We've written a small article about Kettlebell
training and a brief FAQ on what to buy.

There has been a great deal written about
kettlebell history so we won't go over it all
again. What we'll do here is go over some of the
benefits of kettlebell training cutting out the
excessive and over the top claims that many
websites espouse.

What a kettlebell can do for you

Kettlebell swings, cleans and snatches work the
posterior chain hard and your abs won't be
getting an easy ride either. This type of
compound movement is great for athletics training,
forcing the body to work as an integrated unit.
The combination of strength and cardio will be a
shock to the system as a ten minute workout with
a kettlebell will get your cardiovascular system
working overtime and a monstrous strength workout
simultaenously. You will develop a steel grip as
your hands gets fried from the effort of holding
onto a heavy weight that is thrown about at high
speeds.

Finally, if you think that core training
comprises of rolling about on a swiss ball you're
in for a rude shock as your abs, obliques and
lower back get tortured from exercises like
windmills and Turkish get ups. Go scare the
mullets in the gym and impress the fitness
bunnies.

What a kettlebell won't do for you

It won't replace barbells, bodyweight or a
multitude of other forms of training. Don't get
me wrong. We love kettlebells, after all, we love
them enough to name our company after them!
However, unless you're training solely for
kettlebell sport, they should only be part of
your training regime. If you want to improve
sports performance with kettlebells they should
be a supplementary exercise. Your sports training
should come first. If you want to pull a bar
bending deadlift, work on your powerlifts. You
get the idea.

It won't turn you into a superhuman. I'm sorry
but that just won't happen. Bullets won't bounce
off you, faster than a speeding bullet? Unlikely.
Flying? Not unless you check your kettlebells in
as hand luggage. Allergies to glowing green rocks?
Anything that glows green should be avoided by
everybody, not just the last son of Krypton!

Should I get a plate loader or a fixed weight
bell?

We'll try to give you impartial advice on what
type of kettlebell to buy. Plate loaded
kettlebells invariably feel different to a fixed
weight one but this only affects those that are
used to one or the other. If you're new to KB
training it shouldn't make a difference.

The advantages of fixed weight kettlebells

Rugged. Its a basic principle in life that the
less moving parts something has the lower the
risk that it will go wrong. You can't get more
sturdy than a solid lump of metal! With the
kettlebell handle there are a fair number of
parts that can get lost or if abused, can get
broken.

Progressive overload through more challenging
exercises. Most people complain that kettlebells
weight jumps are difficult to manage. The answer
to this is to train with more difficult exercises.
The 16kg is getting too light for you whilst
shoulder pressing? No problems, work on a slow
press, 2 up 1 down press, the Sots Press...there
are many ways of making exercises more
challenging.

Better for training in a group environment. One
of the times where it is better to have fixed
weight bells is in a group training environment.
No need to find plates and confgure bells. Just
grab the bells and train.

Less time consuming. A set of bells is better for
drop sets. No time is taken up dismantling your
bell and changing the weight.

Its more of a challenge. The argument that some
use for plate loaded bells is that it allows for
incremental progression. That's true but then the
other side of the argument is that fixed bells
develop a certain degree of courage. It takes
bottle to go from the 16kg to the 24kg and it
takes a lot of guts to go from the 24kg to the
32kg.

The advantages of plate loaded kettlebells

Progressive training. You can make a kettlebell
at the weight you require. This is the main
appeal of a plate loaded kettlebell. With the
right weight plates you can create a kettlebell
of the weight to suit you.

Cheaper. A kettlebell handle is a fair bit
cheaper than a kettlebell. However, you will need
a stack of weight plates!

Less space consuming. The handle when stripped
down weighs about a kilo. Easy to hide when the
better half starts complaining!

Portable. Take it to the gym with you, take it
travelling, these handles are a lot easier on the
go compared with fixed weight kettlebells.

The argument here is settled by your personality
type. If you're more comfortable with steady
progression then the plate loaders are for you.
If you like to live life on the edge, then fixed
weight training is for you. No temptation to take
it step by step for you!

http://www.londonkettlebells.com