Kettlebells 101

An Introduction to Kettlbells

A lot of new people are discovering kettlebells, and I get a significant amount of traffic to the blog everyday with searches like 'beginner's kettlebell''kettlebell basics' and others.

What follows is a guide to help you get started as easily and with as little wasted time and money as possible.

The smartest first step would be to find a qualified instructor. I personally am an RKC, which means I have been certified by Pavel Tsatsouline to teach his methods of basic kettlebell lifting. I would also recommend any coach certified by Valery Fedorenko of the AKC or any CSCS.
With it's emphasis on general fitness, with a leaning towards functional mobility, strength, power and meaningful endurance cacpacity, I think that the RKC system or the 'Hard Style' as it is often called is a great place to start for almost anyone.

Early in your training, the best thing to focus on is the swing and core stability. Hence Enter the Kettlebell;

With it's focus on the Swing and the Turkish Get Up, it provides the beginner with everything he/she needs to get started right.

After a little progression, I'd recommend trying out the Russian Kettlebell Challenge;


It's more akin to a beginner's dictionary of all the basics.

Should you outgrow these, there are several other wonderful resources, but I say work on your snatches and sign up for the RKC. What an experience!

You can of course get your kettlebells from Dragon Door as well, here's a link to get a catalogue of all their products;
Click Here to download the latest issue of Hardstyle Magazine

But I find them a wee 'cost prohibitive'. I typically recommend that people get MuscleDriver bells, as they represent the best value. They are almost (90%) as good as the best bells out their, like Dragon Door, but they cost half as much. I prefer the Gray bells, as they have a rough finish like the RKC bells, and nice dimensions. If you ever attend one of my workshops or classes, you will most likely be using a MD bell.

Well, that's it for now. With the Hard Style catalogue, the Muscle Driver bells, the Enter The Kettlebell book, you're off to a pretty solid start. Pick a bell that weighs about 20-30% of your own bodyweight, and start practicing the swing!

Do it Right!

A lot of people ask me where to begin in Kettlebell training...

There's really only one easy answer; The Swing. After that, it starts to get more complex. I found a little bit of an easier answer... Pavel and DragonDoor have a 'quick start kit'.

It's the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) book, which covers all the basics and then some, the DVD which is indispensable, and a 16kg bell; the classic starter for a smaller guy or a really tough chick.




This is of course is a great way to start out, and it's pretty affordable. I'll trade you 3-4 months dues at the average globo-gym for the equipment and the information necessary to never set foot in one again, any day!


If this doesn't appeal to you, or you like your fitness 'strong enough for a man...but' there's always this;




Even when men ask me; "what's the best single book that covers all the kettlebell lifts?" it's hard to just say "ETK(Enter the Kettlebell) or RKC". ETK is just the swing and Turkish Get Up, and the RKC is just as much anecdote, reasoning, history and culture as it is 'workout program'. If you can swallow your pride, the best one is probably Andrea Du Cane's From Russia With Tough Love. It is intended for women. That is true. But it's also very well written, with excellent explanations and photographs, and often more detail. But anyways. There's also a FRWTL kit that includes the book, the DVD and a 12kg bell. It's also a phenomenal deal as well.

Clicking on either of the pictures will take you to a page giving you all the details!