ARE KETTLEBELLS WORTHLESS?

[@sambsialia]

I do not agree with the Crossfit style swing. I am Pavel RKC hardstyle all the way. But, I admire you for giving Dan J a viewing. I also view a lot of Mark Wildman out West and his kbells clubbells and mace swinging. I am impressed how mace swinging is an ancient warrior training. A Kettle Bell Kings adjustable bell is a great investment, imo. Also, the Adez adjustable club and mace are great also.

[@grraf1]

Kettlebeells are great especially when on the heavier side (i also happen to prefer the hard style swings) using these together with dumbells make for a very nice&effective minimal home gym setup: kettles for heavy swings&squats&clean+press and the dumbells for benching&rowing(bench assisted)&curls On the topic of maces&clubs tho id say its a hard pass all you are doing there is learning how to use momentum to 'swing around the weight' and that does about f' all for strength&size increase with the added ''benefit'' of putting you in an optimal setup to sprain&tear your shoulders&elbows&wrists all it takes is a split second loss of focus and you are getting a nice&long lasting injury that will compromise most of your workout schedule(especially wrist&shoulder injuries can be particularly debilitating&real hard to recover from and prone to becoming a recurring issue down the road similar to low back issues that seem to take for ever to get rid off) As far as i'm concerned ballistic rotational movement with clubs&maces are in the same category with behind the neck presses(shoulder gets put into a very weak&unstable position) and bent-over rows(both back and abs need to be well contracted trough out the exercise and all you need is to loose abdominal tension for a split second(you are out of breath and inhale more deeply then you should) and the low back gets put out of commission for a few weeks) : very high risk of injury with very little rewards and should be avoided&replaced with safer alternatives... some are lucky and can get away with using them for years before anything happens but most are just going to get injured doing them sooner rather then later. PS:bent-over rows are the reason i managed to f' up my back for a solid 3 months(took that long go get back to where i was at strength wise before the injury and about 3 weeks till i got back to full pain free mobility) and together with a wrist injury(work related not workout related) are the oonly two injuries i got in over 9years of working out precisely because i'm carefull and not engaging in stupid $hit like the 'free form' crossfit that is literally a rookie ER doctor's wet dream when it comes to countless patients to practice on.

[@InvisibleHotdog]

Careful, Grant. The cops might find you impaled on a Texas power bar for talking like this.

[@codinghusky5196]

This is generally just stupid. You can't talk about "worthy" or "wortless" outside the context of GOALS. Everything is just TOOLS, "useful" or "useless" can only be defined adjacent to what you're trying to actually do. Is a hammer useful? I dunno, are you trying to hammer in a nail or weld two pieces of steel together?

[@lukeandresen9856]

I was seriously injured in Iraq (L4/5 rupture and torque herniations) and Swings / KB lifts were the only weights I could use safely and with less pain. They completely rehabbed my hips and spine and, when I returned to the barbells, I had only lost 15% on my Deadlift and 25% on my Squat which came back super fast. Any time I get rid of the Swings aches start to accumulate. I try and throw some in at least once a week. Often times I’ll replace Power Cleans with HEAVY ass Swings (150-200lbs). Love em!

[@johnouellet4099]

I like lifting, but also like kettlebells. Just depends on what your goals are. Kettlebells can be great for cardio and general fitness

[@benjaminsanders-oz5nu]

lol i only use kettlebells and im shredded i look better than this guy no disrespect but its true my body fat percentage is 5 percent and people ask me what i do and i say kettlebells and most people don't know what a kettlebell is. Its funny to hear people trash the kettlebell when you look better than them but if you think their useless okay whatever you say big guy and kettlebells are strength training just a different type of strength training. Try them for 6 months don't just do the swings but do the presses and you'll look better than 99 percent of people at the gym using juice.

[@paddyleather5676]

Kettlebells are not worthless . Mark is old and sold out to SS method . Kettle bells and ANYTING done regularly will make you stronger

[@patrickmcmahon1957]

You should read Dan John’s article before you put out a KZbin video. What happened to the auxiliary exercises?

[@MsSCAmma]

Thanks for this! I only have a 15 lb. Kettlebell but I did my first swings today, Grant! I will order a 25 1b. But hey, your mom still likes running 😊

[@thestrengthco]

Thanks MOM!

[@voodoosausage4137]

Great summary - hybrid programs which build like this and include what you enjoy (bells, bars, maces, whatever…) make for good physical and mental variety. Thanks for putting this out there!!

[@itsmikehayden]

I may not know my ass from a hole in the ground, and somehow less about kettlebell, but as you're reducing your time and thus time under tension for muscles, it just sounds like cardio work to me. I'm sure someone will say something about stabilization or core engagement, something about it being a compound movement, but I just can't see what specifically this is supposed to be working and what the limiting factor is - delts perhaps. I just don't understand the kettlebell people but I'm watching a lot but everyone just seems so gunho about it and offer no criticism

[@Exodus26.13Pi]

Olympic rings have replaced a lot over time.

[@swoosh2835]

Dan John is the 🐐! This program kept me sane during covid lockdowns and got me into pretty damn good shape. Love the feedback on going up in weight when you get under 30 minutes.

[@thestrengthco]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

Thank you, Swoosh! I do hope, however, that I will be remembered for more than just being a "KB guy."

[@CalTN]

Kettlebell training, specifically the single armed cross body loading inherent in ballistic weight training, builds the body in a holistic manner. Most are imbalanced and the entire kinetic chain is so weak and unbalanced that the barbell cannot be used correctly and the body compinsates.

[@GauravMahajanAvaron]

Kettlebell is worthless for those who don't use it right.

[@olwill1]

So he admits that barbells are no good for conditioning. You have to go to kettlebells for that. Oh, yes, and he names only four moves to use with barbells. FOUR! As I go through life, How many planes do I move in? And why do I need to look like Ahnahld, as long as I can do everything I need to do, plus?

[@stevenkandro7453]

Is this all you did? Were you doing barbell stuff as well?

[@ec4146]

Heavy double kettlebells build muscle and explosive power . Snatch, clean, swings, overhead press, squats, rows, tgu . All extremely useful.

[@InvisibleHotdog]

First 1000lb deadlifter Andy Bolton used swings as a favorite accessory

[@swoosh2835]

Even Dan John, the source for this particular 10,000 swing program, has mentioned that the double kettlebell clean and press and the double kettlebell front squat are among the best muscle building exercises you can do. That said, Grant is right - only progress to these once you’ve built proficiency in the four basic barbell lifts.

[@urdadshusband781]

@swoosh243 Why would you need to start with barbells and progress to kettlebells. Right off the bat anyone who has shoulder issues is going to have a much easier time with pressing kettlebells than a barbell.

[@swoosh2835]

@@urdadshusband781 because the barbell lifts (specifically the big 4) are foundational when building strength. Those 4 lifts are “grinds” whereas the kettlebell is best for ballistic exercises like the clean, swing, and snatch. I kind of look at them as an alternative to oly lifts like the barbell C&J and snatch. Oly lifts specifically require many months if not years to perfect and also require basic barbell proficiency in lifts like the squat and deadlift. Exercises where kettlebells are the most beneficial (like the kettlebell snatch or the double bell clean & press) can be alternatives to those oly lifts for those who can’t dedicate the amount of time it requires to become very proficient in those (contrary to what CrossFit teaches by letting folks do oly lifts on day 1).

[@aubreygmcghee]

@@swoosh2835 Starting with the basic 4 lift instead of kettlebells to progress to double bells makes no sense. If your goal is to do double bells then starting with single kettlebells doing the very movements you're going to do with doubles is the best starting point. If your goal is absolute strength then he's barbells is the way to go but if your goal is overall athleticism in one package, which includes strength, then kettlebells are an excellent choice.

[@johnathonolavarria7432]

I’ve done the 10k swing challenge. I liked it a lot. I may have to try incorporating into lifting.

[@brentwilliamson119]

500 reps… yeah, I hit that after 33.333333 workouts.

[@AmericanTestConstitution]

The problem with most kettle bells is that they cannot be incrementally loaded, so it would be expensive for a set. A 300 pound barbell set would give most people a bigger bang for their buck. However, one advantage of kettle bells over barbells is that a person can switch hands with them very quickly to asymmetrical load the body while rapidly alternating left-right-left-right-etc.

[@thestrengthco]

Did you listen to what we said about building strength?

[@aubreygmcghee]

You're making the mistake of comparing kb's to barbells or dumbbells. With kettlebells because the weight isn't a maximal weight you utilize the starting size as long as you can and then you jump in size much larger than you would with a dumbbell or barbell. You force adaptation to the larger size. With kettlebells the majority of the force of resistance comes from the speed of the movement and not the size of the bell..this allows you to safely lift a weight that you might not be able to swing efficiently. This makes jumping to larger sizes possible without doing it in smaller increments. It also allows you to increase the force of a smaller bell by increasing the speed of the movement. You really only need 3 bells to start with and that will give you an amazing strength and stamina base when you get to the larger bell..from there you can certainly buy bigger bells but you can also just buy one more of each of the bells you already have and start doing doubles.

[@AmericanTestConstitution]

@@thestrengthco I have listened to a number of things about strength from Starting Strength; the main belief is that weights that can be lifted for about 5 reps and 1 to 3 sets build the most strength for most lifters, and the best lifts are compound barbell lifts, squats, benches, deadlifts, standing presses, chins, rows and maybe power cleans. Sufficient calories are needed as well. That is my summary of the SS protocol and theory.

