Kettlebell bell design’s impact on get ups

[Timmer C]

Are some kettlebell designs better than others for doing get ups? Or should one just learn to work with whatever kettlebells that one has?

The 24kg bell on the left is what I use for get ups. The 32kg bell on the right is what I use for swings. The 28kg bell in the middle is a bell I had once used successfully with swings but that I find difficult to use with get ups. This bell’s handle is unusually tall and this bell has a wider circumference than even my 32kg bell. I find myself annoyed at the place on my forearm that this bell rests and the angle at which it rests. It’s a lot of pressure on my forearm. Wearing a forearm guard cuts out the bell-on-bone bruising, but it still subjectively feels like I fight with this bell rather than work with it. But I figure I should scrutinize my assumptions before I consider a replacement bell. To what extent does bell design impact the difficulty of a get up?

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Yes..

A narrower handle usually places the bell higher on the wrist..

Something not so ideal for me when it gets heavy

 

[Alexander Halford]

To what extent does bell design impact the difficulty of a get up?

Quite a serious.
If it presses on your wrist at the "wrong" spot, the discomfort begins to be a distraction factor, which is not safe, first of all. If you are not concentrated on the movement and weight 100%, you may pay dear.
Then, if you're going through minor pain each time, it may develop into bigger problem. Wrist is a fragile area, its tendons especially. And I've been there, exactly because of that.
My personal experience - it's easier to use heavier kettlebell with a design that fits your arm, rather than lighter than causes you a discomfort.
On the other note, if you want to avoid buying a 28kg bell just for get-ups, double your 24kg volume per training, you'll hit 32kg get-up faster, than you expect.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Yes to the above. A bell that doesn't fit well seems to force wrist extension , which can cause problems over time. And the GU itself takes a bit of time to perform, so the stress adds up.

 

[Kozushi]

When there's discomfort one should go back to a lighter bell.
I happen to prefer the middle kind of bell for getups, so it must have to do with what one is used to and/or one's particular body shape.

 

[Timmer C]

Thanks to all who provided input on this. The last time I used the 28kg bell (the middle bell) for a get up I stressed a muscle in such a way that I had to take a week off from kettlebells.
So I have been evaluating possible contributing factors, on the idea that repeating the same mistake again is to be avoided.
@Alexander Halford and @Kozushi Thanks. I think getting my 24kg get ups to a higher caliber may be better for me right now than trying to progress to a higher weight, so your perspectives were especially useful.

 

[Nacho]

When I was going from 24 to 32 in the get up, my forearm started to hurt as well. I think I even got a little bruise on the spot where the bell lies. I ended up buying 28kg bell and worked with that first. It didnt bother my wrist nearly as much, if at all. Eventually I moved to the same 32kg bell that had made my forearm sore before, and I have had no problems with it. So what Im saying, is that to a certain degree it seems to be a matter of getting used to it.

 

[Steve W.]

It's definitely the case that some bells just don't work with some people's anatomy. Sometimes you can make it work by adjusting your grip and sometimes it's a matter of acclimating to a heavier weight, but sometimes it's just the dimensions of the bell.

The one painful bell I have is a 12kg cast iron bell that I got for my wife and that I have tried to use for arm bars. That thing is just torture no matter how I try to hold it.

 

[Timmer C]

Today for the first time I did a successful full 28kg get up with the bell I had previously expressed my concerns about. I have been working diligently in my last several get up sessions to get the hand of my supporting arm in just the right spot. The 28kg bell doesn't lock into place in my grip the way that my other bells do. Thus, I can't really afford to upset my balance the way I have to do when sweeping my leg when my support hand is not in the perfect position. If my balance is off, the bell can roll along my forearm and have the bell's center of gravity change locations at an inconvenient moment.

I am going to take progress slowly and carefully from here.