Can anyone clarify- what is the difference btwn a kettlebell and a dumbbell of the same weight?

And are they worth buying, considering the price?

yea i only use kettlebells. the weight is displaced so your body is always tensing while holding it. You can rest a dumbell in lockout, but not a kettlebell. The reasons for which i explain won't sound appealing, I suggest you try one out. A kettlebell is definetly worth the money. I'm in better shape than "almost" anyone I know and I've got a better body (its sounds lame I know) and all i use is two 53lb kettlebells. Check out dragondoor.com

Will you not need to upgrade as you get used to the weight though?

It takes a LOT of work to move up a weight. Unless you buy a bell which is very light to begin with, I've had my 53lbs bells since May. I don't plan on getting new ones anytime soon. Maybe I'll be ready for a 70lbs by the end of the summer, but you really gotta make it your goal to move up a bell.

Where would you guys say is the best place to buy KBs.

I have found a site called power systems where they are much cheaper than everywhere else- has anyone bought stuff from them before? Is it good quality stuff?

Dragondoor is just too damn expensive!

Yea, dragondoor is ridiculously expensive. I've only bought two kettlebells and they are all from dragondoor. I know the owner of the only kettlebell gym in America and he said that all the other places are weighted weird and are crap. You want a good ratio of weight between the bell, and the handle. If not, the exerices are weird.
From what I understand there are two kbells in the 44lbs area and 62lb area, I guess that tehse are that great either, not weighted well. I'd buy Russian Kettlebell DVD from dragondoor.com and try some of the exercises with a dumbell. Finout what type of weight you like and buy a kbell around that weight.

Mike did a good job describing the difference between kettlebells and dumbells.All I'll add to that is becuase the weight is displaced (due to the kettlebell's design) your muscles have to work like hell to stabilize the weight.A dumbell is a perfectly balanced weight implement, while a kettlebell is unbalanced.It basically makes the lifts harder and more productive IMO.

I have purchased 4 kettlebells; 3 from Dragondoor and 1 from GillAthletics.Yes, Dragondoor is extremely expensive, but you definitely get a quality product.The Gill kettlebell was fine, but the handle was shaped differently and for some reason, this made snatches and cleans feel awkward, otherwise, the Gill kettlebell was fine.I think they charge about half of what Dragondoor does.

Right on ballast! Good to hear from another Kbeller or gerivoy (spelling?)

One other thing is that if you are to do something like a chest press with the kettlebell and hold it at lockout, your pec muscle gets put under some serious tension. If you do this with a dumbell the weight is loaded onto your bones, balanced, and there is far less tension in your pec, this results in a much tighter, firmer and stronger muscle, the kbell that is.

I am actually in the UK and there is a company called Powerseekers which sells them for £40 (8kg) upwards- about $70?

i'd check and see how their customers feel about them. post a message on dragondoor.com and ask how people liked them. like i said, you want the bell to constructed well, good weight distribution between handle and bell, good style of grip on the handle, good length on the handle. dragondoor.com apparently, i've only used dragondoor.com kbells, has THE best, by far, kbells.

I wanted to ask about power-systems KBs on dragondoor. Will I get told off for talking about another company- them guys seem pretty intense!

naa, just explain your situation and that your short on cash.

yea people there are pretty intense about training, but no one talks trash or anything, pretty helpful and i'm sure if there are good things to be said about power-systems, it will be said, just explain ur situation. and if you do get told off, who cares, its the internet

Just got my KBs- wow! Amazing!

Just one question, when I am doing swings and snatches I find it hard to slow the weight down and it pulls on my lower back- any hints?

yea, firstly, don't do swings yet.
Secondly, my back would become tight and irritated when I first used KB's because I was using them wrong, almost everyone has this problem. If you can find a kettlebll certified person in your area then definetly meet with them for a half hour.

Firstly, the swing looks like it comes from your shoulder. It shouldn't. All the movement should come from your hips. Start out with your feet somewhat wide than shoulder width. Have both hands on the horns of the bell. Bend you knees so that they are almost at 90 degrees. Keep your back arched and always looking forward. You should be holding the bell between your legs and slightly behind your knees. Now Nudge the bell backwards like you are hiking a football and explode through your hips and let the bell pop forward. It should come up about to your waist. You will be standing up straight, with your arms locked out and the bell at waist height, your legs lock and you butt muscles clenched. Now, fall with the bell. Like when someone tosses you a bowling ball and you kinda go down with it to absorbe the shock. Bend your knees and bring the bell between your legs again and let it go back far enough so you feel some tension on your hamstrings. Now, explode through your hips again. You should barely feel it in your shoulders, its all in the hips. Exhale on the way up, inhale on the way down. Practice just your swings for two weeks and then your ready for more.

It's not uncommon at all that your back hurts. It will hurt if you do it wrong, however I find that if my lower back gets a little tweaked doing deadlifts or any other lift, some good kbell swings help loosen it up.

check out punchgym.com and watch the movie trailer for art of strenght. you will breifly see perfect swing form. when you have perfect form you can do 100 swings no problem. also, buy the DVD if you got the cash, best workout with a kbell ever!

I want to try a kettlebell first...nobody I know has one. A shame.