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I've used a lot of different cast iron kettlebells and my experience with them has been that you get what you pay for.


I have a 35lb CAP powder coat sitting on my desk right now that will get included in the next iteration of my ongoing kettlebell review, and for what it cost me I could have purchased a much nicer Rep Fitness kettlebell or even a Kettlebell Kings kettlebell currently on sale. The finish on the CAP bell isn't as clean as either of the other two brands and the coating is considerably rougher. I expect this bell will tear up my hands a bit on high rep work.

I also have a 35lb Titan Fitness kettlebell I just bought, and even though it only cost $43 shipped, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The finish is sloppy with prevalent seams and burrs on the handle, the coating is unevenly applied, and it wobbles badly when placed on a flat surface. It's so bad that I had to reach out to Titan's customer service to confirm what I got was actually a legitimate product and not a knockoff. I've not yet heard back from them on this yet, but I'm likely going to send it back either way.


I've got a 16kg Yes4All kettlebell on the way, which cost me $40 shipped. I don't have high hopes for it, but if it does happen to surprise me with the quality then I'll update this comment accordingly.


Many people will say "it's just a hunk of metal with a handle, who cares if it's cheap". To some extent that's true, and if you don't use it often then a cheap kettlebell will likely fit your need. However, my view is that anyone serious about training with kettlebells should invest in quality tools. This applies to any training regimen you're serious about. Does a serious runner wear cheap shoes? Will a serious golfer buy cheap clubs?


If you're looking to save some money but still invest in some quality kettlebells, take a look at Rep Fitness or Fringe Sport. Both of them are making good quality kettlebells at reasonable prices.

You may also want to take advantage of the sale Kettlebell Kings is running on Amazon right now, since you can get many of the most common sizes for $10-20 cheaper than the same product on their website, with free shipping.

The snatch, in particular the viking warrior protocol, really hits your nervous system hard. The explosive, complex movement requires a strong burst of nerve activity to activate all those muscles.

This ties into mood via polyvagal theory. In particular, vagal tone. Yoga helps people relax by using breathing patterns and movements to improve vagal tone and thus emotional regulation ability. Snatch is kind of the opposite. Possibly some yoga-ish cool downs could help, certainly after a lot of snatches it is important to do something to help calm down. I've found Trauma Release Exercises to be helpful for that.

Two that I've done:

Al Ciampa's Serious Endurance- huge volume of one hand swings. It was good cardio, my grip strength was on point afterward.

Scott Iardella's Kettlebell Domination High volume of one hand work, tons of HIIT cardio. I highly recommend this, it is great for cardio. I got stronger the first time I ran this program, using relatively light weights. I ran it again with heavier weight, and built more strength, but I was sore the whole time. This program gives you some flexibility in how much weight you use, but it works better with fairly light weight/ high reps.

Iardella's Shock and Awe is a strength- focused double KB program, I think it qqualifies as an Oly style program. I started it, but I didn't have doubles in the right weight. I really think you need a different weight for double snatch vs. double clean and jerk. I would consider emailing the author to ask what weight to use, if you're thinking about doing it.

get a 16kg kettlebell to start with; the CAP brand linked isnt the best but its a decent & cheap starting bell. I started with the same bell, but don't really like the smooth finish on them, so once you are ready to move up in weight i would look to other brands.

Buy a copy of Pavel's Simple & Sinister book and follow the program. It is a great easy to follow program consisting of daily swings and Turkish Get Ups.

As for diet, try and eat "clean"; meals cooked mostly at home with known ingredients consisting mostly of proteins, veggies and some fat to keep you full between meals. Splurge with some potatoes or rice every now but don't over do it on the carbs.

to keep on track you could enter your workouts into a daily journal or log them into fitocracy. It is great to see your numbers improve as the weeks go on.


Edit: i forgot to mention S&S takes roughly 30minutes of your time daily, so discipline wise there is no excuse that you don't have time to squeeze in a workout

I've only ever bought Diamond Pro bells for my personal gym. You can get them from Walmart.com and Jet.com, free shipping and returns. Prices are very competitive. I'm also 99% sure that they're the exact same bells as Onnit, Cap Barbell, and Rep Fitness.

Diamond Pro, 24kg, $59 US, Jet.com

Onnit, 24kg, $85 US, Onnit.com

Cap Barbell, 24kg, $91 US, Amazon.com

Rep Fitness, 24kg, $100 US, Amazon.com

You'll find a lot of love here for Diamond Pro. Affordable, sufficient quality, and decent texture (spray on truck bed liner).

It is possible to stay low carb and still be able to perform intense exercise, but it takes time to adapt to fat as your primary fuel and a deliberate strategy of light carb feeding (usually dextrose) just before a workout.

Check out the FAQ at /r/ketogains. Those folks are staying on super low carb diets all the time, performing intense workouts and having great results.

There are also a number of elite ultra-endurance athletes that are strictly low-carb all the time. Another great resource is The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance .

Not be be redundant, but diet is going to be the key to your success. I don't work for the authors of these 2 books, but reading them has really changed my perspective on what "healthy" eating is and since adopting the low carb, no sugar principals I have seen great results.

There is growing evidence that calories in, calories out paradigm that we have all been taught is the ideal way to meet our health and nutrition goals is flawed. The 2 books below make a convincing case.

I highly recommend both of these books.

Always Hungry?: Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455533874/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7ZpzzbQHXRSQW

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307474259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Y0pzzbY9Q0G38

Not any kind of therapist/trainer, just an idiot on the internet - but I've been getting into the Original Strength Resets lately and they seem like they may be helpful for you, it's a series of pretty simple movements done daily that kind help "grease the groove" all over your body. Since incorporating them into my work outs I've been feeling a lot looser.

Here's a book:
https://www.amazon.com/Pressing-Reset-Original-Strength-Reloaded/dp/1624220290

If you don't really care too much about how it works you can just search on youtube for the actual drills there's plenty of demos. Basically you're looking at deep breathing with your diaphram, rocking, neck movements, and various drills where your limbs "Cross" the "center line" of your body, so Bird dogs, Dead Bugs, and Crawling type movements where you move with opposite hand/feet if that makes sense. For example Marching in place where you bring your left knee up while swinging your right arm.

From what I've been reading because the drills are mostly restorative there's not really any limit to how long or how much you can do them since they don't really wear you down. I usually focus about 30-60 seconds per drill then switch and do the whole flow twice - once before and once after my main kettlebell and bodyweight work out.

I own three of the CAP powder coated kettlebells. Link. I've had them for 2.5 years for my two oldest, one 35 lb and one 44 lb, down to 6 months for my newest one, another 44 lb.

I can't speak highly enough of them. I got them from Amazon where the prices fluctuate wildly with regularity so by watching and waiting I was able to snag them one at a time as the prices dropped. Oddly enough I actually managed to get one of the 44's for a few dollars cheaper than the 35 because of this. Free shipping with Amazon Prime and their good overall user reviews is what sold me on them.

The handles are all ground smooth. No burrs or rough spots. The powder coating has held up well and only shows wear on the bottoms since I use them on the bare concrete floor of my garage. Photos of wear. The powder coating provides for a nice grippy handle but I still use a chalk bag for a more secure hold for when my hands get sweaty.

I will absolutely buy another powder coated CAP if the price is right and I would recommend anyone like me looking for a lower cost alternative give them a shot. In my own personal experience these don't deserve the poor reputation they seem to generally have on this sub.

Never tried TRX, but all my kettlebells are Rep fitness and I've been very happy with them. The 24kg is $10 less than the TRX

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NLS0NOG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sOPAzbK7V81DH

Kettlebell Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline. Published by StrongFirst. Released in 2013

https://www.amazon.com/Kettlebell-Simple-Sinister-Pavel-Tsatsouline/dp/0989892409

http://www.strongfirst.com/shop/books/simple-sinister-paperback/

Paperback is under $15. This is the most commonly recommended starting point for kettlebell lifting.


Program consists of a warmup of Goblet Squats, Hip Bridges, and Halos. The main drills are one arm swings 10x10 (50 total with each arm) and the Turkish Get Up 10x1 (5 with each arm). These are done in the squence of swings first and then the get ups. The test time is 5 minutes for the swings, a 1 minute break, and then 10 minutes for the get ups. The routine is to performed daily or as close as possible to daily.

The program scales very well with ability and because is only two main drills is friendly for beginners and at heavier weights becomes very challenging for advanced practitioners. As a basic fitness system this program has a lot to offer a beginner and if you have the resources it is advised that you seek instruction from a SFG certified instructor and tell them you want to do Simple and Sinister. This program does not require a pre-req, however it is advised to have a medical clearance and a FMS screening if you feel this is appropriate.

The equipment most men will need is a 16kg and 24kg to get started and eventually a 32kg to achieve the Simple Standard. The equipment most women will need is a 8kg, 12kg, 16kg to start with and a 20kg and 24kg to reach the simple standard. Men generally make 8kg jumps and women make 4kg jumps, however sometimes men may need to make a 4kg jump and some women may be capable of an 8kg jump.

I bought a 40# CAP brand kettlebell through amazon a few weeks ago and it was free shipping. I think it still applies. They're a good quality too. The price is about the same as Christian's fitness factory.

Amazing, in terms of the kettlebell itself, would This do the trick? Just thinking about shipping what with me being in the UK.

How long do you think before I'd start to see a difference?

I was searching amazon today and they had the Rep KBs that looked good and got high reviews. I also have prime so free shipping.

This guy puts them just below Kettlebell Kings but above Rogue and here is the amazon link the pricing looks decent.

https://www.amazon.com/Shock-Awe-Protocol-Kettlebell-Training-ebook/dp/B00FP1YFEQ/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=kettlebell+program&qid=1565310893&s=gateway&sr=8-4

And its on free if you have prime.

Also whilst I have you here, any views on this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodymax-16kg-Kettlebell-Cast-Iron/dp/B000RGPAHA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2PDPOIT0KAZIS&coliid=I8SNHXS6E1NOZ

Non competition regular cast. Good reviews.

the 16kg/35lb cap kettlebells are very good, i suggest starting with one bell

that was my first kettlebell (then i bought a second one), i've had it for two years and i used it mostly for my hiit workouts

smooth handle, easy to grip espcially if you're new

This will help you: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Kettlebell-Explosive-Training-Muscle/dp/0938045067

Some required reading: http://www.strongfirst.com/things-are-going-so-well-help-me-screw-it-up/
and http://www.strongfirst.com/things-are-going-so-well-help-me-screw-it-up-part-2/

Amazon page says "usually ships within 1 to 2 months". :-)

Does not list a Kindle version, just a paperback.

The images make them look the same as the CAP ones on amazon. They also seem a little bit cheaper on amazon after factoring in shipping, although not quite the same selection.

These guys http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003J9HKYI?pc_redir=1397060485&robot_redir=1

Why not expand a little on your kettlebell knowledge and put your own routines and programmes together? Cotter's book equips you to do this and also offers some pre-made programmes too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Kettlebell-Training-Steve-Cotter/1450430112

My googlfy skills are not the best but with a simple search here u go: https://www.amazon.com/Kettlebell-Muscle-Secrets-Compound-Lifting/dp/B0040NJXC4

The Quick and the Dead: Total Training for the Advanced Minimalist by Pavel.

Its his newest book.

https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Dead-Training-Advanced-Minimalist/dp/0989892425

I use these and so far have had no issues. Also there is no wire bouncing off my neck every rep.
Wireless Earbuds, Vislla 5.0 Bluetooth Sport Headphones Stereo Bass Sound TWS Ear Buds Over Ear Sweatproof Headset 8 Hours Playtime Wireless Earphones with Mic & Charging Case for Running/Working Out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WWG151L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_I6dZDbKEP671C

It stands for Simple and Sinister.

http://www.amazon.com/Kettlebell-Simple-Sinister-Pavel-Tsatsouline/dp/0989892409?ie=UTF8&keywords=simple%20and%20sinister&qid=1465495123&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1