What size kettlebell should i use

In general, many men can start with a pound kettlebell for ballistic movements, while women can start with an pound weight.

Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all starting weight for kettlebell training; choosing the right weight depends not only on your strength and athleticism, but also on your attention to technique. Scratch a dozen experts and you'll get at least several different answers about starting weights, with the most honest being " it depends. To make finding your starting weight even more challenging is that, even though kettlebells are now much more mainstream than they used to be, they still don't have the same breadth and depth of strength standards and fitness testing that you'll find for more conventional exercises such as bench presses or squats.

With that said, if you dig deep enough for a "starting weight" recommendation, most kettlebell-oriented sources — from the "unconventional training" experts at Onnit Academy to the online kettlebell store Kettlebells USA — agree that for ballistic swinging exercises, a pound weight is an ideal starting place for most men, and an pound weight is ideal for many women.

You can adjust this weight up or down if you consider yourself to be unusually athletic or sedentary. Kettlebells USA recommends starting with a weight that you can press overhead eight to 10 times if you're doing controlled overhead movements, such as Turkish get-ups and windmills. This is an excellent starting place , because it greatly reduces the risk of injury — or distraction — from holding a too-heavy weight overhead as you work through complex, full-body movements.

Although the weights just mentioned are excellent guidelines to start from, it's important to remember that they're only a rough guideline — and the ideal starting weight for you might be very different from what you see listed. If you're shopping for a home gym, the easiest — and most expensive — solution is to buy a set, so that you have a variety of weights available as you try out different exercises, or spend the money for a day pass to a gym with a good kettlebell set and "shop" through their options to see which weights you should use for ballistic and overhead exercises.

If you don't want to buy a full set, you always have the option of trotting down to your local fitness equipment store, warming up with a few brisk laps around the store, and then carefully! Not interested in a very public workout? You can get an idea of which weights work for you by mimicking a couple of the most common kettlebell exercises with dumbbells, either at home or in the gym.

Working out with dumbbells has a very different feel from kettlebells , because the dumbbell's weight is distributed in line with its handle, whereas, with kettlebells, the weight is off-center from the handle — but the substitution can give you a good idea of where to start.

If you're trying the dumbbell-as-kettlebell routine, there are two tests you can do to help pin down your perfect starting weight. The first and easiest is to select a weight that you can safely use for controlled overhead movements, such as the kettlebell windmill or Turkish get-ups. Just head for the dumbbell rack and, starting with a weight that's a little lighter than what you think you can handle, hunt and peck until you've found a weight that you can press overhead eight to 10 times with good technique, but still find challenging.

That's your starter weight for overhead movements. For ballistic movements, you're going to have to go in and try out a two-handed kettlebell swing. But before you do that , you need to master a basic movement known as the hip hinge. The hip hinge is the integral driver behind kettlebell swings — so once you've mastered that, it's time to grab a dumbbell and start testing what sort of weight you're comfortable swinging.

If you were using a kettlebell, you'd hold it in an overhand grip with both hands on the handle. There's a reason that you generally do kettlebell swings with kettlebells instead of dumbbells. The feel and momentum are entirely different, so the hardest part of this exercise may be figuring out how to hold the dumbbell and then remembering that it will feel different when you return to do it with a kettlebell.

This type of kettlebell is built of steel, and they are of the same size, irrespective of the weight. This type of kettlebell has a full window, which can accommodate two hands during exercises. This is the most versatile type of kettlebell because you can vary the kettlebell's weight by adjusting the weighted plate. This type of kettlebell is coated with a composite polymer-ceramic, which gives you a personalized kettlebell.

This type of kettlebell has a handle diameter of 33 millimeters. So that people with smaller hands can make a firm grip. There is nothing wrong with having one kettlebell because you can still do a lot of exercise with the one to have.

However, you should master the art of a single kettlebell exercise before you move to swings and snatches. Having at least two kettlebells is good because it allows you to scale up your exercise and gives you flexibility in your training. The common trend among men is that many of them think that they are physically powerful.

Thus, they can lift a heavy kettlebell weight. However, if you are not familiar with weight training and have not used equipment like dumbbells, your first exposure to kettlebell may shock you because it requires attention to detail and works many muscles. The kettlebell size for men is within the range of lbs kg.

This range accommodates all categories of men, including the inactive types. Women believe that they need a lighter kettlebell for their exercise, but this is not valid. The kettlebell you need is the type that can quickly increase your number of repetitions. The kettlebell size for women in all categories is within the range of lbs kg. A pood is a unit for measuring the weight of kettlebells in Russia.

This term is mostly used by traditional kettlebell trainers. One pood is equivalent to In your journey for a balanced and coordinated body, ensure that you select the best kettlebell size after considering the factors analyzed above.

