Intros

Lupercalia

Oops, I've commented here at least a couple times and haven't introduced myself.

I started training with kettlebells in July of 2012, and quickly became infatuated. I've always been a fan of strength training, and have an athletic background mostly made up of gymnastics as a young girl/early teen. Following that, I just sort of worked out at the gym. My stepfather was a strength training coach for the local university's football team, so I had lots of solid training from him in my late teens/early twenties.

I didn't train for most of my thirties, but am back at it now. I work with kettlebells 4 or 5 days per week in addition to a full body strength training program I do a couple times per week.

Right now I'm working on the RKC Rite of Passage, so my KB workouts consist mostly of cleans and presses, swings, snatches and TGUs. I try to get in a different sort of KB workout once or twice a week, and usually do some sort of high volume thing--Tracy Reifkind is a favourite of mine. I also like conditioning workouts with intervals, and have used lots of workouts set by Marianne Kane of myomytv.com.

I track all my workouts on Fitocracy...

I look forward to getting to know you all better!

L

NoeleenTrueman

Hi I'm Noeleen...soon 58 years young.Have not really started Kbing yet. Have 2,4 6,8 kg bells. Thought I'd start light due to torn shoulder ligaments and arthritis from MVA. My son is a PT with martial arts overtones.He gave me an Ironedge dvd for Christmas.( I think it's a hint). So I know ...sort of ...how to lift and swing,in theory.Will start today!

AmyBoogie

About 5-6 years ago I met a friend of a friend that did kettlebells. All I could envision was the cartoons of the old timey looking giant square hunks of metal with a handle so I had to look it up...A few videos in and I was hooked.

I bought a 15 and a 20lb bell. The following year for Christmas my husband got me an adjustable kettle weight set.

I've been lax with weights for almost a year now. Focusing on running and yoga. I missed the bells and I'm back at it a couple of times a week. I'm not in it for competition but just because I enjoy it.

jcpolk1856

Hi I'm Jason from Maryland, 35 but originally from the suburbs of Philly on the NJ side. I've had my KBs now for about a year but forgot about them for a long time. I have three sets (35lbs, 45lbs, 55lbs) and I've recently been looking up exercises that challenge me and workout different parts of my body. The Russian Twist is brutal as well as the High Pull. I'm roughly about 30lbs from my goal and slowly creeping toward it. I want to incorporate chia seeds inot my food as well bc I've heard they can aid in weight loss and provide a myriad of benefits besides weight loss. have a good day.

bouchienet

I first started kettlebells about 2 years ago and absolutely love the kettlebells and is my main and favourite workout these days. I used to go to a gym lifting barbells and weights but that has now stopped since I found these beauties! I love the fact its a strength, toning and cardio workout and has me gasping for breath on times, I no longer go to an organised class as I found working at home with some great DVD's suited me more. The DVD's I use are Art Of Strength Providence and Newport and Keith Weber's Extreme Kettlebell Challenge along with kettlebells ranging from 16kg up to 24kg (which my wife gave me for Christmas, lucky me) gives me all I need to keep in shape. I've just joined this group today and if any kettlebell nuts have any tips or other dvd suggestions or want to be friends do get in touch!

Navigator0811

Hello All,

New to the site and loving it. Originally from Ohio and now in Colorado. Started training with kettlebells about 11 months ago and instantly fell in love with it. Unfortunately I messed up my exterior serratus in May and was out for a few months. Back at it full swing and feeling better then ever. Feel free to add me, looking for peeps with the same interest.

I am also training for my first TSC in April. If anybody has any ideas on training at home with no equipment I would appreciate it. I usually can make my class on Mon, Tues and Sat but need something to do when not able to attend. Thinking of picking up "The Naked Warrior" by Pavel.

Regards,

Vince

JSheehy1965

Hi I'm Jeannette from upstate NY and I started with kettlebells in December when my husband bought me 10/15/20/25 lb bells for Christmas. My sis is a fitness instructor in the UK and sent me over some KB workouts to do. Wanted to make sure that I was using correct form, so this month I started one at the Kettlebell Fitness Center in my town. I love it! Our instructor makes sure that we go for form over weight. I was doing squats/lunges/chest presses etc with dumbbells in a gym and was just bored out of my mind. Love that our instructor does KB instruction and circuit training using KBs, tractor tires, atlas balls etc.

I feel stronger. My back feels stronger and the KBs I got for Christmas are already way too light for me. Glad to see this group here!

