Buying your first Kettlebell

A Guide to buying your first Kettlebell

So you want to start training with kettlebells - what should you buy?

If you are a healthy, reasonably-fit  adult male and have $170 to spare, buy one 16 kg kettlebell. A reputable supplier will include a training CD. Later, you can buy a book on kettlebell techniques or an additional CD training guide.

Using the  kettlebell correctly will be challenging at first but you will soon get used to it over the first few weeks and you may even be ready for a larger size within the first month or two.

If you have a strength/weights training background or you are a larger than average size, you may consider starting with a 24 kg bell. If you are already a competing powerlifter, an Olympic style lifter, or otherwise experienced in throwing heavy weights around, you find 16 kg too light for you. Get the 24 kg bell and suffer for a couple of weeks. I would not recommend starting with anything larger than this - you will always have a use for lighter bells in your training.

If you are a healthy, reasonably-fit adult female and can afford it, buy one 8 kg kettlebell and a training video. Ladies seem to prefer to see the exercise performed on video than to try to copy photos in a print out from a CD. The same provisos apply as with men - the kettlebell will be challenging at first but you will adapt over the first two weeks or so and may even be ready for a larger size within the first month or two.

If you are stronger than average, consider getting a 12 kg bell instead of the 8 kg. The 12 kg KB is a scaled-down version of the 16 kg bell; it is made of epoxy-coated, black painted cast iron and has a thick handle. The 8 kg bell has a much thinner handle and a rubber coating which makes it easier and safer for a novice to work with. It probably won't be heavy enough for you within a few months but you can buy a second one and do the double kettlebell routines which are much harder.

So now you own your first kettlebell, what should you buy next - another one of the same size or a larger-sized bell?

The usual guideline for men is to build your collection to include one of each of a
16, 24, and 32 kg bells. After that, start over, working to accumulate your second set. Two-kettlebell work will add considerable variety to your routine - just when you are 'plateauing' . You can do certain exercises with two kettlebells of different sizes, but that is getting into the realm of the expert kettlebell practitioner. A typical example would be an exercise where you hold one between your legs while working with the other.

For most women, the guidelines are the same but one weight less. You should collect one of each 12, 16, and 24 kg bells then start working on the second set. If you started with the 8 kg bell and still feel it has a place in your workouts, then make your collection 8, 12, and 16 kg before adding the duplicates.

The exception to this rule is the person who is focused more on coordination and endurance than on developing strength. It is quite normal for a male distance runner, triathlete, or a martial artist to do all their work with two 16kg bells and never use a larger size. It's equally fine to stop with two 24 kg bells, but the physical and psychological benefits of moving a heavier weight (increased tension and making the previously-used bells seem lighter, respectively) should not be under-estimated. Those with unlimited budgets can own the heaviest bell they can work with, even if they only use it very occasionally for a few repetitions.

What you save on gym fees will easily pay for two sets of kettlebells!