Kettlebell advice?

Quieau

I need to increase my strength training and decrease my cardio. But I can't lift heavy or certain situations due to hernia that we're waiting to repair until I've lost more weight.

I'm considering buying a set of kettlebells (8, 10, 15) and doing kettlebells workouts. Will this act more as strength than cardio, as I'm hoping? I've really been focusing on building my core and am feeling those benefits. I'm still losing and will be eating in a deficit for at least another year to eighteen months.

Final question: looking at soft kettlebells like those linked below ... thinking they would offer same benefits but be less dangerous if dropped and maybe easier to swing around through my legs during the workout. Is this a bad idea for any reason I don't yet know?

Thanks in advance!

http://www.amazon.com/SELF-Soft-Kettlebell-15-Pound-Pink/dp/B00BUHYH5Q/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1394625386&sr=8-16&keywords=15+lb+kettlebell

MissB46

Kettlebells are great and I swear by them. Kettlebell training is a really good all round workout that combines cardio with strenght, it burns tons of calories as the movements are very explosive.

I would always recommend that you go with an instructor if you have never worked with them before as it is all about techique and you can really hurt yourself if you do it wrong.

I work with a 16kg kettlebell for everything and I am a firm believer that you need to challenge yourself with the weight, but it's like that with all exercise, it should be challenging.

As with the soft kettlebells...they look like a gimmick to me :indifferent: , personally I would not buy them. The only thing they look useful for is that you can use them as a pillow after you worked out with proper kettlebells.

Get yourself a decent set of competition bells - they are all the same size regardless of weight and they will last a lifetime!!!

Quieau

We figured the soft ones would offer the same benefit (same weight) while being more flexible and less likely to cause damage if dropped. I have a ceramic tile floor in my home gym ... and delicate toes ...

Thanks for the advice!

Cherimoose

Swinging a kettlebell through your legs is more cardio than strength. And other kettlebell exercises that move quickly tend to be more advanced than conventional strength training, so i would not start with them without working with an certified instructor first - and getting approval from your doctor after showing them the specific exercises you want to do. Personally i would start with a conventional strength program done at a slow speed using dumbbells, then add kettlebells after a few months. NROL & Stronglifts are popular strength programs.

To protect your floor, you can buy a gym mat at sporting good stores.

webbeyes

I wouldn't be swinging anything like kettlebells until your injury is fixed. There are ways of doing strength without the additional risks of injury. Squats, simple lifts, side/front/back lunges ... add a 5 or 10lb body bar across your shoulders if desired for more resistance. By keeping the body bar on shoulders, you're not stressing things too much

Quieau

Thanks to you both for great advice!