Simple question dumbbells are relatively inexpensive and Kettlebells are very expensive (at least in the UK anyway) so what’s the difference i.e. what can I do with a kettlebell that I can’t do with a dumbbell?
I find kettlebell training a bit more intense. They work the stabilizers, grip, and your balance far more than dumbbells do IMO I find avoiding forearm bruises a challenge but that's a matter of working on your technique. Check out this site for UK purchase www.intensefitness.co.uk
-Bottoms-up lifting, where the 'bell points up in the air and you squeeze the holy heck out of the handle to keep it that way. -Open Palm lifting, where the 'bell sits cradled in your palm as if you were supporting a soccer ball in your hand. - Exercises like swings and snatches can be done with either tool, but feel smoother with a KB. - Any exercise where the 'bell rests on the outside of your forearm will require more shoulder stabilizer strength and involvement. (Like Presses, Overhead Squats, Turkish Get-ups, etc.) All of these can be seen as either positives, or as inconsequentials. Your call. My general rule; if you already have a barbell set and a pair of dumbbells, then maybe consider picking up a KB for fun and variety.
Well I found an item called a kettlestack which allows you to use your disc weights and convert them into a kettlebell with a bracket. Quite a bit cheaper and I’m guessing the result will be more or less the same. http://www.kettlestack.com/level.itml/icOid/107
Get an old tin of paint and a broom handle. Cut a hole in the tin's lid to match the broom handle. Fill the empty tin with cement and stick in the broom handle. You now have a free device like a bear club that will give you many similar advantages for no cost. Mitch
Smart. Good solution if you don't have the big bucks that kettlebells entail. Same can be said about the fractional plates for microloading. I use industrial washers instead which I attach to the dumbbells using industrial strength magnets. This combo saved me a lot of $. DC.
Here's an old review of Kettlestacks on T-Nation. About the broomstick-paintcan idea, if I'm picturing it correctly, that would end up more like a clubbell. Function-wise, it's nothing like a kettlebell, but just as quirky and pretty much, kinda-sorta effective. As far as I'm concerned, homemade equipment rocks (Literally. I have 2 rocks at home. I've got to get a pic of them sometime.)
