all posts post new thread

Kettlebell Anyone else prefer training with Competition Kettlebells ?

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Opiaswing

Level 5 Valued Member
I dont know if its the difference in weight distribution but I find good quality competition bells much more enjoyable to use than quality cast iron bells of the same weight. The hinge in particular; cleans, snatches, swings feel so smooth and the momentum/'pendulum feeling' feels a lot more natural. Form remains hardstyle.

Does anyone else here enjoy the more compact ferocity of competition kettlebells?
 
I dont know if its the difference in weight distribution but I find good quality competition bells much more enjoyable to use than quality cast iron bells of the same weight. The hinge in particular; cleans, snatches, swings feel so smooth and the momentum/'pendulum feeling' feels a lot more natural. Form remains hardstyle.

Does anyone else here enjoy the more compact ferocity of competition kettlebells?
I prefer them. I like always having the same dimension and the handles are usually pretty smooth.
 
I like them. I'd probably have more of them if the price hadn't been so prohibitive 10+ years ago. For my training now, I'm happy with most bells as long as they aren't terrible (and some terrible ones still exist out in the wild...)
 
I have a couple of 28kg I’m using for the giant. Once I bought a pair of those kettle shield thingies that are basically wrist warmers with a plastic plate in them I’m starting to enjoy them. If someone could only access bells that they couldn’t try first before purchasing I always recommended comp bells because in the early days it was frankly criminal what passed for a Kettlebell handle among cast iron bells. All my original bells came from a blacksmith who resolved this issue but his bells were very expensive. My comp bells are from Atom and they were kinda comfortable for cleans and snatches but the wrist band has made a world of difference. One of my blacksmith bells at 25kg next to a 24kg.
 

Attachments

  • 1A775D63-4429-45AB-9392-2A1DAC6D5E6D.jpeg
    1A775D63-4429-45AB-9392-2A1DAC6D5E6D.jpeg
    89.7 KB · Views: 27
I had written somewhere in the forum that once at a sports ground there was a competition KB 24 with which I tried many exercises. I have a KB 24 at home, but I have to say that with the racing one I felt stronger and my movements were easier. It definitely matters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kev
I dont know if its the difference in weight distribution but I find good quality competition bells much more enjoyable to use than quality cast iron bells of the same weight.
Your enjoyment is not our concern. :)

The hinge in particular; cleans, snatches, swings feel so smooth and the momentum/'pendulum feeling' feels a lot more natural. Form remains hardstyle.
If it feels pendulum-like, I'd question whether it's hard style. Video?

Does anyone else here enjoy the more compact ferocity of competition kettlebells?
I don't enjoy them, nor do I find them more compact, nor do I find them in any way ferocious.

-S-
 
The only thing I would like about competition-style bells is the smaller physical size.

While I've enjoyed my time with cast iron kettlebells which are cheaper ($1/lbs. for me) and don't present any questions about a 2 handed grip, the only thing that I don't like is dinging the inside of my knees or scraping/bumping the inner thigh. 99% of the time I'm fine. I'm ok. but every once in a while, the edge of the handle catches my knee or thigh, and I wince a little bit.

so maybe, at some point, for that reason, only, I'll probably eventually acquire a competition-type bell.
 
Last edited:
However, let me make a clarification. There may be others that are even better and more convenient. I'm only comparing between my KB I have at home and the one I tried on the sports field. In the gyms I have visited, the most common ones have been those like my KB. The heavier it is, the larger it is and the thicker the handle, which creates even greater discomfort and difficulty in performing certain movements. For example, snatch.
 
I'm a big fan of comp bells. I don't think there is anything about hardstyle that makes it more suited to cast iron bells or less suited to competition bells.

I have a ton (almost literally) of cast iron DD (some going back the first ever DD production run) and Rogue bells, but I much prefer my competition bells for almost anything. Other than for goblet squats and bottoms up presses, I NEVER choose a cast iron bell over a competition bell (I have a lot of duplicate sizes in both).

I have both Kettlebells USA and Kettlebell Kings comp bells. My favorites are the Kettlebells USA Paradigm Pro Elite comp bells. The 35mm handle is "right-sized," the finish on the handle is smooth, but with a little grain to it that works with and without chalk, and the geometry feels really good. The Kettlebell Kings comp bells have a little smoother finish to the handles that I find less secure, and the paint chips much more easily, although any paint or powder coat finish will chip with doubles. 35mm is only very slightly smaller than most cast iron bells. You can definitely feel a difference, but it's not dramatic. There are also comp bells with 33mm handles, and that's obviously a larger difference, and the difference in circumference is greater than the difference in diameter. I've never personally tried 33mm handles.

