So you want to make an adjustable kettlebell from weight plates, but you don’t want to pay for a kettlestack handle?

Then try the Apollo Athletics adjustable kettlebell handle.  It’s a copy of kettlestack’s proven system.  But at around half the price, it’s quite the bargain.

The Apollo kettlebell handle is a good choice for folks who don’t need to adjust their kettlebell weight during a workout.  This is because it takes time to switch weight plates.

If you use just a single kettlebell exercise – kettlebell swings, for instance – you’ll benefit from this style of kettlebell handle.  It’s adjustable when you want to move up in weight, but it doesn’t adjust in an instant like a quick lock kettlebell such as the Ironmaster adjustable kettlebell.

So if you have a bunch of loose weight plates sitting around gathering dust, why not use them to make your own kettlebell?

–>Click Here to get the Apollo adjustable kettlebell handle<–

The Performance Fitness Systems adjustable kettlebell features a unique design that may appeal to folks who don’t want to work out with heavy weights.

As such, I’d recommend this adjustable kettlebell to people who want a light toning workout.

A toning or fat-burning workout is the only sort of resistance workout that the PFS adjustable kettlebell is really suitable for. Because the max weight is only around 20 pounds, it’s just not heavy enough for experienced kettlebell enthusiasts.

Easy to adjust the weight

One of the bright points of the Performance Fitness System adjustable kettlebell’s design is the ease with which you can adjust the weight.  The adjustment dial quickly selects between four different weights – 5, 10, 15, and 20 pounds.

In keeping with the philosophy of use of this class of adjustable bell, the ability to quickly change weight gives you the option to keep moving during your kettlebell workouts.  This is perfect for fat-burning workouts and toning routines.  On the flip side, it’s not really necessary for workouts geared more towards resistance training for strength.

Unusual handle

Most kettlebells – adjustables included – have thick metal handles.

But not this one.

The handle is relatively thick – perfect for the grip-challenging kettlebell workouts that we all love – but it’s padded.  The padding is another design feature that’s intended to help folks who don’t want a purely traditional kettlebell workout but are looking for more of a cardio routine.

Workouts on DVD

Included with your new Performance Fitness System Adjustable Kettlebell is a DVD showing you how to get the most out of your workouts.

The DVD contains two complete workouts – one for beginners and one for experienced kettlebell athletes.  Once you familiarize yourself with these workouts, you’ll be able to get the most out of your new adjustable kettlebell.  Who knows: you might even graduate to a heavier adjustable bell!

–>Click here for pricing info and additional specs<–

If I told you I was going to hit you in the arm, you probably wouldn’t be very happy with me.  It wouldn’t be a nice thing to experience, what with the pain and the bruises.

But if I gave you a choice of being hit by a pipe or a flat board, you’d undoubtedly choose the board.  After all, it’s a lot easier to absorb the impact from a flat board than from a pipe.  The board’s shape distributes the force of the blow over a larger area on your arm.  You might even get away with no bruising or long-term damage, while someone who chose to get hit by a pipe would be bruised by the ordeal.

What does this have to do with kettlebells?

That’s simple.

Working out with kettlebells isn’t a gentle activity.  It bangs and bruises your arms.  The snatch hits your forearm, and the clean hits your upper arm, and most people find it darn near impossible to get away totally unscathed.  It’s a shame, but kettlebell bruises are a fact of life in this sort of workout routine.

In fact, the 36-pound kettlebells that so many men prefer are the worst culprits when it comes to kettlebell contusions.

Kettlebell Contusions from 36-pound kettlebells

The reason 36 pounders are so dangerous is twofold:

1. They’re small enough so that the rounded shape is like the pipe I mentioned earlier.  Impact forces are high but the force isn’t distributed over a large area of your arm, thanks to the ball-like shape.  Larger kettlebells – though heavier – don’t hit you like a pipe, they hit you like a board thanks to their larger diameters.
2. They’re heavy enough to hit you with a good deal of momentum.  Lighter kettlebells just don’t hit you as hard as 36-pounders.

So what’s the solution to kettlebell bruises?

The way to get around this problem with traditionally-shaped kettlebells is to – you guessed it – alter the shape.

Many styles of modern adjustable kettlebells have been designed from the ground up to be better than old-fashioned models.

The engineers who invented modern ‘bells knew they didn’t need to be constrained by old styles.  They are free to apply their creativity to the design process until they come up with the best kettlebell design possible.

