right of passage « Kendall Giles

Even if you haven’t visited this site before, if you are at all fitness-inclined then you’ve probably heard of kettlebells.

These cannonballs with handles have developed quite a following here in the US. Used for years by the Russian Military, folks have realized that this simple tool provides for one of the best overall strength, stamina, endurance, core stability, and body conditioning workouts around.

The elite of the fitness world are using them, from the Secret Service, to mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, to professional athletes (e.g., Lance Armstrong, below, from the NY Daily News article).

More and more people have realized that a couple kettlebells can replace a gym’s worth of fancy equipment *and* give more benefit for the money and time spent training.

There are many good resources available on how to use kettlebells, but with the increasing popularity of kettlebells a lot fitness marketers are trying to make easy money off people who don’t know any better (e.g., just Google: jillian michaels kettlebell fail), so distinguishing good resources from bad can be confusing for someone new to kettlebells.

Kettlebells come in a variety of sizes — which kettlebell to get? If you are a guy and in reasonable shape I might suggest starting with a 16KG kettlebell. Females who are in reasonable shape should probably start with a 12KG kettlebell. Note: meet with an RKC (see discussion below) to be sure though, since people often try to start with a heavier weight than they are capable of handling safely.

Where to buy your kettlebell? My suggestion is to buy from DragonDoor. DragonDoor sells what I think are the best kettlebells in the business. You may find cheaper kettlebells elsewhere, but from my experience, the DragonDoor kettlebells have the best finish (won’t shred your hands and the paint doesn’t easily get scuffed) and you don’t have to worry about the handle coming off the cannonball due to a faulty weld, unlike cheaper imitators. DragonDoor also sells kettlebell books, videos, and other products, and their training forums have folks who really want to help you improve your nutrition, health, strength, and fitness.

Though I usually purchase my kettlebells from the DragonDoor site, since I think they have an excellent product, I’ve also found DragonDoor kettlebells on craigslist, so that might be a place to check — to help you save on shipping!

Now that you have a kettlebell — how do you use it? I think the best place to start is with the book Enter The Kettlebell!, by Pavel Tsatsouline. There is also a DVD by the same name. This book covers the fundamentals of how to use the kettlebell. Pavel is considered by many to be *the* authority on kettlebells and he is largely to credit for popularizing kettlebells around the world. The basic exercises may seem simple, but they will take months to master, and your body will feel the results after just one session. If you follow the programs in the book, you *will* get stronger and you *will* get in shape —- probably the best shape of your life.

I’ve also heard good feedback about the book Body Sculpting with Kettlebells for Women: Over 50 Total Body Exercises, by Lorna Kleidman, a world champion in kettlebell sport.

[UPDATE:] I have Lorna’s book now and it is great! I would recommend this to any woman who is starting with kettlebells. It is even useful for men too, since it details different exercises, forms, and techniques. By the way, Lorna is an active kettlebell competitor, and, as of this past weekend [March 2010], is the first woman to achieve Master of Sport in Biathlon (Jerk/Snatch) with the 20kg kettlebell, won at the AKC coach’s event in Long Island. So, I do not hesitate to recommend you to seek out her kettlebell and fitness wisdom.

Finally, consider consulting with an RKC (a certified instructor) —- nothing beats personal instruction. I met with RKC Sandy Sommer and he blew me away with the amount of knowledge and guidance he provided. If only I had gone to see him sooner! Here’s a page where you can find an RKC near you.

But if you can learn to use the kettlebell appropriately, then for a minimal investment you have a lifetime of fitness gains and health ahead of you.

I’ve been on the road quite a bit lately, plus am in the middle of the fall semester, so postings have been not as frequent as I would like. However, I’ve been progressing through the RKC Right of Passage, and today I tried out my new 28KG kettlebell.

This was a move up in weight for me, and today I did 5 sets of hard-style press ladders with 3 rungs with the 28KG kettlebell. I then did 7 minutes of swings with the 28KG kettlebell, 20 swings per minute, or 8642 pounds lifted in 7 minutes. Finally, I finished with 5 sets of 3 hard-style pullups.

I should also comment on the new kettlebell. There have been some discussions in the community about the fact that DragonDoor moved their kettlebell production offshore to China. While I understand there were some initial issues with quality, by now I think things are under control. At least the kettlebell I got seemed to be in good working order. The finish was a little different than my US-made kettlebell, but it did not cause any problems during my workout, and there were no seams or ridges to tear into my flesh. All the edges were smooth, and the weight and logo verbage was clear. So I was happy with my new DragonDoor kettlebell, and will buy another, once I am ready to move up in weight.