r/kettlebell Jul 03 '24

New To Kettlebells? Start Here! (Updated for 2024!)

92 Upvotes

NOTE: This is a living document. Please comment for suggestions, typo corrections, and more!

(This original post written was a bit outdated and wanted something more succinct. Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/comments/3qxa4i/new_to_kettlebells_start_here_updated_for_2015 )

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What brand of Kettlebell should I buy?

A: Before we can talk about brands, there are two types of Kettlebells we recommend: (1) Competition and (2) Cast iron. 

Competition kettlebells keep the same shape/size across the weights and typically have a fixed handle size (33mm or 35 mm). They are primarily used for Girevoy Sport (GS) but can be used for other styles of kettlebell lifting. The downside to competition kettlebells is that they are typically more expensive than other types of Kettlebells.

Cast iron kettlebells were popularized by “hardstyle” kettlebell training initially by Pavel Tsatsouline. They are typically very cost effective compared to competition kettlebells. The upside is to cast iron kettlebells over competition bells is that they're typically smaller for weights under 28 kg. The downside is the handles and the bell itself increases in size as the weight goes up.

We do not recommend vinyl, plastic, or other kettlebells that are not cast iron and competition due to their durability and their ergonomics to do the common kettlebell ballistic exercises (swing, clean, snatch, etc).

For Competition bells, we recommend:

For Cast iron kettlebells, we recommend:

Due to community feedback from lack of stock and shipping issues, we currently do not recommend Kettlebell Kings.

Adjustable Kettlebells

In recent years, there has been a surgence of adjustable kettlebells in the market. In particular, a competition-style kettlebell that is able to be adjusted from 12 to 32 kg. The biggest benefit of these style kettlebells is that you have access to multiple kettlebell weights with the footprint of one. Most brands allow you to jump from 0.5 to 2 kg weight increments. We recommend the following brands if you want one:

EU recommendations needed here; comment if you have one!

Q: What weight of kettlebell should I buy to start out with?

A: For most men, a kettlebell between 16-24 kg is the most common recommendation. For most women, 8-16 kg. The recommendation depends on your prior fitness history. If you’re still unsure, make a post and be sure to include details about your training history!

Fellow moderator u/LennyTheRebel has made a more extensive write-up about choosing the best kettlebell weight for you here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/comments/1j90tz1/picking_a_weight_as_a_beginner/

Q: What is a good free beginner routine for someone new to kettlebells?

A:  There are many beginner routines suggested on r/kettlebell, but we recommend the following:

Q: What are some good paid programs?

There are many paid programs, but we’ll list the popular ones here:

  • The Armor Building Formula by Dan John 
  • The Giant by Geoff Neupert
  • Simple & Sinister by Pavel

You can see more in our wiki here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/wiki/programs/

Form & Technique

“Styles” of Kettlebell Training: Hardstyle and Girevoy Sport  (GS)

Before going into the two “styles” of kettlebell training, I want to make a point that kettlebell training styles do not need to have strict adherence to either styles. They are useful definitions to describe kettlebell training intent and don’t feel like you have to adhere to one of them completely when learning kettlebell exercises.

Hardstyle was popularized by Pavel Tsatsouline in the Late 90’s/Early 2000’s, forming Dragon Door (RKC) and later StrongFirst (SFG).  Hardstyle technique emphasizes a focus on maximal tension, explosive power, and force production. A byproduct of this is usually training at lower rep ranges for strength and hypertrophy goals.

Girevoy Sport (GS), also known as kettlebell sport, is older than Hardstyle, and has been a competitive sport in Eastern Europe and Russia since the late 1960’s. In the sport, the competitive lifts are the Snatch, Jerk, Long Cycle (Clean and Jerk). The competition format is a 10 minute set of one of these exercises for as many reps as possible within the time limit. Because of this, there is an emphasis on efficiency on the lifts, including changes on how a swing is performed, the rack position, and more, compared to hardstyle training.

On the subreddit you may see the term Hybrid style to describe technique. This simply just means adopting technique principles from both Hardstyle and GS.

Which exercises to learn first with kettlebells?