Modern kettlebell designs don’t cause bruises

And many good adjustable kettlebells no longer have rounded, pipe-like sides.  The Ironmaster adjustable kettlebell, for instance, has flat sides.  Bruises are almost unheard-of among guys who do snatches or cleans with the Ironmaster.  And that’s even when it’s loaded up to more than twice the weight of a 36-pound old-style ‘bell.

Even the much-maligned Powerbell by Weider is a flat-sided kettlebell.  They got it right in the initial design.

Finally, the newest adjustable kettlebell to hit the market for serious weight trainers is the flat-sided Mir adjustable kettlebell.  It’s heavy but it doesn’t bruise you up during kettlebell cleans because it was designed properly.

Bottom line

So if you’re getting bruised up, don’t think you’re just a hopeless klutz when it comes to kettlebell training.  It’s a problem with old-style kettlebells and no matter who you are, or no matter how you adjust and refine your technique, those old round-sided bells will hit you harder than modern flat-sided kettlebells.

It’s no fun being hit by a pipe, over and over again.  Get a properly-designed bell and take the first step towards making your kettlebell workout a long-term, sustainable routine that will pay off in the years to come.

Cutting edge athletes know the value of an adjustable weighted vest.  And guys who want the best buy the Mir Adjustable Weighted Vest because it fits better and is more easily adjustable than any other design on the market.

And now, Mir makes an adjustable kettlebell handle that accepts the same weight plates used in their weighted vests and in their adjustable dumbbells.

Features and benefits of Mir Adjustable Bell

• Working weights from 18 to 78lbs. mean you’ll always be able to exercise at the right level of intensity
• Do swings or overhead work with the wide handle design
• The patent pending quad locking pin makes this one of the safest and most indestructible adjustable kettlebells you can get
• Each weight plate is 11 pounds.
• The weight plates are the same ones used in the MiR Workout Vest and the MiR adjustable dumbbells

This is a serious training tool for guys who work out with a plan in mind.  Forget the 20 or 40 pound adjustable kettlebells that other companies make out of plastic; this is made to be used hard by  athletes who want to use kettlebell training to reach their goals.

The MiR adjustable kettlebell isn’t for folks who just want to swing a bell around once in a while to keep in shape.  It’s fairly expensive, but when you consider the versatility inherent in its innovative design, the price becomes much more palatable.

More than just an adjustable kettlebell

The MiR adjustable kettlebell uses the same exact weight plates used by MiR’s flagship product – their adjustable weight vests.  What’s more, their excellent adjustable dumbbells use these plates too.

Even better: when you buy a MiR kettlebell, they throw in one of their dumbbell handles for free.  You’re getting an adjustable bell and an adjustable kettlebell at the same time.

To get your hands on one, check out the spec sheet here.

Different style kettlebells exist

You hear it all the time. Marketers waxing poetic about the simple kettlebell. About how it’s remained unchanged for ages. About how it’s weight training distilled to its essence.

Listen to these folks, and they’ll soon have you believing kettlebells are sacrosanct. That, to mess with the time-tested design is nothing short of sacrilege.

But they’re full of it. Anyone who does kettlebells knows there are several important variations. And to get good results, you have to buy and use several different styles of ‘bell.

• Regular, old kettlebells with thick, stumpy handles are best for heavy overhead work. It’s easier to get the bell in the groove as you struggle to press it overhead. When I say heavy, I’m talking about anything over 70 pounds or so. Most guys don’t go to those extremes.
• But stubby handles are hard on the connective tissue in the wrists. Anyone who does lots of lighter, high-rep overhead moves like snatches benefits from a deep-handle kettlebell. You can keep your wrist straighter using this design. In the long run, it’ll save you a lot of pain and recovery time. But keep it light; if your bell is too heavy, it’ll bang into your arm too hard during the snatch, making you wish you had a heavy, stubby bell.
• Traditional bells are fine for one-hand swings. But they’re no good for heavy, two-handed swings. For this excellent exercise, you need a wide handle kettlebell.
• Don’t even think about trying to develop additional strength and muscle mass unless you get an adjustable kettlebell. Since traditional kettlebells make you jump a whopping 30% in weight when you move up to the next larger ‘bell, they’re totally unsuitable for strength training using a typical progressive resistance scheme. Until the advent of adjustable kettlebells, strength training was the purview of barbells and dumbbells only.

