# Any kettlebell users



## LoneRider (Sep 4, 2009)

I got into kettlebell training three years ago and found its strength training and range of motion applications to have staggering implications and results for many different walks of life. I've done off and on kettlebell work for the past three years and on my recent Iraq tour I got back into KB training (usually I was forced to substitute either a 35 lbs plate or a dumbbell) in combination with other strength training for a lot of the crossfit-esque circuits I've designed.

I rather like a lot of Pavel Tsatsouline's work for building practical strength for military application in addition to my own running and swimming training. 

Has anyone on this board used kettlebells? Have they helped for MA training (I know most MMA types like using them and I've found my average shoulder and grappling strength have gone up when I do getups)?


----------



## bluekey88 (Sep 4, 2009)

My personal trainer has really gotten me into using kettle bells.  In fact he's already generally certified and is goign for some of the Dragon door higher level training/certification later this month.  

I use the kettlebells in conjunction with my regular wieght trianing/conditioning.  It is really adding ot my cario and my speed/explosiveness.  Good stuff.  Once I have a better handle on things, I'll probably get my own stuff so I can do more at home.

It's a surprisingly good total body workout that blends full-body compound weighted movements and cardio.

Peace,
Erik


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 4, 2009)

I've found similar things even with using the two substitute weights (We didn't have Kettlebells when I was in Iraq) and when I did a practice set with a 35 lbs Kettlebell I have at home I found I could do one handed swings a lot easier than I could before the deployment.

I like Pavel's program but I also add exercises (cals, deadlifts, pullups and the like) that I've derived from Crossfit type exercises and I've found KB training added to my own programs to be fairly useful for developing strength and more importantly in my line of work strength endurance...


----------



## Brian R. VanCise (Sep 4, 2009)

I love kettle bells and they have been responsible for reinvigorating my weight lifting work outs!


----------



## Marginal (Sep 4, 2009)

I use 'em. Mainly do the Art of Strength DVD. It's helped my training a lot all round. Seems to really help my arm flexibility.


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 4, 2009)

I like the fact that they combine range of motion _and _great strength/strength endurance activity into one for a vast majority of their movements. Not to mention the full body training inherent to moving kettlebells around.


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

We've just got a set in the club ranging from a cute little one lol to the heavy weights, is there anything reliable online that I can use to train with them and bearing in mind we do have the range of weights whats the best weight to use?


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 5, 2009)

Fighters' Only website has some good workouts you can use as does DragonDoor.com. For best results I recommend the book _Enter the Kettlebell. _


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

LoneRider said:


> Fighters' Only website has some good workouts you can use as does DragonDoor.com. For best results I recommend the book _Enter the Kettlebell. _


 

Ta! there will be a new me in a few weeks then........I hope!


----------



## DaleDugas (Sep 5, 2009)

If you are interested you can seek out Steve Cotter and Mike Mahler who are two of the best Kettlebell teachers out there IMHO.

Here are some links to their material.

Steve Cotter

Mike Mahler

KBs are some of the better training out there that forces you to use your whole body to move the KB.

I use KBs as well as Indian Clubs, Cables, Bodyweight, Weight Vest, Shotputs and other equipment to train every whole body power and coordination.


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 5, 2009)

Hey Tez 3. Pavel Tsatsouline's stuff is pretty solid too. 

Fighter's Only Conditioning Coach has some killer KB routines I'm probably gonna try in a few months.

Hey DaleDugas, what do you think of Pavel's original stuff like the _Russian Kettlebell Challenege_ and _Enter the Kettlebell?_


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

LoneRider said:


> Hey Tez 3. Pavel Tsatsouline's stuff is pretty solid too.
> 
> *Fighter's Only Conditioning Coach has some killer KB routines I'm probably gonna try in a few months.*
> 
> Hey DaleDugas, what do you think of Pavel's original stuff like the _Russian Kettlebell Challenege_ and _Enter the Kettlebell?_


 

Which conditioning coach do you mean?


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 5, 2009)

Barry Gibson wrote an article about it.


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

LoneRider said:


> Barry Gibson wrote an article about it.


