kettlebell exercises

[smalldon]

I would like to start working out with a kettlebell. What would be some good exercises for me to start with since I am both a newbie to body building and to kettlebells?

[Off Road]

Paging 5kg...

[bruteforce]

KB Snatches, Swings, and Get-Ups seem useful. I was thinking you wanted to put on a lot of mass, so your bread and butter should be barbell compound movements, but there's no harm and possibly some benefit to some KB complexes. And yeah, I'll let 5kg take over from there.

[IronWill]

Kettlebells will wear your ass out!

[5kgLifter]

Haha, thanks guys

Originally Posted by smalldon

I would like to start working out with a kettlebell. What would be some good exercises for me to start with since I am both a newbie to body building and to kettlebells?

I'd avoid the snatches, since you're new to them. Snatches need a lot of technique and there is a lot of room for error and injury, if you have the inclination to study and learn them though, then feel free but be careful; you can learn them alone but I'd suggest looking closely at the videos in the kettlebell section.

Swings are the best start, both double-handed and single; then there's front squats which work really well; OHP; jerks which require a bit more timing etc.

It's pretty easy for a beginner to string two or threee exercises together and just do them as a complex, over and over for several minutes.

Example
10 swings (two KBs, one in each hand)
Clean the KBs
1 front squat
stand
1 OHP
10 swings (as above)
Clean the KBs
1 Front squat
stand
1 Jerk
repeat from the start

You could alter it and do 2 front squats, or less swings etc...and just keep repeating until shattered.

[TitanCT]

5kg and IronMaiden are the kettlebell masters here.

[LtL]

Great post Babs.

LtL

[smalldon]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

KB Snatches, Swings, and Get-Ups seem useful. I was thinking you wanted to put on a lot of mass, so your bread and butter should be barbell compound movements, but there's no harm and possibly some benefit to some KB complexes. And yeah, I'll let 5kg take over from there.

Oh I guess I did not realize that you should stick with barbells when you want to gain mass. Are kettlebells not good for gaining mass?

[smalldon]

Originally Posted by 5kgLifter

Haha, thanks guys



I'd avoid the snatches, since you're new to them. Snatches need a lot of technique and there is a lot of room for error and injury, if you have the inclination to study and learn them though, then feel free but be careful; you can learn them alone but I'd suggest looking closely at the videos in the kettlebell section.

Swings are the best start, both double-handed and single; then there's front squats which work really well; OHP; jerks which require a bit more timing etc.

It's pretty easy for a beginner to string two or threee exercises together and just do them as a complex, over and over for several minutes.

Example
10 swings (two KBs, one in each hand)
Clean the KBs
1 front squat
stand
1 OHP
10 swings (as above)
Clean the KBs
1 Front squat
stand
1 Jerk
repeat from the start

You could alter it and do 2 front squats, or less swings etc...and just keep repeating until shattered.

Thanks for your input here. Looks or sounds like you really know your kettlebell. Thanks again.

[Off Road]

They are more of a conditioning tool...unless you have plate loading kettlebells.