Kettle Ball?

Bump

I agree, the kettlebell swings are a fantastic way to get an all-over workout. I have a 35 lb one, which is the recommended weight for a woman with some exercise experience.

I just bought my first Jillian Michaels Dvd, Shred with weights, she uses a Kettle Bell, I don't have one but am considering getting one. I use a regular weight instead for now, but I have had an injury to my rotator cuff, and I wonder if kettle bells will be harder on it, some of the swinging stuff I already do makes me really nervous.

A VERY good question!

I, personally, DO recommend employing a Kettlebell. I've been using them for about 4 years now,. and not only have I noticed a difference with myself (both with my overall stamina and strength), but with my clients as well (from a personal trainer's standpoint^^).

There are, however, a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. DEFINITELY make sure you get proper instruction on how to use one. Since a number of the Kettlebell exercises are momentum-driven, it's all too easy for one to throw out a shoulder, bash a knee, or (worse) strain your back if you don't learn proper techniques for things like the Swing, Hi-Pull and Snatch.

2. Make sure you start with the PROPER Kettlebell weight. According to some of the more well-known and more elite Kettlebell organizations/companies (such as Dragon Door and RKC), it's recommended that an "untrained" female start with the 18lb Kettlebell, and work her way up to being able to swing the 35lb Kettlebell around with an equal level of control. Men, on the other hand, should start out with the 35lb Kettlebell (an "untrained" male), with their focus on achieving (at least) the ability to use the 53lb one with the same level of efficiency as the 35lb.

Why is this so important? Because, like any exercise, you WANT it to be a challenge in the beginning. The journey to mastering that particular Kettlebell weight IS the point to using it. The last thing you wanna do is, for example, have an "untrained" female grab a 5lb Kettlebell, use it for a couple of weeks, and see no real challenge to it (i.e. heart rate doesn't increase, no muscular challenge). Likewise, you don't wanna start out with something SO heavy that you end up sacrificing form (risk of injury). Again, having someone instructing you in person would be able to best suggest which weight would be best for you to start at.

On a side note...JUST IN CASE someone in their 60s (or older) is reading this ^_^...you should also use discretion when picking a weight to start at. Despite the strength of my 67 year-old female, I have her swinging around a 15lb Kettlebell. It's light enough so that she's able to to perform just about any exercise with a relative amount of challenge, BUT she doesn't have to worry about trying to strain her shoulder while performing a Kettlebell Thruster (Squat --> Rising Shoulder Press).

All in all, Kettlebells are, once again, a GREAT addition to your workouts. You can work any body part using "traditional" style lifting exercises (such as Squats and Biceps Curls), dynamically work your core muscles (like with Swings and Turkish Get Ups), or up your anaerobic cardiovascular threshold (with combinations of swings for timed intervals). As long as you properly educate yourself about what you're getting into--and how to go about doing it--you'll find the Kettlebell a very-welcomed addition to your exercise regime.