Introduction

I developed an interest in physical fitness about a decade and a half ago. This interest lead me to pursue martial arts, biking, and eventually kettlebell lifting (along with many other activities). The reason I got into kettlebell lifting is because I wanted to improve my strength and endurance. Kettlebells were tools I could use in the comfort of my small apartment. Now I have a home and a gym in my basement. I still lift kettlebells three or four times a week.

Getting started is the hardest part of any journey. This post is intended to help anybody who's interested in starting kettlebell lifting. It's not intended to be all encompassing. Too much information can be as bad as too little. Decision paralysis thwarts as many journeys as fear and laziness. Therefore, this post is opinionated. It will provide only a handful of options. Wherever options are provided, know that there are many more options out there. They aren't brought up to cut down on the noise. The hardest part of any journey is also the most important. It's more important to get started than to travel the optimal path. Any progress forward is better than no progress while you try to develop the optimal plan.

Note on Units

Weights in this post will be provided in kilograms. Why would a post written by an American living in the United States use metric units? Two reasons. First, the historical unit of weight for kettlebells is the pood. The pood is an old imperial Russia unit. It's equal to about 16 kg. This means kettlebell weights divide nicely into kilograms. Second, kettlebell lifting is an international sport. International sports use the metric system because almost everybody outside of the United States does.

To make your life a bit easier, here are the American equivalents to the weights used in this post (along with the weight in poods to illustrate my point about dividing nicely into kilograms):

16 kg = 35 lb (1 pood) 20 kg = 44 lb (1.25 poods) 24 kg = 53 lb (1.5 poods) 28 kg = 62 lb (1.75 poods) 32 kg = 70 lb (2 poods)

Types of Kettlebells

There are two major types of kettlebells: hard style and competition style. Hard style are typically made out of cast iron. The size of the bell depends on the weight. Heavier hard style kettlebells are larger than lighter ones. Competition style kettlebells are typically made out of steel. The size of the bell is the same regardless of the weight. A 16 kg competition style kettlebell is the same size as a 32 kg one.

I exclusive used hard style kettlebells until this year. Now I own both. I recommend hard style kettlebells when you're starting out though. Hard style kettlebells are typically cheaper, often much cheaper, than competition style ones. You can do all of the traditional kettlebell lifts with either style of kettlebell so you might as well save yourself some money.

You'll see articles online claim that competition kettlebells don't work well for two handed lifts such as two handed swings due to the handle size and shape. This isn't my experience. I have no issue doing two handed swings with competition style kettlebells and I have large hands. You'll also see articles claim that competition style kettlebells are more durable because they're made of steel instead of cast iron. This is a distinction without a difference. The only way you'll break either style of kettlebell is by being a complete dumbass.

The two hard style kettlebells I typically recommend are REP Fitness and Bells of Steel. Both offer reasonably priced high-quality cast iron kettlebells with "free" shipping (free shipping means the price of shipping is baked into the price of the kettlebell). Buy whichever is cheaper at the time or in stock.

If your budget is tight, I've read reviews for Yes4All kettlebells and they seem to be decent. I can't recommend them since I've never seen them in person.

Another option I'll note is Bells of Steel adjustable kettlebells. These are adjustable competition style kettlebells. They're a good option if space is tight and you can afford to pay more upfront. I prefer fixed weight kettlebells because sometimes I like to switch weights during my workouts and changing an adjustable kettlebell's weight is a slow process. That doesn't matter when you're starting out though.

Starting Weight

Recommending a starting weight is tricky. Everybody is different. If you know anybody who owns kettlebells or dumbbells, ask them if you can press a few overhead. You want a weight that you can press overhead a few times. I'll cite the most common rule of thumb. Men and women who haven't done any strength training should start with 16 kg and 8 kg respectively. Men and women who have done some strength training should start with 20 kg and 12 kg respectively.

The difficulty of most kettlebell lifts can be adjusted through technique. If 20 kg is too light for two handed swings, change to one handed swings. If 20 kg is too heavy to strict press overhead, push press it. If a weight is beginning to feel too light, you can do more reps in less time to increase the difficulty. There are limits to this. If you can strict press a 24 kg kettlebell overhead, an 8 kg kettlebell isn't going to be a challenge no matter what (that's not to say an 8 kg kettlebell will be completely without value). Likewise, if you can barely strict press a 16 kg kettlebell overhead, you're not going to get a 32 kg kettlebell overhead.

It's better to go a bit light than a bit heavy when you're starting. Beginners should focus on technique. It's almost impossible to focus on technique if you're barely able to move the kettlebell you're using.

Programs

There are two programs I recommend to beginners: Rite of Passage and Simple and Sinister.

Both programs require a single kettlebell. Both books do a good job of covering the technical aspects of the lifts they use. This is important. There are books for beginners, which go into detail on the how of lifts, and books for people who have experience, which typically don't explain how to perform lifts. You want to learn how to properly perform lifts. There are also a lot of good videos online that go over the hows of lifts. If you can find a coach in your area, you can also hire them to teach you how to perform lifts (this is probably the fastest and safest option).

Rite of Passage is covered in the book Enter the Kettlebell. Between the two programs, I like this one slightly better because I like to press weight overhead. The program uses cleans, strict presses, swings, and snatches. There is also the option to add pull ups. The strict press is probably the lift that gives you the most bang for your buck. It's the staple of many great kettlebell programs such as The Giant, Dry Fighting Weight, and The Armor Building Formula. Swings add an endurance component to the program. Snatches are something you will need to study for a while, but once you learn how to snatch, you unlock another lift that provides tremendous bang for your buck. Rite of Passage is a three day a week program.

Simple and Sinister used to be the recommended program for beginners. It's the program I ran when I started. I've seen a number of people in online kettlebell communities argue that Simple and Sinister isn't a good program. They're full of shit in my opinion. Although I like Rite of Passage better, Simple and Sinister is an excellent program for people who haven't done any strength training. The program uses Turkish get ups and swings. Turkish get ups teach you the invaluable skill of getting up off the ground while holding weight. It will improve your overall movement quality. It can also be run more frequently than Rite of Passage.

It doesn't matter which program you pick. If you want to press weight overhead, go with Rite of Passage. If you want to get up off of the ground while holding weight, go with Simple and Sinister. If you can't decide, flip a coin.

Conclusion

That's it. That's the guide. Buy a kettlebell of appropriate weight, pick a program, and start lifting.