Guy spent all his money on kettlebells and couldn't afford the last part of his haircut - I love the commitment

Thanks for this. It's so important that you get the right kettlebell. Personally I've got a cast-iron one. The plastic ones are ridiculous!

Nice discussion. First, excellent advice. Avoid crappy kettlebells. They are tools. Buy good tools. A few comments. The choice can also be simply personal. I own both cast iron and competition kettlebells and have trained years with both. Ultimately I've come to prefer competition bells simply because they fit my hands better. Lower weight cast iron kettlebells have the advantage of being smaller, which is nice sometimes. Lastly, kilogram for the buck, consider getting a *high quality* adjustable weight kettlebell. My Kettlebell Kings 12kg-32kg adjustable kettlebell cost €260 plus delivery to Switzerland. Bells of Steel makes adjustable kettlebells in two ranges. I need a second adjustable kettlebell. Sometimes it is very inconvenient to adjust the weight. I have 10 other fixed weight kettlebells.

Thanks for this very clear and concise guide, it helped a great deal!

Excellent, thanks Glen 👍

super helpful - thanks boss man!

Thanks Glen. Always good

Thanks man, I just got into this 2 months ago (and it IS expensive). I've bought Only Weider starting at 25 lbs, then a couple weeks later 35 lbs, then a couple weeks later 40 lbs, then a couple weeks later plunged for the 45 lb. I feel like with each couple weeks of using them, I can do more weight but starting this 45 lb this week I felt where my technique had better be good or I could get injured (came close - back I have a strong back knock on wood and a chiropractor every 2 weeks for my neck mainly). I do Jiu Jitsu. I've dropped 30 lbs in weight from November to present due to other factors, but also to fasting/carnivore diet so I only weigh 167 lbs. 50 lbs would be 30% of my weight.

Thanks mate. Cheers 🍻 🎉

Amazing strength trainig equipment is correct!!

I have some competition bells which are better for long cycle and snatch. But I also have some iron cast bells which are better for double handed swings.

Great tip!

Very useful....thanks...

I have cast iron and love them

I would agree 100% to avoid the gimicky kettlebells. But I would split hairs with you about your view on cast Iron are better for strength training over competition. First of all, a 32kg weight is 32kg. My shoulders or any other of my body parts won't know the difference if I'm pressing, rowing, deadlifting, squatting or carrying that 32kg with either type bell. In my humble opinion the kettlebell thats more suited to strength (or any other training method) is determined by which bell sits most comfortable on the arm in the rack position and in particular which is the most comfortable in the hand as regards for grip. From my own experience from using both types of bells... I swapped over to competition bells even for strength because certain cast iron bells (mostly smaller ones) were uncomfortable in the rack position for me and some of the bigger cast iron bell's handles compromised my grip and were just unworkable for me. So the best bell you use for strength or for any type training is the bell that sits right and functions right in your hands and arms. Dont be fooled into thinking that Cast Iron is a better strength tool just because its made of bad ass cast iron and looks bad ass or hardstyle and likewise don't get caught up in stereotyping the competition bell because its used in sports and that's the type of exercises you should use it for. People like Steve Cotter and Mark Wildman uses competition bells and these guys are as strong as hell and it opened my eyes to being more open minded about using competition bells even if I use a hardstyle approach. Its also worth putting it out there too that I have to deal less with callouses on the hands with the smoother steel handles on competition bells. And speaking of which.....id check out the handles more so on the cast Iron bells before buying. Some cast bells might not appear to look gimicky but could be badly casted. The underside of the handle might have rough ridges that will tear the crap out of your hands. Remember one of the main point of using kettlebells is to use them ballistically and there will be a lot of repetitive actions even in some strength exercises. If you are buying online and won't get to check this out, buy a reputable brand like Kettlebell Kings, Rogue or Onnit for your cast iron.

0:39 arent those cast iron kettebells? but with a rubber around the iron

Thank you

Which of the two types of kettlebells would you suggest for weight loss?

Hi Glen, curious what's your take on the bowflex kettlebell?

Any particular cast iron kettlebells you recommend please? There are so many out there!

I've only used cast iron kettlebells so far. I train hard style, mostly Simple and Sinister the last 16 months. I am curious about competition bells, though. Have yet to see one in person.

Hello. Might be to late, but, what about the grip area? Is that the same no matter which size you choose?

Is a competition kettlebell easier to use for wrist-friendly cleans & snatches than the cast iron shape?

