Omnibell Adjustable Kettlebell (My Honest Review) | Let's talk about Exercise - EPISODE #20

[@MindBodyWhole]

I hope you all enjoy the (mostly) unintentional inuendo this video is peppered with 🔔🔩

[@kiralred_30k]

Great to find your review of the adjustable offering from omnibell. I been using the kettlebell king versions for a couple of years now after a recommendation from Mark Wildman. Never regretted getting them imported but will probably grab some more from omnibell soon

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey, that’s great to hear and I’m glad you found the review useful. I think I would have gone with the kettlebell kings if they’d been in stock when I was in the market 😄 how have they held up? Did you go for the pair?

[@kiralred_30k]

@@MindBodyWhole went for the pair. One suffered from the chipping around the clamshell split (same as you found with the omnibells) and discussed with their Customer Service. I also added some 1kg non-olympic plates to get different increments for pyramid sets. The nuts on the Kettlebells kings seem mildly chunkier than the ones you remarked on with omnibells. Overall, I'm really pleased with my KK bells, they get used almost everyday with a mix of weights. I've even taken mine on holiday much to people's amusement!

[@Gabby_02]

Awesome review ! Thanks for bringing great content and useful info to all of us!

[@MindBodyWhole]

Thanks for watching and sharing the video. Im looking forward to what else I can delve into from Omnibell.

[@BigScott12]

Brill video mate. Glad to have an indepth review, I definitely fancy one of those bad boy kettlebells.

[@MindBodyWhole]

Nice one! Thanks for watching mate. I’m glad you enjoyed it. They are pricey are going to last and value for money vs a rack of standard competition bells.

[@mikebizzleuk]

I believe it was me who suggested omnibell! I saw them on an advert on Instagram. I've just found your channel and this review. Im very tempted to purchase myself a pair as I know I'll use them...?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey Mike, I’m pleased to hear you’ve found the channel! Did we have a conversation about it in the comments of a Mark Wildman video? My opinion is that if you’re into, or trying to get into competition style kettlebells, and train at home, these will be a great investment because of their space and cost saving.

[@isaacbridge3623]

You tightened it only with your fingers when you heard the clanging. Then you added the washer and used the wrench that time. I am sure it wouldn’t have clanged if you used the wrench for that tightening. Just in case you didn’t know.

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey thanks very much. A couple of people pointed this out to me. In the beginning it was fairly easy to forgot out the nut inside but it becomes second nature.

[@postmanpat3244]

good video. tyvm. I've currently got 8,12,16,20,24 in pairs & a single 48 (lol mainly for show) been thinking about getting these, the missis won't let me spend the money :(

[@MindBodyWhole]

No problems, thanks very much for watching, I hope you found it useful. Well, happy wife happy life, right? 😉 But to be fair you have a decent selection especially as you have pairs. These are great, but if space permitted me, I’d have a double set of each too, it’s just that little be quicker when warming up to my working set. You could look at getting a pair of 28 or 32kgs, but I suppose that would bring you close to the price of the adjustable? Tough one, for sure.

[@rosscool10]

Great review dude!

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey thanks man, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@mckeva3156]

Thanks for the review. Did you notice any difference in weight distribution (centre of mass) in the adjustables compared to your solid metal ones out of interest?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey, thanks for watching. Honestly, no I didn’t. However I was expecting to notice a difference as well. I mean if you were to analyse it specifically from an engineering perspective, then in theory there would be a very slight difference to the COG when compared to a solid bell because the weight plates (when not all used) sit closer to the handle. However it would still be pretty insignificant and I personally could not tell at all. To really test it I think I’d have to try some basics with one adjustable and one standard comp bell, though I’d expect to notice more of a difference with the handle sizes, shape and feel etc than the COG.

[@mckeva3156]

@@MindBodyWhole thanks for getting back to me. I guess with comp bells the bottom is ways hollow due to the same size across weights. Might be more noticeable for hardstyle bells

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@mckeva3156yeah good point to be fair.

[@terrywilliamson7018]

Hi, thanks for the video. I’m just getting into KBs and wonder if you're still happy with the adjustables 1 year on. Cheers.

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hi Terry, thanks for the comment and for watching the review (excuse the late replay). One year on, I still really rate the adjustable bells, I do. However if you’re brand new to Kettlebell workouts, I’d say with honesty, for you to try out some KB’s at the gym or to buy one or two hard style bells (the name for the non-competition style KBs which most gyms have) to see if you will consistently use them. It’s a pretty hefty investment after all. My adjustables are super space saving, but if I had the space and money, I would still go for a rack of hardstyle bells, for the simple fact that it is quicker to warm up and jump up (or down) the weights if you need to do that.

[@terrywilliamson7018]

@@MindBodyWhole Hi Pavel, thanks for taking the time to comment further on Adjustable v Hardstyle KBs, it’s much appreciated 👍. I’ve been using a 16kg hardstyle kb for about 6 weeks, really enjoy it and want to move up in weight. Adjustable seems sensible in the long term but hardstyle or even competition cheaper in short term 🤔 Thanks for your help and content 👍

[@PIANOPICTURES]

Hi, just got myself into kettlebells recently. May I ask, I see there are handles with a bit more rounded corners and more rectangular ones (4:52). Which ones do you prefer?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey there, welcome to the world of KBs, I’m sure you’re going to love it. I think I understand your question and tbh, it is really preference because not all hands / forearms / wrists are built the same. However that said, in most instances I prefer a wider opening on the bell and a handle which isn’t too smooth. The corner s (or lack of) only seem to come into play when holding with two hands, say in a goblet squat. I hope that helps. I’d say, get to a few gyms or stockists of KBs if possible (e.g. fitness superstore) and go give them a feel.

[@PIANOPICTURES]

@@MindBodyWhole Thanks a lot.

[@ccumba]

Hi Really enjoyed this review.....would you still recommend this product after 6 months? Any issues thus far? Thanks

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hi Chris, thanks very much, it’s great to hear you enjoyed it and to get the feedback. There are a couple of other videos about adjustable comp bells on YT but, to me at least, some seem a little bias, so I wanted to be as honest as possible. A year or so on (since I filmed this), I still think it was a decent purchase. If you don’t have any comp bells or even any KBs I think this is a great start for a home gym scenario. Where they have come into their own is at home, inside the house for me. Having two young children about, it’s tough to even find time to get into the garage to train, so being able to bring these, plus a chin up bar on the door and a pair of parallettes into the house (whilst I watch the kids) has been really helpful. Having trained with barbells in the past, by comparison these are so much more accessible to get a workout in because they are compact. That said, there id a couple of less positive things, but nothing major. So getting the plates out and in can be a little fiddly and it seems mad to say, but even that small barrier to entry can be off putting when I’m thinking about getting a workout in. So my suggestion would be to leave them set to the weights you will use, eg a 24kg. However then, you have two dilemmas, the first being you’ll have the loose plates sitting about somewhere and the second being I wouldn’t typically be able to start at this weight. So in order to warmup I’d need to undo them and adjust the weight and then back up again or, like I tend to do, use my other solid bells as a warm up. Just something to bear in mind. But still, a great piece of kit, can’t wait to get them back outside again with my Olympic rings in the park again, now that the days are getting longer (and warmer). Cheers again.

[@chikara2392]

awesome just got 2 from the same supplier. Do you have suggestion on not minimalist or crazy expensive programs? I really struggle to find something that doesn't have you switching weight constantly

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey Chikara, thanks for watching the video, I hope you found it helpful. Have you heard of “simple but sinister”. It’s a two-move, very simple 30 minute program, created by Pavel Tsatsouline. Other than what you may need for a warmup, it doesn’t involve changing weights during the workout. I have run and is very good if you just need a simple, effective plan.

[@chikara2392]

@@MindBodyWhole hey thanks! Of course s&s is the first thing I’ve heard on KB’s but coming from Calisthenics it seems too minimalist to me, I’d like something more complete

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@chikara2392 it’s interesting you should say this you know, because I found the same, but found a great balance of S&S one day, then a pull-up + push-up variation on the next day to be an effective balance. It was quick too, and something I could do at home, even with the kids around the house.

[@chikara2392]

@@MindBodyWhole oh cool, and would you just do sets&reps for the body weight day or any EMOM, EDT method?

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@chikara2392 I would generally play it by how much time I had and how much energy I had. But typically 5-10 EMOM sets for both a push and a pull. Occasionally a giant set then rest for one minute, was really intense, but was when the weather was nice so great. Then if I had the time, I would program 3-five sets of weighted push-ups or chin-ups / pull-ups with 2-3 minutes rest

[@rawaxis]

I'm looking for high quality adjustable kettlebells. How are you getting on with them?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey thanks for watching the video. I really like the bells and they are a great investment. Spring is coming upto d the corner and where I loved using them most last year was outside. I’d sling them in the boot of my car, with my Olympic rings and had so many great workouts! I see you love a good kettlebell!

[@rawaxis]

@@MindBodyWhole I'm slowly taking up Kettlebell Sport, just working with a 12kg Wolverton Competition GS KB. Later, I might either go with omnibell or wolverton adjustable. I would guess they're very similar.

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@rawaxis Though I’ve not seen the Wolverton type you mention, the adjustables with internal, interchangeable plates I have seen are much of a much. Great space saving options thought. Good luck 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@Trisolo3]

Have you tried building 20Kg? I've found it hard to do without rattling. I need a second shaft nut to secure the weights in the centre. Do you know the nut size? Or how to measure a nut?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hi Christopher, I have tried it. Did you use the the bell plus x2 4kg plates or another combination? I’ve found that adding a soft washer before the nut helped with any jingling. It allowed for a little more tightness. I checked with Omnibell and they confirm it’s a M24 nut. This means “metric” size 24mm which is the shaft diameter. By metric convention the nut will measure 36mm across the two flat sides of the nut.

[@kayodoubleu3310]

Could there be any problems working with two of them for Clean & Jerks and bumping them somewhat often into each others during the backswing? This is my main concern with them at the moment. Could you please give me feedback on this?

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey there, thanks for watching the video, it’s always great to get feedback. Well to be honest I had the same concerns but I have knocked them a few times and they are still well intact 😄 though I would say it not advisable to smash them about, say into the floor from height. The instructions say no KB juggling and I would expect (as it’s a casted steel shell) although heavy duty, you could in theory crack them if you went a little overboard. But I still doubt it. You’ll be good with general clangs and knocks though.

[@kayodoubleu3310]

@@MindBodyWhole thanks for the answers. I now trained two times with them. Only with 2x12kg but it seems to not be a problem. I will see over the next few month when I increase the weight slowly. :)

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@kayodoubleu3310 that’s great. Have fun 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@andemadsmit]

Hi mate, hows the quality holding up? Considering getting one, but i could get a 16,24 and 32kg for about the same price from a quality brand.

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hi mate, thanks for watching the video. They’re holding up well you know. I left them in the garden a couple times and got the bottoms wet and so had a bit of corrosion on the base, but functionally still the same. Ultimately I think you need to think what you’re going to do with bells really. If you’re going to be doing “general” KB stuff, the 16,24,32 will defo be enough I recon. They are the standard pood weights and have the advantage that they are already set (so no changing weights). Though, if you think you’d want to incrementally jump up weight over time, say 16-20kg, or 24-28kg, I think the adjustables are great. For me having that flexibility is good for TGU and for circuit training style workouts where a 16 could be too light and a 24 too heavy (for example).

[@andemadsmit]

@@MindBodyWhole Thanks for the reply, ive realised i do alot of changing between weights during my workout so im going with the regular competion bells.

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@andemadsmit Hi again mate, it makes sense to me. If you do jump around weights then I’d love a rack of doubles too you know. It’s not too much to switch the weight plates in the adjustables, but it’s just another barrier to entry.

[@beanery1742]

Good video and insight into this product 👍🏻 I think I’d probably just get a ratcheting spanner and hex socket to make it faster to change and just keep those in the gym. PS. Might’ve felt loose because you only finger tightened and didn’t use the spanner to tighten it

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey thanks for that, it’s good to hear the video was useful and any tips to save time are welcome from this time poor dad 😉 I’ve recently just received some section of PVC pipe to go over the main thread to experiment with offsetting the plates from the main handle (still internally). I’ll let you know how it goes, but think it may also improve the fixation of the plates internally.

[@beanery1742]

@@MindBodyWhole yeah let us know how it goes! Could also try putting a split lock washer on before the nut that should stop the nut vibrating loose

[@quentinmartiny1615]

Thanks for this - I am in a very similar position and considering the same ! appreciate the review

[@MindBodyWhole]

Thanks, I’m glad you found it helpful in some way. I couldn’t find a review on here so thought I’d help someone out. Are you new to KB-ing? Do you already have some bells?

[@quentinmartiny1615]

@@MindBodyWholeI'm new

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@quentinmartiny1615 It’s sounds like we began from a very similar starting point. I’ve used KB occasionally over the years, in circuits and such like, but only really discovered their true potential through Mark Wildman. So picked up a few normal competition bells after borrowing a couple from a friend. Found that training the TGU and other basic movements with single bells helped iron out imbalances I’d had for years (shoulder niggles, repetitive movement pains from years of the same barbell lifting). So stuck with it and didn’t touch a barbell for about 8-9months. Coupled with the fact I could train close to home (or in the home) with them, they became my staple training tool. Eventually wanting to expand to double bell stuff I weighed up the costs of the extra bells and it seemed like a no-brainer to go for the adjustable bells. Fast forward 3-4months, I’ve used them a lot and am pleased I went for them. However I’ve recently added back in some traditional barbell work mainly for variation, but think they pair best with basic body weight training like pull-ups and chin-ups.