Your heroic kettlebell instructor? He didn’t get that body using ‘bells…

The kettlebell bandwagon is filled to burstin’ with guys who want to cash in on the latest fitness trend.

But these guys didn’t get their enviable physiques using ‘bells. They built their muscles the old-fashioned way: with barbells.

In fact, until the recent popularization of the adjustable kettlebell, it would have been absurd to suggest the use of kettlebells for adding a significant amount of muscle mass.

Here’s an amusing (and somewhat scary) thing to try. See if you can get your hands on an old instructional video made by some of the famous names among the kettlebell community. (I’m sure you can think of a few guys who, in recent times, have become synonymous with kettlebell training videos.)

Watch their older videos. It’s obvious that they don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Compare their form, technique, and recommendations now with what you see on those older videos. The differences are staggering. We’ve come a long way, baby!

Hey, I don’t have anything against guys jumping on the bandwagon. But it’s frightening to see how easy it is to become a guru — you just have to pretend you know what you’re doing and project an air of confidence.

Kettlebells are terrible for training power

Kettlebell instructors take great pains to explain the difference between lifting a dumbbell (or barbell) and hoisting a kettlebell. They claim kettlebells are for power, not just for developing maximum strength.

But the truth of the matter is: kettlebells are terrible for developing power. Let me explain…

The gold standard power exercise is the barbell power clean. Snatches, jerks, and push-presses are all important too, but heavy cleans are a prerequisite.

Every athlete — no matter the sport, no matter the coach’s philosophy, no matter the training facility — does barbell power cleans. If they don’t do cleans, something’s screwy.

Kettlebell instructors jump on this info and say, “Look! We do cleans and snatches too! We’re training for athleticism, not bodybuilding!”.

But it’s not the same thing. Here’s why:

• Because of kettlebell design (or, lack of design), you can’t really get fully under the weight. With a kettlebell, cleans and overhead power presses are less a power exercise, and more an exercise in contorting yourself around the body of the ‘bell.
• Kettlebell buffs just don’t use enough weight. These guys lift 35 pounds overhead and you’d think they just climbed mount Everest. The typical training weight for most kettlebell guys is laughably light. Since most bells are not adjustable, it’s difficult to work up to proper training poundages if you limit yourself to kettlebell training.
• Kettlebells don’t go up as high as barbells or dumbbells. It’s much, much easier to press a 75-pound kettlebell overhead than it is to put up a 75 pound dumbbell. Withe the kettlebell lift, the center of mass just doesn’t travel as far overhead. Every inch counts when it comes to power generation. That’s why the best weight lifters are short guys — they don’t have to lift the weight as far off the ground. Not only does this limit your ability to generate explosive power, it reduces the stress and training effect in all the minor, stabilizer muscles that support the spine.

To train power, you need to work out with a proper training weight. And that means using (you guessed it) adjustable kettlebells. It’s no good trying to use a kettelbell that is too heavy or too light. Power training means low reps, explosive, near-max efforts, and athleticism.

Leave the high-rep time-wasting workouts to the guys who just work out for fitness. If you’re training for some reason other than burning a few calories and keeping in shape, you need to be able to dial in just the right weight.

Here are my recommendations:

• Ironmaster quick-lock kettlebell – Expensive, but it will last a lifetime. Plus, you can use the weight plates interchangeably with Ironmaster’s adjustable dumbbells.
• Stamina kettle versa bell – Good kettlebell for guys who don’t need more than 35 pounds (i.e. – it’s for conditioning)
• Weider Powerbell – Good for beginners or casual kettlebell enthusiasts. Comes in two weight ranges (and price points). Don’t drop it though, because it contains a lot of plastic.
]]> http://kettlebellhandles.info/things-kettlebell-instructors-dont-tell-you/feed 0 http://kettlebellhandles.info/use-kettlebells-to-add-muscle-mass http://kettlebellhandles.info/use-kettlebells-to-add-muscle-mass#comments Sun, 30 May 2010 07:12:18 +0000 admin http://kettlebellhandles.info/?p=203

Everyone knows that kettlebell workouts are great for developing full-body conditioning and functional strength. But if you structure your workouts properly, you can also bulk up and build your muscle mass with kettlebells.

