One Size Fits All

3/17/09 Posted in Kettlebell Crazy  |  0 Comments

Can’t decide what size kettlebell you want? Trading up from a lighter weight to a heavier one, but it’s either too big a jump, or the dimensions of the next size up are diferent from what you’re used to–especialy when you’re going back and forth between the two? Here are a couple of options.

If you’re in the market for your first bell, your first choice might be the regulation size kettlebell. These are the standard of the Russian “girevoy” or kettlebell sport teams. All bells are the same size, but different weights. So if you advance to a heavier weight, the feel of the bell is the same. They’re color-coded to denote the different weight: pink for 8kg; blue for 12kg; yellow for 16kg; green for 24kg; and red for 32kg. These are made for the American Kettlebell Club. You can order them from firefightersworkout.com

Or, if you want to invest in a single kettlebell, whose weight you can adjust as you grow stronger, check out the Bulldog. It’s a hollow steel bell you can fill with sand or shot (lead or steel–your choice). Empty, it weighs a mere 8.8 pounds, but is fillable up to about 60 pounds. You can even transport it–empty–in a suitcase, and fill it up to the desired tonnage at the nearest gun and ammo or sporting goods shop near your hotel. No more missed workouts, no more gym fees! Anthony Diluglio of Punch Gym in Providence, Rhode Island, who designed the Bulldog, says it draws little more than curious stares from the x-ray techs at the airport.

But if you’re thinking big, you might want to give the Beast a try. This bulldog is a mild-mannered 16 pounds, in its native hollow state. But fully loaded, it tips the scale at a rather ponderous 150 pounds, give or take. The Bulldogs are $229 and $245, respectively. A hefty price, when you first look at it. But considering the outlay of cash you could expect to put down each time you make the transition to a larger fixed weight bell as you get stronger–not to mention the jump of 18 pounds from a 35 to a 53 to a 70-pounder (you could bridge the gap with 44 or 63 pounds–which only adds to your debt, and more iron to dust); the Bulldog or the Beast could just give you more bang for your buck.