GluttonousGirl

Hi everyone,
My name is Stephanie and I am from upstate ny. After reading up on kettlebell fitness I finally purchased one this week! There aren't very many places here that offer training or classes and would love some support!!!feel free to add me. I'm sure I will be here often!!!

badzoe

Hi~My name is Kristi and I live in SE PA. I have been wanting to get into shape for a long time, and I don't want to go to the gym so I found kettlebells. I've been working out with them since the start of the year using dvds. I signed up for a mud run in May, so I've also started running. I'd like to lose about 15 to 20 lbs and get strong and fit.

WindmillTilter

Good morning! I'm Dave. I live near St. Louis, MO, in the Air Force and had my ups and downs with weight. I stopped smoking in January and decided to improve my diet and exercise to combat the potential weight gain. I did an underwear only fun run in Feb. I wasn't in the shape I wanted to be in. Also, summer is right around the corner so I'd like to look better in swimwear.

I just finished my first month of kettlebell strength/cardio training. I'm using a program I found on dragon door. http://www.dragondoor.com/articles/kettlebell-training-for-full-body-fat-loss/ I lost 4 pounds of body fat and gained 6 lbs of muscle in my first month, so I'm pleased with the results so far. I'd like to lose at least another 15 lbs of body fat by the end of summer.

The gym I go to just recently got a bunch of kettlebells. I'd read a little bit about them and try to mimic the form of the certified instructors I see on youtube.

runningagainstmyself

I'm Carrie. I'm 26 years old and live in BC, Canada. Last night was the first kettlebell workout I've ever done. I currently own one 10lb and one 15lb kettlebell, and have been using FitnessBlender on YouTube for home workouts. I use KB training in alternation with distance running (done 3-4x/wk). I'm using them for strength, core conditioning, and for a small amount of cardio.

I'm still learning new moves, but I have a couple of basics down now: Swing, Clean, Deadlift. I've never done a TGU, but want to. I also want to eventually increase the weight of the KBs I use. I am hoping that using this in my training will help me in cutting my pace time for running and help increase my endurance for my first-ever half-marathon.

rrsuthy

Hi. I'm Robin and I've just started back to Kettlebell workouts. I workout at home using various DVDs. I have Paul Katami's Kettlebell Combos, Angie Miller's Kettlebell Bootcamp, Kathy Smith's KB (not my fave) and Sarah Lurie's Iron Core Kettlebell.

This week I've been doing Angie Miller's as it's the longest and works my legs really hard.

I really like KB, but I admit to having the attention span of a gnat, so I switch exercises every so often. I've never made it through JM's 30 day shred - I get too bored after the 2nd week. Didn't make it through P90x for 2 reasons 1) I didn't have an hour every day, and 2) I got bored after the 2nd week. I'm only telling you this so you know that although I'm on a KB kick right now, I may be onto something else next month.

I'm doing Tae-Bo (the 30 minute version) on my alternate days. I also do 10 - 20 minute yoga routines a few times a week, mainly for keeping flexible and to help relieve the soreness I experience. I like to do a hip-opener routine at least once every 2 - 3 weeks - this helps with my knee issues.

LadyPaleo

Hello Everyone!

I joined this group a few weeks back, but never stopped by to say hello.

I've been taking kettlebell classes since October 2012 with HKC trainers in the Greater DC area. However, it wasn't until the New Year that I cleaned up my diet, got more sleep, and have made kettlebell training an integral part of my schedule. I attend classes 2-3 times a week and have a 30 lbs. kettlbell at home. I've done a few routines at home, but I am still looking to increase my "special time" with my kettlebell.

The process so far has been amazing, in particular (1) how my progress has improved, and (2) how my perspective has dramatically changed. Let me elaborate.

(1) First of all, my kettlebell club records your performance during Saturday classes (alternating between heavy-weight weeks and AMRAP weeks). The exercises rotate every 2-3 months, so you can compare your numbers for a few months back to observe your progress. There is no motivation quite like seeing your "5 rep max" on a given move change from 8 kg to 16 kg in a 3 month period!

(2) Although I have significant weight to lose, kettlebell training has made me shift my thinking from weight loss to strength gain. My goals in a given week consist of challenging myself to lift more and more often. The end result? I am still losing fat at a reasonable rate (though I have PCOS, so it isn't necessarily super fast). Instead of obsessing on the number on the scale (BTW, I have chucked it in the closet, promising not to look at it until June), I am focusing on monitoring my food (my food diary is open to friends), keeping my macronutrients in a happy place where I feel energized and satisfied, and lifting heavy things as much as I can.

I have a history of pretty severe injuries that have stopped me from doing a lot of my favorite activities for some time. Kettlebells is the ONLY exercise that I have maintained for a decent amount of time (I tend to get excited about things and quit a month later), where I keep getting more and more jazzed about it and the way it makes me feel as time goes on.

Glad to "meet" you all and be a part of this group!

bluebird321

Welcome aboard. It is always great to hear about people's progress while kettlebells.

ehbikki

Well, the local fitness centre my Mum attends cancelled her early morning Zumba class and replaced it with Kettlebells so she started going along - I couldn't believe it as I'd always thought it was a pretty hardcore class! I went at Christmas - mistake! Tummy full of turkey, I felt ill throughout the whole class but I'm back staying with my Mum for a while and back on my health regime so thought I'd give it a go.

Wow! It's tough! I struggled through and had to take it really easy in the second half for fear I was going to have to stop all together but man my muscles are so worked now! I will be going back again tomorrow morning and take it slower in the first part of the class so I don't peak too soon!

These rural fitness classes are a revelation after gyming it up in cities, all sizes, shapes and ages swinging kettlebells like there's no tomorrow - while one of the youngest members has to keep stopping! For shame!

jojoboxing

I Haven't been consistent with working out since I stopped working as a personal trainer about 7-8 years ago. I've put on about 8-10lbs yearly and I'm now 60lbs heavier than when I looked my best 7-8 years ago. 7-8 years ago was when I first heard about kettlebells. I never incorporated them into my training but always kept them in mind. My good friend who is still a PT, gave me a couple of KBs 5 months ago and I have used them inconsistently. Three months ago I decided to "fire" my gym and never pay for a gym membership again because of the money I've wasted from lack of discipline/excuses. Now I plan to train at home and outdoors. Kettlebells will be part of my solution.

Cruxthemystic

Hi, I'm Marsha and I live in Florida. I'm 56 years young and working to get into shape for the first time in my life.

Last August a friend motivated me into signing up for a 5k run and working towards doing it. Well I finished the race which was my goal at that time. Afterwards I wanted to keep on and loose some weight. I worked with barbells and doing the power 90 DVD. It got boring to me. I found KB's and thought I would give it a try. I love it! I see improvement in my body much quicker then with the barbell workout. Now I run 3 days a week and workout with KB 3 days a week.

Looking forward to learning more about the use of KB.

ttippie2000

Comrades, I'm Terry from Davis, California. I just turned 50 and am emerging from a five year period where I was working myself to exhaustion and not making time to take care of myself.

In the past seven months I've lost about 75 pounds so far and have 25-35 more to go (I'm not sure how much as it's been a while). I think I've got the weight loss process down, and I'm working to bring my exercise back online. I'm optimistic I can get in the best shape of my life. However at this age my body is more stingy about developing anaerobic fitness as well as recovering, so I need to be smart about training and staying healthy.

So, kettlebell. My wife (a world class powerlifter) and we took a couple of seminars with a local RKC to help us get started. Then we got some kettlebells at home, 25-62 lb. I know there are several styles of kettlebell, and what I know is currently limited to the RKC and/or hardstyle thing that Pavel is doing. There's an RKC that I like doing a class 3 days a week at my health club, so that makes up most of my kettlebell training. Overall my kettlebell training gets mixed in with my other training: powerlifting, running, bicycling (raced CAT 3 in my 20s), Muay Thai & Boxing.

My big fitness goal for the year is to get ready for a Thai Boxing camp that I'm going to in 5 weeks. And that's gonna be really hard and probably very humbling. I'll be in there trying to hang with young professional athletes, and I'm gonna have to bust my *kitten* just to hang in at the back of the pack. I'm getting very focused (and a bit nervous) on what I'll need for that, which is anerobic fitness, aerobic fitness and to be able to do pushups in increments of 100. So, I'm doing interval training using a heavy a kettlebell (usually 53 lb) and trying to push the limits of my VO2 MAX. Then I do similar stuff with running or on my bicycle ---> enter the Sierra Nevada. =8`0

Anyway, I really like kettlebell training and would like to learn more. It's a great use of your time. It's anaerobic. It supercharges your metabolism. You can do it almost anywhere. How can you go wrong?

norahwynn

Hey there! I'm Norah and decided to give Kettlebells a go! I have Kettlebell access at all 3 places that I regularly workout, but I'd love to have a set a t home. I'll probably have to wait a bit on that, as they're kind of expensive (for me).

I've been doing a bit of research online for different workouts and to ensure I'll be using the correct form, as it's been made very clear to me that this is very important.

Can anyone suggest any good videos on youtube that is good for beginners like myself?

