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Kettlebell I know I'm supposed to do barbell but...

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Riastrahd

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...I really like how I FEEL using frequent kettlebell training. My background for over a decade was strictly barbell training using Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 and strongman work. We are in the middle of a move and for the past 8 weeks I've only had access to my kettle bells (24 and 40kg). I have been running Quick and the Dead 3-4 times a week, one clean and press ladder session, and one sandbag (250lbs) session a week.
Honestly, my joints feel better than they have in a long time. I have more energy but the biggest change is how fast I can move around now. I feel...springy and more athletic. I really have no interest in going back to barbells now. It may be good to note I've been active duty for 15 years so all the irregular sleep and static standing for watches/post has been hell on my body.

Any other middle aged prior power lifters have this experience? Feeling more athletic, joints feeling better, etc...
 
@Riastrahd, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

There is no "supposed to do ..." here.

Many people feel as you've described when they add explosive work to the program. One of the beauties of the kettlebell is that it has a much lower point of entry for explosive lifting than Olympic lifting. My experience: kettlebell ballistics, sprinting, and Olympic lifting all make me feel
great.

-S-
 
@Riastrahd, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

There is no "supposed to do ..." here.

Many people feel as you've described when they add explosive work to the program. One of the beauties of the kettlebell is that it has a much lower point of entry for explosive lifting than Olympic lifting. My experience: kettlebell ballistics, sprinting, and Olympic lifting all make me feel
great.

-S-
Appreciate it!
 
What @Steve Freides said :)

I look at barbell and kettlebell training as very complimentary, but I always (yes, an absolute -- for me) feel better when I'm spending more time "practicing" with the kettlebell than under the bar. They each have their place, and you may come back to the barbell in time, but if you find something that works for you -- don't worry about what you're "supposed" to do!
 
What @Steve Freides said :)

I look at barbell and kettlebell training as very complimentary, but I always (yes, an absolute -- for me) feel better when I'm spending more time "practicing" with the kettlebell than under the bar. They each have their place, and you may come back to the barbell in time, but if you find something that works for you -- don't worry about what you're "supposed"

if you find something that works for you -- don't worry about what you're "supposed" to do!
The older I get, the more this applies! Appreciate the response!
 
...I really like how I FEEL using frequent kettlebell training. My background for over a decade was strictly barbell training using Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 and strongman work. We are in the middle of a move and for the past 8 weeks I've only had access to my kettle bells (24 and 40kg). I have been running Quick and the Dead 3-4 times a week, one clean and press ladder session, and one sandbag (250lbs) session a week.
Honestly, my joints feel better than they have in a long time. I have more energy but the biggest change is how fast I can move around now. I feel...springy and more athletic. I really have no interest in going back to barbells now. It may be good to note I've been active duty for 15 years so all the irregular sleep and static standing for watches/post has been hell on my body.

Any other middle aged prior power lifters have this experience? Feeling more athletic, joints feeling better, etc...
I found kettlebells while figuring out how to train while working around a couple injuries. I largely agree with what you've said, but sometimes I still feel like I "need" to use barbells, but usually that is based more out of an attempt to validate myself to others who are more typical gym based. I still will use barbells, but focusing on kettlebells gets me some great training and I can tailor it toward whatever my goals are - all while staying in my garage.
 
You started out as a kettlebeller and then went full barbell?
I did too. These past 3 years 2020-2022, 90% barbell, 5% kettlebell and 5% other. It's been barbell weightlifting focus since late 2019, but was barbell strength/powerlifting 2017-2018. From 2014-2017, I was 90% kettlebell.

Honestly, I felt better overall when my training was all kettlebell. But I'm willing to pay the price. I feel good enough now, and I love the journey I'm on. Like a challenging hike with some aches and pains along the way... it's worth it.

Really good to know the kettlebell is always there as an option if/when I want to switch back, though.
 
What prompted the change? Do you still incorporate kettlebells in your training? Just curious.

I'm not sure what it was exactly. I suppose I've always wanted to be strong. I got into kettlebells and Pavel through a friend. I started reading Pavel's books and the barbell was also featured prominently in the books. I got interested, especially if it would help me get stronger, and decided to give it a try in the local commercial gym when I happened to find a friend wanting to have a go as well.

I soon found out I really enjoyed how the barbell training felt, I did more grinds than I used to, also with relatively heavier loads. I also really enjoyed my new strength which developed far more quickly than it had done with the kettlebell.

These days I see the kettlebell as just load in a specific shape. The shape makes it great for swings and cleans. I sometimes do them. For practically everything else I prefer the barbell. The one arm military press might be the exception but nor me or the local gyms have any heavy enough for training and I would do the lift so rarely I won't get a kettlebell just for it. In general the kettlebells are typically too light or awkward to hold to tax the whole body or what I want to train.
 
I’ve owned kettlebells for almost 20 years. I was a barbell lifter for a good part of that but always did some kb work. I’ve went from kettlebell purist to barbell lifter to now a kettlebell purist again with a healthy amount of callisthenics too. I quit barbell work because of a hernia in my bellybutton and this was the 4th or 5th issue of my body just taking a beating. I feel amazing now just training with my trusty kettlebells.
 
I started kettlebells as soon as I knew that Pavel/Dragondoor was selling them (around 2005). I found that they filled in a lot of "gaps" that I thought my normal lifting did not. Since then, things have waved and there was a time I was using KBs almost exclusively and (shocker I'm sure) training exclusively w. KBs created different "gaps".

I think I have things more or less figured out for me (what I need to do to feel good, keep things together, have some CV conditioning, maintain an "acceptable" level of 1 rep max strength, etc), but there are always going to be some trade-offs and compromises, no matter what.
 
...I really like how I FEEL using frequent kettlebell training. My background for over a decade was strictly barbell training using Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 and strongman work. We are in the middle of a move and for the past 8 weeks I've only had access to my kettle bells (24 and 40kg). I have been running Quick and the Dead 3-4 times a week, one clean and press ladder session, and one sandbag (250lbs) session a week.
Honestly, my joints feel better than they have in a long time. I have more energy but the biggest change is how fast I can move around now. I feel...springy and more athletic. I really have no interest in going back to barbells now. It may be good to note I've been active duty for 15 years so all the irregular sleep and static standing for watches/post has been hell on my body.

Any other middle aged prior power lifters have this experience? Feeling more athletic, joints feeling better, etc...
I think there is a lot to be said about changing up your training modality. I did just kettlebell work for 2-3 years with a smattering of bodyweight stuff. When I switched to barbell in December it felt like I suddenly got way stronger and more powerful faster than I thought I would. Joints felt better, felt more athletic, and all of that.

So I think you are on to something, but I think it is more the change from focusing on heavy grinds to a different type of work.
 
First off, welcome to the forum @Riastrahd!

Second, thanks for your service!

Third, the answer to most questions like this: "It depends." Is BJJ a good martial art? ABSOLUTELY! Unless you want to learn how to punch and kick. Is Muay Thai a good martial art? ABSOLUTELY! Unless you want to learn how to fight off your back and choke someone out with your legs. Are the barbell and the kettlebell good? ABSOLUTELY! Just depends on what your goals are.

Due to work, I've barely touched a bar over the last 2 years. I did everything with the kettlebell. My press stayed good, my conditioning stayed fine, my mobility stayed fine, but my overall raw strength definitely declined. So now I'm back to incorporating the bar into training. If you want a respectable deadlift, there's no way to do it without the bar. If you want to combine strength with conditioning with mobility, there's no way to do it without the kettlebell. IMO, you can definitely accomplish more with the kettlebell. But everything depends on your goals.

In any event, welcome to the forum and we look forward to your posts!
 
I've never touched a kettlebell but my experience as primarily a barbell lifter has always involved other forms of resistance training whether dumbbells, machines, bodyweight, loaded carries, hill walks etc. On that basis it would hardly be remarkable if I had adopted kettlebell training I just haven't seen the need ... Yet!
 
. If you want to combine strength with conditioning with mobility, there's no way to do it without the kettlebell. IMO, you can definitely accomplish more with the kettlebell.

This is something that I see often and I never understand. What makes the kettlebell shape so special, that there's no way to " combine strength with conditioning with mobility" without the kettlebell?
 
I've never touched a kettlebell but my experience as primarily a barbell lifter has always involved other forms of resistance training whether dumbbells, machines, bodyweight, loaded carries, hill walks etc. On that basis it would hardly be remarkable if I had adopted kettlebell training I just haven't seen the need ... Yet!

Or maybe you could try squats? ;)
 
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