Great video, thank you. What would you say about GS competition kettlebells vs normal competition kettlebells?

Are you familiar with the Jordan fitness competition kettlebells? Are they any good? I am in the market for some high-quality, all-steel comp kettlebells featuring the hollow core construction and am considering either the Jordan's or the Wolverson's over the Kettlebell Kings because i don't really like the handle design of the latter. Let me know and many thanks.

Thanks for the video. Small question remains for me: what can iron cast kettlebells do that competition kettlebells can't ?

I've been debating comp vs cast iron for awhile now and keep hearing that cast iron are better for strength training, but no one really explains why. Hoping you could provide some clarity on, for example, how a 24kg comp isn't good for strength training but a 24kg cast iron is?

You can stack cast irons - hold more than one in one hand to make heavier. Competition bells don't do this easily.

What do you recommend for beginners for lighter weight like 12kg or 16kg only - Competition or iron cast? How about if you move on heavier weight? cheers!

I would always go for competition kettlebells because they are of universal size despite the weight, so the only difference is their weight. They are mostly better made as well. They are more expensive.

By the way I bought a 16 KG kettlebell from argos. It weight 15.7kg on my scale. It looked like there was a tiny scab missing from the bottom of it. My question is, is that just the how the mold of the kettlebell was or something else? Should I return it and get another from argos. Is that even worth the hassle? I mean a slit error such as 0.3kg doesn't seem that bad.

Honestly I still don't see why I should avoid the cheaper ones. I've trained with everything from cheap plastic to competition bells and whilst there is a difference, it's not big enough for me to go spend 5x as much. I bought my 16kg plastic bell used for 10 euros and often use it for weighted pull-ups and other stuff like that. It functions well enough for that, and honestly isn't that bad for swings, cleans and turkish getups despite its weird size.

I went with competition kettlebells because of universal size and technique with different weight gauges.

So one can't do strength training with competition kettlebell. I was hoping a comment on why not?

Do you only strictly use kettlebells or free weights too?

As someone who is relatively new to kettlebells, I would like to see a video on how to figure out how long a rest period should be between sets. Thanks.

Grandad here. Have a 12kg KB. Time to buy a quality 16kg KB. Use is for home fitness & health. Nothing macho. My issue is SHAPE & WRISTS. Which kettlebell shape, Iron or Competition is more COMFORTABLE for Clean & pressing & snatching & swinging for a kettlebell novice?

Vinyl looks strange for me also

Are they just the same weight as the Dumbell, For example the 12kg dumbell and the 12kg kettlebell are just the same weight? As far as I know, the weight is not included in the handle of the dumbell

thanks so much for this ! helpful :) can you help me please - my gym is outside - i live in the jungle - will competition kb’s rust ? i need kb’s that have least possibility to rust in the rain... thankyou :)

I learn kettlebells exercises with a pair of cast bells. First 2 20 lbs. then a pair of 30’s. Eventually I bought Kettlebellking adjustable competition bells. A bit larger, but made for lifting and swinging, will last for ever. Unlike me.

🙏🙏🙏

I respect the decision to go with competition kettlebells. Also, people have to ask themselves how much are they willing to spend? From Rogue to Kettlebell Kings and now Pro Kettlebells. It can get expensive!

what about steel cast through gravity die casting manufacturing tech?

Everyone should just spend $300 on an adjustable competition kettlebell from kettlebell kings. Every weight from 25ish to 70 lbs. good quality too I would be curious to hear an explanation on why you think hardstyle bells are better for strength training. I would argue competition bells are better for everything. Bigger hard style bells have huge diameter handles. Grip work is great but not when it limits you from performing lifts. You can always make yourself or spend 15 dollars on a rubber grip trainer to wrap around competition bell handles if you want a grip challenge. You can’t take off diameter from hardstyle bells, obviously. The only thing I can think of regarding why someone might want cast iron bells is if that person is monstrous and has massive hands. If you’re huge you might have trouble doing two hand swings with comp bells.. that’s it. A guy I train with is 6’2’’ 275 lbs and he is able to swing them 2 handed. So it’s really just massive guys. And even then that’s only a single movement they’d struggle with

I've purchased the plastic sleeve kettlebell and took it of🤣

Its interesting to note that kettlebells were originally cast iron. Kettlebell sport originally started with cast iron bells, competition bells were a later invention....so cast irons are the OG

Cast iron is the best