Thank you!!

kenj13

Hi all! My name's Kendra, I've been interested in getting into kettlebell workouts since January. I FINALLY found some time this past week to workout at home with The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells DVD. I LOVE IT! I use an 18 kg bell and after the second day, I was so incredibly sore I could barely sit down! But I have a blast lifting with my bell and am so excited to continue training. If anyone has any tips or suggestions from their experiences, I'd love to hear them.

afreelandgti

Hi I'm Antonio, 39 years old living in Houston, TX. I've played around with kettlebells for about a year, but got really serious when I cancelled my gym membership and started working out at home about 3 months ago. My bells, my bodyweight and my stationary bike are all I need. I LOVE my bells so much. On my Sunday off day I stare at them and daydream...hoping Monday comes sooner than later. *sigh*

whiskeysister510

Hi all! I'm Jessica and stumbled upon this group after reading a comment Casey posted. I have been training with kettlbells for about 6 months. I learned technique from my trainer/powerlifting coach, who is Russian...go figure. I love KBs and they've really helped me with my endurance and overall strength, especially core and grip strength. Plus, they're fun and you look cool doing it. Glad to see some folks here who appreciate them, rather than viewing them as a fad. :drinker:

fredrjohns

hello my name is Fred have been training with KB for about 5 years with some down times
I loved the kettle bell gym i was attending but just got expensive so I built up my bells at
home and now working out with mbodypro via internet love it ... i was so excited to see
kbell group I could join .. enjoy and be healthy

kellyskitties

Just started. Got one on clearance (yup, clearance). I got the one that I didn't grunt when I picked it up or could pick and couldn't pick up with my pinky. So I have a 10 pounder for starters. I think some exercises I could use one size up or down for, but the 10 seems to have been a good middle ground choice for purchasing one.

I have played with it one day and did an actual routine for the first time today. I LOVED IT. I have one problem - knee pain. It's improved as my weight is going down, but the squatty stuff is too hard right now. I loved the around the world - felt that in my core more than I expected. Any recommendations for exercises/adaptions to avoid knee use (at least for now) are appreciated.

I'm a true beginner, but I think I'm in love!

grace4u2receive

I am new to the group and kettlebells. My husband has been trying to get me to workout with Kb for years and I've finally done it this year. I only use it with videos, like Paul Katami, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper.

I am excited to join this group and meet others who already enjoy working out with KBs!

grace4u2receive

Hello I just posted an introduction to the group and then saw your post. I also got on on clearance but it is a 8 lb. and after workingout with need to see if I can buy a 10 lb. to make it more challenging. I don't know about your knee pain. I haven't got them with kettlebells. I did have knee pain when I was workingout and didn't have the right stance in lunges. I stopped workingout for a couple weeks until it got better.

kellyskitties

Hello I just posted an introduction to the group and then saw your post. I also got on on clearance but it is a 8 lb. and after workingout with need to see if I can buy a 10 lb. to make it more challenging. I don't know about your knee pain. I haven't got them with kettlebells. I did have knee pain when I was workingout and didn't have the right stance in lunges. I stopped workingout for a couple weeks until it got better.

Knee has trouble with lunges - even with strictly supervised good form (in the past). Hoping as weight goes down the pain improves.

joe_d

Hi, I'm Joe and I've been doing KBs for about 3 years now, but very seriously for the last year. I go to an RKC club 3 times a week (alternating days with my cardio workouts) and absolutely love working out with those hunks of iron. I'm closing in on losing 60 pounds since August of 2012, and the last time I had my body comp measured (via BodPod) I managed to gain a bunch of lean mass while losing fat. I credit the KB workouts for that.

I feel stronger, have better balance, and have kept losing some waist size (even though my weight loss has slowed to a crawl), and again, I think that's largely due to these workouts. They're interesting and plenty challenging; there's nothing like having a bunch of iron overhead while doing a getup to keep you focused!

Although I've been in MFP for over a year, I just found this group. Lots of interesting stuff here to read. I hope I can contribute some from time to time as well.

littleknownblogger

Seventeen year military (eight in the Marine Corps, the rest in the Army National Guard; all as Military Police) and full-time correctional officer. Once (and hopefully again) concealed-carry and martial arts instructor.

I have a repeating and progressive thirteen-week workout program which combines powerlifting, kettlebells, progressive calisthenics and interval training (technically, it also includes military-style "calisthenics" and endurance running... but not because I think they are productive. Only because that's how my bosses determine fitness.)

astrampe

I am still swinging though, but can't do much other than swings at home due to ceiling height/floor costs.

You can do a lot more at home than just swings...See if you can find Sarah Lurie's "Kettlebell Iron Core Warrior" dvd set on amazon - It is one into dvd and three others - I do it in the basement at home - and it is great full-body workouts with enough variety to keep me interested (and I get bored easily)
Another one that can be done in a small space is Angie Miller's Kettlebell bootcamp - it's a lot more fun than doing just swings....
I'm up to a 25lbs bell, and contemplating getting a heavier one soon....