You are now the master of the one kettlebell you own. You can swing it, clean it, and snatch it like nobody’s business; now you’re getting bored. Turns out, you’re way more awesome than you thought, and this kettlebell can’t challenge you, even with your toughest routines! You are so tough that you decide to get a new kettlebell, one that is a whole half-pood (8kg/18lb) heavier. You’re going to show this new kettlebell who the boss is, just like you did with its little sibling.
But wait, ego-check! Turns out that you trained with a lighter weight for far too long! You forgot how challenging kettlebell training is. You are no longer juggling the kettlebell around with ease, or busting out 50-rep sets of snatches; no, you can barely perform 2-hand kettlebell swings for 30 seconds! You have fallen into a confidence trap that has now crushed your motivation to train (and embarrassed the crap out of you if you were training in a group).
Unless you know what you’re doing, are completely realistic with your training program, have access to a set of kettlebells(rather than just one), OR are training with a good instructor, chances are that you have been cheating your performance gains by getting comfortable with a weight that is too light for you. That little weight was fine when you were learning the kettlebell ropes, but you’re a big person now and it’s time to graduate from kettlebell grade school and enter Kettle High.
Worse yet, you may have learned how to use kettlebells with a weight that was too light for you in the first place! I always recommend (almost without exception) that men start with a 16kg (35lbs) and women start with 8kg (18lbs). The reason is pretty simple: if you use a weight that is too light it allows you to cheat on exercises that require proper form, namely, the Swing, Clean, Snatch, High Pull, etc. (basically anything ballistic in nature). I could go into a whole deluge and that argument, but maybe another time.
Let’s assume that you started with the correct kettlebell weight and your form is perfect (“perfect” as being confirmed by a certified instructor, NOT being confirmed by you in a mirror after watching a youtube clip for 10 seconds). In this scenario, you can do several things to build the strength you need to increase your kettlebell weight to the next size up. The goal of these tips is to eventually throw away the original weight, increasing your weight overall in the majority of workouts.
Tip #1: Get Another Kettlebell of the Same Size
Now this may seem counterintuitive, but you may need to get a kettlebell of the same weight before you can get a heavier one. Think of it this way: by getting a kettlebell with the same size, you just DOUBLED the weight; with double kettlebells you can do double kettlebell exercises! Double kettlebell exercises put double the weight on your body; single kettlebell exercises will put more stress on your arm and body, but not nearly as much. When you condition your body using double kettlebell exercises, you’ll be much better prepared to handle a single kettlebell of a heavier weight.
Tip #2: Use the Heavier Weight When You Can
Just because you got a heavier weight, it doesn’t mean you have to use it for everything. There is nothing wrong with switching between a heavier weight and a lighter weight throughout a workout, or even during a single set. Let’s say your goal is to do ten kettlebell presses on each arm; if you gas out with the heavier weight, just put it down and finish with the lighter one. No need to sacrifice form or switch to an easier exercise (for a kettlebell press you might substitute a straight press for a Push Press or Jerk to make it easier). Sticking with the more difficult exercise will lead to more rapid increases in strength. This is also known as “drop setting” and can be used for high rep sets to enhance muscular endurance; just perform as many reps as you can with the heavier weight and decrease the weight as you reach muscle failure.
Tip #3: Utilize Exercise Progression
Maybe you could perform one-hand, behind-the-back kettlebell flips with your little kettlebell, but you’re not in fairly-land anymore son! This is the real world where the kettlebell is your worst enemy, and he doesn’t like your fancy crap. When you start using your heavier weight, you need to go back to the basics and progress, just like you did in the beginning. Instead of 1-Hand Swings, start with 2-Hand Swings, then progress to Alternating Swings, THEN go back to your 1-Hand Swings. For the Kettlebell Squat, start with the Goblet Squat, then the Front Squat, THEN the Pistol Squat.
Tip #4: Downgrade Your Workouts
This may seem obvious but I’ll say it anyways: you will not be able to perform the same sets with your heavier weight that you did with your lighter weight. With that said, be sure to adjust your workouts accordingly; increase your rest time, decrease your time or rep goals, and be prepared to switch to easier exercises if need-be.
Tip #5: Prepare for Pain
If you were training with the same weight for long enough, chances are that your body has now adjusted to that weight and that weight alone. Prepare to be uncomfortable by challenging your body and mind with a heavier kettlebell. This means that you need a longer warm up and cool down, additional joint mobility training, and way more water on heavy training days. Prepare to be sore and accept it as the price of progress.
Remember, there is no shame in starting from the beginning, there is shame in hiding from progress by sticking to an inferior weight that you are too comfortable to leave.
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