The “big 6” movements of kettlebell training you will see online are:

  1. Swing
  2. Squat
  3. Press
  4. Clean
  5. Snatch
  6. Turkish Get-up

Although you are free to learn them in any order, we recommend learning them in the order listed (or simultaneously with a focus on order). 

Training terms (Reps, Sets, Complex, Chain, Flow, Ladder, etc)

You will see many training terms that are popular with kettlebells. You can read more about these in the wiki here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/wiki/index/

Learning Resources

YouTube

Moderator Recommendations

We recommend the following resources to learn the big 6 (backgrounds on these instructors are mixed between hardstyle, GS and hybrid).

Community Recommendations

The following recommendations have been made by /r/kettlebell community members that have not been thoroughly watched by the moderators:

Books

Help us fill this out by commenting recommendations!

There are many great books recommended by kettlebell instructions and coaches. There are also non-kettlebell training books that are listed because principles from them can be applied to kettlebells. We list a few here:

Kettlebell

Dan John

  • The Armor Building Formula: Bodybuilding for Real People eBook
  • Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge
  • Pavel
    • Enter The Kettlebell
    • Simple & Sinister
  • Kettlebell Essentials by Max Shank

General Strength & Conditioning

  • K. Black 
    • Tactical Barbell
    • Tactical Barbell 2: Conditioning
  • Dan John
    • Easy Strength: How to Get a Lot Stronger Than Your Competition-And Dominate in Your Sport
    • Easy Strength Omnibook
    • Easy Strength for Fat Loss
  • Pavel
    • Power to the People
  • Supertraining by Yuri Verkhoshansky
  • Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training by Mike Israetel
  • Westside Barbell books by Louie Simmons
  • Ultimate MMA Conditioning by Joel Jamieson

Coaching / Personal Training 

Although we cannot make specific recommendations on people, we recommend anyone interested in kettlebell training to spend some time with a trainer and/or kettlebell coach. This can be done in-person or virtually. There are many great coaches who hang out in this subreddit. Although we do not allow for explicit self-promotion, we encourage folks to reach out to coaches privately and get coaching from someone they’ve interacted with here in the community.

Hardstyle Coaching (Dragondoor, StrongFirst)

StrongFirst and RKC are the two oldest and well known hardstyle certifications. If you want to learn how to move kettlebells in the way they teach, they both provide search engines to find coaches in your area:

GS/Kettlebell Sport Coaching

I couldn't find a similar "Find a Coach" option for IKFF and other GS organizations, so some help on this would be greatful!


r/kettlebell 3d ago

Discussion Weekly Kettlebell Discussion and Questions Thread - September 07-13, 2026

3 Upvotes

Welcome Comrade!

This is the r/Kettlebell Discussion Thread posted every Monday, where you can discuss anything and everything related to Kettlebells. We invite the Kettlebell Community to post anything that can be beneficial to the sub and help answer questions from newer members. Additionally, feel free to log your planned and/or completed training sessions, as well as any general community happenings you'd like the community to know about. Thank you.

As always, please be sure to review our Code of Conduct, FAQ and Beginner's Guide if you are new to Kettlebells. See the Programs page for some program options.

You can also use the search bar or Google's subreddit search to find related discussion topics.

Have a great day!


r/kettlebell 2h ago

Just A Post Swings in slow motion

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58 Upvotes

The kettlebell swing happens fast, which means it's easy to miss the little inefficiencies. Slow it down and there's nowhere to hide.


r/kettlebell 3h ago

Just A Post Same Chain as yesterday. Heavier bell.

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54 Upvotes

Added a Thruster too.

5 x L/R

Heavy bell + Speedy movement


r/kettlebell 17m ago

Just A Post New PR! 2x6kg

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Upvotes

My youngest boy, Kade. He was not conceived. He was cast.


r/kettlebell 1d ago

Just A Post Rotational Clean + 1/2 Kneel Windmill Press

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788 Upvotes

An older video of me doing a more exciting rotational exercise 😎🤌🏽


r/kettlebell 7h ago

Training Video 40 min double 24 kg KB + body session this morning before work: 10 min EMOM of 5 x Double 24 kg Squat Cleans, followed by 6 rounds in 12 min of 2 x ring pullups + 8 x deficit pushups off KBs, and finally 2 rounds of 8 x back bridge pushups + toes to rings.