In the following article, I’ll briefly go over the fundamentals of designing a mass-gain program, then I’ll show you how to use kettlebell exercises to meet the requirements of a bulking program.

All mass-gain programs share these fundamentals

To add muscle mass, you need to do these things:

• Eat enough so you gain weight.
• Do Pushing exercises.
• Do Pulling exercises.
• Perform squats (or similar exercises).
• Do hamstring exercises.
• Do core exercises to tie everything together.
• Keep adding weight according to the principle of progressive overload.

If you neglect one or more of those basics, your ability to build muscle will stall and probably result in eventual injury.

How kettlebell exercises build muscle mass

In keeping with the basic requirements of a mass-gain program as summarized above, here is a simple program using kettelbells that should build muscle all throughout your body. It consists of compound exercises which shouldn’t leave any weak spots or strength imbalances.

Kettlebell pushing exercises

• Military press
• Floor press
• Dips (sorry, not a kettlebell exercise, but it’s a good one anyhow)

The military press emphasizes the shoulders and upper back, while the floor press puts most of the stress on the chest and triceps. If your kettlebell is too heavy, feel free to do push presses instead of military presses. If it’s too light, get a heavier ‘bell because otherwise your gains will stall.

Kettlebell pulling exercises

• Bent-over rows
• Upright rows
• Chin-ups (weighted)

Rows are important for gaining mass. But they can be a bit problematic with kettlebells, since grip strength quickly becomes an issue. Feel free to use weight lifting straps if this will help you intensify the training effect. Or, use a modern kettlebell with a thinner handle than those found on old-fashioned, traditional cast-iron ‘bells.

As effective as kettlebells are, there is no substitute for pull-ups or chin-ups. If you need to, add weight to the movement. If not, do assisted pull-ups by resting your foot on a chair.

Kettlebell exercises to work your squatting movement

• Front squats
• Suitcase squats
• Lunges
• Step-ups

Pick at least two of the squatting exercises listed above.

For mass gain, keep the reps relatively low. You’ll need a heavy kettlebell (or two) to get the most out of a leg bulking workout.

Kettlebell exercises to work the hamstrings

• Kettlebell swings target the back of your legs; use heavy weight for mass
• Heavy kettlebell cleans also work the hammies

Never neglect your hamstring training if you have been squatting/lunging. You have to build your legs up evenly or you risk injury and painful joint problems.

Kettlebell core exercises

• Turkish get-ups
• Windmills

Although heavy mass-building exercises invariably work the core muscles, you probably want to add some dedicated core work to your bulking program. Windmills and get-ups are two of the best kettlebell core-building movements.

Put it all together into a kettlebell mass-gaining program

I won’t write out a one size fits all program here. Everyone is different and it’s best if you find your own way when it comes to building muscle. But by way of example, here is a simple three-day split that will work for most beginners:

Day 1 — Push

• Military press
• Floor press

Day 2 — Pull

• Pull-ups
• Bent-over rows

Day 3 — Legs

• Squats with kettlebells in the clean position
• Lunges
• Swings

A good guideline for reps and sets is to do 5 sets of 5 reps each.

When you start to get in shape, add some core work after each workout.

Make sure to schedule your leg workouts before a weekend so you get that extra day of rest.

If your kettlebells are not heavy enough to make this a challenge, you now have an excuse to get heavier ‘bells, or add some more weight to your adjustable kettlebells!

Why do many people say kettlebells are no good for gaining mass?

Simply put, kettlebells make it very difficult to get just the right weight you need during a mass-gain program. Unless you increase the intensity each time you work out, your rate of muscle building will stall.

Because older, traditional cast-iron kettlebells are fixed weight, it’s difficult to add progressive resistance into your training program. The only way to increase intensity is to either increase the reps or perhaps try to decrease the rest time between sets. And this isn’t a very effective way to design a program to add muscle mass.

But the folks who denegrate kettlebells in the context of a bulking program are forgetting something: adjustable kettlebells.

With modern adjustable kettlebells, it’s easy to dial in exactly the weight you need so your gains keep coming. You won’t have to work around a kettlebell that’s either too light or too heavy for what you’re trying to accomplish.

Do yourself a favor and check out our adjustable kettlebell reveiws. Either the Weider Powerbell or the sturdier but more expensive Stamina Kettle Versa Bell gives you the adjustability you need to set the perfect weight for whatever kettlebell exercise you want to do.

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