Although I don't really do any two-hand swings, both comp bells actually have more space under the handle than cast iron bells for two hands, plus the horns are vertical so they don't squeeze my fingers as uncomfortably as the inward curving horns of cast iron bells. There are some brands of comp bells that have narrower windows, but not these two brands.

KBUSA has an FAQ page about competition bells compared to cast iron bells for two hand swings:
Competition Kettlebell Handles Too Small?
 
Comp bells are made specifically to compete in girevoy sport.

I own cast iron. Last bell I bought was 2013. I like the bluntness of the cast iron. No pretty colors or looking like the inside of an M&M packet.

As long as the handles are good and are comfortable in the rack, I'm good.
 
Your enjoyment is not our concern. :)


If it feels pendulum-like, I'd question whether it's hard style. Video?


I don't enjoy them, nor do I find them more compact, nor do I find them in any way ferocious.

-S-
That first comment was snide. I'm sharing an innocuous opinion that others might benefit from and help to stimulate discussion and somehow youve gotten defensive. Weird.

I'm sure your opinion on them being 'compact' would differ if you were to move up to weights where the size of the bell makes a noticeable difference to the comfort of a lift.

Anyway cool to see others enjoying competition kettlebells - definitely beneficial for double work beyond 32kg.
 
Last edited:
That first comment was snide. I'm sharing an innocuous opinion that others might benefit from and help to stimulate discussion and somehow youve gotten defensive. Weird.
I'm truly sorry you're offended, but that's why I put a smiley face after it.

But all kidding aside, StrongFirst kettlebells have a great deal of thought put into them in terms of the right size of handle, of bell, of spacing, and everything else. A more comfortable bell isn't necessary the best training device - of course it will depend on what your goals are, but for what we teach here, we recommend the kind of kettlebells we sell here and, if you choose not to use those, similar would be better than competition bells. As but one example, the handle sizes are different on our different sizes of bells in order to provide a grip challenge appropriate to the weight being used. I get that you're offering your opinion, and I'm offering mine - using competition bells for a StrongFirst program is not the best choice for most people and purposes.

I'm sure your opinion on them being 'compact' would differ if you were to move up to weights where the size of the bell makes a noticeable difference to the comfort of a lift.
Comfort is not something I look for in my training - you seem to think it's better but it's not better or worse, it's just more comfortable. Your comfort or enjoyment really isn't our concern, your results are. Mind you, I'm not telling you to wrap your kettlebell handles in barbed wired - discomfort for no good reason isn't a good idea, either. I do two-handed swings with kettlebells that are roughly 2/3 of my bodyweight (44 and 48 kg and I weigh 69 kg) for sets of 10, heavy enough to be noticeable, I think.

-S-
 
The tribalism of cast iron vs steel bells is one of the silliest things in kettlebells, which is full of silly soap boxes.

Personally, I think 24 and 28kg cast iron bells are the absolute best size (dimensions) for me. Every other size I would rather use a comp bell, especially 16kg and smaller.
 
Comp bells are made specifically to compete in girevoy sport.

I own cast iron. Last bell I bought was 2013. I like the bluntness of the cast iron. No pretty colors or looking like the inside of an M&M packet.

As long as the handles are good and are comfortable in the rack, I'm good.

I like being able to tell how heavy something is at a glance just from the color.

But I'm used to that from bumper plates.

I'll admit the colors clash with the black tactical pants vibe, though, if one is trying to cultivate a look.
 
The tribalism of cast iron vs steel bells is one of the silliest things in kettlebells, which is full of silly soap boxes.

Personally, I think 24 and 28kg cast iron bells are the absolute best size (dimensions) for me. Every other size I would rather use a comp bell, especially 16kg and smaller.

I think the debates about callouses and chalk are even more intense.

#teamnochalknocallouses
 
A little while ago I measured the circumferences of the handles of my KBs, which are different models.
18 kg. - 11.4 cm.
24 kg.-13 cm.
 
I’m not a fan, especially for doubles I’m 5’11” and when doing double cleans I have to spread my legs significantly wider (that’s what she said) than with cast iron bells. Also I like the “horns” for 2 handed swings, goblet squats, and halos.
 
I dont know if its the difference in weight distribution but I find good quality competition bells much more enjoyable to use than quality cast iron bells of the same weight. The hinge in particular; cleans, snatches, swings feel so smooth and the momentum/'pendulum feeling' feels a lot more natural. Form remains hardstyle.

Does anyone else here enjoy the more compact ferocity of competition kettlebells?
Yes. I don’t really know why, I think the narrower handle feels better.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom