looks… but to be fair I am limiting myself on how much I play with this. I don’t want it to get out of hand.
- The rack position isn’t obvious but once found is quite comfortable.
- The halo hasn’t done anything for my shoulders… yet. In fact, it makes them a little uncomfortable. I wonder whether the increased laxity common to swimmers (and baseball pitchers) that Eric Cressey talks about is afflicting me on this count. I am nervous about continuing with this exercise despite the recommendations that it will make my shoulders better.
- The swing feels quite natural but makes my hips click after a day sat in the office. Also, I noticed that I had to pack my shoulders very consciously while swinging the kettlebell otherwise it would make them sore. This is something I have never noticed swinging a dumbbell. Overall, I felt much tighter and snappier.
- The “sumo deadlift with toes against a wall mobility test” is a nice little test that isn’t too stringent (compared to the similar overhead squat test, which is much harder) but which is still a good red flag if you can’t do it. I noticed that if I struggled to collect the kettlebell without overbalancing then I would benefit from a bit of rolling before my workout.
- I kept feeling the overwhelming urge to address people as “comrade” for hours after each practice session. I am sure that this will pass, however…
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Thoughts?
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Those pictures of Jake made me smile. Do let us know how you get on with the kettlebells, I’m curious.
Greetings from good old Germany
Alexandra
Great aren’t they? He was really curious when I went outside with this wierd black blob with a handle. He’s really not that fussed now. The only trouble I have with him is that he keeps trying to climb on top of me when I’m doing turkish get-ups. Added resistance, I guess…
I’m progressing slowly and surely. I’m finding that there are things that are easier to get right than I expected (pressing, BUP’ing) and things that are harder to get right (swings, get-ups). Halos are becoming steadily less painful, which is reassuring.
I guess I’ll keep going until I feel that I’ve settled into a good form. Then I’ll have a bash at learning how to snatch.
My two cats love to climb on top me me whenever I get down on the floor to do push-ups…. Added resistance indeed
Is there any Kettlebell info for beginners out there on the web that you would recommend?
That might work. Jake would find it fairly easy to stay on board during push-ups. He really does get his claws in. The only trouble is he doesn’t like the garage because there’s no carpet for him to scratch and he’s actually really heavy.
I am really liking Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel for a couple of reasons: (1) I like the warm up stretches and mobility checks that are prescribed: they are very simple and effective. (2) I like the focus on the swing and the get-up and getting the skills down. (3) I like the way Pavel shows what good form looks like and what bad form looks like. (4) He has a nice writing style that conveys concepts simply. I’ll do a full book review in a week or two once I’ve had chance to really bed both the swing and the get-up in.
Re: internet resources generally, I would have a flick through Dragondoor at their articles and check YouTube for Dan John’s tutorials.
Also, specifically for the get-up, look at this , which is the best thing I have seen on the web for get-ups.
For the swing, I am still looking for something that really shows the difference between a hip-initiated swing and a squat-swing. I’ll post it up when I find it. If anyone else has something to fit the bill, please shout up…
Thanks Chris! Looking forward to the book review.
can’t stand them
seriously though they are the main component of my “garage gym”. I am pretty much kettlebell exclusive with the addition of a pullup bar, battling ropes and a dumptruck tire. Beats the gym any day of the week.
Eric
btw Jake is awesome
Thanks for dropping by, Eric.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, barbells have cast their evil spell upon me now. So even if I managed to get the kettlebell bug, I can’t see myself dropping them
I would like space for a big tire, though. That sounds tempting…
Jake is awesome but the trouble is, he knows it.