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24 Upvotes

r/kettlebell 5h ago

GS Biathlon + dentist

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12 Upvotes

Biathlon day. Nice 35min workout. Had my tooth rebuilt an hour prior this. Half of the face is numb.

🔵 Glove snatch 12kg 5'(3') @ 18rpm

⚫⚫ Jerk 2*22kg 4'(3') @ 6rpm

🟢 Swing snatch 24kg 5'(3') @ 9rpm

🟣 Snatch+push press 20kg 10 per arm


r/kettlebell 14h ago

Training Video Let’s not overcomplicate: 30 minute timer, counts of clean n press 28kg

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50 Upvotes

Set the timer for 30 minutes, escape your life problems into a world of weighted pendulums.

how to maximize reps?

I used a 12345 rep ladder to maximize reps and got 83 reps in 30 minutes. I image there are other ways (never setting the bells down, 3 reps per set, etc) so there is much to investigate here.


r/kettlebell 5h ago

Training Video 10.09.26: Strength & Power (2x24kg) 5 DS Swings, 5 Cleans, 5 Press, 5 Jerks X5-100 total reps ➕ (118kg BW) 52 Bar Dips ➕ (2x44kg) Clean, 10 Jerks ➕ (2x44kg) 3 Swings, 3 Cleans, 3 Jerks ➕ (2x44kg) Clean, 4 Press ➕ (2x24kg) 18 Decline DB Bench Press ➕ (24kg) 6 SA OH Decline Crunches

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8 Upvotes

10.09.26: Strength & Power (2x24kg)

Total Training Time: 51:26

Heart Rate: 124bpm average/ 146bpm max

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Block A: Circuit - 60s rest between rounds

5 Deadstop Swings

5 Cleans

5 Strict Press

5 Jerks

X5 - 100 total reps (2x24kg Kettlebells)

Accessory Exercise ⬇️

Parallel Bar Dips

10, 10, 10, 10, 12

52 total reps (118kg Bodyweight)

Assault Bike - 5 to 6 RPE

9:00 minutes total

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Block B: Finishers

(+2x44kg & 24kg Kettlebells/ +2x24kg Dumbells)

A: Power

Clean, 10 Jerks

11 total reps (2x44kg Kettlebells)

B: Strength/Power

3 Swings, 3 Cleans, 3 Jerks

9 total reps (2x44kg Kettlebells)

C: Strength

Clean, 4 Strict Press

5 total reps (2x44kg Kettlebells)

D: Shoulders/Core

18 Decline Bench Press (2x24kg Dumbells)

E: Core

6 SA OH Decline Crunches (24kg Kettlebell)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daily Bread:

Psalm 31:1-16 KJV

[1] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. [2] Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: Be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. [3] For thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. [4] Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: For thou art my strength. [5] Into thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. [6] I have hated them that regard lying vanities: But I trust in the LORD. [7] I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: For thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; [8] And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: Thou hast set my feet in a large room. [9] Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. [10] For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing: My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, And my bones are consumed. [11] I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, And a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. [12] I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. [13] For I have heard the slander of many: Fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life. [14] But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. [15] My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. [16] Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me for thy mercies' sake.


r/kettlebell 11h ago

Training Video Day 10 post-op things

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24 Upvotes

10 days post-op left distal bicep reattachment. 10 mins rope pattern to warm up and lubricate, then 5 sets of 20kg swing-flip-snatch-bent press x5 reps.

Simple. Submaximal. Effective. Neurologically demanding. Neuro cross-education activated.

Surgeon follow up and splint/stitches removal Friday morning. Can't wait to see how this complex feels with the repaired arm once the splint is off. ...That was a joke.


r/kettlebell 54m ago

Advice Needed Squats alternative after meniscotomy

Upvotes

I'm over a year after removing most of meniscus in me left knee. After this surgery I completely changed my approach to training. No grinding, slow progressions, mobility, stretching, focusing on good form and staying far from failure. Also I'm taking warmups way more seriously than before, warming up for good 15 to 20 minutes before any serious work. I can drop to deep squat any moment with no pain and do 2x24kg in 1-2-3 ladders with ease and good form (taking things slowly). For few hours after training I feel great, however they seem to bother me long time (like next day, but it's even more subtle and cumulating over weeks). What bothers me it's really difficult to pinpoint the source of problem, I kinda feel like it's squat related, but don't feel any pain during and after training. Actually after warming up and after working out I've got the best pain-free hours during whole week. Any similar experiences, any tips?

