What Kettlebells Should I Buy To Get Started

Kettlebells are expensive.

And some companies make crappy kettlebells.

Some companies make great kettlebells but charge an arm and a leg.

So you want to get the best price first.

Second, the right kettlebells help you get started faster into learning the skills you need.

If you go too light... you'll probably lose interest.

If you go too heavy... you'll never be able to learn and practice.

What Weight Kettlebells Should I Buy?

On a high level, I usually say... if you can't do 10 straight pushups... you're a beginner.

I would buy two kettlebells to start:

The 18 will help you learn quickly.

It's perfect for practicing the technical skills you need without beating your wrists up too much.

It's also great for developing grip strength... something you should always be working on.

The 26 is needed because you'll need a heavier weight.

Here’s what I mean...

When you're learning... it helps to feel the weight when you're doing exercises like swings or snatches.

By feel the weight... I mean using a weight you can't over power... that's not too easy.

This helps activate the correct muscles so you can feel what you're supposed to feel.

If you've been strength training and you can knock out 10 pushups straight... you're intermediate.

I'd probably start with:

You should be strong enough where learning with a 26 lber... is no problem.

The 35 is important for you because you'll quickly want to go heavier as you learn.

This is especially true for swings where you can go heavy once you get the movement pattern down.

If you purchase two kettlebells to start... you can use them both at once.

When you're doing swings... squats... deadlifts... cleans... etc...

You can use both even though they're different weights.

Using two kettlebells is a great way to go heavier and train your body in different ways.

This is why I do NOT recommend competition kettlebells. They're too big to use two at one time.

This is not a paid advertisement.

Rogue Fitness.

I have used Rogue kettlebells in my gym ever since opening over a decade ago.

It's just under $100... including shipping... for an 18 and 26 lb kettlebell.

Plus they have these new e-coat kettlebells which are pretty sweet. I have not used them extensively myself.

But I have bought them for other people and I liked what I saw.

Based off of all the clients I've helped purchase kettlebells over the years... here's how they tend to buy them.

After the initial purchase...

35lb kettlebell always comes next and it's the most popular weight (after learning the skills)
44lb kettlebells are popular with women who love to push a little harder.
53lb kettlebell if you want to get into heavier swings or getups (popular with men too).