Getting Started with Kettlebells
by Tyler Hass
Kettlebell lifting is a new sport to most Americans, in fact most people around the nation have not even heard of a kettlebell. Walk into a mainstream gym and you will need a special decoder ring to decipher all the "scientific" nonsense that is being thrown around, and yet you never hear about the "old school" basics. This level of confusion about fitness should come as no surprise if you've ever visited a Wal-mart, so I thought I would pass along what I've learned in my journey to become a girevik (Russian word for kettlebell lifter).
To begin, it is okay to start out with a light dumbbell. Any weight that you can comfortably press over your head should be suitable. However, a heavy weight will sometimes enforce the proper form. This is the most important thing in the beginning, and at all times, proper form. Reading Pavel's book and watching his video should be a prerequisite to starting even with light weights. There is also an incredible amount of free information and tips on Pavel's website that are definitely worth checking out. Pavel is extremely generous in giving away so much advice and answering people's questions on the forum, but trying to piece it all together is like trying make a Swiss watch from a pile of parts. Pavel's materials will lay the foundation for understanding and making the best use of all the free resources available.To safely work into Kettlebell lifting, start out with the two-handed swing. It is a great exercise to safely practice the groove that is common throughout all of the ballistic lifts (swing, clean and snatch). One of the key points that many people have difficulty understanding is that the power in these movements comes from a FORWARD drive of the hips, not an up and down movement. To do this properly, push your butt back as if trying to sit deeply into a chair, but without letting your knees drift forward. Keeping your shins vertical is the next challenge, because most people are taught to lift with their legs by bending only at the knees and not at the hip joint. This advice is just plain wrong and will compromise your strength and safety in these movements. Done properly you should be able to swing the weight up to shoulder height without using your shoulders for extra power. Also, check out the tips section for more advice on the proper lifting mechanics.
As for a buying guide, the only thing you really need to get started is the Russian Kettlebell Challenge video tape by Pavel Tsatsouline, the book is also a great resource. The video is brief, but it contains a lot of information, so multiple viewings are necessary. Be sure to learn each new technique in the same order that Pavel teaches it in the tapes. Do not progress too fast, the balance is tricky in some of the movements and they can be dangerous. Also, if you are learning these movements with a dumbbell, take note that when you switch to a kettlebell the balance will become much more difficult and the weight will feel much heavier than its dumbbell equivalent. Most people should be able to start with either a ½ pood or a 1 pood (a pood equals 16kg or 35lbs). If these are too heavy, you should probably start with a light dumbbell and work up to the ½ pood, simply because you will outgrow the ¼ pood very quickly. However, the ¼ poods make great props for tai chi and qigong work, so you might pick up a few for that reason.