does any of you train with kettlebells?

[Asmo]

Heh thats really cool. Wish I had a garden then I'd make one myself...

[J.M.Mroz]

I love my Kettlebells. Made them myself. I have two sizes 16 kg and 20 kg. Oh and multiply #kg by 2.2 for #lbs. These were my starting weight ones. As well as test ones, to see if I even wanted to add them to my workout.

**How do you add images from your computer to this forum?**


The link below will give you an idea how to make an adjustable one.



For myself, I have decided on the design on the bottom of the page. I haven't made any yet. I am still trying to find the weights for the right price. And I have some more work to do before I master my 20kg bell.

[Asmo]

Hey that is pretty cool... Should be possible to make them in such a way that you can add/remove weight easily too then...

[banditshaw]

[J.M.Mroz]

So I found a round-about way to post some pics. Hit the link below:



Asmo- Exactly, this way too you don't end up with a bunch of obsolete bells around...

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

I don't believe there is anywhere nearby (San Francisco, California) where an individual can purchase stone locks. Kettle bells I have seen in some athletics stores. My question is, how does the use of stone locks differ from that of a cast iron dumb bell? They both have a grip in the middle and are of small, portable weight. Both can be tossed and flung in a moderately balanced way (pure conjecture now since I have not done this action to either of these items). I actually do not engage in any free weights exercises, but have always been interested in different ways of training.

[PM]

hello,

i have bought a whole set of ketlebells for my school, because i could not find stone locks

as far as i have seen, stone locks are mostly used for high repetition balistic drills like swings and snatches, the most suitable for martial arts (developing strong posterior chain - strong but flexible hamstrings, back, abs, connection of the power form the heel to the hand... ). i personally find kettelells better, because you can rack them and do more exercises than with the stone locks

just these two exercise (swing, snatch) are worth considering to buy stone lock or kettlebell. since purchasing the kettlebells i almost do not touch my dumbells, and work mainly with kettlebells (get ups, swings cleans, cleans and presses, bottom up cleans, snatches), do pull ups, rope climbing and barbell deadlifts. great for the power generation, power linkeage, punching/kicking power and cardio. functional strength training, not bodybuilding!

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

Haha. Oh man. Do you know what I use for training? A thick roll of chopsticks, a few spare bricks, and a thick cord of rope that I sometimes tie wet cloths to.. or sometimes soak the rope itself. Those are my training tools aside from my staff and a set of brass rings. I sound like a peasant compared to you man. Might as well go to the market and barter a chicken for several dozen eggs...

[PM]

well, i personally like the idea of "naked warrior", ie. training without any equipment, on the other hand, using a good equipment is a great supplemental training!

we use a great deal of equipment, both traditional/modern, Chinese/eastern: suspended wooden pole, heavy bag, focus mitts, kicking shields, heavy long poles, iron double ended staffs, heavy iron long shouthern knives, brass rings, punching weights, bundle of chopsticks, weights for finger strengthening exercises, three sectional wall bags, iron palm bags (mungo beans, gravel, steel balls), dumbells, barbell, kettlebells, medicine balls... as i run a school, i want the best for my students - but stil, i would not trade off any of these tools for the horse stance traning and
tit sin kyun

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

BUNDLE! That was the word I couldn't seem to remember. Roll of chopsticks indeed.... bah... I believe the technical term for what I experienced is 'brain fart'.

And it's wonderful that you provide access to an assortment of training materials for your students. Many people love the idea of the natural warrior who just trains with what he finds, but there is something to be said for the more nuanced tweaks which are allowed by more targeted equipments. Wet rope, damp cloth and bricks can only go so far. If I had the disposable income, I probably would get something more. But seeing as how I plan to continue being a student for awhile longer, I need the money for books. Law books are heavy though... so I might just start lifting those.

Question: When you train their stances, aside from holding stances, do you make them move in their stances? I don't mean transition between different stances. More like... walking and hopping. My uncle made me do those things, but I've never taken the time to look at the stance training scheme of established schools.

[Asmo]

Maybe a stupid question, but what do you do with damp clothes and wet rope?

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

Thick cord of rope, when wet, becomes rather heavy. You may laugh, but I swing. That's my version of "soft weapons" training. Damp cloth I either tie to the end of the rope when I swing (ball it up so it becomes sort of a weight)... or I... wring it dry over and over again. yeah... that's right... apparently doing my laundry is the secret to my awesome martial prowess.

Back in college I had several friends that did competitive Wushu and I found their displays to be quite entertaining (the flash and dazzle... it captures the imagination of many people). In exchange for training them in what they simply called "Traditional", I asked them to teach me a few routines. They gave me a basic run down of the 9 section chain whip and, rather unsuccessfully, the rope dart/meteor hammer. I found the swinging of the rope and the twisting motions required were quite strenuous. Then all of a sudden, with no real cause, I thought "wet rope".

If you find it ridiculous, you wouldn't be the first.

[PM]

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

[Asmo]