10lb Kettlebell too light to start with?

[Lulu Belle]

Hello there!

I am curious if a 10lb kettlebell is too light to start with. I have never done any sort of kettlebell training, and I happened to be reading through a fitness magazine at my doctor's office and thought it would be fun to try. The magazine suggested to start with 10lbs. What do you think? I'm not new to weight training, but generally work around the 5-15lb range.

Thanks!

[Mary09(b)]

I guess it depends on what style of kb training you want to do. I've never done the kind that uses the smaller bells. I started with an 18lb. and quickly needed a 26lb. That was what the more traditional kb trainers recommended for women.

[mtnmom]

I started with 15 and then got a 20 pound one right away. I also have a 26 pound one, but don't use it very often. I think 10# is too light.

Some moves, like Turkish getups and windmills, can be done with a dumbbell just as easily. They are also moves that often require lighter poundage.

[alisoncooks]

I'm a total wimp and the only thing I used a 10#er for was halos and getups. So it's not bad to have (but you can use a dumbbell for that, I guess).

I used an 8 kg. and a 12 kg. pretty quickly on.

[Fonzie]

Hi. I'm fairly new to kettlebells, and certainly no expert. To get started I took a workshop with an RKC instructor. He had me working with 15, 20 and 25 lb kettlebells the first day. I've always heard that many people need heavier kettlebells sooner than they'd think.

If there is a kettlebell gym or instructor in your area I'd strongly recommend taking a class or training session. That way you can learn some moves and make sure you will like kettlebells before investing in them.

[Eibhinn]

I started with a 10 and regretted the purchase. It was too light for anything but Turkish Get-ups, which I could use a dumbell for. I immediately upgraded to a 20 lb KB, which was much better. The 10 pounder has been a bookend for a year or so. And I'm not an advanced exerciser. Unless you are planning to do kettlenetics/kettlebell concepts style workouts I would not recommend starting with less than 15 pounds. 20-25 pounds is probably best for most people. It's difficult to learn proper form for swings and other traditional kettlebell exercises if the weight is too low.

[Buffgirl]

I just got started with Kettlebell and I bought a 10 pounds kettle because it was cheaped at Marshalls $9.99 but I found out it was too light, I them purchased a set at Aldis, for $24.49 that has a 5,10,& 15 pounds kettlebells the 15th I use for the swings and two hand exercises, and I have been using the 10 for some. Sarah Laurie author of Kettlebell for Dummies said in an interview that a 10 is good for women new to weight training and a 15th for someone who has previous weight training. Bob Harper's Kettlebell DVD's have been helpful to me to learn proper form.

[daisysunshine]

I think it really, really depends on what you want the bells for.
I bell for cardio endurance so I use 5 to 15. I have an 18 but barely ever use it so that was my big regret.

[mmmchelle]

I'm another person who started with 8 kg and quickly needed 12 kg for swings and a few other moves.

After more than a year, I still use the 8 for turkish get-ups. I also use the 8 if I'm doing an exercise more for endurance rather than strength.

HTH.

chelle

[Lulu Belle]

Well, this is good to know! Thanks! I guess 15lbs would be better to start with, but I also agree that if I can find a class to take, it would be better than investing in something I might not even enjoy.