Starting to use a kettebell - What are your workouts?
I've heard a lot about how good kettebell workouts are. I got one that is adjustable to add weight. So it can range from 20 - 50 pounds. I've tried a few workouts I've found on youtube, and man, I'm really liking it. I'm starting at 20 lbs to make sure I have the form correct since eye r noob @ thus.
I'd like to hear from some people who are more experienced and what are your favorite workouts and routines (in your opinion).
My goal is to lose fat and look damn sexy by summer.
I'm starting to think that all I might need is some good abs workouts, push-ups, pull ups and kettlebell workouts is all I really need.
I've heard a lot about how good kettebell workouts are. I got one that is adjustable to add weight. So it can range from 20 - 50 pounds. I've tried a few workouts I've found on youtube, and man, I'm really liking it. I'm starting at 20 lbs to make sure I have the form correct...
For some movements, your form might improve as you increase the weight. E.g, when doing a swing or a clean, using a heavy bell will force you to use your lower body to propel the bell forward and up. The idea is to pick a weight heavy enough that you can't easily muscle it around using your upper body.
Check out Steve Maxwell's youtube channel, I recommend the man maker he shows there especially, and swings.
Here's the video...
I've watched a lot of Steve Maxwell's youtube videos. Most of them are kind of short. He teases other videos that you have to pay for. Nothing wrong with that, but I find other channels more useful.
I also like Steve Cotter's IKFF channel. For a while, he was making some really nice instructional videos. They're very focused, but I find them to be more useful, for the topics they cover, than his encyclopedia DVDs. Here are three from Steve Cotter that I really like:
I like this video from Neghar Fonooni showing how to do the Turkish Get Up. There are two other follow on videos which are also good. (Grey Cook and Brett Jones have a DVD which teaches the TGU called Kettlebells from the Ground Up. Fonooni's youtube video teaches the movement very well without having to shell out $80.)
Finally, here's one more from Marianne Kane which focuses more on a workout routine instead of individual skills. She has a lot of these videos; she often talks more at the beginning than I'd like, but I find her routines to be interesting. I sometimes incorporate portions of her routines into my own workouts. (My own kettlebell workouts tend to be fairly simple in comparison.)
Those are good videos. I wouldn't even worry about getting fancy with the exercises. Just work on your technique in the swing, clean, snatch, and goblet squat. Complexes and tabata's are great KB workouts.
Very useful information. Thank you everyone! Keep em' coming if you can.
Another book recommendation: Kettlebell Rx, by Jeff Martone.
If you're just starting out with kettlebells, you're probably better off practicing one or two movements as your workout (or part of it anyway). I started with the swing and the clean, but most recommend the swing and the Turkish Get Up. There is some skill involved with most kettlebell movements, so it's best to be relatively fresh and mentally alert when you practice a new movement. Try to do the "skill" movements early on in the workout, perhaps right after you warm up.
If you're trying to learn movements by watching youtube videos, be careful as there are a more than a few videos which unwittingly demonstrate poor form.
Here are a few more youtube channels which are worth looking at:
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