Kettlebell Kettlebell choice

[drapes11]

I am focussing on S&S at the moment and can do 1 hand swings with a 32kg bell. I am considering getting a much larger bell to help develop more power in my hip hinge but I am not sure what size bell to get. 32kg is my heaviest and I dont have access to any others to test and see what I can swing.

based on a 1 hand swing at 32kg what size would people recommend ? 56kg or go bigger ?

 

[Kev]

I personally did jumps of 8kg in the beginning (except my 25kg kettlebells as my supplier didn’t make 24kg). Even now I owned and used a 40kg before buying a 48kg and then a 56kg. I can double swing and clean and press 2x32kg but my 56kg is just an utter monster.

 

[Adachi]

The 40kg should be the place to start. Maybe you'll be able to run it for consistent sets of 5.

The 48kg bell might be doable for 2 or 3 reps at a time.

The 56kg bell might have to be for deadlifts at least for a while.

That said, if you want to focus on strength the barbell will be the fastest route.

And just to be clear, I'd use the 40kg to develop myself for higher performance with the 32kg.

 

[Steve W.]

IMO, giant KBs represent a bad value proposition.

If all you can do with it (or realistically aspire to do with it) is two-hand swings, you may as well just use a T-handle.

If you want to further load the ballistic hinge, you can also learn to snatch (higher amplitude) and/or use doubles (higher weight), for double cleans, double half-snatches, or double swings (inside or outside the legs).

Or get a barbell, which is one of the most versatile strength training tools there is, and do barbell deadlifts. Dimel DLs retain some of the explosive nature of swings, and any heavy DL will train your overall hinge strength.

Then there are all the explosive Olympic weightlifting variations.

I would buy a lighter KB to make a pair that I could clean, squat, or press before I would buy a single larger KB that I only aspire to press. And I would not buy a single KB larger than I would realistically aspire to press or snatch.

If I had unlimited resources, sure. But in the overall universe of equipment I'd like to have, a giant swing-only bell is far down the list.

 

[watchnerd]

IMO, giant KBs represent a bad value proposition.

+1

For the price of a 44 kg KB, you can buy an entry level barbell.

For the price of the next kettlebell up in weight, you can buy the plates to go on the barbell.

There are very good reasons why plate-loaded barbells mostly displaced old fixed weight dumbbells and kettlebells once they were invented.

I have double KBs 8-32 kg, and singles for 36-40 kg, but the reality is that I almost never use my heavy KBs as it's just so much easier to go heavy with a barbell.

And/or plate loadable dumbbells.

I don't think I'll buy another heavier KB for the rest of my life.

 

[Steve Freides]

I am focussing on S&S at the moment and can do 1 hand swings with a 32kg bell. I am considering getting a much larger bell to help develop more power in my hip hinge but I am not sure what size bell to get. 32kg is my heaviest and I dont have access to any others to test and see what I can swing.

based on a 1 hand swing at 32kg what size would people recommend ? 56kg or go bigger ?

A good in-between step would be to try some sets of 15, 20, or 25 reps in the 2-hand swing with your 32 kg bell, just to see how those go.

-S-

 

[Halfakneecap]

I can 1 handed swing 32kg, and I have done single arm swings with my 36kg, but jumping to 56kg just wouldn’t work for me I don’t think.

Also, if you were conservative and went a 36 or 40, you could eventually use it for single arm C&P and/or snatch. It would take a lot of time to get to 56kg C&P or snatch

 

[BrianCF]

I had two 40 kg. I sold them both.

If you don't have one, get a 2nd 32 and do double swings.

 

[Anna C]

If you don't have one, get a 2nd 32 and do double swings.

+1