Geoff Neupert doing the pistol with a 106lb kettlebell
After reviewing what I think is one of the best Kettlebell Routines out there, I thought it might be useful if I wrote something about what you need to get started with Kettlebell Burn. This might come in handy if you’re looking at a gym and want to know if their equipment is suitable or if you want to buy a couple of kettlebells and train at home. So, here it is…
One of the aspects that I really like about Kettlebell Burn is the deliberate simplicity of the system. This simplicity even carries over to the equipment that you need to successfully train using this kettlebell routine. All you need is the program (which you can download as soon as you pay for it at PayPal) and a couple Kettlebells of different sizes.
What’s the Best Size Kettlebell for me to us when I Train?
Most of the kettlebell exercises in this routine use a “moderate weight”. This means that you will be using a kettlebell that you can handle for a maximum of 5 reps for certain exercises and a maximum of 10 reps for other exercises. What determines the weight here is dependent on:
- what type of exercise you perform and
- which segment of the workout you’re performing (e.g., a strength segment).
What I mean here is that you would be using a lighter kettlebell for an exercise such as the Turkish Get Up than you would for many other exercises. Also, if a segment is designed to build your overall body strength, you’ll be using a heavier weight than during a segment that targets your metabolic fitness.
So, here’s what I suggest.
I deliberately started out with a light kettlebell until I was completely familiar with all of the exercises and I no longer had to think about the form as much. In fact you could do some of the more involved exercises without a kettlebell to begin with. It’s really important that you pay close attention to your form before you increase your weight.
Remember, kettlebell training focuses on compound exercises that train your body to function in a way that it was “designed” to function. The emphasis here is on quality exercises that bring the biggest bang for your buck (so to speak).
Once I was comfortable with the different exercises I ended up using only two different kettlebells. One for strength type workouts and one for exercises where the emphasis is on maxing out your cardiovascular fitness. In fact, I could probably do most of the workouts using one kettlebell. The only exception is the Turkish Get Up, which I still find to be very challenging.
I realize it’s hard to give you an exact answer. But you’ll soon find out how much work your body can do and that will determine the right size kettlebells for you. The main point here is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. The effectiveness of the program is based on how the different exercises work together in sequence to really make you have one hell of a workout. Make each workout session count and you’ll soon see the results you deserve.
