May 21, 2025 • 20 mins
From burning more fat to building more muscle... kettlebells are powerful tools to get you to the fitness you want. Listen to learn 10 training facts, tips, and tricks about kettlebells that makes them unique compared to a boring set of dumbbells.
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Kindal Boyle has been a personal trainer for nearly 20 years focusing on women's strength and fitness. She'll teach you how to combine strength training and cardio for a hybrid approach to build the fittest body and life no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) What's up, guys?
Welcome to a brand new episode of the Fit Women's League League podcast.
Today's episode is all about kettlebells.
I'm going to cover all the things that you need to know to get excited.
So maybe you have trained with them before, you've dabbled a little bit.
Maybe you've used them to do things like squats or deadlifts, but you haven't
actually used them in the way that they were meant to be used.
(00:21):
Well, at the end of this video, my goal is that you are going to be very
excited to pick it up and really go full in with your kettlebell training.
We're going to cover some fun facts about kettlebells, the history of them.
I'm going to share with you what makes them different from using something like
a dumbbell.
And I'm going to let you know what you can expect once you really do dive in,
(00:42):
because I know that when I first started, I was always wondering, like, is this
normal?
Am I doing things correctly?
A lot of the things are normal, but it makes it a lot better when you actually
realize that so that you know it's just part of the process.
First things first, let's talk about kettlebell history.
I am a huge history buff.
That's my favorite form of podcast to listen to.
(01:04):
And so when I learn about the origin story of something, it makes me more
excited to jump deeper into it and really immerse myself into it.
So let's quickly talk about the history of kettlebells.
Now, first, what you need to know is kettlebells have literally been around for
centuries.
It was first in the Russian dictionary in the early 1700s, but it was actually
(01:25):
used well before that actually in the markets.
So what was going on was that bakers would use kettlebells as a part of their
weighing system to weigh out ingredients and supplies and bread.
And what they discovered was that they would throw the weights around and women
would walk by and go, oh, my gosh, that's so cool.
(01:45):
So they would actually use kettlebells as a way to woo the ladies.
But then they started realizing how much of a tool it was for getting stronger
and more fit.
And so then later on, it was adapted for the Russian armies.
That was how they trained their armies.
And then it was really World War Two, which brought kettlebells to the masses.
(02:05):
Other soldiers, other countries were looking at the Russian armies going, wow,
they're so strong, they're so fit.
And then they started to adapt it into their own training.
So kettlebells are literally used to train the best of the best when it comes
to armed forces.
So that makes it really cool.
Like if you want to become someone like G.I. Jane, kettlebells is where it's
(02:26):
at, right?
So if you're a history buff, appreciate that.
And you can also think World War Two is terrible as it was.
That is how it became a little bit more available to us and other countries.
Number two, the ability for kettlebells, we're going to get outside the
history.
Now I'm going to talk about what makes kettlebells different from other forms
(02:47):
of weightlifting.
It's their ability to do grind exercises as well as ballistic exercises.
Grind exercises are what we think of when we think of more bodybuilding style,
having like strict presses or squats where you're just doing individual reps
for strength based exercises, whereas ballistic exercises involve big compound
(03:08):
dynamic moves with rapid acceleration and de-acceleration with objects or the
body.
They're very explosive.
They develop a lot of power and strength.
So when we're thinking of ballistic exercises, we are thinking kettlebell
swings, kettlebell cleans, kettlebell snatches, where it's a fluid motion,
where you're controlling the up and the down.
(03:29):
You're really having to use your core.
You're having to use a little bit of coordination.
And in terms with that, it's going to help you build total fitness.
Madon only, you're going to build strength.
It's also going to hit you in your cardiovascular system as well.
So you're getting a really big bang for your buck.
Now, can you use other forms of weightlifting to get ballistic benefits as
(03:51):
well?
Yeah, I mean, clean and jerks and snatches can be done, but it is a little bit
better, a little bit smoother than with a kettlebell.
Then when you're using a barbell or a snatch, you're going to be able to go for
a lot higher reps, a lot safer of a move.
So all in all, I think it's a little bit better.
But you also don't necessarily have to have a kettlebell.
(04:11):
Other forms of ballistic exercise also includes ballistic or plyometric
exercises, which is a fancy word for jumping.
And the great thing about ballistic moves, plyometric moves, is it's going to
improve your brain's ability to talk to the rest of your body and to your
muscles, which is going to help improve your balance, improve what's called
(04:34):
your proprioception, understanding where your body is in space.
So it is a huge benefit not only to building your fitness, but also just
building your functional fitness so that you live a healthier life moving
forward.
Tip number three, the center of gravity with a kettlebell is far different than
that of a barbell or a dumbbell.
(04:56):
So when you are picking up a dumbbell, technically, if it was light enough, I
could balance it on my finger.
Right.
I can put my finger in the very middle of that handle and balance the same
amount of weight on the right side as on the left side that's finding the
center of gravity because of the way that the kettlebell is shaped with the
bell down at the bottom and the horn or the handle up at the top, you can't do
(05:18):
that.
There's no place that you can technically like bounce on its side, especially
the way that you hold it.
You're not holding it at the center of gravity.
So what does that mean for you and your fitness?
That means that you are recruiting more muscle fibers, more stabilizer muscle,
more recruiting, more of your core than you are with the other exercises to be
able to maintain that balance.
(05:40):
And again, you're going to get more bang for your buck.
The more muscles that you're able to activate during an exercise, the more
calories that you're going to burn, more fat you're going to burn, the more
strength you're going to build.
Tip number four is the ability to change how you hold it.
So generally speaking, when it comes to dumbbells or barbells, you really need
(06:01):
to grow your selection pretty fast, right?
There's only so many different ways that you can hold it.
And we all know how important progressive overload is, meaning that from one
workout to the next, you're trying to make it a little bit harder on your
system so that your body has to adapt and that's how you get stronger.
That's how you see results.
And so it makes it really hard for people at home unless you're always
(06:23):
increasing your reps, which we have talked about in the past.
There are ways to progressively overload your system without adding more
weight, but it does make it a little bit harder.
And over time, it's going to make your workouts a little bit longer because
you're always having to add on extra reps to make the workout harder.
But with kettlebells, you don't have to do that because you can hold them in so
(06:43):
many different ways that you can really get by, especially at the start for the
first year, two years, even three years with using just two to three different
kettlebell weights, you can hold it in a what's called a rack position where
you're holding just a single weight in one hand.
You can hold it goblet style where you're holding one weight with two hands.
You can hold it in an inverted position, which turns the kettlebell upside
(07:07):
down, which makes it very hard and fires on a ton, especially bicep muscles of
your bicep.
All that to say is that you don't need this huge home gym to be able to really
challenge yourself.
If you're just getting started with kettlebells and you're trying to figure out
what weight is the right weight, then for most women, I would recommend
(07:28):
starting with a 12 kilogram weight and a 16 kilogram weight that can get you
really far doing some grind exercises and some really solid ballistic exercises
like swings and snatches, which is also a fun fact that kettlebells are mostly
done in kilograms and for Americans that can sometimes be hard.
(07:49):
So a 12 kilogram kettlebell is about 24 pounds.
16 kilogram is 35 pounds.
Over time, I do recommend getting maybe like a 24 kilogram, which is 53 pounds
for other movements like heavy swings and deadlifts.
But again, just starting off for most people, because we're all different in
what is considered heavy for us, but for most people, that 24 pounder and 35
(08:13):
pounder can really do a lot for your fitness for a really long time before you
feel the need to have to add to it.
And you only need one weight versus a lot of times with dumbbells and stuff.
You want to have a pair.
Let's see.
Tip number five, fun fact number five, grip strength.
How frustrating is it if you are someone that does deadlifts, if you are
(08:35):
someone that likes to do pull ups, you don't want to stop your set because your
grip gives out.
You want to stop your set because your hamstrings and your glutes, your
posterior chain during deadlifts gets fatigued, right?
During pull ups, you want to give up not because you can't hold on to the bar
anymore, but because your lats and your arms are just worn out.
(08:58):
Well, that all comes down to building solid grip strength.
And kettlebells, doing those ballistic exercises are going to build some
incredible grip strength.
If you are doing kettlebell swings and you start to feel your forearms starting
to get exhausted, that's your grip working.
And the more you do those moves, the stronger the grip you're going to have.
When people ask me, how can I hang on a bar for so long to knock out 15 to 20
(09:22):
pull ups?
And I always contribute it to my ability of having a really tight grip from
doing so many kettlebells.
So if grip strength is important to you, which it should be because most
exercises you need to have a tight or a strong grip, start picking up a
kettlebell.
You can even do it for just holding farmer carries.
(09:43):
But it's something that is going to be a secondary effect that you weren't
expecting that's going to turn over into being a huge help as you carry on with
your finished journey.
Number six, posture.
Posture is something we all deal with.
In fact, me standing in front of this camera while I record this podcast, I am
constantly thinking about my posture because I have the habit of slumping
(10:07):
forward, of not keeping my core brace, of just kind of slumping and letting
loose.
A lot of us sit down all day, which is going to develop tight pecs, which pulls
those shoulders forward and rounds our upper back.
But because of the way that I've already mentioned, where we are having to use
so many muscles to maintain our kettlebell with our core strength, with our
(10:27):
back strength, it's going to help improve your posture.
So kind of like grip, where you're not going into it being like I'm doing
kettlebells to improve my grip, it's just an awesome side effect.
The same thing can be said for your posture.
You're going to be firing off your core so much that you're going to get a
stronger core because you're doing so many things with the ballistic movement,
(10:47):
like doing overhead presses and snatches.
You're going to be opening up your chest a lot in those positions.
You're going to be able to open up your chest, which is going to, again, help
you with your posture.
So you suffer from bad posture.
You have a weak core.
Pick up a kettlebell.
Number seven.
(11:09):
This is more of like a fun fact that hopefully will get you excited.
And that's the fact that it is a skill that has to be learned.
One of the things that happens as we get older is we don't like to learn
anymore.
Right.
And it's not that we don't like to learn anymore.
It's just life is busy.
And the idea of teaching ourselves something new just kind of goes by the
(11:33):
wayside.
Right.
We've always we want to learn to cook.
We want to learn a new language as much as that sounds amazing.
We just don't make the time for it.
But when you do, it is fantastic for your brain health, obviously, and it makes
you feel like a more confident person.
It is amazing to learn something new, especially as we get older.
(11:55):
And kettlebells is a skill with a lot of dumbbell exercises or most grind
exercises, you can watch a little demo on it and you can practice it over time.
But it's easy to pick up enough where you're not going to hurt yourself.
Whereas learning things like swings and ballistic cleans and snatches,
windmills, kettlebell get ups, those are something that takes really being
(12:17):
trained out efficiently, practicing over and over again.
And yeah, you're going to suck at the beginning.
I had a hard time getting started.
But over time, each time I would practice, I'd get a little bit better.
I'd increase my confidence a little bit more.
And at the end of it, I was like, oh, my God, I did that.
I took the time to learn something.
So, yeah, you might not go into your first few workouts where you're going to
(12:40):
burn 500 calories because it's going to be more of here's a skill.
Let me break this down.
Let me practice a little bit.
And then over time, you're going to work up to having these amazing sessions.
But be patient with yourself, teach yourself and see that, wow, I actually do
have patients to learn something.
Make sure that you reach out to someone who is efficient and kettlebells and is
(13:01):
a actual certified coach.
And then have fun with the journey.
Change things up a little bit.
Stop doing everything that you've always done because that gets boring.
When you learn something new, it's exciting.
So that, to me, is a huge gain from doing kettlebells is the fact that you're
teaching yourself a new skill.
Number nine.
(13:23):
You need this is just a very, very important tip.
OK, you are.
I'm sorry.
This is number eight.
You need to train kettlebells light as if they were heavy.
When I'm doing a kettlebell clinic, which actually fun fact right now for my
Fit Women's Weekly Live Group, which is my online strength studio where I
stream live workouts every day, I'm actually doing a special kettlebell clinic
(13:46):
where every day for the next week and a half, I'm breaking down the fundamental
exercises and then we're doing practice workouts and making sure that everybody
is comfortable with the movements so that we can all progress from there.
It's just a free little session that I'm doing for my clients.
But the number one rule that I always teach in my kettlebell clinics is that I
don't care if you're using a 15 pounder.
(14:07):
You're going to treat that 15 pounder as if it were a 50 pounder, because if
you start going lazy with the 15er, as you work your way up, you're going to
carry those bad habits on with the heavy weights.
And unfortunately, while kettlebells are safe, if you know how to use them
properly, if you don't, then you're going to put yourself at risk of injury.
(14:29):
You can hurt your back, you can hurt your shoulders.
I have seen people dislocate their shoulders before.
So it's really important that you start learning and perfecting the moves at a
lighter weight.
However, on the flip side of that is that if you use too light of a kettlebell,
it can actually hurt you as well.
There is that sweet spot, which is why I absolutely recommend again that 12
(14:52):
kilogram 24 pounder and the 16 kilogram to get started.
Because if you pick up a five pound kettlebell to practice your swings with,
it's just too easy to, quote unquote, muscle it versus actually learning and
feeling what your body is supposed to feel when you're going through certain
motions.
