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Other/Mixed Help with buying kettlebells

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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titaniumtone

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Hi.

I have been using kettlebells for a while now but would like to get a minimal set to use at home. I think I have read before that the classic kettlebell set was one each of the following sizes: 16kg, 24kg and a 32kg.

Is this a good place to start?

I don't really want to fill my small bedroom up with more iron than I need to, by that I mean I don't really want to buy all the sizes in the middle.

I live in the UK, where is the best place to get them?

Thank you so much for your time.
 
16, 24 and 32 are a good set to start with if you are a fairly average male following the simple and sinister routine. Although the 8kg jumps are challenging so just takes transition in weight gradually.

In terms of good suppliers in the UK - Wolverson black series bells are great - buy them from their ebay store (way cheaper than their website for some reason), failing that the Bodymax bells you can buy from Amazon are pretty good as well.
 
First, the 8Kg jumps are challenging but manageable and imo you don't need the in-between-bells. Sure they can help, but they are not necessary.

I got my bells from Rogue Fitness and really love them. Before buying i even went so far as contacting Scott Iardella and asked him for his opinion. He uses them for 2-3 years now and still thinks they're the best on the market (same quality as DD but almost half the price).
Basically you pay 1€(~0.75£) per Lbs.
 
Kettlebell Fever sell their own bells which are the same bells as Rogue - but you can buy direct in UK.

If I was back in the UK still I would seriously look at the Wolverton GSU bells - comp-style steel bells but they are not the standard cheap design. They look amazing.
 
I found the jump from 24 - 32 kg was too much for me. I could lift the 32 on my good side but on my weaker side it was a real struggle for me. I've had shoulder surgery on my weaker side so I really didn't want push too hard and re injure the old injury.

I wanted to get a 28 kg bell to bridge the gap, but I just couldn't find one in Australia at the time. Then one day my wife came home with a 4kg kettlebell, I think she paid less than 10 bucks for it. I was actually quite annoyed that she'd bought it at first.

Then I started using it stacked with the 24 kg to make 28 kg and it bridged the gap quite well. I did the same when I was working up from 32 kg to a 40 kg bell.

If you can handle the embarrassment of having a dinky little kbell in your collection it's a cheap way to bridge the gap and saves the expense of buying in between sizes. You can always hide it somewhere if you don't want your mates to see it.
 
I'd definitely recommend Wolverson bells. I've been using them in classes for years and they are top quality.
I've duct taped a three 1.25kg plates to my 24 before I had a 28 and that worked well. I just used both hands to get it in the rack position
 
I started with a Wolverson 16kg (it was a yellow bell), it was good but the handle was a little rough, this was a few years ago.

I now have a pair of cheap 16kg from eBay that are ok and pairs of 24 and 32 from Kettlebell Fever Black Series- these are really well designed bells and great to use. My only complaint about them is one of aesthetics. The finishing on the 32s isn't as good as I would like it to be and my 24s have paint peeling off from when they hit each other during backswing of doubles work. On a plus note, I emailed KB Fever and James replied with the exact paint they use so I can re-paint the parts that are damaged.
 
I'm also a fan of the Rogue's for the price. I have a pair of Punch bells and a five or six pairs of Rogues. The Punch bells are a bit nicer, but only by a hair. The finish on my Rogues has been inconsistent, and some came pretty blemished, but Rogue made up for it by shipping out replacements and letting me keep the blems for $1/lb.

I'm a fan of 20kg/44lb bells. I get a lot of mileage out of mine. YMMV, but 35 is too light for just about anything other than a complex for me, but the 20kg is my go-to bell for high-rep snatching. It's a great weight to learn with, but you'll blaze through it quickly.

A pair of 28kg/62lbs is my go-to pair for squatting now, too.
 
Titanium - it is better, if you can, to see them before buying. I've been both lucky and unlucky buying here online in uk, the best is from Base Fitness where I got the 16s. I got a 24 from wer sports and a 32 from db fitness, both from the uk, too thick a handle and quite rough on the 24 and too thin a handle on the 32 v the 16s. Fine to use though, just not ideal. I then picked up a pair of 20s from gumtree locally and saw them first. They are not branded, dark grey rather than black and absolutely perfect. I don't really know the standard, if there is one, for the handle thickness and 'feel' but it seems that both my 24 and 32 have a different feel to my 16s and 20s, other than the obvious weight, the handles, grip and centre of mass differ greatly and although I'm used to them, the 16s and 20s just feel better, for me.
So although there are general recommended brands, they may not be the same for everyone.
If you haven't a shop locally to try them out, worth watching gumtree in your area or ebay in your area for that matter if pennies are a concern. You don't want the hassle of sending them back if they aren't right for you! I'm only going to buy bells from now on that I can pick up and get a feel for first. The 40 is next on my radar but it will be a little while yet and I really don't want to return that lump.

btw team strongfirst...thank you for all your recent hard graft behind the scenes for all our benefit. Very much appreciated.
 
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