# What is the difference?



## Xue Sheng (Sep 28, 2010)

:idunno:

dumbbells vs kettlebells 

I have a great set of iron dumbbells and I have been looking at some kettlebell videos online today and I am wondering why you could not do the same exercises with a dumbbell.

What is the advantage of kettlebells?

I am considering buying a couple and admittedly I have never used any kettlebells so I am trying to justify to myself why I should buy them


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## Omar B (Sep 28, 2010)

The weight on dumbbells is equal  on both sides while on kettlebells it's pretty much all on one side.  It activates more muscles as you move through a range of motion because where the majority of the weight is during the exercise is constantly moving.

By this arrangement it works the major muscles in the range of motion that a regular dumbbell would, but with the weight shifting it activates little tiny supporting muscles throughout the whole range.  You should experiment by doing curls with dummbbells them kettlebells and see how different it is.


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## bluekey88 (Sep 29, 2010)

Kettlebells have an offset center of gravity due to the handle being on the top of the bell.  Dumbells are balanced.  

basically, anything you can do with a dumbell, you can do with a kettlebell.  However, there are some things you can do with kettlebells that you can't do with a dumbell or a barbell.\


Kettlebells are great for doing ballistic moves (swings, snatches, etc.)  These can build explosive strenght and cardio simultaneously...and do so with minimal risk to knees and back.  You really cant swing a barbell.  and Dumbell swings (especially at heavier weights) are pretty risky too.

Kettlebells are great for replicating the olympic lifts (clean, press, jerk snatch).  The technique is easier to learn than with barbells (in my experience).  

Kettlebell lifts tend to by compund lifts that hit much of the body.  After jsut doing presses and swings...I feel it not jsut in my shoulder, but in my hamstrings, glutes, abs and lats.  My workouts are also pretty brief (20-40 minutes).

Kettlebells are also portable.  I was able to get by with just a couple of bells for the first year and a half of my training.  I've very recently expalnded my collection as I'm working on some different techniques...but you can get by with jsut one or two bells and a basic program like Enter the Kettlebell for a long time.

depending on the program you follow, you can use bells to shred fat (geoff Neupert's KB Burn), build size (KB muscle or Return of the Kettlebell) or simply build conditioning and strength (Enter the Kettlebell).  

I follow the dragondoor KB methods as taught by Pavel Tsatsouline.  His methods also focus on proper use of tensions and relaxation to increase strength and power and protect the body (tensing abs, glutes and lats during a press for example).  Karateka will find the tension methods very familiar.

If you go to www.dragondoor.com and look at the kettlebell faq and some of the products and articles, i think you'll get a better idea of what kettlebells can do.

For me, I've been using them as the core part of my condiitoning for a couple of year now.  I'm in the best shape of my life.  Lost a lot of weight and bodyfat.  My knee (wich if you recall had to have ACL reconstruction awhile back) no longer bothers me at all...and my old sholder/neck issues are pretty much a thing of the past.

I still do some barbell/dumbell and bodyweight work, but KB's are the core of what I do.

Peace,
Erik


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## Brian R. VanCise (Sep 29, 2010)

Xue what I have noticed more than anything is that I enjoy working out with kettlebells more.  They are simply more fun for some reason.  Thus my love for weight lifting took a serious upturn when I purchased and started training with kettlebells.


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 29, 2010)

Omar B said:


> The weight on dumbbells is equal on both sides while on kettlebells it's pretty much all on one side. It activates more muscles as you move through a range of motion because where the majority of the weight is during the exercise is constantly moving.
> 
> By this arrangement it works the major muscles in the range of motion that a regular dumbbell would, but with the weight shifting it activates little tiny supporting muscles throughout the whole range. You should experiment by doing curls with dummbbells them kettlebells and see how different it is.


 
Thanks I did not know that and I will give it a try





bluekey88 said:


> Kettlebells have an offset center of gravity due to the handle being on the top of the bell. Dumbells are balanced.
> 
> basically, anything you can do with a dumbell, you can do with a kettlebell. However, there are some things you can do with kettlebells that you can't do with a dumbell or a barbell.\
> 
> ...


 
Cool, thanks and I will be buying a book or two on kettlebells this week.

As I sat here reading your post with my left shoulder bothering me from the seated military press I did on the Bowflex last Monday, I have decided that I am going to go pick up some kettlebells next week.

Many years ago I based my workout on Pavel Tsatsouline Power to the People book and it worked rather well so I guess I will check out his kettlebells book too. One question does his kettlebells book have as many advertisements as his Power to the People book 



Brian R. VanCise said:


> Xue what I have noticed more than anything is that I enjoy working out with kettlebells more. They are simply more fun for some reason. Thus my love for weight lifting took a serious upturn when I purchased and started training with kettlebells.


 

OK I was not really sold before.. but I am NOW. Especially if it makes it more enjoyable Im there 

I use to enjoy lifting and I did again for the first couple of weeks prior to the knee giving me problems again but I have pretty much taken that version of the workout as far as I cold and I changed it to something a bit more advanced this week and to be honest it is a chore.



I have never been a big proponent of working out with machines, bowflex, total gym, nautilus, etc. Nor have I ever been a big proponent of isolation exercises with free weights. But due to the injuries I have had recently I gave up most of my free weights except for the dumbbells since those injuries made it difficult to do and workout like I had done in the past with free weights. And to be honest I have found that things like the total gym and bowflex are not that bad, actually and I like the total gym better than the bowflex (Honest :uhohh: , it is not just out of a fear of Chuck :anic. However the Bowflex is currently aggravating another old MA related injury (separated clavicle) to the point where I do not think I will be doing any of the workout this evening with either machine or dumbbells.

So based on the posts I do think it is time to stop resisting and give into the whole kettlebells thing since it sounds like I will get a safer, more efficient and more enjoyable workout.

I know I like the medicine ball stuff, it seems to be much more applicable to MA training


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## bluekey88 (Sep 29, 2010)

Pavel (Dragon Door's) kettlebells are very well made (but pricey).  I'm also fond of Troy KB's as a decent but cheaper alternative.

Pavel has many books out now.  I recommend gett the Enter the kettlebell Book and DVD along with a 16 kg (35#) bell.  That's a good starting package.

Good luck and anjoy the training.

Peace,
Erik


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