And so then you're going to carry bad form as you do try to pick up the heavier
(15:15):
weight.
So make sure that you are using a weight that in your hands you actually feel
it as you're going through the movement.
And if you're just able to like swing it around, then you're not doing yourself
any favor, even if you are at the beginning stages of learning kettlebell.
So just something to keep in your thought process while you're going through
this.
Tip number nine, you're freaking going to feel like an athlete.
(15:36):
I don't care how old we are.
I have so many clients that come to me.
I was like, I was never an athlete, but wow, I am 40 years old now.
And I feel the most fit that I ever have.
And for the first time in my life, I feel like an athlete.
I love it when people tell me, growing up, I was an inside kid that loved to
read.
But now I feel like I'm an inside kid that loves to read.
(15:58):
And I feel like an athlete.
That is such a powerful thing.
And as we get older, you know, we tend to question ourselves.
We tend to think like I'm just not as coordinated as I used to be.
Not as strong as I used to be.
But doing things like kettlebells is going to help boost your confidence and
make you feel like an athlete and think about all the other ways that can carry
(16:19):
on to other aspects of your life.
Doing these kind of exercises is going to help you become a stronger runner if
running is your goal, because we want to make sure that as a runner, you're
doing everything you can to prevent overuse injuries.
And that comes from strength training.
And kettlebells is such a great way to do that.
So you want to feel like an athlete, you want to be a well rounded fitness
(16:42):
person, then go grab that kettlebell that's been sitting in the corner of your
gym.
And then last but not least, the biggest tip that I wish I had known when I
first got started with kettlebells is that your hands and your wrists are going
to hate you.
When you are holding a kettlebell properly, your wrist is in a straight
(17:02):
position.
It's you want to break it because you don't want the kettlebell itself to like
sit up against your wrist and your forearm.
But don't do that.
It's putting your wrist in a very unstable, weak position.
And so that means the kettlebell is going to be resting on your forearm and
you're going to get bruises.
It does get better over time, but it absolutely takes practice.
(17:26):
And it does take just adjusting to what that feels like.
There are things that you can do like using wrist guards, but I don't recommend
using wrist guards when you are brand new to kettlebells simply because, again,
that's kind of like using the lightweight versus heavyweight.
You're covering up what you should be feeling.
And so I think that when you're first getting started, go without wrist guards
(17:48):
so that you know, oh, that's hitting me in the wrong way, especially with
things like snatches and cleans, whereas you'll be able to feel when you get it
right of, oh, that felt smooth.
Now you'll still feel the pressure of your bell.
And that's not always comfortable.
But for the move itself, I want you to feel it so you know what the good way
feels like versus the not so good way.
But as you are more confident in your skills, then you can progress.
(18:11):
I just use sweat guards.
That's enough cushion for me.
I have very, very small wrists, but that adds enough cushion so I don't get
bruised all the time.
But at the beginning, yeah, I would end up with about golf ball sized bruises
on my wrist.
The other part of it is your hands are going to look ugly.
My friends and family look at my hands and they're like, oh, you OK?
(18:32):
Because I have such big calluses.
I have some blood blisters that pop up from time to time from doing things like
my snatches or too many swings, and that's just part of it.
I'm not here to have callous free hands.
I work hard.
And every time I look down at those hands, I go, yeah, these guys have put in
the work, put in the time and their hard work pays off.
(18:55):
I promise it does.
It's kind of a running joke when you first get started with your kettlebells.
When you get your first rip, it's like congratulations.
You're part of the community.
You will rip at some point.
And that's just part of it.
The good thing is that rips heal really, really fast.
Just keep it clean, keep it closed as long as possible and you'll be good to
go.
(19:16):
So those are my 10 things that you need to know about kettlebells, whether you
are a seasoned pro.
Can you agree with me on that?
Or if you've been considering getting into it, hopefully this is reason enough
that you're like, all right, I'm ready for this.
I will link up the video to help you get going with your kettlebell swings.
And in the show notes down below, I'll link up a couple of different videos
(19:36):
that can help you as well.
And if you want to get access to my kettlebell clinic, well, you've got to be
part of those weekly live, but I'll put the link down so you can find more
details.
So that is a full program.
Like I mentioned, breaking down every fundamental exercise, move by move, such
as hip hinge, deadlifts, swing, clean snatches and kettlebell get up and each
(19:57):
one also has a little mini practice workout.
So if you're interested, go click.
And for anything else, make sure that you're subscribed to the podcast.
I put out new episodes every week.
I don't want you to miss out.
And if you have any questions or topics that you'd like to see on future
episodes, just hit me up.
You can email me kindle at fitwomansweekly.com or of course, you can DM me on
(20:20):
any of my socials.
Thanks, guys, for hanging out with me.
Talk to you soon.
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) What's up, guys?
Welcome to a brand new episode of the Fit Women's League League podcast.
Today's episode is all about kettlebells.
I'm going to cover all the things that you need to know to get excited.
So maybe you have trained with them before, you've dabbled a little bit.
Maybe you've used them to do things like squats or deadlifts, but you haven't
actually used them in the way that they were meant to be used.
(00:21):
Well, at the end of this video, my goal is that you are going to be very
excited to pick it up and really go full in with your kettlebell training.
We're going to cover some fun facts about kettlebells, the history of them.
I'm going to share with you what makes them different from using something like
a dumbbell.
And I'm going to let you know what you can expect once you really do dive in,
(00:42):
because I know that when I first started, I was always wondering, like, is this
normal?
Am I doing things correctly?
A lot of the things are normal, but it makes it a lot better when you actually
realize that so that you know it's just part of the process.
First things first, let's talk about kettlebell history.
I am a huge history buff.
That's my favorite form of podcast to listen to.
(01:04):
And so when I learn about the origin story of something, it makes me more
excited to jump deeper into it and really immerse myself into it.
So let's quickly talk about the history of kettlebells.
Now, first, what you need to know is kettlebells have literally been around for
centuries.
It was first in the Russian dictionary in the early 1700s, but it was actually
(01:25):
used well before that actually in the markets.
So what was going on was that bakers would use kettlebells as a part of their
weighing system to weigh out ingredients and supplies and bread.
And what they discovered was that they would throw the weights around and women
would walk by and go, oh, my gosh, that's so cool.
(01:45):
So they would actually use kettlebells as a way to woo the ladies.
But then they started realizing how much of a tool it was for getting stronger
and more fit.
And so then later on, it was adapted for the Russian armies.
That was how they trained their armies.
And then it was really World War Two, which brought kettlebells to the masses.
(02:05):
Other soldiers, other countries were looking at the Russian armies going, wow,
they're so strong, they're so fit.
And then they started to adapt it into their own training.
So kettlebells are literally used to train the best of the best when it comes
to armed forces.
So that makes it really cool.
Like if you want to become someone like G.I. Jane, kettlebells is where it's
(02:26):
at, right?
So if you're a history buff, appreciate that.
And you can also think World War Two is terrible as it was.
That is how it became a little bit more available to us and other countries.
Number two, the ability for kettlebells, we're going to get outside the
history.
Now I'm going to talk about what makes kettlebells different from other forms
(02:47):
of weightlifting.
It's their ability to do grind exercises as well as ballistic exercises.
Grind exercises are what we think of when we think of more bodybuilding style,
having like strict presses or squats where you're just doing individual reps
for strength based exercises, whereas ballistic exercises involve big compound
(03:08):
dynamic moves with rapid acceleration and de-acceleration with objects or the
body.
They're very explosive.
They develop a lot of power and strength.
So when we're thinking of ballistic exercises, we are thinking kettlebell
swings, kettlebell cleans, kettlebell snatches, where it's a fluid motion,
where you're controlling the up and the down.
(03:29):
You're really having to use your core.
You're having to use a little bit of coordination.
And in terms with that, it's going to help you build total fitness.
Madon only, you're going to build strength.
It's also going to hit you in your cardiovascular system as well.
So you're getting a really big bang for your buck.
Now, can you use other forms of weightlifting to get ballistic benefits as
(03:51):
well?
Yeah, I mean, clean and jerks and snatches can be done, but it is a little bit
better, a little bit smoother than with a kettlebell.
Then when you're using a barbell or a snatch, you're going to be able to go for
a lot higher reps, a lot safer of a move.
So all in all, I think it's a little bit better.
But you also don't necessarily have to have a kettlebell.
(04:11):
Other forms of ballistic exercise also includes ballistic or plyometric
exercises, which is a fancy word for jumping.
And the great thing about ballistic moves, plyometric moves, is it's going to
improve your brain's ability to talk to the rest of your body and to your
muscles, which is going to help improve your balance, improve what's called
(04:34):
your proprioception, understanding where your body is in space.
So it is a huge benefit not only to building your fitness, but also just
building your functional fitness so that you live a healthier life moving
forward.
Tip number three, the center of gravity with a kettlebell is far different than
that of a barbell or a dumbbell.
