Anybody try the kettlebells?

[Blarg]

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http://www.russiankettlebells.com/

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I'm kind of tempted, even though the price is extremely exploitative for a hunk of metal. From what I gather, many exercises involve swinging, which I like a lot, because that works your muscle awareness and sense of your body in space a lot. I used to own a pair of Heavy Hands, which were kind of like a light dumbbell you could fasten your hand inside which actually could turn into a pretty fierce work-out depending on how you controlled and fought against your own momentum, and I always wished I could get heavier ones. I really liked that just by moving your arms or body a little differently, you could give yourself a harder or completely different work-out. The kettlebells look like they have some of the same virtues, plus more weight for just building pure strength.

On a side note, I got Pavel's book The Naked Warrior. Just starting to read through it, and it seems pretty interesting, though extremely repetitive. I sort of "made up" one-legged squats as an exercise on my own and thought they were great, and Pavel's got different ways of doing them and leading up to them there. I liked one-legged squats so much on my own that I think I'll like Pavel's "pistols" a lot too.

Anyway, any feedback or personal experiences from OOT folks with either the bodyweight exercises or the kettlebells?

[BusterStacks]

too bad they aren't more like kettle chips... mmmm.... chips....

[jakethebake]

I really like Psatsoline's stuff. His ideas are very solid, although I think his writing leaves a lot to be desired. I have four of his books. I never used kettlebells except a couple of times, but I did the kettlebell workout using a dumbell for awhile. Very good workout. I also have a couple of friends that swear by it. You have to modify it a little bit, but try it with a dumbell for awhile to see if you like it before you buy the actual KBs.

[obijuan]

Everything Track and Field (http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com) sells kettlebells for roughly half the price they go for at Dragon Door (after shipping is calculated). I don't have a link to the exact page, but if you search for "kettle bell" you should find them no problem. The only negative that I've heard is the handle might be a bit rough for high-repetition snatch work, and that the shipping might be slow. As a matter of fact, I recently ordered some which should be in today or tomorrow if the 7 business days quote is accurate. Of course, I cracked a rib right after I ordered them.

Anyway, I just thought you might like to save a few bucks, as the dragondoor KBs are (as was said) rather expensive.

[jakethebake]

Hey, very good prices there, obijuan. Thanks.

[Blarg]

Thanks a lot for the link. Let me know how you like the one you ordered; I'm wondering about that handle thing you mentioned.

I went and ordered a 16 kg(35 lb) kettlebell through Amazon, where it was 10 bucks cheaper than from Pavel. Looks like it's going to be VERY slow shipping, though. Still ridiculously expensive for a hunk of metal, though. Their only promise is that they'll ship it by July 15th! I guess they're going to have to cast it heheh.

Anyway, let's compare notes when we get them! Wish I had known about this site a few hours ago.

[Martin]

You can get plate loading kettlebells. Enables you to use standard 1 inch or olympic plates which you may already have. Some guys have made there own version of these outa plumbing. Go here (http://www.fractionalplates.com/) and check under the link for unique equipment.

Enjoy.

[swede123]

Can't you fabricate some weights similar to this using various scrapmetal and a good welder? It seems to me like they are gouging you with regards to the price.

Swede

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Can't you fabricate some weights similar to this using various scrapmetal and a good welder? It seems to me like they are gouging you with regards to the price.

Swede

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It would be difficult. They're solid all the way through. You'd have to caste them.

[swede123]

I understand that, but would they have to be solid? Properly welding handles onto some lump of metal would hold up for most use, wouldn't it?

Swede

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand that, but would they have to be solid? Properly welding handles onto some lump of metal would hold up for most use, wouldn't it? Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

It could be done. But it wouldn't be easy. In addition to the weight, you want them properly balanced.

[Blarg]

I checked out the site linked a few above. Interesting -- unbelievably long explanations that aren't particularly useful; the usage of some items is not clear. Still, interesting. I don't think I'm all that keen on their version of kettlebells. Kettlebells are for very high momentum swinging, not straight lifting, so I wouldn't want the plates on a handle-and-plate type of set-up with only the security of a typical cheap pressure bolt holding the weights on by friction. Weights that came loose could easily strain the user and damage him or his surroundings.

Finding welders and crafting your own doesn't seem like it would take that much less effort and expense than simply ordering a premade kettlebell. The adjustability would be nice enough, but one thing about the kettlebells is that you flip them over in training, so they bounce on your forearms. Doing that with weight plates wouldn't work well. Plus, the plates seem to have the center of the weight much farther from your hands than kettlebells do, decreasing your leverage and making the thing more clumsy to work with.

That link for the really cheap kettlebells is what I'll use if I like kettlebells enough to get more of them. Hopefully I will!

I've always really liked exercising by swinging weighted objects. I've got a couple of things called "body bars" that are heavy padded bars, about five feet long, that can generate a huge variety of work-outs just by changing how fast you swing them and whether you fight the momentum once you generate it, and where you grip the bar -- whether in the middle, how far toward the end, etc. And since you can swing the bar in any direction you like, it's easy to be very creative with them. The kettlebells sound like something heavier but in line with the same sort of flexibility in creating your own work-out.

[jakethebake]

I don't have a link but I have seen some kettlebells that were adjustable before online someplace. You might try searching a little. It's been awhile and I have no idea who it was that was selling them though.

[Blarg]

I've heard about something like that too, without using the dumbbell weights like we saw in the other link. I might research a little more, but for now, I didn't do much research at all besides checking Amazon, where I found a version of the 16 kg one for ten bucks cheaper and went ahead and bought it.

I don't even know how much I'll like the program yet, and I bought the DVD too, so I'll see how much I like this kettlebell thing before investing any more money in it.

[Martin]

Some of the traditional ones used by the old time strongmen were made from a hollow sphere, filled with lead shot so as to be adjustable. I was told there is a company in the UK that still makes them this way. Manufacturing these things is expensive. I did read about one guy who bought a whole lot of hex head bumbells cut the heads off the things and welded handles onto them. If you have the equipment then that's an alternative, since the dumbells would be available secong hand.

[Blarg]

The lead shot idea sounds cool, although working with lead isn't something I like. One of the links above goes to a site that builds speciality equipment and they made mention of such things, but it looks like they just welded together some handles with a dumbbell plate.

For now, I'll just see how I like the 16 kg one. I'm also doing Pavel's two bodyweight exercises from his Naked Warrior book, the one-armed push-ups and the pistols. I'm going to try to work those together with my kettlebell exercises when that thing arrives, and see which ones I like best. I already like trying the pistols already, though my form could be a lot better on them. The one-armed push-ups are going to take some work, and some time.

[rlr]

I have DD KBs and have had them 3 or so years now so I paid the high prices. However, I heard pretty good things about K2 bells but I don't have any. I know there were a few other people producing them in the US but I have sort of lost track.

K2 (http://www.k2fitness.net/)

Also check out Mike Mahler's (http://www.mikemahler.com/) stuff.

[Martin]

I agree with you on the lead, although Lord only knows how many cast lead rounds I used to reload /images/graemlins/wink.gif You could always fill the sphere's with steel shot although its' more expensive. A few of the characters I know have filled them with bent nails (Nail bending is still a popular feat of strength) and added sand afterwards. Mainly because they have a large supply of bent nails on hand.

Agreed on Mahler, his stuff is excellent.

[Blarg]

Thanks for the links. Checking them out now.

[Blarg]

Good prices on that first one. $61 for the 16 kg.

[Blarg]

Think I'm going to be checking for my order every day in the mail even though it hasn't shipped yet LOL. That's always a good sign. Got the confirmation for the DVD today.