[@quentinmartiny1615]

@@MindBodyWhole Interesting ! Thank you for sharing. What sort of double bell program are you doing? Joe Daniels is also good I found

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@quentinmartiny1615 you know what, I’ve been loving the Amour Building KB complexes from Dan John (oldschool RKC coach, also here on YT). Mark Wildman actually introduced me to it, but did a bit more research and found Dan Johns channel. Specifically the x2 Cleans, x1 Press, x3 Squats, all with two bells. It’s so simple but fits perfectly for me into my schedule most weeks. Usually performed for a specific length of time (E.g. 10, 20, 30mins if you’ve got it in you), but I’ve also done it for sets, so tens sets is usually a good number for me. I found that if I have spare time in the session, I’ll throw in some form of pull-ups or press-ups and I feel great (🫤)

[@smithdog1983]

Nope. Not getting it back until I move up a weight and then steal that one instead

[@MindBodyWhole]

Classic. Lost in the ether, just like my Denim Jacket….👻🤔

[@CarbageMan]

You may consider this dumb, but if you want to measure the diameter with a tape measure, consider wrapping the tape around the handle to get the circumference and doing the math for the diameter. It will actually be a more accurate measurement than trying to estimate the diameter (with parallax, and all.) PS: It's cool you have 1-inch hub diameter plates. I couldn't find any here in the US with 1/2k or 1k denominations, so I had to drill out 1 1/4 and 2 1/5 pound plates on my drill press. Recently, Bells of Steel started shipping an adjustable kettlebell (Mark Wildman Edition) that comes with a 1/2 and 1k plate. PPS: I use 1-inch (sorry) sections of PVC to offset the plates inside the kettlebell so that the distribution is most natural.

[@MindBodyWhole]

Hey, not dumb at all. I hadn’t thought about measuring and calculating the diameter like you suggested, so thanks! That’s a shame you didn’t find any 0.5kg or 1kg plates, perhaps you could try eBay or FB market place, or even a car boot sale (yard, garage sale in the US right?). Interesting too about the PVC pipes, someone else had suggested this too, however even with the plates nutted to the top and the lower half left empty, I haven’t honestly notched a great difference in the cog.

[@CarbageMan]

@@MindBodyWhole Yeah, US term is "garage sale" or "yard sale." I tried ebay. I'm not on facebook. The only thing I could find was 1-inch plates in pounds or olympic plates in kg. It seems to be a thing in the US that nobody looks for, I guess, so nobody sells them. Actually, I was surprised 25mm/1-inch centers is "a thing" in the rest of the world. We're still stuck on the pound/inch/etc. system here, and apparently always will be. I got thinking that there may be adapters to use olympic plates on 1-inch bars, and those might have been more "realistic" than drilling out the weights, but I have them now. I did chew up a 1/2-inch drill bit, so they weren't "cheap" (that and a couple hours to do it.) I probably could have checked for adapters. I'm betting Bells of Steel will get around to selling those plates since people here can't seem to find them anywhere. As for plate positioning, I guess maybe that's just me being obsessive. Thanks for the kind reply.

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@CarbageMan hey thanks for the response. Well on the upshot, you’ve got the plates and they’re bespoke ☺️ If it’s worth anything, a close friend uses magnetic weight increments (appropriately the diameter of the bottom of the comp bell). Which could another options for you in the future. However, to be honest, very small increments are not really needed I think. The base concept of Kb training was simple and used poods (16kg jumps, so 1/2 poods, 1 1/2 poods) and from what I understand, the training principle is to work on clean and well executed form for more time and reps, as opposed to increasing intensity with more resistance.

[@CarbageMan]

@@MindBodyWhole Right! For me, though, at my I'm doing the basic moves to get my core strength up, so I want to work my way up to where I have the core strength to do everything at 16kg eventually, and then I can slowly ad from there for to keep myself challenged. I'm 59, and my connective tissue can't seem to keep up, so it works well for me to incrementally add and lower the reps, a la Wildman. Hadn't heard of poods. Had heard of stone. Thanks!

[@MindBodyWhole]

@@CarbageMan That makes good sense and is good logic then I think. The adjustable bell and smaller increments seem ideal for your needs then. I’m not quite 59 but been lifting almost 20yrs and it wasn’t until I switched to KB’s that my body started to move fluidly again and without pain or restrictions. Really nice hearing from you, keep up all the good work.

[@mahmuddickson6682]

promosm

[@MindBodyWhole]

Just to clarify. I wasn’t asked or paid to review these bad boys, AND I purchased them from my own monies ☺️ However, I can certainly recommend them if you’re looking to get into KB-ing for the space saving aspect alone.