ARE KETTELBELLS OVER RATED?

Yes the kettle bell is totally overrated and I cant see why the whole world has lost its rabid mind on them except that mma guys use them.

 

What experience is that based on?

I don't use them often due to lack of access, when i join my new gym they'll become more regular.

Perhaps it's for the same reason that MMA guys use them? Strong and powerful hip extension is a useful trait for striking, grappling, lifting, being strong, being fit, being alive, running, jumping, pulling the limbs of rabid lions, pulling a small child from a train track, throwing other children on train tracks and not having low back pain.

 

Sometimes I almost forget how cool you are...

As of tomorow morning I'll be lifting in a pro rugby S+C centre with some pro rugby players, there are some fairly hefty looking KBs I'm looking forward to playing with.

 

Kettle bells are fantastic for functional strength training! They force you to have good technique, provide a full range of motion and really kick your ass when you are working out with them. I learned from Ken Blackburn who works with Steve Cotter. (I grew up with Ken and he is great at what he does) They are both great guys and if you want to learn properly they can really show you how.

IKKF

 

you mean apart from the fact its an over priced fixed weight originally brought to the west by someone who was less than forth coming about his credentials and who made up most if the traditional exercises on the spot with a mate of his?

 

I'm Always the first to stand up and slate the Church of Kettebell guys, but we need a bit more than you not liking Pavel.

In November last year I tore my left meniscus, I abandoned Wendler's 5/3/1 because I couldn't squat. I went on a programme of kb and bodyweight up until now. A month ago having not deadlifted for 6 months, I pulled twice bodyweight on dl (not a big deal but considering I hadn't trained it....). That was swinging double 24s for no more than ten reps at a time, for conditioning.

I've become a convert to the school of hardstyle. But.... It's still a tool, and barbell does trump it I certain arenas.

 

Would it not be fair to say that the kettlebell is over rated by some and under rated by others? The perfect tool for certain tasks, less so for others? If I could afford more than the two I have then I would use them more frequently, but two bells of fixed weights limits progression opportunities.

 

Progression on what though? I can squat upto 100kg, but a lot less than that with KBs, whether as a Goblet Squat or single KB or double KB Clean & Squat. Last night I did 100 KB swings with 16kg, too easy at that weight when warmed up at the end of a workout, more a mental than physical challenge, keeping count. I don't think I'm ready to do 100 KB snatches with the same weight yet. I still need to improve the technique. I'd estimate it about twice as difficult so 4 sets of 10 and my technique is breaking down.

I think you can still work on some exercises which are more challenging with just a couple. I have a 12 and 16 at home. KB sots press I can barely do one with a single 12kg. There is a bit of a learning curve with them, just as Barbell. Put in the time and you get some benefits just like several other bits of S&C kit it's worth thinking what you want to get from a particular exercise, or really there is no point in doing it and that applies as much to Barbell, Dumbbells and bodyweight stuff as Kettlebells

 

Functional trainers also use bosu balls, stretch bands, shake weights and get people to stand on stability balls.........

Id say its a nice to have not a must have, and that most of the beneficial exercises with kettlebells (swings, cleans, get ups etc) can be done just as well with dumbbells which usually work out cheaper, are easier to adjust and more readily available

 

Boss.

 

i actually gave three points : 1)over priced for what they are, 2) sold by someone telling untruths about his background, and 3) most of the actual lifts were made up between pavel and steve maxwell so how useful the lifts are to an athlete is anyones guess

But ok some other things i dont like about them: unless you get a plate loaded one you cant change weights or increase the weight unless you buy the next bell up, usually the jump is too big for most people or too expensive, so you end up doing reps with a weight you can do easily, so its hardly strength building

They were marketed as easier to use and to learn than OL lifts but give the same benefit in terms of explosive conditioning, now the certificate courses for them cost hundreds and last days, so much for easy and cheap

 

Hey how do you modify dumbbell a for a kettle bells role?

I like the swings and stuff cos of the hip pop but it has not such a great benefit over o lift variations (high pulls) or gluten bridges in term of loading and the stress on the spine is insane.

A standard pood is easy sawce weights. Wish the had heavier ones.

 

Nice typing!

 

Haha sorry! On my phone!

 

I've never really bought into the whole kettle bell thing. I've had the opportunity to train with them at a gym for about a year and the only thing I ended up liking them for was the different weight distribution and how it felt on a few isolation movements

I also learned to use a dumbbell for some of the biggest movements I see people using kettle bells for, being swings and snatches. It's pretty easy to do the swings with a dumbbell, you just have to get over the weird grip feeling if you're using both hands because you have to hold the dumbbell on the middle of the handle. I never used a two handed grip for it though, it was always a single hand swing to which you switched hands on the way down. That last part is probably a bit unnerving to most people as you're switching hands on a dropping weight (meaning that if you miss you better be aware of where your feet are) but with practice it's no big deal. I wouldn't recommend it if your coordination sucks though.

As far as the snatches go, kind of self explanatory and you miss out on the weight swinging around and hitting your forearm. I just can't see anything you can really only do with a kettle bell that you can't do with a dumbbell.

 

Sometimes it is nice to train with a different piece of equipment though when old routines get boring and you want to spice it up.

We used to make a thing called a "PIG egg" in the military. In a sniper platoon you're not a sniper until you go to the actual school and get trained and you were labeled a "HOG" (Hunter of Gunment) upon graduation. Until you made it to the school house you were called a "PIG" (Professionaly Instructed Gunmen) and you had to make the "PIG egg" and carry it around with you during exercise. We made a modification in our platoon to make them into makeshift kettle bells.

To do this, you buy a piece of rope and some duct ape. Fill a normal grocery bag or sand bag with sand to the amount of weight you want to work with, tape the rope on the bag so you have a loop for the handle, then duct tape the hell out of it. We've put those things through some pretty rigorous training and never had an issue with them breaking apart or leaking sand and you could basically make them as heavy as you want them to be. You can duct tape the handle too if rope burn bothers you, or put a few weight plates in the sand if you're trying to make a ridiculously heavy one. That whole bit will cost you maybe 15$ (basically the rope and duct tape).

There's always a way if you don't want to spend the money

 

Cheap Kettle bell replacement -

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq9Yxn5a9D8"]Tips From The 4 Hour Body Kettlebell Replacement - YouTube[/ame]

 

I always assumed that Kettlebells were more a tool to develop endurance (strength over time) whereas a good bar setup was more efficient at developing raw strength, But much worse to do 'crossfit' style endurance conditioning with.

I didnt know about how the lifts were invented. Any sources for that? I assumed (again that word) That they evolved in parallel to the Chinese stone lock and other tools like that.