(04:56):
So when you are picking up a dumbbell, technically, if it was light enough, I
could balance it on my finger.
Right.
I can put my finger in the very middle of that handle and balance the same
amount of weight on the right side as on the left side that's finding the
center of gravity because of the way that the kettlebell is shaped with the
bell down at the bottom and the horn or the handle up at the top, you can't do
(05:18):
that.
There's no place that you can technically like bounce on its side, especially
the way that you hold it.
You're not holding it at the center of gravity.
So what does that mean for you and your fitness?
That means that you are recruiting more muscle fibers, more stabilizer muscle,
more recruiting, more of your core than you are with the other exercises to be
able to maintain that balance.
(05:40):
And again, you're going to get more bang for your buck.
The more muscles that you're able to activate during an exercise, the more
calories that you're going to burn, more fat you're going to burn, the more
strength you're going to build.
Tip number four is the ability to change how you hold it.
So generally speaking, when it comes to dumbbells or barbells, you really need
(06:01):
to grow your selection pretty fast, right?
There's only so many different ways that you can hold it.
And we all know how important progressive overload is, meaning that from one
workout to the next, you're trying to make it a little bit harder on your
system so that your body has to adapt and that's how you get stronger.
That's how you see results.
And so it makes it really hard for people at home unless you're always
(06:23):
increasing your reps, which we have talked about in the past.
There are ways to progressively overload your system without adding more
weight, but it does make it a little bit harder.
And over time, it's going to make your workouts a little bit longer because
you're always having to add on extra reps to make the workout harder.
But with kettlebells, you don't have to do that because you can hold them in so
(06:43):
many different ways that you can really get by, especially at the start for the
first year, two years, even three years with using just two to three different
kettlebell weights, you can hold it in a what's called a rack position where
you're holding just a single weight in one hand.
You can hold it goblet style where you're holding one weight with two hands.
You can hold it in an inverted position, which turns the kettlebell upside
(07:07):
down, which makes it very hard and fires on a ton, especially bicep muscles of
your bicep.
All that to say is that you don't need this huge home gym to be able to really
challenge yourself.
If you're just getting started with kettlebells and you're trying to figure out
what weight is the right weight, then for most women, I would recommend
(07:28):
starting with a 12 kilogram weight and a 16 kilogram weight that can get you
really far doing some grind exercises and some really solid ballistic exercises
like swings and snatches, which is also a fun fact that kettlebells are mostly
done in kilograms and for Americans that can sometimes be hard.
(07:49):
So a 12 kilogram kettlebell is about 24 pounds.
16 kilogram is 35 pounds.
Over time, I do recommend getting maybe like a 24 kilogram, which is 53 pounds
for other movements like heavy swings and deadlifts.
But again, just starting off for most people, because we're all different in
what is considered heavy for us, but for most people, that 24 pounder and 35
(08:13):
pounder can really do a lot for your fitness for a really long time before you
feel the need to have to add to it.
And you only need one weight versus a lot of times with dumbbells and stuff.
You want to have a pair.
Let's see.
Tip number five, fun fact number five, grip strength.
How frustrating is it if you are someone that does deadlifts, if you are
(08:35):
someone that likes to do pull ups, you don't want to stop your set because your
grip gives out.
You want to stop your set because your hamstrings and your glutes, your
posterior chain during deadlifts gets fatigued, right?
During pull ups, you want to give up not because you can't hold on to the bar
anymore, but because your lats and your arms are just worn out.
(08:58):
Well, that all comes down to building solid grip strength.
And kettlebells, doing those ballistic exercises are going to build some
incredible grip strength.
If you are doing kettlebell swings and you start to feel your forearms starting
to get exhausted, that's your grip working.
And the more you do those moves, the stronger the grip you're going to have.
When people ask me, how can I hang on a bar for so long to knock out 15 to 20
(09:22):
pull ups?
And I always contribute it to my ability of having a really tight grip from
doing so many kettlebells.
So if grip strength is important to you, which it should be because most
exercises you need to have a tight or a strong grip, start picking up a
kettlebell.
You can even do it for just holding farmer carries.
(09:43):
But it's something that is going to be a secondary effect that you weren't
expecting that's going to turn over into being a huge help as you carry on with
your finished journey.
Number six, posture.
Posture is something we all deal with.
In fact, me standing in front of this camera while I record this podcast, I am
constantly thinking about my posture because I have the habit of slumping
(10:07):
forward, of not keeping my core brace, of just kind of slumping and letting
loose.
A lot of us sit down all day, which is going to develop tight pecs, which pulls
those shoulders forward and rounds our upper back.
But because of the way that I've already mentioned, where we are having to use
so many muscles to maintain our kettlebell with our core strength, with our
(10:27):
back strength, it's going to help improve your posture.
So kind of like grip, where you're not going into it being like I'm doing
kettlebells to improve my grip, it's just an awesome side effect.
The same thing can be said for your posture.
You're going to be firing off your core so much that you're going to get a
stronger core because you're doing so many things with the ballistic movement,
(10:47):
like doing overhead presses and snatches.
You're going to be opening up your chest a lot in those positions.
You're going to be able to open up your chest, which is going to, again, help
you with your posture.
So you suffer from bad posture.
You have a weak core.
Pick up a kettlebell.
Number seven.
(11:09):
This is more of like a fun fact that hopefully will get you excited.
And that's the fact that it is a skill that has to be learned.
One of the things that happens as we get older is we don't like to learn
anymore.
Right.
And it's not that we don't like to learn anymore.
It's just life is busy.
And the idea of teaching ourselves something new just kind of goes by the
(11:33):
wayside.
Right.
We've always we want to learn to cook.
We want to learn a new language as much as that sounds amazing.
We just don't make the time for it.
But when you do, it is fantastic for your brain health, obviously, and it makes
you feel like a more confident person.
It is amazing to learn something new, especially as we get older.
(11:55):
And kettlebells is a skill with a lot of dumbbell exercises or most grind
exercises, you can watch a little demo on it and you can practice it over time.
But it's easy to pick up enough where you're not going to hurt yourself.
Whereas learning things like swings and ballistic cleans and snatches,
windmills, kettlebell get ups, those are something that takes really being
(12:17):
trained out efficiently, practicing over and over again.
And yeah, you're going to suck at the beginning.
I had a hard time getting started.
But over time, each time I would practice, I'd get a little bit better.
I'd increase my confidence a little bit more.
And at the end of it, I was like, oh, my God, I did that.
I took the time to learn something.
So, yeah, you might not go into your first few workouts where you're going to
(12:40):
burn 500 calories because it's going to be more of here's a skill.
Let me break this down.
Let me practice a little bit.
And then over time, you're going to work up to having these amazing sessions.
But be patient with yourself, teach yourself and see that, wow, I actually do
have patients to learn something.
Make sure that you reach out to someone who is efficient and kettlebells and is
(13:01):
a actual certified coach.
And then have fun with the journey.
Change things up a little bit.
Stop doing everything that you've always done because that gets boring.
When you learn something new, it's exciting.
So that, to me, is a huge gain from doing kettlebells is the fact that you're
teaching yourself a new skill.
Number nine.
(13:23):
You need this is just a very, very important tip.
OK, you are.
I'm sorry.
This is number eight.
You need to train kettlebells light as if they were heavy.
When I'm doing a kettlebell clinic, which actually fun fact right now for my
Fit Women's Weekly Live Group, which is my online strength studio where I
stream live workouts every day, I'm actually doing a special kettlebell clinic
(13:46):
where every day for the next week and a half, I'm breaking down the fundamental
exercises and then we're doing practice workouts and making sure that everybody
is comfortable with the movements so that we can all progress from there.
It's just a free little session that I'm doing for my clients.
But the number one rule that I always teach in my kettlebell clinics is that I
don't care if you're using a 15 pounder.
(14:07):
You're going to treat that 15 pounder as if it were a 50 pounder, because if
you start going lazy with the 15er, as you work your way up, you're going to
carry those bad habits on with the heavy weights.
And unfortunately, while kettlebells are safe, if you know how to use them
properly, if you don't, then you're going to put yourself at risk of injury.
(14:29):
You can hurt your back, you can hurt your shoulders.
I have seen people dislocate their shoulders before.
So it's really important that you start learning and perfecting the moves at a
lighter weight.
However, on the flip side of that is that if you use too light of a kettlebell,
it can actually hurt you as well.
There is that sweet spot, which is why I absolutely recommend again that 12
(14:52):
kilogram 24 pounder and the 16 kilogram to get started.
Because if you pick up a five pound kettlebell to practice your swings with,
it's just too easy to, quote unquote, muscle it versus actually learning and
feeling what your body is supposed to feel when you're going through certain
motions.
And so then you're going to carry bad form as you do try to pick up the heavier
(15:15):
weight.
So make sure that you are using a weight that in your hands you actually feel
it as you're going through the movement.
And if you're just able to like swing it around, then you're not doing yourself
any favor, even if you are at the beginning stages of learning kettlebell.
So just something to keep in your thought process while you're going through
this.
Tip number nine, you're freaking going to feel like an athlete.
(15:36):
I don't care how old we are.
I have so many clients that come to me.
I was like, I was never an athlete, but wow, I am 40 years old now.
And I feel the most fit that I ever have.
And for the first time in my life, I feel like an athlete.
I love it when people tell me, growing up, I was an inside kid that loved to
read.
But now I feel like I'm an inside kid that loves to read.
(15:58):
And I feel like an athlete.
That is such a powerful thing.
And as we get older, you know, we tend to question ourselves.
We tend to think like I'm just not as coordinated as I used to be.
Not as strong as I used to be.
But doing things like kettlebells is going to help boost your confidence and
make you feel like an athlete and think about all the other ways that can carry
(16:19):
on to other aspects of your life.
Doing these kind of exercises is going to help you become a stronger runner if
running is your goal, because we want to make sure that as a runner, you're
doing everything you can to prevent overuse injuries.
And that comes from strength training.
And kettlebells is such a great way to do that.
So you want to feel like an athlete, you want to be a well rounded fitness
(16:42):
person, then go grab that kettlebell that's been sitting in the corner of your
gym.
And then last but not least, the biggest tip that I wish I had known when I
first got started with kettlebells is that your hands and your wrists are going
to hate you.
When you are holding a kettlebell properly, your wrist is in a straight
(17:02):
position.
It's you want to break it because you don't want the kettlebell itself to like
sit up against your wrist and your forearm.
But don't do that.
It's putting your wrist in a very unstable, weak position.
And so that means the kettlebell is going to be resting on your forearm and
you're going to get bruises.
It does get better over time, but it absolutely takes practice.
(17:26):
And it does take just adjusting to what that feels like.
There are things that you can do like using wrist guards, but I don't recommend
using wrist guards when you are brand new to kettlebells simply because, again,
that's kind of like using the lightweight versus heavyweight.
You're covering up what you should be feeling.
And so I think that when you're first getting started, go without wrist guards
(17:48):
so that you know, oh, that's hitting me in the wrong way, especially with
things like snatches and cleans, whereas you'll be able to feel when you get it
right of, oh, that felt smooth.
Now you'll still feel the pressure of your bell.
And that's not always comfortable.
But for the move itself, I want you to feel it so you know what the good way
feels like versus the not so good way.
But as you are more confident in your skills, then you can progress.
(18:11):
I just use sweat guards.
That's enough cushion for me.
I have very, very small wrists, but that adds enough cushion so I don't get
bruised all the time.
But at the beginning, yeah, I would end up with about golf ball sized bruises
on my wrist.
The other part of it is your hands are going to look ugly.
My friends and family look at my hands and they're like, oh, you OK?
(18:32):
Because I have such big calluses.
I have some blood blisters that pop up from time to time from doing things like
my snatches or too many swings, and that's just part of it.
I'm not here to have callous free hands.
I work hard.
And every time I look down at those hands, I go, yeah, these guys have put in
the work, put in the time and their hard work pays off.
(18:55):
I promise it does.
It's kind of a running joke when you first get started with your kettlebells.
When you get your first rip, it's like congratulations.
You're part of the community.
You will rip at some point.
And that's just part of it.
The good thing is that rips heal really, really fast.
Just keep it clean, keep it closed as long as possible and you'll be good to
go.
(19:16):
So those are my 10 things that you need to know about kettlebells, whether you
are a seasoned pro.
Can you agree with me on that?
Or if you've been considering getting into it, hopefully this is reason enough
that you're like, all right, I'm ready for this.
I will link up the video to help you get going with your kettlebell swings.
And in the show notes down below, I'll link up a couple of different videos
(19:36):
that can help you as well.
And if you want to get access to my kettlebell clinic, well, you've got to be
part of those weekly live, but I'll put the link down so you can find more
details.
So that is a full program.
Like I mentioned, breaking down every fundamental exercise, move by move, such
as hip hinge, deadlifts, swing, clean snatches and kettlebell get up and each
(19:57):
one also has a little mini practice workout.
So if you're interested, go click.
And for anything else, make sure that you're subscribed to the podcast.
I put out new episodes every week.
I don't want you to miss out.
And if you have any questions or topics that you'd like to see on future
episodes, just hit me up.
You can email me kindle at fitwomansweekly.com or of course, you can DM me on
(20:20):
any of my socials.
Thanks, guys, for hanging out with me.
Talk to you soon.
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