 

Ta, I don't know him but I know the others who write for FO. My instructor writes for it sometimes but they are a bugger for late paying lol!

Look ut for Rosi Sexton's articles, she's spot on always.


----------



## mook jong man (Sep 5, 2009)

Tez3 said:


> We've just got a set in the club ranging from a cute little one lol to the heavy weights, is there anything reliable online that I can use to train with them and bearing in mind we do have the range of weights whats the best weight to use?


 
Probably a 12 kg one would do ya , just start off doing two handed swings. Later on maybe go up to a 16 kg , mines a 16 kg and although it doesn't seem very heavy , the ballistic nature of the exercises can be very exhausting.

There are also a huge number of exercises that can be done with them and many variations of exercises to increase the level of difficulty.
The only thing is that between using the kettle bell and the pull up bar I seem to spend a lot of time cutting callouses off my hands with a razor blade.


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 5, 2009)

I do single hand swings (alternating grips at the top of each swing) with the 16 KG. I'll upgrade to a heavier model later on down the road (I'd love to get my hands on the 24 KG and do what the Spetsnaz do to condition). The getups are fairly punishing but build a good grip and shoulder strength for grappling.


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

mook jong man said:


> Probably a 12 kg one would do ya , just start off doing two handed swings. Later on maybe go up to a 16 kg , mines a 16 kg and although it doesn't seem very heavy , the ballistic nature of the exercises can be very exhausting.
> 
> There are also a huge number of exercises that can be done with them and many variations of exercises to increase the level of difficulty.
> The only thing is that between using the kettle bell and the pull up bar I seem to spend a lot of time cutting callouses off my hands with a razor blade.


 

Thank you, I can't do pull ups at all. the guys in the club seem to be very competetive about doing pull ups lol, some try one handed and they have arguments on the proper way to do it one handed. Bless them, boys will be boys!
The kettlebells are a lot easier to use, my daughter can use the really heavy ones which is scary as she's so small, it's all that riding huge racehorses that does it. She's fighting MMA in December, amateur rules no head shots.


----------



## girlbug2 (Sep 5, 2009)

The cardio bag workout at our training studio involves kettlebells. I am not a huge fan of certain standing moves (One in particular bangs the backs of my wrists and generates bruises), but the side to side crunches with the kettlebell have improved my core strength enormously!


----------



## LoneRider (Sep 5, 2009)

If you're talking about snatches, girlbug2, I believe if you bend your elbow when the bell is about to whack your wrist it'll slow the motion enough that it won't hurt. 

Tez3: best of luck to your daughter on her first fight.


----------



## mook jong man (Sep 5, 2009)

Tez3 said:


> Thank you, I can't do pull ups at all. the guys in the club seem to be very competetive about doing pull ups lol, some try one handed and they have arguments on the proper way to do it one handed. Bless them, boys will be boys!
> The kettlebells are a lot easier to use, my daughter can use the really heavy ones which is scary as she's so small, it's all that riding huge racehorses that does it. She's fighting MMA in December, amateur rules no head shots.


 
Well if your going to be on the back of a huge race horse thats bolting around the track you would want to have decent grip strength for holding onto the reins and kettlebells would certainly help with that.

Your daughter won't need head shots anyway , she should be able to choke opponents out pretty easily with the functional strength she's aquired from riding race horses and throwing big kettlebells around , not to mention latching on to any stray arms and hauling them into an arm bar.
If she can combine her strength with good technique then she will truly be a force to be reckoned with.

No doubt about it pull ups are bloody hard , maybe you could start off doing negatives . Jump up to the bar , hold the position for a couple of seconds and then lower yourself down really slowly. 
Do a few sets of that and after a couple of weeks you should be able to do a few proper pull ups.


----------



## mook jong man (Sep 5, 2009)

girlbug2 said:


> The cardio bag workout at our training studio involves kettlebells. I am not a huge fan of certain standing moves (One in particular bangs the backs of my wrists and generates bruises), but the side to side crunches with the kettlebell have improved my core strength enormously!


 
You get used to the banging on the wrists and after a while it doesn't hurt anymore.