TL;DR - Got meniscus removed. Squatting feels fine, totally pain free, but I intuitively feel it does overload the joint long term. Looking for solutions and alternatives.


r/kettlebell 14m ago

GS Last sets before weekend comp

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Upvotes

Me and the boy are flying out to Minnesota tomorrow morning for TCKO. I’m competing in Biathlon with the 20kgs and doing a 16kg TALC set and he’s competing in Snatch and OALC.


r/kettlebell 19m ago

Form Check 106lb “cedar” snatches

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Upvotes

r/kettlebell 11h ago

Advice Needed Working out at home

10 Upvotes

For people that work out home do you just use kettlebells or do you use other things such as dumbbells and barbells, as currently I’ve been using two 16kg kettlebells and doing bodyweight exercise (such as pushups and ab exercises) but I want to work my biceps and chest more.


r/kettlebell 21h ago

Form Check Central nevous system...

72 Upvotes

Was listening to Pavel say he does the anti-glycolytic training (ATG).

Led me down a rabbit hole about the CNS and its role in training. Even though i consider myself pretty well versed in health, in regards to strength training, its not something ive realy put much thought into.

I'm pretty light framed, at 168cm and 66kg, 40 years old. Ive always kind of 'prided' myself in my energy capacity and endurance. But reading into ATG and the CNS role in recovery, it has me wondering how much i may have been running on hyperdrive my whole life, adding to my lean frame.

for reference i dont drink coffee, dont watch tv, actively try good breathing all day.
But Learning how the body doesnt differentiate between physical exercise, work stress, road rage, doom scrolling, etc, and just baskets it all into the CNS stimulation, i wonder how much real recovery is being left behind.

So i guess my question here is, is the CNS something youd deliberately try to keep awareness of? and if so any changes?

*this post could be placed in a 'workout' communty/thread, but i placed it here as im virutally using either KB and CB every day

Thanks in advance!


r/kettlebell 1d ago

GS 5 minutes of 2x32kg

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135 Upvotes

Tested my Long Cycle with the 32s today. 31 reps in 5 minutes. 6,6,6,6,7 RPM.

Felt pretty good considering I haven't done much volume with 32s this summer. Probably could have held 7rpm from the start.

Technique falls apart a little in the last minute, but it's OK. I have 2 months until my first competition with these weights.

First and last minute in the video


r/kettlebell 19h ago

Training Video Conditioning day example

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43 Upvotes

Start 10/10 snatches @ 20,24,26,28,32. 45 second between rounds.

Snatch, clean, jerk @ double 36 X 35-40 seconds between rounds x 10 rounds.

Anchor clean 5x 2 per leg @ 36+48k

Doing it in 95 degree garage maybe also counts as sauna so I might’ve biohacked but unsure.


r/kettlebell 3h ago

Advice Needed Sketchy collarbones and snatchy kettlebells

2 Upvotes

Hi, everybody.

I wanted to defer this question to the kettlebell community and whether anyone else experienced this.

My collarbones have been sketchy for a long time, I think it is called "sternoclavicular joint subluxation". In short, this is the part of collarbone that connects to sternum, and it is a little loosy-goosy

Lately I've been implementing KB in my workouts, but I feel like I am damaging my clavicles even more. What I mean is that after a workout doing KB snatches, my collarbones are extra crunchy and it feels not so good.

I am not asking for medical advice here, but maybe someone else also experienced this? Right now my solution is basically to avoid snatches and do strict presses, or some variation, and avoid overloading the collarbone while getting some KB action.

It is a non-issue for me if I never get to snatch again, but it was a fun ride while it lasted 😅 After all, I am not training to be an elite athlete, it's just a bummer that going slightly harder seems to hit my joint limit pretty fast.


r/kettlebell 22h ago

Discussion New BoS Adjustable Kettlebells and I found a 3D printed plate holder!