[@jonklein7130]

You can do many more exercises that work posterior chain when compared to barbells. They also work your cardio better then barbells, but for brute one rep strength go with barbells

[@BenjaminSanders-v9x]

kettlebells are used for getting a six pack and conditioning not incremental loading. They’re two different exercises that are both useful.

[@drunknnirish]

I love training with kettlebells currently but I ran a SS NLP before I started with them. I would always say do a barbell nlp before you do kettlebells. Now I don’t have access to a gym so kettlebells get the nod. Also Dan John is the freaking man!

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

I blush.

[@iblockpuncheswithmyface1490]

What's a SS NLP?

[@drunknnirish]

Starting Strength novice linear progression

[@mattb7406]

dang, you married UP!

[@BenjaminSanders-v9x]

I only use kettlebells and i have a six pack beach body. Love kettlebells. Anyone that thinks kettlebells are useless are extremely ridiculous. You will literally get the best body using kettlebells if your goal is to be lean.

[@prenticefaber9626]

I use KB and BB and honestly u swing a 50 pound KB for 20 minutes it's more beneficial to me than my 315 bench my 425 squat and my 505 deadlift and the thing is I love both but I know what's HARDER!

[@tomjones8235]

The program you presented includes 500 swings. That's just one movement that works the same muscles 500 times. Do you do anything to balance that? Or does the strength program, which works other muscles, balance the swings?

[@scants2874]

Yeah Buddy!!

[@derek_406]

1500 swings in with the 24kg. Hands are already taking a beating, but got some fingerless work gloves (i hate gloves) and they work like a charm and challenge the grip more. Not that extra grip work is necessary. Recovery between sets three days in is already drastically improved and set duration is up. I'm not doing the strength moves in between as recommended in the article yet, so just banging out swings. Found even day one that after 200-300 reps it just turns into work. Chop wood, carry water. Keep swinging. I'll prob keep doing 100-200 swings a day after I'm done just as a baseline and to maintain the skill.

[@noosphericaltarzan]

Mark literally never trains power or power endurance, does not seem to see value in training those things, so I guess he’d see such implements as useless. Training strength is fine, but I want to move faster, be more powerful and athletic. I wish people were more open minded about other people’s goals and programming. I like Dan John a lot, and use his programming for pressing, but primarily train kettlebell sport. I am wanting to start expanding into Olympic lifting when I work up to a ten minute long cycle at 32 kg.

[@ianbeatty6459]

Hey, long time listener, first time caller here. What Garmin watch do you prefer? Thanks!

[@robertlehnert4148]

RKC Hard Style Swings are especially good for indoors conditioning if you don't have access/can't afford a Prowler or Stationary Bike. If you want to go cheap, scads of videos or online articles how to make DIY KBs (the most difficult part is finding scrap lead for adding to the concrete aggregate to make a heavier KB). You can also leave these DIY KBs outside with no fear of rusting away, and you can easily haul them along in your car if you want to do a workout in nice outdoor setting (I used to go out to my van and get swings done during my work breaks).

[@Mr-mopar]

I love using my kettlebells as a warm up tool..I do a complex series for ten minutes and it primes the body for the lifting.

[@benjaminsanders-oz5nu]

try using kettlebells only you'll look better your body fat percentage will be amazing they are not a warm up tool but you do you.

[@oldnatty61]

You're a Marine?

[@hifzanoman2881.]

Nice

[@mehtabhavesh9]

Grant, What App are you using to track your workouts?

[@thestrengthco]

My Garmin watch

[@bthebutcher]

Which Garmin watch do you use?

[@thestrengthco]

Garmin Solar Tactical

[@rsd22123]

Thanks for doing this video and for ignoring the haters.

[@gunner7633]

How to Hex Bar Deadlift video coming soon!

[@jamestyler3458]

Not about the workout to get lean… about calories

[@lenol0315]

Yes swinging kettle bells is pointless

[@nockianlifter661]

I’d rather push pointy sticks in my eyes. 😂

[@jms0313]

Yes they are worthless

[@jon5780]

Not in terms of building strength

[@jms0313]

@@jon5780 if the barbell did not exist they would not be worthless. The barbell makes them obsolete

[@jon5780]

@@jms0313 Kettlebells can practically do all the strength based workouts barbells can do but since the center of mass is different it takes way less weight I was shiting myself doing overhead press with 80 pound kettlebells 160 pounds on barbell is child play for me pressing wise

[@jon5780]

@@jms0313 The major advantages are u can get them for cheaper since you can use way less weight and your required to use more muscle groups since the weigh isn't centered not only that it's also safer and can also be used for rehab in ways barbells can't along with them being able to do different sports related things barbells can't do

[@jon5780]

@@jms0313 It does have alot of drawbacks but it has a lot of pros too

[@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514]

Do this with burpees and squats. Then it's hard.