----------



## Decker (Sep 5, 2009)

girlbug2: there's a certain technique to doing snatches with the flip, without banging the bell on your wrists. Youtube has plenty videos on how to do this, it basically involves a snappy pull and punch through, e.g. here. If I'm not wrong, there's a way to do snatches without the flip. 

Tez3: besides negatives, you might also want to try doing assisted pullups, whether with the help of a machine or partner. It's also generally recommended not to train to muscle failure, i.e. do fewer reps but more sets, with sufficient rest in between. Got this info from Pavel's books.

Mook jong man: With respect, banging the wrists is generally considered poor form, but whatever floats your boat, as long as you aren't injuring yourself.


I do the Program Minimum from Pavel's Enter the Kettlebell, and have noticed slight increases in my fitness from time to time. Mainly I use the ballistics for cardio: I personally hate running.

Cheers, and have fun training!


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 5, 2009)

thanks for the advice all, I will give all a good go. My daughter by the way also has killer legs! get in her guard and she will crack your ribs!
these are from her Facebook thingy so I'm not invading privacy (shes a show off anyway lol) The middle one is the kettle bells during the circuit training we do as warm up, the third is her squidging out of a hold with one of the guys.


----------



## mook jong man (Sep 5, 2009)

Decker said:


> Mook jong man: With respect, banging the wrists is generally considered poor form, but whatever floats your boat, as long as you aren't injuring yourself.


 
It happened when I first started so probably my form was crappy , but I just persisted with it until my form got better and now it doesn't seem to bang anymore . But with a background in Wing Chun getting smashed on the wrists is not that big a deal anyway , its par for the course .


----------



## mook jong man (Sep 6, 2009)

Tez3 said:


> thanks for the advice all, I will give all a good go. My daughter by the way also has killer legs! get in her guard and she will crack your ribs!
> these are from her Facebook thingy so I'm not invading privacy (shes a show off anyway lol) The middle one is the kettle bells during the circuit training we do as warm up, the third is her squidging out of a hold with one of the guys.


 
She certainly looks the goods Tez , you must be very proud of her.


----------



## Tez3 (Sep 6, 2009)

mook jong man said:


> She certainly looks the goods Tez , you must be very proud of her.


 

I am hugely! she's only five foot and weighs about 50kg but literally punches well above her weight. She started in Wado Ryu like me and has gone on to do MMA, so she can do all the traditional karate (for the purists lol) The photos are taken in our club, I couldn't make them bigger without taking up all the page lol!


----------



## Gaius Julius Caesar (Oct 5, 2009)

I have been doing KB's since 2002, when I first met Mike mahler before he moved from Va.

I was certified from the RKC in 03, when it still ment something and it had not turned into a cult.

I have been a pro KB Instructor since 03, 1 of the first to actually do it full time.

 My real name is Dylan Thomas, I have done lots of workshops with Mike including the Collision Course, that's on DVD.

 Any MT me,ber in my area who wants a free lesson, just PM me.

 Dylan


----------



## SahBumNimRush (Dec 22, 2009)

I train with KB's, but have only been doing so for about a year now.  I have used Mike Mahler's online stuff, and has given, IMO, a great foundation to start from.  I have since added in my own exercises to emphasize my own martial art techniques, (for example a power clean, into gaurd position, then punch).  I also use physioballs ALOT (GREAT core workout), as well as wobble boards and medicine balls.  

I suppose it all depends on your goals of resistance training.  My focus is more on explosive power (thus KB's), and core strength for balance (thus physioballs, wobble boards).

I have been training in Moo Duk Kwan TKD for 24 years, and have been a chiropractic physician for 2 years now.  The marriage to my career (chiropractor) and my passion (martial arts) has alot of crossover benefits.  I am always interested in hearing what people use to develop better technique and physique for both martial arts and daily life!


----------



## Skippy (Dec 22, 2009)

My wife's Russian & her cousin who happens to be a very good martial artist teaches a kettlebell class at my school 3 times a week. It's actually a very good workout & popular with my students as that class always fills up.:mst:


----------