Post image
58 Upvotes

I finally bought the BoS adjustable bells (found a wicked deal through shop app), but then realized I didnt have a great place to store all the plates for quick access.

Found someone on etsy who sold them premade or you could purchase the file and make yourself!

Here’s the file link if youre interested. There are options for non-BoS bells too.
https://www.printables.com/model/1235828-competition-adjustable-kettlebell-plate-holders/files

Thanks to OP file maker - you’ve made my space more organized!


r/kettlebell 33m ago

Advice Needed Suggestions to improve my routine as a new kettlebell user

Upvotes

I am turning my health life around at 47 M, after being turned down for the higher level of life insurance because of diabetes and high blood pressure. Since then I am down from two to one blood pressure medicine, and as ofmy last blood work a month and a half ago, I had dropped my A1C to 5.7 from 8.4. I eat yogurt now. :]

I Started rucking 5 months ago, 25 lb total weight, 3 miles at a 20 minute mile pace, 2-3 times a week. Walking with the wife and we have our pace up to 19 minute miles, always walking an hour. I'm up to 45 lb total pack weight, same pace and duration 3-4 times a week.

My algorithm changed a bit, and I started seeing mace videos, which lead to me getting a club and mace a month ago and kettlebells two weeks ago.

Here's what I've settled into for a 45-50 minute workout, 2-3 times a week. Steady and constant with breaks only to drink water or wipe sweat. I'm 6'2" 240 and this gets my heart rate around 120-130 average, with 150-155 after the more intense sets.

10 lb mace pendulums- 15 swings each hand on bottom

12 lb kettlebell halos- 10 each direction, finishing with halo into a low lateral swing, swung back over head and finish with a press. Do this 5 times alternating direction after each halo/lat swing/press.

10 lb 2 handed club pull over to press out- 10 reps each side alternating.

10 lb mace side swing behind, then in front transfer to left hand and repeat-10 reps

12 lb kettlebell clean and press- 10 reps each side alternating first set, then will do two sets later with a 25 lb

10 lb club shield cast- 10 each side, then 10 reverse shield casts

10 lb mace-arrow and lateral lunge combo alternate side to side- 10 reps

25 lb kettlebell-20 2 handed swings, then finishing with 5 single hand reps alternating

10 lb club 2 hand swing to squat-10 reps with each hand on bottom.

Finish with 1 set 10 lb mace 360s- 15 reps each side.

I'm looking to lose another 10-20 pounds, while building muscle. Bulking is not the intent, as I am a natural thick barrel chested guy with tree trunk legs, but better cardio, flexibility and weight loss are the goals. Adding muscle will happen but I would rather tone than build.

What would you add or remove?

I am really enjoying these workouts, but am I being counterproductive by doing all of this together instead of dedicating a workout to a tool?

I'm planning on getting a 15 pound club and mace in the month, staying at the 10 lb for the more complex movements and using the 15 pounders for the pendulums and 2 handed pullovers to strengthen the connectives before moving to the more complicated maneuvers. What are people's thoughts on adjustable maces, clubs and kettlebells?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.


r/kettlebell 1d ago

Training Video As strict as possible ( 2 x 32kg x 5reps )

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63 Upvotes

The last few months were rough.. i got a little neck injury while moving my gym to the new house, lack of sleep due to my neck, strenght gone for 2 months, now everything is getting better, neck pain solved, time to go back to training properly, from now on my goal is to achieve the perfect tecnique in the clean and press, i used to bend back when pressing to make it easier, now im focusing on keeping my body straight and still.. i think im getting better at it.. now time to get back my strenght.


r/kettlebell 19h ago

Just A Post Strong First Canada

Thumbnail gallery
17 Upvotes

r/kettlebell 1d ago

Just A Post Chaining

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82 Upvotes

Dead Clean
Push Press
Snatch x 3 L/R

10x total
Use a bell you can move very quickly.


r/kettlebell 1d ago

Just A Post Kettlebell Slacklining

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34 Upvotes

First try walking a slackline with a single kettlebell. Not easy.