I got a kettlebell from wal-mart

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 10:31am

Originally Posted by Teh El Macho

I remember that thread. I've grabbed those at Target and Sports Authority, and damn, those things slam on your wrist right where they should not. The handles are waaaay to short in relation to the size of the ball itself. You try to be careful, you "punch" through it when racking it at the top of a clean, but whatever, it lands badly right on the wrist instead of the meaty part of the forearm. The shorter handle these thing have completely defeats the purpose.

That sounds unpleasant. So much for my snappy answer.

**maxattck** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 12:23pm

Isn't a 15lb kettlebell to light to be of any use. Pavel recommending 35lbs for beginners in good shape. here is a quote from his web site

" An average man should start with a 35-pounder. It does not sound like a lot but believe it; it feels a lot heavier than it should! Most men will eventually progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. Although available in most units, 70-pounders are used only by a few advanced guys and in elite competitions. 88-pounders are for mutants.

An average woman should start with an 18-pounder. A strong woman can go for a 26-pounder. Some women will advance to a 35-pounder. A few hard women will go beyond."

I started with 35lbs, seemed a decent weight. I just wondering if you will get any benifit from a 15lb bell.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 12:36pm

Originally Posted by maxattck

Isn't a 15lb kettlebell to light to be of any use. Pavel recommending 35lbs for beginners in good shape. here is a quote from his web site

" An average man should start with a 35-pounder. It does not sound like a lot but believe it; it feels a lot heavier than it should! Most men will eventually progress to a 53-pounder, the standard issue size in the Russian military. Although available in most units, 70-pounders are used only by a few advanced guys and in elite competitions. 88-pounders are for mutants.

An average woman should start with an 18-pounder. A strong woman can go for a 26-pounder. Some women will advance to a 35-pounder. A few hard women will go beyond."

I started with 35lbs, seemed a decent weight. I just wondering if you will get any benifit from a 15lb bell.

Well, here is the link you are reading:
http://www.russiankettlebells.com/index2.html

I kind of question the website as an advertisment to sell heavier weights.
It is very contradictory, as you go through it, in recommendations.

No, I'm not saying anything bad about kettlebells.

**maxattck** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 12:44pm

Yep, that is the site I was reading. When I use my bell, alot of the lifts are with a swinging motions, were you use the momentum of the bell. Here are some basic lifts

YouTube - Kettlebell exercise: Basic drills

I just question if 15lbs would offer enough resistance to be worth the effort.

**tharuz** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:30pm

Well, maxattack the only reason I bought a 15lb kettlebell was beacause I could afford it without my folks freaking out about the price. They were freaking out already.

Second, the heaviest kettlebell they had at Wal-Mart was a 20lb and it ran you almost $30.

and third, I want to train for strenght and not mass, and I've been more than confused with all the articles I've read but it seems to me that lighter weights + lots of reps = good thing.

Seriously, the two dumbbells I own are both 15lb. so I figured I might as well buy a kettlebell at the same weight. I'm physically weak and the heaviest dumbell I can curl several times is a 35lb. I don't know how much I can bench press, like about 145lb. and last time I did push ups was like a week ago and I could only do little more than 20 at once.

**maxattck** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:45pm

lighter weights + lots of reps = endurance training, not strength training.

To increase muscle strength you need to push the muscle, pyramid training is a good beginning routine.

Really all you need are squats, deadlifts, benchpress, and good mornings to increase functional strentgh. If you dont have a gym membership, hindu squats, push ups, push ups with your feet elevated, dips, and pull ups would be a good alternative.

**sochin101** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:49pm

Originally Posted by tharuz

Well, maxattack the only reason I bought a 15lb kettlebell was beacause I could afford it without my folks freaking out about the price. They were freaking out already.

Second, the heaviest kettlebell they had at Wal-Mart was a 20lb and it ran you almost $30.

and third, I want to train for strenght and not mass, and I've been more than confused with all the articles I've read but it seems to me that lighter weights + lots of reps = good thing.

Seriously, the two dumbbells I own are both 15lb. so I figured I might as well buy a kettlebell at the same weight. I'm physically weak and the heaviest dumbell I can curl several times is a 35lb. I don't know how much I can bench press, like about 145lb. and last time I did push ups was like a week ago and I could only do little more than 20 at once.

Teh El Macho's gonna cock-punch me for this, but why the hell didn't you ask advice in the PT forum before you went out and spent your paper-route money on a paperweight?

Seriously, it is a fantastic resource... use it, maybe?

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:51pm

Yeah, I don't understand why you decided to make a thread about it until after you spent the money.

**tharuz** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:58pm

look, I don't want to turn this thread into a gym membership thread, let's stay on topic.

Last gym membership I had was with the YMCA and I rarely went beacause my ride was too busy, but when I did go I would spend 3 hours at the gym running and lifting. No kidding.

I had a hard time making the drive to the gym and whenever my dad would take me in the mornings I would have no strenght, no motivation, and there would always be an old bitch asking us to scan our membership entrance card. We always lost that fuckin' card, there were like 5 of them that didn't work.

Then I had to take a locker, shower, put my gym sweaty clothes in a plastic bag inside my gym bag not to stink it up, wash my few gym clothes more often...it just didn't work.

The personal trainers didn't awnser my questions or taught me how to lift, to this day there's stuff I don't know about lifting weights safely or for what purpose.

I've been trying to do handstands since forver, but my weak arms can't support my now 217lbs of weight in order to do a full military press up.

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 10/20/2008 1:58pm

Originally Posted by sochin101

Teh El Macho's gonna cock-punch me for this, but why the hell didn't you ask advice in the PT forum before you went out and spent your paper-route money on a paperweight?

Seriously, it is a fantastic resource... use it, maybe?

OK, oddly enough, Sochin and I have been discussing kettleballs ~~at bedtime~~ over PM and we are both fans of them.

Now, I will say to tharuz, good for you for making the effort to improve. I hope it pays off for you.

If funds are an issue, can you put together a couple extra bucks and Super-size that 15 pounder to a heavier weight? If so, take it back to Wal-Catraz and get a heavier weight kettleball.

Not everyone is going to be able to afford the more expensive ones, so take the suggestions of ensuring you wrist is properly stabelized and got to it.

Personally, I have (2) 15lb kettleballs so I my wife can use them and I can use one on each hand, and if I want to up the quotent I put both in one hand.

I am making due with what I have and so can you.