I got a kettlebell from wal-mart

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 8:10pm

Originally Posted by tharuz

I'm going to try out some swings and the turkish get ups, also the exercise for grapplers.....

it just feels too light to swing, you know? I guess since it's light I could do some advanced stuff that doesnt require balance

It might be too light for swings, but not for turkish get ups. It might be a bit light for one-hand overhead squats, but give that a try.

Some things you can try is to tie (very tightly) multiple weighted ankle wraps. I have at home like over 50lbs in ankle wraps of different sizes (including two 10-pounders.) If you tie them securely at the bottom of the kettlebell, you can add weight for swings. Now, if you don't have weighted ankle wraps, don't be a tard and go buy them. This advice is only good if you happen to have them.

Another thing you can do with your small kb is a variation of bicep curls with focus on wrist and forearm strengthening.

1. You start by (duh!) grabbing the kettlebell, then you squeeze the handle as hard as possible with the arm fully extended (with the bottom of the kettlebell pointing to the floor.)

2. Then, you turn your thumbs out, the inside of your forearm pointing forward (as in preparing for a bicep curl with a supinated hand.)

3. From here, you visualize the handle to be a extension of your forearm, and that the bottom of the kettlebell to be the knuckles of your closed fist.

4. Then, you curl the kettlebell... and here is the key... the bottom of the kettlebell must still face away in the same direction as your knuckles. The handle must be parallel to your forearm, as if if indeed were an extension of it.

What happens is that resistance increases as kettlebell center of gravity travels up and away from your grip. At the bottom of the curl, the kettlebell is nicely at the bottom, not exerting any force but the one due to gravity. When your arm is flexed and your forearm is parallel to the floor, the weight of the kettlebell (at a distance from your grip) is adding an additional force on your grip, torque. If you were to release the grip, the weight of the kettlebell would fold down to the back of your hand. But your gripping action will prevent it from doing so. And that's what will strengthen your grip.

I made a doohickey out of a round piece of wood I bought at HD a while ago, attached a hook thingie to the bottom of it, and then I tie a 10lbs dumbbell to it:

Trying to curl that **** with the hook always pointing away becomes a bitch after a few reps. Same principle should apply with your kb (so long as you keep your hand pronated or supinated, and not neutral as with hammer curls.)

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 8:24pm

If I'm elected. I'll push for a Kettlebell stickie.

**tharuz** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 11:11pm

Thanks macho, your posts are always good. And here I thought my thread was dead.

It'll take me a while to fully digest your post, but I think you're suppossed to bicep curl the kettlebell like if you had a barbell rather than a hammer-fist positioned curl when handling dumbells.

Do I have more options with light weight kettlebells? My KB box didn't have a DVD, just a paper showing pictures and descriptons of the workouts.

**SFGOON** · Posted On: 10/24/2008 3:23am

Noticing your style fields, are you planning on hitting someone with those?

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 10/24/2008 7:00am

^^ That'd be teh d34dl3y

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 10/24/2008 7:02am

Originally Posted by tharuz

Thanks macho, your posts are always good. And here I thought my thread was dead.

It'll take me a while to fully digest your post, but I think you're suppossed to bicep curl the kettlebell like if you had a barbell rather than a hammer-fist positioned curl when handling dumbells.

Do I have more options with light weight kettlebells? My KB box didn't have a DVD, just a paper showing pictures and descriptons of the workouts.

Don't fret much for more options at this time. Get familiar with it, use it for overhead squats, for bicep/grip training and for cleans and snatches. Since it's a light kb, it should be perfect for learning the proper technique for cleans and snatches (SFGOON, correct me here if I'm wrong.)

The crossfit dudes usually introduce the clean to people using either a PVC pipe or a medicine ball, getting them to learn the proper posture as well as dropping under the weight. Once they get the basics, they move to the actual weight.

You might want to use the same idea, and take advantage to the fact your kb is a lightweight one... me thinks.