Always ensure that you possess the best kettlebell quality and know that your kettlebell exercises will start generating results in no time. These factors are: The type of kettlebell exercises you want to undergo: Ballistic vs. Grind exercises. Your weightlifting experiences. Your workout goals. Age and current fitness level.

Kettlebell quality. Handle diameter. Ballistic vs. Grind Exercises. Ballistic Exercises. The ballistic exercise has two stages: A stage that requires the exertion of energy. A stage under the influence of gravitational force. Three Examples of Different Ballistic Exercises. Recommended Kettlebells Sizes for Ballistic Exercises.

The recommended kettlebell size for this type of training should be between the following weight ranges: 35lbs 16kg and 53lbs 24kg kettlebells for men. Recommended Kettlebells Sizes for Grind Exercises. The recommended kettlebell sizes fall between: 18lbs 8kg and 44lbs 20kg for men. Consider Your Weightlifting Experience. Suggested Kettlebell Size for Beginners. To make the exercise easy and comfortable for you, here's the suggested kettlebell size for beginners: Kettlebell size of 35lbs 16kg for males.

Kettlebell size of 18lbs 8kg for women. Suggested Kettlebell Size for Intermediate. Here's the suggested kettlebell size for intermediates: Kettlebell size of 44lbs 20kg for men. Kettlebell size of 26lbs 12kg for women. Suggested Kettlebell Size for Advanced. For the advanced trainers, here's the suggested kettlebell size: Kettlebell size of 53lbs 24kg for men. Kettlebell size of 35lbs 16kg for women. Consider Your Workout Goals.

Among the goals of many kettlebell trainers include: Loss of weight. Gaining strength. The building of muscle.

Burning of fat. Cardiovascular health. Balance and Coordination. Example Kettlebell Exercises for Balance and Coordination. Recommended Kettlebell Sizes for Balance and Coordination. To attain balance and coordination, the recommended kettlebell sizes are: Kettlebells between 18lbs 8kg and 26lbs 12kg for women.

Kettlebells between 26lbs 12kg and 44lbs 20kg for men. Example Kettlebell Exercises for Agility. Recommended Kettlebell Sizes for Agility. Thus, to attain agility, the recommended kettlebell sizes are: Kettlebells between 9lbs 4kg and 26lbs 12kg for women.

Kettlebells between 18lbs 8kg and 44lbs 20kg for men. Example of Kettlebell Exercise for Strength. Recommended Kettlebell Sizes for Strength. To gain more strength, the recommended kettlebell sizes for one-handed kettlebell swings are: Kettlebell size of 26lbs 12kg for women and 35lbs 16kg for men.

While the recommended kettlebell size for double-handed kettlebell swing is: Kettlebell size of 31lbs 14kg for women and 53lbs 24kg for men. If you think 8kg 15lbs is too heavy then you are performing the wrong exercises.

Remember you should start with those big strong exercises using the deadlift movement patterns for the best results. Women will drag suitcases, carry shopping bags or hold children under one arm , you are stronger than you think, so start with at least an 8kg 15lbs. Men should begin with a 12kg 25lbs or 16kg 35lbs for those with weight training experience.

I have trained men using kettlebells above 24kg 53lbs but for the majority of your basics this is as heavy as you will need to go. Related : What kettlebell weights to use for different kettlebell exercises.

It is possible by changing exercises and increasing the difficulty of movements to only ever need one kettlebell if you make the correct purchase to begin with. However, you are stronger during two handed exercises and exercises that use mostly your legs and hips so having 2 — 3 kettlebells will greatly increase your ability to scale up and down your exercises.

With a collection of 3 kettlebells you can practice different exercises, for example at intermediate level:. Kettlebell training is different from Dumbbell training so you should not make your decision on what weight to use based on dumbbell type exercises.

Most women will start their kettlebell journey with an 8kg 17lbs and progress to a 12kg 25lbs relatively quickly. Most male beginners will start with either a 12kg 25lbs or a 16kg 35lbs depending on their weight training background. Soon you will need a 20kg or 24kg for many two handed exercises. As the kettlebell swing uses the powerful muscles of the hips, butt and legs most men with start using a 16kg 35lbs and women a 12kg 25lbs for the two handed swing.

These weights will soon be increased with regular practice. Great read, thank you! I am already very active and regularly use a pair of 10kg dumbells for compound moves and high rep isolations, based on the differences would you still recommend starting with a 12kg as a female or would it be wise to go straight for a 16? Thank you. Hi Greg. This article is really useful. I started using kettlebells about eight months ago and have been using a 10kg weight.

Would you recommend a 14 or 16kg for my next weight? I am tall and slim and would like to build lean muscle and increase strength, especially in my lower body. Wondering when you said all the kettlebell weights you used in 12 years teaching..

Any reason you did not find the use for the 28kg kettlebell?