Russian Kettlebells

[[old] John Rupp]

Instructions from an alpine skiing web site:<br /><br />"Start light. Men with 25lbs (12kg) and women with 10lbs (4kg). Think accelerate instead of "lift". The action comes from hips thrusting forward after "sitting down" onto heels. Remember, abs stay tight and back flat."<br /><br />I was thinking of putting the weights in the center, and holding the ends of the bar with my hands.<br /><br />If that works then, for the purpose of doing the swings, a weight could be made by putting a bar through a hole in a small plastic pail and then filling the pail with concrete.

[[old] John Rupp]

Excellent descriptions here:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.beatcfs.info/weights3.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.beatcfs.info/weights3.htm</a><br /><br /><img src='http://www.beatcfs.info/swing1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <img src='http://www.beatcfs.info/swing2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <img src='http://www.beatcfs.info/swing3.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[[old] John Rupp]

<img src='http://www.beatcfs.info/swing5.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><br />Video here: <a href='http://www.beatcfs.info/kswing2.MPG' target='_blank'>http://www.beatcfs.info/kswing2.MPG</a>

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-Cayenne+Jul 21 2005, 03:01 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Cayenne @ Jul 21 2005, 03:01 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The Dude Abides,<br /><br />I think you have the best screen name I've ever seen.<br /><br />Stay strong,<br /><br />Eddie <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />haha, thanks As soon as i figure it out I think i'll get a picture of The Dude up for my icon.<br /><br />And Rupp, those are good pics they pretty much illustrate what I was trying to tell you. When doing exercises like the swing keep your ass out, back straight and head up, looking ahead. If you don't you'll mess up your back. One of the golden kettlebell rules is that if something hurts, its cause you're doing it wrong. You can do it with a dumbell but it's kind of awkward and not as beneficial as a kettlebell, in my opinion.

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 21 2005, 03:59 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 21 2005, 03:59 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Instructions from an alpine skiing web site:<br /><br />"Start light. Men with 25lbs (12kg) and women with 10lbs (4kg).  Think accelerate instead of "lift". The action comes from hips thrusting forward after "sitting down" onto heels. Remember, abs stay tight and back flat."<br /><br />I was thinking of putting the weights in the center, and holding the ends of the bar with my hands.<br /><br />If that works then, for the purpose of doing the swings, a weight could be made by putting a bar through a hole in a small plastic pail and then filling the pail with concrete. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Careful buddy, I've seen people try to make their own weights. They fall apart. There are also products out there that allow you to "build a kettlebell" it has a handle on it and you just put barbell plates on them. they fall apart too. Think about it, you're swinging around 25- 35 pound weights, you don't want anything flying off or coming loose in the middle of your exerclise. can you imagine swinging something poorly designed back between your legs and getting hit in your nuts? Your best bet is to get to dragondoor.com and just buy a kettlebell. Go for the authentic, you'll be glad you did.

[[old] John Rupp]

<!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->can you imagine swinging something poorly designed back between your legs and getting hit in your nuts?    </td></tr></table><br />No! <br /><br />I just realized, this is the same exercise I've been doing for years and call "windmills", where I've done 300 of them in 10 minutes. It will be very interesting to do them with weight.<br /><br />I agree it would be best to use a kettleball but they are quite expensive. Once I get used to them and know how much weight to use then I'll look into getting one.<br />

[[old] Porkchop]

<!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 03:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 03:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 21 2005, 03:59 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 21 2005, 03:59 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Instructions from an alpine skiing web site:<br /><br />"Start light. Men with 25lbs (12kg) and women with 10lbs (4kg).  Think accelerate instead of "lift". The action comes from hips thrusting forward after "sitting down" onto heels. Remember, abs stay tight and back flat."<br /><br />I was thinking of putting the weights in the center, and holding the ends of the bar with my hands.<br /><br />If that works then, for the purpose of doing the swings, a weight could be made by putting a bar through a hole in a small plastic pail and then filling the pail with concrete. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Careful buddy, I've seen people try to make their own weights. They fall apart. There are also products out there that allow you to "build a kettlebell" it has a handle on it and you just put barbell plates on them. they fall apart too. Think about it, you're swinging around 25- 35 pound weights, you don't want anything flying off or coming loose in the middle of your exerclise. can you imagine swinging something poorly designed back between your legs and getting hit in your nuts? Your best bet is to get to dragondoor.com and just buy a kettlebell. Go for the authentic, you'll be glad you did. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Or, you could take a look here for a discussion of both alternative sources and homemade versions: <a href='http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/3128.html' target='_blank'>http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/26/3128.html</a> If you use the search function over there, you will find a lot of discussion of cheaper alternatives than Dragon Door.<br /><br />Porkchop<br /><br />Porkchop<br />

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 21 2005, 04:35 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 21 2005, 04:35 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->can you imagine swinging something poorly designed back between your legs and getting hit in your nuts?     </td></tr></table><br />No! <br /><br />I just realized, this is the same exercise I've been doing for years and call "windmills", where I've done 300 of them in 10 minutes. It will be very interesting to do them with weight.<br /><br />I agree it would be best to use a kettleball but they are quite expensive. Once I get used to them and know how much weight to use then I'll look into getting one. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Gotcha. Kettlebell windmills are different then, I guess thats where we got confused.<br /><br />I DO believe there is a trick on dragondoor.com to save on kettlebells. I have to check with my buddy, he knows more about it than I do. I'll post back here if I can get that info for you.

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 05:25 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 05:25 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 21 2005, 04:35 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 21 2005, 04:35 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 01:27 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->can you imagine swinging something poorly designed back between your legs and getting hit in your nuts?     </td></tr></table><br />No! <br /><br />I just realized, this is the same exercise I've been doing for years and call "windmills", where I've done 300 of them in 10 minutes. It will be very interesting to do them with weight.<br /><br />I agree it would be best to use a kettleball but they are quite expensive. Once I get used to them and know how much weight to use then I'll look into getting one. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Gotcha. Kettlebell windmills are different then, I guess thats where we got confused.<br /><br />I DO believe there is a trick on dragondoor.com to save on kettlebells. I have to check with my buddy, he knows more about it than I do. I'll post back here if I can get that info for you. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Alright, it's not really what I thought, but I guess you can work it out...here's what my buddy said in his email:<br /><br />"Go to www.dragondoor.com to start.<br />You'll see the below information at the top left-hand corner of the dragondoor home-page. Click on the Affiliate Program link and then click the "sign-up now" button on the next page. Remember, you pay full price when ordering, and then get reimbursed via check somewhere around the middle of the next month. If you don't already have a website to add a link to, choose the "e-mail replication" feature instead (that's what I use)."<br /><br /><br />So I guess it's not that great, you don't save up front, you get reimbursed with a check later on. But hey, its a roundabout way to save. <br />

[[old] John Rupp]

<!--QuoteBegin-The Dude Abides+Jul 21 2005, 02:25 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(The Dude Abides @ Jul 21 2005, 02:25 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Gotcha.  Kettlebell windmills are different then, I guess thats where we got confused.<br /> </td></tr></table><br />No confusion.<br /><br />I just realized the swings are the same exercise I've been doing.<br />

[[old] John Rupp]

Here is a web page for a home made adjustable kettlebell:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.ikettlebell.com/homemadekb.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ikettlebell.com/homemadekb.html</a> <img src='http://www.ikettlebell.com/kb1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><br />As compared to this commercial one: <img src='http://www.fractionalplates.com/images/kbells.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><br />Using the materials from the first one, and the design from the second, can make an improvement to both.<br /><br />For example, the double handle on the commercial one is extraneous, not needed, and only makes the ball more cumbersome. That can be eliminated. Then we end up with a design like this.<br /><br /> <span style='font-size:25pt;line-height:100%'>_T_</span><br />

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 21 2005, 06:55 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 21 2005, 06:55 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Here is a web page for a home made adjustable kettlebell:<br /><br /><a href='http://www.ikettlebell.com/homemadekb.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ikettlebell.com/homemadekb.html</a>  <img src='http://www.ikettlebell.com/kb1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><br />As compared to this commercial one:  <img src='http://www.fractionalplates.com/images/kbells.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><br /><br />Using the materials from the first one, and the design from the second, can make an improvement to both.<br /><br />For example, the double handle on the commercial one is extraneous, not needed, and only makes the ball more cumbersome.  That can be eliminated.  Then we end up with a design like this.<br /><br />    <span style='font-size:25pt;line-height:100%'>_T_</span> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Hey man, if you feel safe with that, thats cool. I just don't want to hear about how it came apart on you. Be safe with this stuff, its fun but it's no joke.

[[old] John Rupp]

I did 2 sets of 27 in one minute each with 15# swings tonight with a hand weight, hands overlapped, and this worked very well.

[[old] The Dude Abides]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Jul 22 2005, 02:34 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Jul 22 2005, 02:34 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I did 2 sets of 27 in one minute each with 15# swings tonight with a hand weight, hands overlapped, and this worked very well. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br /><br />Good deal, how did you like the exercise?

[[old] Cayenne]

Here is a link to a "homemade core blaster". This is easy to assemble and relatively inexpensive. I think it is excellent for swings. ( Alas, only 2 handed swings though.) In fact, I like the fact that the weight seems to be even a bit further away than it is on a KB. ( That off centered aspect is the essence of what distinguishes a KB from a dumbbell, in the core blaster it is even slightly accentuated. Nice. BTW, re: the photos of swings with a dumbbell; Yes, a good exercise, but IMHO, no to compare to the mentioned off-center quality of a KB or a core blaster, with a KB having the nice feel of being one solid object. Dumbbell/KB...similar but very different. Like a C2 versus a department store hydraulic "rower", at least with respect to certain exercises. DBs are great tools, just not great for many movements where KBs are much, much better. ) <br /><br /><a href='http://danjohn.org/II7.pdf' target='_blank'>http://danjohn.org/II7.pdf</a><br /><br /><br />While swings alone are a terrific exercise, and often presented by KB afficianados as the foundation KB exercise, part of the beauty of these ugly beasts is their versatility. One can perform so many different exercises with 1 or 2 KBs and enjoy the benefits of ballistic and "grinding" movements. As I wrote earlier, KBs truly are a "gym on a handle."<br /><br />Stay strong,<br /><br />Eddie