kettlebell ladies

^ This!

I say start w/ a 10 or 15lb. I started w/ a 15lb for turkish get-up's and I struggled the first bunch of times. I probably should have started w/ a 10 to get my technique right. 20 lb weights are probably more appropriate for 2 arm exercises. It can't hurt to buy a few of them right?!? (well except for in the wallet!)

I just got a set of 5/10/15 lb kettlebells for Christmas. I don't really use the 5s but use the 10 for most exercises and the 15 for swings. I think it's pretty important to get the form down before you increase the weight so I'm content to keep doing what I'm doing for now. I haven't really established a routine yet; I've been cruising You Tube for workouts and pointers (just type in kettlebell - there are lots in there).

Generally speaking with actual orthodox kettlebell training you should never use anything lighter than a 15-20 lb kettlebell as a beginning woman. There are a number of "kettlebell" training programs that have you using kettlebells to do exercises adapted from conventional dumbbell training in which you would use lighter, but then you're losing the benefits of kettlebell training entirely. True, orthodox kettlebell exercises always begin with the lower body. And if you're not using a weight that's sufficient enough to challenge the muscles of your lower body doing goblet squats and swings, then you're not using enough weight. And just because it FEELS like it's working you hard in the beginning doesn't mean it actually is. If your body is not accustomed to the movement, ANYTHING will feel like a heavy load. Here is a blog post I posted regarding this:

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Kettlebell training is one of the most popular, most effective, and yet most misunderstood and incorrectly implemented forms of training available today. The perfect example of this is the Jillian Michaels Shred it! Weight Weights DVD. This is a kettlebell workout DVD that has been widely criticized as the form she instructs in the video is very poor and inevitably leads to injuries as you move up to heavier weights, and the main reason for that is what follows:

The first mistake people, especially women, make in choosing a kettlebell (yes, you do only need one to do it right) is in choosing one that's too light. Many women start out with 5 or 10 lb kettlebells because they incorrectly gauge their strength based on their upper body. ALL kettlebell exercises originate with lower body muscle groups, and there is no isolation training with kettlebells. 5, or 10 lb weights, are too light for anyone who is not using the kettlebell for PT reasons. The correct way to gauge the kettlebell weight you should be using is to perform the single most basic fundamental exercise with it: The swing. The swing is a primarily lower body muscle exercise that also heavily works the back and core. Perform basic kettlebell swings for 30-40 seconds. That should be sufficient to require you to stop for a break, and you should be feeling it most in lower body muscle groups. Look for it specifically in the hamstrings as these muscles go ignored when the weight is too light. It doesn't matter if you're not strong enough to shoulder press it, that will come with practice and exercise. Start out with the swing. If that's all you can do, keep doing it. Then transition into the bump/push-press (a variation of the swing that also gets the chest, bicep, and tricep muscles involved as well) and then finally the press, the snatch, and the clean.

Most women who are beginners start out with an 8kg (~17.5 lb) kettlebell, or, if using ones rated in pounds, they'll go with either a 15 or a 20. For men, 25-35lbs, or 12-16kg.

While shopping for a kettlebell, you will find there are two types made. There are cast-iron style (which are also available with vinyl coating or plastic coating), which get bigger as they get heavier, and competition-style, which are all the same size regardless of weight (changing weight is achieved by hollowing out the center by varying amounts). Competition style kettlebells (which are unfortunately harder to find) are almost always superior for most forms of training, because the changing size with cast-iron style kettlebells can alter range of motion and the basic dynamic of the exercise as you go up in weight. With competition-style kettlebells, the size doesn't change, so your range of motion is not affected as you progress.

I wish they weren't so damned expensive for the larger weights! At our gym we have a variety of kettlebells and I find that the 8kg (17lbs?) is usually what I gravitate toward for overhead reps. However, swinging would be midrange and deadlifting would have to be heavier. I'd say it depends on what type of moves you want to do with those weights.

How are you all logging it in mfp? I can't find kettlebell anywhere to get calories etc? Any ideas? I'm new here and have started doing kettlebells. I started with 10lb in order to get correct form to avoid injury. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

How are you all logging it in mfp? I can't find kettlebell anywhere to get calories etc? Any ideas? I'm new here and have started doing kettlebells. I started with 10lb in order to get correct form to avoid injury. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

I log mine under circuit training. I make up my own work outs with different KB moves and tabatas. So I just log it under circuit training.

I checked out a kettlebell gym this week and started with the 8kg (approx 18lbs). I was tired after 30 minutes, but could see that I could outgrow it fast. I purchased a 12 and 15 for at home before I took the class and will be returning the 12 and buying a 20. Lots of gyms offers a free first class, see if there is one in your area and give it awhirl. I found that it did help me in figuring out weight and I also was corrected on form etc. (Also, I found that I liked the bigger kettle bells as described above where they are the same size but different weights versus the ones I bought for home that are smaller.)

Im a newbie kettlebeller (sp?) :-)

Me and my hubby love kettle bells we have a huge range of weights going from 10kg up to 24kg I mainly use the 12-16kg for swings but anything over head I use the 10kg, they really help to tone you but they don't bulk you up enjoy using the weights x

that was KB not LB, but as a side note, you can actually injure yourself by not using a heavy enough weight. Sounds odd but true. Another good book that shows exercises that is geared towards beginning is Kettlebells for Women by Lauren Brooks. Do not forget your Joint Mobility exercises. This helps so that you can continue to move without being stiff. Have fun!

But you're at risk of injuring yourself if you use a weight that is too heavy for you. When you're short and not very strong, you can tip over. Not that I'd know from experience... :embarassed: :laugh: