► FREE E-Book - www.lebestark.ch/startseite-english/kettlebell-code-e-book/ ► Kettlebell Plus for $1 - www.lebestark.ch/startseite-english/become-a-kettlebell-ninja-lebe-stark-bundle-subscription/ ► 10% Off ProKettlebell - prokettlebell.com/online-store?aff=37 (Use code "LEBESTARK" at checkout) In this video, we dive deep into Dr. Mike Israetel's reaction to Joe Rogan's workout and diet, specifically discussing the role and benefits of kettlebell training. I share my personal experiences and insights on why kettlebells are an unparalleled tool for general physical preparedness (GPP). From functional strength to sports performance, we compare kettlebell training with traditional bodybuilding approaches and highlight the misconceptions often held by exercise scientists. We also touch on the principles from Russian training methodologies and their impact on improving athletic performance. Key topics include: - Functional strength vs. practical strength - The unique benefits of kettlebell training - The Soviet concept of General Physical Preparedness (GPP) - Dr. Mike's bodybuilding approach vs. the Russian sports literature - The versatility and efficiency of kettlebells for general fitness Don't miss out on understanding why kettlebells might just be the ultimate tool for your fitness journey, offering a balanced approach to strength, endurance, and overall physical health.
Yay!!! I so love kettlebells and I have Marriane Kane to thank for that (interview?)…then I started adding powerlifting, competed, and won my age/weight class. Let me say, kettlebells for me there. I always did finishers with KB’s…love you and Angie!!!
As an ultra marathon runner. I tried general gym training mindset to help cross train. It was not mentally stimulating and I never left feeling I’m a better runner because of that. I remembered kettlebells and started a swing program and everyday felt like I was getting better for long trail runs. Now I do a ton of clean and jerk that I literally feel the direct benefits from when running. My upper body stability, my arm swing strength, my strong quads. Kettlebell for rest of my life
@@chadgriffiths3467 I’m the same way with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For the first 3 years of training I would always complement it with barbell lifting. Although my barbell lifts got high, it never translated to the mats. There was always a higher belt (or even other white or blue belts sometimes) who moved better despite being half my size and strength. With kettlebells I learned how to prioritize movement over just brute strength. I’m not saying kettlebells are the only way, but they are definitely one available option to help the way you move on the mats. Movement always trumps strength in submission grappling.
@@swoosh2835 you should try a better training regiment can’t say it’s better when you never got past 150-180 kg squats 200kg deadlifts or 100-120 kg benchpress for sets of 10 reps.
As a firefighter, in my early years I did the usual Barbell and Dunmbbell training to build muscle that looked good. Then when i started competing in the Firefighter competitions I relized that muscle that looks good didnt help in the events. Then I discovered functional training and a large part of that was completed with Kettlebells, they are a great part to an all round training plan that covered the skills needed as a Firefighter.
@AwakenZen, No he doesn’t. He’s also pretty clear that his channel is not a “fitness” channel, it is a skills channel. He teaches KB, Heavy Club and Mace skills.
Dr Israetel always critiques having hypertrophy, primarily, then strength as objectives. He is right in what he says regarding hypertrophy but his view is narrow, not everyone wants or needs to body build or squat 3XBW. I don't have time to be in the gym 6 times a week (nor do I want to), I need to be strong and also think of my cardiovascular health. I can do both with KBs. I won't win any BB or powerlifting contests but will hopefully still have healthy joints when I am 70
@@Ashok_Regiment as an athlete my self (rugby and wrestling) and a personal trainer, I agree that Dr Mike usually (but not always) HEAVILY favors pure hypertrophy movements. BUT, if you truly dive into more of his material you need to analyze the context of his statements and critiques. That leads me to this. He is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in saying that dumbbells and barbells do absolutely EVERYTHING kettlebells can do EXCEPT for the swing movement. I personally feel the power clean is better than that movement too. And this notion that you cannot obtain “cardiovascular fitness” unless you use kettlebells is ludicrous to me. (Barbell complexes, supersets with dumbbells etc) As far as joint health, how are kettlebells superior for that?
but the thing is his videos are for ppl that want to either win BB or powerlifting has his often or always talks about hyperthropy if that's not your cup of tea don't watch him. Simple right
@@Fluggrugger1 It's true that you can substitute basically everything kettlebells are good for, and even do a lot of things better with a combination of barbells, dumbbels, and (weighted) calisthenics. But the point of kettlebells is not to be the most optimal tool for anything, and even the most fervent proponents of kettlebell (like Pavel Tsatsouline, for example), explicitly spell this out everytime the topic comes up. The point of kettlebells is that they're a jack-of-all-trades tool with some very useful specialist applications (like the hip hinge), that are very space and time efficient, and will basically last you until the end of your life. For a regular dude, who just wants to improve in all areas of fitness to a reasonably impressive level, 3 differently sized cannonballs that he owns, can store in a random corner in his room, and use whenever he likes, are just more convenient and better bang for his buck than a gym membership he has to pay monthly and probably commute for an hour to use. Edit: The joint health comment is probably about the freedom of movement kettlebells give you as compared to barbells. A lot of people report eg. barbell cleans or OHPs bothering their wrists or elbows, and kettlebells not causing the same problems. Of course, dumbbels have this advantage too, but some exercises are a bit akward with them because of their shape, such as the clean.
@@user-mq4vl7nq5o that last part is kindoff meh. If you want to build strength you need to lift in a progressive way. Kettelbells fatigue you more in endurance which is not what you want. Most of the times you can’t finish the reps because you body is tired not because you lack the strength. And barbells are safer then dumbbells and safer then kettlebells. Because fatigue of the kettlebell movement are the reason you get hurt
@@Leo88Omega Which last part? The joint health thing? I was just explaining what I thought the other guy meant. There's some anecdotal evidence that kettlebells are better for longevity, but I've never seen actual numbers, so I'm not making that claim. As for the strenght thing, I adressed this. Kettlebells are not the optimal tool for building strenght. That's a fact. However-someone who can press a 40kg bell above the head 10 times, then snatch it 10 times is stronger than the vast majority of the population. Kettlebells can get you to this point, while also giving you endurance, mobility, speed/explosiveness, and helping you lose weight and build muscle. Again, they're not the best tool for either job-but they're good enough for all of them, and what the average person needs is not a specialist tool that will help them hone one particular ability to perfection, but rather a generalist tool to give them a wide range of pretty decent benefits.
I'm a big fan of Mike but his take on kettlebells is crap. He's so biased towards dumbbells and barbells that he doesn't see the value in kettlebell training.
@@HarigovindSasi I would like to see someone like Mike do something like wrestling and see how quickly he gasses out. He would be sucking wind so bad, he likely would need an oxygen tank.
Great answer! Dr Mike seems to think that strength and hypertrophy are the holy grail of fitness. But for most people GPP is a better measurement, and kbs are an excellent tool for that.
For a lot of people who aren’t athletes (Dr Mike is often addressing your average person who wants to get in shape not a sport specific athlete) GPP isn’t even a thing. What are they preparing for? Most people want to go to the gym to get strong and/or look better (broadly speaking more lean or more muscular). Strength and hypertrophy is key, kettlebells are an inefficient method for that. Kettlebells are a cardio exercise with some lifting benefits, which is fine
You should watch his videos and pay attention to what he says,not jumping to conclusions from watching a reaction video taken out of context.His sole aim is hypertrophy,that is one of the main goals of his channel,kettlebells do not build muscle like that and this is why they are not ideal for this type of training,this is extremely simple to understand and its baffling how many people in these comments miss that.
@@joek360kettlebells can be a cardio exercise but that’s doesn’t necessarily mean that’s all you can get from them. It is still a weight just like a dumbbell. You manipulate the weight in the correct way it’s going to cause hypertrophy. I think it’s not great to tell people it’s a cardio exercise when there are tons of people that don’t want to go to gyms or hire a lifting coach. It’s much easier to have a few kettlebells compared to learning how to use barbells safely. Idk how everygotdamndre looks the way he does if kettlebells only slightly cause hypertrophy. It’s almost like doing any exercise correctly does the job. Kind like diets. Dr Mike has changed his mind on a few things so who knows what happens in the future. I guess when you can’t scratch you back it’s hard to move a kettlebell around. Maybe that’s part of it
i'm 45 years old and trying to get myself into the gym 3-5 times a week. I use kettlebells probably about 80% of my training sessions, and I am able to get in a session that leaves me totally smoked doing something as simple as Dan John's ABC. I mix in different movements to practice skills like get-ups and snatch with days where i try to do high volume or heavier kettlebells and I'm able to get it done in under an hour. I'm not a fan of Joe Rogan for various reasons so I don't pay much attention to anything he says and Dr Mike comes from a pretty specific perspective but if i trained the way he suggests? I'd be spending twice the time in the gym and I would be dealing with a lot more issues in terms of injuries and I wouldn't be healthier and happier. I'm not a body builder, I'm just a dude trying to do the best I can and be healthier today than i was yesterday. But if you are a body builder, I hope your fitness journey is a healthy and successful one.
Glad you gave an alternative take on this guy's views. Have been using kettlebells for 3 years now. Got stronger (single 16 to using double 24's now). No problems running a 5k without any regular running practice, sprinting or sprint swimming. Never felt fitter or better at 54.
I don’t think your take on the Turkish getup is warranted. You make the point that it used to be a circus act as if it’s a slam dunk, but how many other lifts have also been circus acts? Overhead pressing, circus act. Deadlift, using wheel axels before they were developed into barbells, circus act. The bent press, and more. Calisthenics came out of gymnastics, which is the brother of acrobatics - circus acts! On markets, fairs and circuses you would see strongmen, acrobats and wrestlers. These were people who dedicated their life to physical culture instead of doing regular jobs, and much of the wealth of knowledge we have today comes out of the lives of those men and women and their craft. You don’t think the getup is worth the time when taking clients. I see your point. It’s an economic argument from a fitness industry point of view. Perfectly fine argument, but if you’re gonna call it a circus act, be consistent and call everything else circus acts too. Deadlifts and Catch wrestling and acrobatics. And to the viewers I’d like to ask, what peaks your interest the most; Physical Culture or Fitness Industry? Personally, I’ll never forget the first time I saw somebody do Turkish getups with a kettlebell on an old grainy video in the early days of UA-cam - I was mesmerized! And I’m happy to be able to perform this beautiful feat of strength, and for a moment join the company of long gone strongmen.
@@Chiburi I agree with you on this, and even as someone who despises doing TGUs, I’ve seen tremendous value in doing them. I don’t know how someone who can get up with a 100 or 125 pound kettlebell in one hand isn’t “strong.” How is benching 315 strong but doing a TGU between 100-125 lbs not? Maybe it doesn’t look as cool since you don’t have a spotter shrieking at you to do one more rep in a dusty gym, but the only people who should be bashing the exercise are those who have gotten to over 100 lbs and still don’t see any benefit (like that Emilio guy who was on the channel once). I think the rest of us should just shut up and train to get to that level with the getup and decide for ourselves how helpful it was.
You just spent 14 minutes doing exactly what Dr Mike did, plus; you proved him right in most points he highlighted. Thing is, you're both correct from your stand points. You correctly indicated that you are biased and so is he. Being biased doesn't make either of you automatically wrong. The difference is, you tout the KB as an unbeatable generalist whereas he has a very specific perspective he's speaking on, of which the KB is not great at. People need to accept that a great generalist tool cannot be a great choice when you want to specialize, irrespective of the specialization.
Don't let his looks scare you away from barbells. That is only achieved through excruciating hypertrophy training and juice. Barbells are the best tool for max strength, kettlebells can be really fun to use and increase strength endurance. If I could go back in time I would start using barbell compound movements earlier and use kettlebells only to get in better cardiovascular shape for competitions
For sure. It so depends on goals, eh? Being super hypertrophied isn't necessarily indicative of better health-fascia and lymph function are so important. Plus genetics are a big component of what kind of exercise is best for most people. When I discovered kettlebells the clouds parted and the angels were singing-felt like home to me, definitely the best fit for my genetics and goals.
@@PropheticCoachTheresa "...the clouds parted and the angels were singing..." That is too cool! It amazes me how many people prefer to remain under the clouds, with no music.
Dr. Mike is big on hypertrophy, and so are many of his viewers. That's not the kettlebell's strongest attribute, but there is a blue ocean of people who exercise whose primary focus is to be physically fit. That's the kettlebell's strength.
I am far from an expert here, but my understanding is Dr Mike’s reactions are from the perspective of someone training as an elite athlete or bodybuilder. Dr Mike really breaks down in other videos that it’s difficult to heavily load certain muscle groups without the classic barbell and some machine lifts. He is right about that when it comes to kettlebells. Your glutes and hamstrings are going to have a hard time getting big and strong as fast using KB vs. heavy barbell deadlifts, purely because of the weight you can load. But an average amateur and recreational athlete doesn’t need that and doesn’t have time for that, so KBs are an awesome all around tool - as Gregory says.
Some bodybuilders can't even touch their toes. The benefits of kettlebells far exceed anything you can get from bodybuilding and traditional lifting imo. Sure, dumbbells and barbells are great for building strength, but it kind of just ends there. The mobility, range of motion, bodily awareness and movement that comes with kettlebells is unmatched. A big reason bodybuilders tend to reject kettlebells is cause they don't understand them and don't want to take the time to learn the techniques. Kettlebells require a lot of patience and understanding of bodily mechanics.. they're not as simple as what you see when it comes to traditional weightlifting. There's a lot of depth to them and because of that people tend to reject them and when they reject them they disregard the legitimacy of them altogether.
As a 60 plusser I´m very hapy to have discovered the kettlebell. I´ve never enjoyed more doing workouts as now with that canonball, just love this thing 💪💪💪
Personally i dont care what anyone thinks so ofcourse i will continue to use kettlebells in my training routine. There are too many "experts" that claims that you should do this and not that now a days.
Even if seed oils aren’t bad somehow he praises them like there’s studies showing benefits. This is a common theme with him. If someone says something he doesn’t agree with he will just dig up the most nonsense trash research to show it has a slight benefit in a certain way while ignoring all the anecdotal evidence that directly contradicts him. I think he’s slow to actually change his mind on stuff. Let’s not forget this was the guy telling people to eat like 8 meals a day because protein can’t be absorbed in just 3 meals. This is patently false yet he repeated it for years without one study proving it. Who knows what else he gets wrong confidently
I'm 48 years old and have been training amateur cycling for 12 years. This year, I added a kettlebell workout once a week. The changes have been amazing! First, I lost an additional 2kg. My explosive power in sprints and short climbs has increased. My back doesn't hurt, and overall, I feel stronger. Kettlebells are great!
I love Dr. Mike's video's. I was bummed he didn't give kettlebells a little more love. but that is why I watch your video's. Thank you for sharing your perspective on what Dr. Mike had to say about kettlebells.
I don’t understand how people that are otherwise knowledgeable about fitness seem to not know about kettlebells and have some weird ideas about fitness. They seem to somehow think lifting or swinging a heavy piece of steel or iron will NOT make you stronger. How do they figure that? Plus, people like Dr. Mike and Mark Rippetoe appear to define fitness as maximal strength and/or hypertrophy and that is the only concern for their training.
Well he's a professional body builder and most of the people who watch his channel are training to be bodybuilders. If he didn't emphasize hypertrophy, that would be a lot more concerning.
If you want to look and live like a troglodyte then Dr Mike's approach to dumbells and barbells is the way although I question if a bodybuilder is the kind of athlete a lot of us wants to become. I admire Dorian Yates for what he accomplished but I never aspired to look like that! Thanks to KB training +proper stretching +healthy eating habits I have a better physique, excellent stamina, no injuries, good deep sleep hours and no gym fees....., at 69!
I was strictly KB home workouts for a few years, but recently got access to a gym through my work and now hit barbell 1x/week on Saturdays in addition to two KB workouts on weekdays. Best of both worlds for me.
The scope of his knowledge is limited and hardly goes in the field of actual sports. Otherwise, he'd be familiar with the fact that MTB riders, for example, not just ride the bikes as he suggests and wrestlers not just roll and throw each other. They use KB to navigate course features and develop throwing and rolling power. I saw Dr. Mike on a Farmer's Walk with kettlebell. Many people state that KBs make most every day physical tasks easier, regardless of physical strength required for a task - you just move and manipulate the objects better, including a water bottle, which Dr. Mike holds with two hands while drinking. In this case developing neuro-muscular and tactile coordination with KB's grip modulation may help with using one hand for taking a drink, it's called "Functional training benefits". I don't know any activity other than KB that not only boost running performance, but maintains running form while not doing actual running training. Pro golfers, wrestlers, box jumpers, even power lifters boost their performance with KBs. Does anyone know the fastest not sport-specific ways for VO2max elevation other than EPO and TUE approved anti-asthmatic substances? KB swings and snatches are that ways even for advanced endurance athletes.
I think its strange to say barbells and dumbbells do not promote cardiovascular system. Its the type of training and timing not a piece of iron you take in your hand.
Exercise science is still all theory !Everyone has their own theory. I took a kinesiology class in college as part of my degree to become a Massage Therapist! Kinesiology is the anatomy of movement based on the design of our skeleton. What I learned was a game changer.Most exercises in the gym are actually more harmful to the joints because our skeleton was not designed for most of these exercises .Just one example is that barbells take away the natural arc of the body movement starting at the wrists and moving to other parts of the body. Which explains most of the painful joints and injuries we hear about , and may have experianced. Kettlebells allow for the natural movement of the body and make you strong at full extension . IMO Its an amazing cardio workout as well as strength training exercise that makes you strong for every day living.
I value dr mike's advice on performance enhancing drugs, hypertrophy, and weight cutting for competition. Outside of these topics, he's often out of his depth. Worse - he deliberately says certain things to annoy people and drive engagement, and he's been doing it a lot lately.
Mike is great but he's another one of these experts who can't see beyond his own views sometimes. It's like he's the only one who knows best and anything else isn't good. If you're talking purely body building, then he's the man. Other methods, i take what he says with a pinch of salt
I’m 51and have tried barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, calisthenics and now kettlebells and for me kettlebells are the only thing I’ve done where I don’t feel stiff and sore and my body feels on all the time. I wake up and jump out of bed, run with my grandkids and don’t have to warm up. I just feel amazing and strong all the time. I’ve never experienced this with any other training. I don’t really understand why but there’s something to these kettlebells.
That was a great and educated response. Dr. Mike is 5’6” 240 lbs and 10% body fat according to him. I can’t imagine him having great mobility and flexibility with that frame, and he himself even takes shots at his own lack of mobility and flexibility in his videos. If he’s able to snatch a 24 kg for 100 reps in 5 minutes and walk away saying “that was easy, see I told you kettlebells suck” then fair play to him. Something tells me he wouldn’t be able to. At some point, being a 100 out of 100 in pure strength but a 10 or 20 out of 100 in flexibility is going to have diminishing returns. It’s why most MMA fighters and boxers don’t fuck with the barbell too much and stick to mostly bodyweight (sprints, hills, plyo, etc). Fair play on the getup, seems like everyone is hating on that exercise lately 😂 I for one look for every excuse to get out of doing them so thanks for the reinforcement!
Well his goal hasn't been to pick up a heavy kettle bell for 100 reps has it ... He's strictly been going for hyperthropy aka becoming bigger and bigger mobility will be reduced being that big you can't avoid it when being lean 240 llbs
This is my go to channel for kettle bell's. Gregory knows his stuff and people need to listen to him. The only other channel is Wildman Athletic. Thank for this very informative video.
As an elite level competitive powerlifter and amateur boxer, I am trying to poke holes in your assessment. I listened to it a couple of times, and you have convinced me to start using my kettlebells more. I realized that I am leaving some efficiency on the table. The question then becomes, how to best incorporate into a competition training program that makes sense.
Mike is the typical gym-muscle focused, hypertrophy obsessed guy that simply can't value other approaches to training. It's always about getting big muscles and "look" massive. At one point when I was younger I was also with that focus however I knew other things were missing. I went from the typical "gym bro" type of routines to crossfit, then boxing oriented routines, then I fell in love with calisthenics and movements related to gymnastics which do a lot for your flexibility too and then started doing other disciplines like yoga, pilates, etc. Recently I have doing more and more KB routines and the benefits are palpable. I'm in my forties and I don't focus on hypertrophy anymore, just staying healthy like I am, train my cardio part, have good strength and maintain a good weight. People are excessively focused on having big muscles but you have to think for what?
I’m loving KB’s I even do a 20 min routine in my work lunch break when I’m working from home 👍 the difference I’ve noticed in my first year of using them. I’m a happy person 🙌🏻
I came into this wanting to hate it. As a big dr Mike fan I wanted to disagree. But you made some great points. I also think you may have taken some of his points maybe a little out of context. Mike is a nuanced guy. A longer more in depth analysis would most likely show you guys agree on a few more things
Forgive the lack of punctuation this is voice to text everybody is biased to their preferred system especially if you're making money off of it I wish I had discovered kettlebells before I went back into the military muscular endurance became a bigger priority and I can't travel with a building full of dumbbells now that I'm back out I have kettlebells with me everywhere I go I'm Not Looking Back
I also work 80% with KBs, but I think Mikes video is fair. Maybe I am wrong, but if you are doing olympic lifting barbell movements like barbell snatch, I think this comes very close to KB training. And I think this is the context we need to put Mikes video.
humans are animals build mainly around endurance and some strength, and exercises like the kb can fill all the needs of a regular person, even allowing it to become not so regular.
Real people who know the benefit of kettlebell training don't need to be convinced. I work a physical job 10 to 12 hours a day. I've been a gym goer and had pain and I injury from trying to build muscle. Then struggled at work for a few weeks because of a gym injury. So that's counter productive straight away. I use kettlebells about 4 times a week 20 to 30 mins and feel much better. Still feel strong and look ok I think. But I feel a bit fitter as well.
@@BobParker-gm8jf still doesnt take away my point if you lift wrong/to much weight you will injur yourself no matter what and yk what even with a kettlebell 🤯Crazy
@whyAzami I work a physical job in construction and always trained hard your dork. Sometimes things catch up with you. Watch your fingers don't get strained you keyboard nerd.
Dr. Mike never said anything was wrong with Kettlebells. He just implied that if your entire exercise routine is kettle bells, that is kind of ridiculous. He also mentioned it depends on your goals. You also countered an exercise scientist doctorate with "yeah but for me..." and "yea but when I..." anecdotes which is...great as part of your argument...but when it is the whole thing and you don't have any research to reference.....ehhhh
The fact that “Dr” Mike is a “Dr” and has opinions as he does about kettlebells, strengthens my opinion that there are very few experts in the physical training world. There are a bunch of people with opinions. Some - like Mike’ s - very, very wrong. I also suspect Mike may use artificial help for his fitness- a decision which crushes his credibility with me.
Why are there no citations to studies? It would be interesting to see a study comparing kettlebells to traditional dumbbell and barbell training for general fitness, and time efficiency for workouts. With that said I would challenge the idea that dumbbells and barbells do not improve joint health. There are plenty of studies showing that they do. Most physical therapists use dumbbells and barbells as part of their therapy and I have personal experience with them helping me overcome injuries. Kettlebells are certainly much easier to hold on to since they don't rotate in your hand so you could carry more weight without losing your grip. E.g. Farmer walks. As far as improving flexibility, I would think dumbbells and barbells would be superior since you can train every joint through a full range of motion where is it would be a little bit annoying for some joints to use a kettlebell. E.g. dumbbell pullover, chest flies, deep squats, deadlifts.
@@lebe-starkI left a comment with links to citations but My internet might have glitched. If you look on Google scholar you can find a bunch of studies. Some of them did support the use of kettlebells for reducing neck and back pain. In that study the kettlebell training did not improve cardiovascular fitness. There were others that showed that they actually did improve aerobic fitness compared to circuit weight training. However one study comparing standard weightlifting with kettlebud training show that the weight lifting increase strength more. I just went to Google scholar and typed in kettlebell and a bunch of studies popped up.
They compared it some studies realized there are no benefits over dumbbells/barbells/machines. And fatigue is a problem because of the endurance aspect with kb it minimizes strenght gains.
@@Leo88Omega Yeah, I saw some of those studies. I guess it comes down to preference. I did see one study where they compared dumbell circuit training with tabata training using KB and found that the KB was better for increasing cardiovascular fitness. This was done with soccer players. It seems to be better for cardio which makes sense why it's worse for strength.
Cool material (as always) Gregory, invite a Tacfit master trainer to your podcast - e.g. Jan Stolz from Germany, Nicola Orlando from Italy or Nestor Serra from Spain. You will talk about kettlebells in the Tacfit system, about the differences between clubs and kettlebells - it would be a powerful experience for both parties! I can even arrange such a conversation for you :)
The word "functional" is VERY misunderstood with respect to fitness/exercise because it simply means an activity or purpose intended for a certain person/thing therefore, ANYTHING/EVERYTHING is functional! So when people say that this exercise/movement is more "functional" than another is RIDICULOUS, and no different than saying a hammer is more functional than a screwdriver!!!???
Awesome video as always Gregory! My names Martin, I’m a personal trainer and Fitness Coordinator. Im going to be doing a Lunch & Learn at my job to other employees about the benefits of using kettlebells. I use a lot of knowledge in my presentation from your channel. Thanks so much!
Well... you are not really contradicting him. And I am saying this as someone who likes kettlebells, and do some kettlebell exercises as my training. 1. The big question is what do kettlebells train? Are they a strength excercise? Are they endurance? Are they skill/mobility? The answer is all, but as they say a jack of all trades, a master of none. Kettlebells are cool, but they are cumbersome. You either have to go to a gym to get different sizes, or buy multiple kettlebells, or buy that adjustable kettlebell in order to effectively scale your workout. What works for clean and press, might not be enough to stimulate for goblet squats. Or you would have to do a lot of reps, which will fatigue your nervous system faster than your muscle, thus it pushes the exercise in the endurance direction. On the other hand, if your specificity is strength, then yes, dumbbells are more easily adjustable than a kettlebell. Or a weighted vest is more versatile combined with calisthenics and you could do strength/skill/endurance with it depending on your workout plan. 2. "I got humbled by kettlebells" is not really a good argument. If you do a new sport, then literally anything can humble you and feel hard. I went to my wife's yoga class and it was freaking hard. I also took a spinning class and I was sore for 3 days. I can write exercises next to numbers, use a dice and slap together a WOD like the crossfit guys do and you would get tired by the end, but it wouldn't mean that the workout was actually effective. 3. I don't understand the grip strength argument. You can literally use straps with any dumbbell and barbell and do fast movements with them and achieve same cardiovascular benefits. Not to mention doing the same barbell snatch/clean as a kettlebell would. The only thing that might be better to do with kettlebell is the swing. But the swing is basically in the hip hinge category, so you could use a similar barbell hinge movement for it to achieve similar benefits. 4. "Kettlebell is similar to rowing" -> so why not go row then? :) 5. I would argue that weighted calisthenics is the king of GPP... And Dr. Mike is correct on how "functional fitness" is too broad of a term. A swimmer needs different functional fitness than a firefighter. For an 80 year old grandma yoga would be much more functional than kettlebell. Fitness FAQ always repeats the line that "in fitness, specificity is the king". And I couldn't agree more. Saying that the kettlebell is the king of generality kind of contradicts itself. In fitness you need goals and in order to work towards them you need to do movement that specifically trains you in that direction, not some generalised tool. This kind of also proves Dr. Mike's point that if you want to reach any goal in your sports/fitness journey, then kettlebels COULD be a waste of time depending on your goals. 6. Its not the bodybuilder approach, its the basic strength training approach. Gymnasts and weight lifters also use this approach. I even saw a video of "BJJ specific strength training" and it was literally basic push/pull/hinge training. (What do you know, the basics work..) 7. Improving your sports technique IS part of "doing your sport". So I don't know what you are trying to prove. If you have done anything other than bodybuilding and kettlebells, then you would know that every sports has skill based training. Getting better at some sport is not just strength and endurance. 8. This was the funniest "Searching for a universal strength development regime is futile without considering the type of sport and specific muscular tension involved" -> This applies to kettlebels too IMO. And Dr. Mike is saying the same thing-> Do strength traingin that is most specific to your sport and do sports specific training. 9. As someone who owns one kettlebell, its not convenient. Really hard to scale exercises. And again, the jack of all trades, master of none. Its also not easy on your joints. At least not easier than a dumbbell, barbell and any calisthenics movement. 10. "You don't have to work out for an hour" is also a false claim. Depends on your goal. If you are gassed out then you won't be able to utilize all your muscle for strength, thus you will be training endurance and stength is just lagging behind. 11. "Your brain is engaged in a way that its building a skill"-> you first say that the kettlebell is a general tool for every GPP, then you say that its skill building, which means that it has sports specific application? Are you doing KB to get GPP or are you doing it to "get better at kettlebell"? Because if you want to be "better at kettlebell" then your training literally falls under "sport specific training". 12. I don't know what "kettlebell specialist" means. If you call yourself that then that means that your "sport" is kettlebell. And your sport specific training is "to get better at kettlebells". In this case, yes, the KB is superior. But lets not treat it any other way than (as you said) a funny shaped dumbbell. 13. Yes, TGU is a skill, not a strength exercise. But it helps me with shoulder prehab. I am sorry to say this and burst your bubble, but kettlebells if you understand training, are nothing special. I do them from time to time for endurance and grip strength. If you only do kettlebells, then you will get better at... kettlebells! :D They are a fad like the TRX that's literally a gymnastics rings with better marketing behind it (and rings are way more cheaper and versatile). Set a goal and work towards it. Hitting everything, including screws, with a hammer is not the solution.
The explanation about gpp vs sport performance was the best part of this video. Im a bjj coach (and rkc certified coach), and I tell people if you're looking for a little strength training, some muscle growth, a cardio vascular hit, and want to address mobility kettlebell is best at doing a bit of it all. On the other hand, Dr. Mike's degree is in sports performance as well. Ive done his program he designed for bjj athletes and saw an improvement in strength on the mat. There's alot to learn from his approach, but I also wish Dr. Mike would kettlebells their due credit for ballistic movements such as the clean, snatch and swing at least
sometimes dr mike takes psychology into account, and sometimes he just ignores it, like in this case where he is clearly biased. Even if it turned out to be provably true that exercises like the clean, swings, jerk, and snatch, are just as beneficial with dumbbells vs kettlebells, they are somehow far more enjoyable (for me) with kettlebells. And i can have a bunch of kettlebells in my apartment, and not need to go to a gym. And once you start removing max hypertrophy as a consideration, kettlebells are just obviously a great tool. I'm 72 in a few days, and my workouts consist of kettlebells, persian meels and indian gada exercises (well, both steel mace and wooden gadas), and rucking, and i think i'm doing pretty damn well. I'm a believer in science, but it seems like a misuse of it to somehow convince myself that i could do better with barbells and dumbbells. That said, I quite enjoy Dr Mike, but sometimes he seems blissfully closed minded in that he doesn't really try to understand differing positions.
I love kettlebells, but I agree that they don’t have a unique advantage. Athletes would do better getting their GPP from sports practice and using more practical tools for developing strength, power, size, etc. Kettlebells are awesome if you enjoy kettlebells, which I do. They’re great cardio, they develop some power, and I think they’re fine for preserving muscle you already developed by other means. For me, my glutes and hamstrings are big enough so I do kettlebell swings for the cardio benefit. If I want to grow a muscle group I use bodybuilding techniques.
To be fair to Dr. Mike, I think practicing running (or other sport-specific) technique would fall under the category of 'practicing your sport.' His point, right or wrong, is that if you get really strong and then do specific training for your sport, your body will naturally take the muscle and strength you've built and redirect it towards that sport. He's arguing that you don't need 'functional' exercises outside of your sport-specific training.
💯There's a reason KB's are called "the thinking person's exercise." Being super hypertrophied isn't necessarily indicative of better health-fascia and lymph function are so important. Plus genetics are a big component of what kind of exercise is best for most people. When I discovered kettlebells the clouds parted and the angels were singing-felt like home to me, definitely the best fit for my genetics and goals.
Wait till you get into your mid 40s plus. You will see the difference in your mobility and body function. As an older body builder and power lifter I was beating up my body and started to realized it. Don't get me wrong, as a youth your superman but as you get older Father Time will catch you. I started to get into kettlebell training and it's showing me a world of difference in all aspects. Problem today most ppl are on some type of PED that mask the aging process. Train smart , stimulate do not annihilate .
Just to stir the pot-Steve Cotter says that barbells are better for building strength in his book “Kettlebell Training.” Full disclosure: I train with kettlebells and barbells and bodyweight. So I’m not biased toward any modalities.
KBs are just another tool to get in shape. You wouldn't gain a lot of strength and muscle with them (specially on legs) and also you wouldn't improve your GPP with barbells only...
Dr Mike just seems to focus on bulk and heavy lifts, whilst this is good for putting on size and strength, as you get older you need to focus on protecting your body from injury Whilst the man apparently has a higher education, he seems locked into the "beefcake" brigade, not into fitness, mobility and strength together If you're just a body builder his views might help, but that's not what I'm looking for, so I don't have a lot of time for his show or his comments
About a month ago, I started getting back into kettlebells after a break of 14 years... Honestly, i am suffering from kettlebells addiction now, as i am having a hard time to take a day off from my kb workouts, just because i get this urge around the same time evry day to go and do my kb routine. I only have been working out for 3 months, but the eight loss by itself in the last month has been twice the amount I've lost from my regular workouts in the first 2 months. I dont care who says what, but out of all the equipment at the gym, KBs works the best for me and my body
Mike is correct in that kettlebells are an overhyped niche tool. There might be some benefits to them that Mike hasn't mentioned. But it doesn't change the fact that there is nothing special about them. They're too awkward for big weights and at the same time they're too easy to grip for "functional strength". Lifting rocks or a tree or a frigging sofa, that's functional strength. Exercises on the floor, with rings, paralettes or even furniture are functional. Kettlebells are a waste of money.
when mike talks about barbell , dumbell and bodyweight he isn't he probably isn't talking about single arm work which can give you some of the same benefits as a ketllebell . a lot of these bodybuilders think single arm work is a waste of time because it doesn't make a difference with muscle gain . they aren't thinking about real world strength and injury prevention and recovery .
Dr. M is all about gaining muscle. For that, the KB is not ideal. Love the KB. But, if I had one tool it would be a sandbag: wicked training device. As with KB’s, the magic is in workout design.
Barbells are superior at building bulk. Kettlebells are better at overall fitness and a leaner muscular build. Each serves a different purpose and pick the tool depending on your goals. Just look at the two in the video and decide which physique you prefer.
I think Mike is underestimating kettlebells, but I also think you overestimate them. Also a bit weird how you keep going to soviet scientists for affirmation, is that because you genuinely think they provide better information, or because what hey say fits better with what you already think? If we look at results, the western scientists and their methods win by a landslide in every sport though...
I think its best to avoid the 'either-or' approach. I use barbells, dbs, kettlebells and bodyweight exercises. I find that with the introduction of kettlebells, all my lifts are improving at a healthy pace.
Fitness is the ability to work; kettlebells work nonstop, whether doing a complex or 3-5 exercises for many rounds. You are doing work; yesterday, you cleaned five sets of 10 55 lbs and pressed them. I did ten rounds of 10 reps of 45lbs dbl kb front squats, 35lbs dbl kb presses, and 70lbs dbl RDLs. Took me an hour of no stop work 1min-2min rest. Between rounds 350total reps.
Dr Mikes knowledge is mostly all about strength or hypertrophy in which case barbells are indeed better. They really don't replicate or replace the benefits of kettlebells though.
some say funtional training should be about fixing imbalances by training the muscles you don't use in your sport or activity like if your sport involves a lot of pushing then you should work on pulling and also to balance your non dominant side with a lot of sigle arm work .
Der Doktor bekommt einen Herzinfarkt nach 20 Swings. Damit habe ich vielleicht leider recht. Er ist jetzt nicht berühmt für sein Herzkreislauf Training. Ich finde den Vergleich mit Rudern sehr passend. Es ist wie Intervalltraining. Früher hat man noch nicht zu allem Hit Training gesagt und trotztem aus dem Boot "gespuckt". Ich habe übrigens nichts gegen Bodybuilding. Er vergleicht nur Äpfel mit Birnen.
I really like kettlebells especially 50lbs . I can do everything with that one kettlebell and try openers with that cannonball for a while. That will rock your world.
I'm 35 and have been training my body since i was 5 years old. Martial arts does that to you. No object can fully train anyone all around than the human body itself. People always look for three things in the life but get these three confused! *Lose weight *Get in shape (fit) *Gain muscle! (Body building) Losing weight always involves diet and exercise. Getting fit involves more commitment than the first one and maintaining that Body building is dangerous because now you are dealing with heavy 🪨 equipment and can injure the body. Gaining more muscle you have to be ready to maintain that muscle for the rest of your life because if you stop it will become mush. Dumbbells are good for building muscles, bench press is good for building muscles, and so on. These things are dangerous to train with. Kettlebells are great to train with but also dangerous if not done right.
Problem with Dr.Mike and his devoted followers is his mindset that "everyone wants to get jacked". How about no? I would rather have an explosiveness and endurance. Don't get me wrong, Deadlifts and barbell squats make me feel like Hulk, but at the same time, I move like Hulk, or like a clay monster. I have massive legs, yet I can't jump up to a threshold above my knees etc... Dr. Mike's mantra is great if all you want is to have a lot of muscle. When you want to USE those muscles for something, looks somewhere else. I started using kettlebells a while back and my benchmark is bouldering where one of the most common challenging moves is to use the tips of your fingers to hold most of your body weight, but the rest of the body needs to be flexible - so the mindset of the deadlift where you are so tense you can crap out a diamond is not going to cut it. What I discovered was - kettlebell training taught my brain how to very dynamically contract muscle groups where they are needed, without locking up the whole body.
You are not choosing kettlebells for explosiveness and endurance. Cardio is for endurance. Explosiveness is possible with every type of weight. This guys in the video doesn’t provide any research. Which Mike does… gpp is bullshit
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In this video, we dive deep into Dr. Mike Israetel's reaction to Joe Rogan's workout and diet, specifically discussing the role and benefits of kettlebell training.
I share my personal experiences and insights on why kettlebells are an unparalleled tool for general physical preparedness (GPP). From functional strength to sports performance, we compare kettlebell training with traditional bodybuilding approaches and highlight the misconceptions often held by exercise scientists.
We also touch on the principles from Russian training methodologies and their impact on improving athletic performance.
Key topics include:
- Functional strength vs. practical strength
- The unique benefits of kettlebell training
- The Soviet concept of General Physical Preparedness (GPP)
- Dr. Mike's bodybuilding approach vs. the Russian sports literature
- The versatility and efficiency of kettlebells for general fitness
Don't miss out on understanding why kettlebells might just be the ultimate tool for your fitness journey, offering a balanced approach to strength, endurance, and overall physical health.
Yay!!! I so love kettlebells and I have Marriane Kane to thank for that (interview?)…then I started adding powerlifting, competed, and won my age/weight class. Let me say, kettlebells for me there. I always did finishers with KB’s…love you and Angie!!!
I subscribed but did not receive the free e-book mentioned in the link / description. 😢 Love kettlebells and will be 49 next month.
As an ultra marathon runner. I tried general gym training mindset to help cross train. It was not mentally stimulating and I never left feeling I’m a better runner because of that.
I remembered kettlebells and started a swing program and everyday felt like I was getting better for long trail runs. Now I do a ton of clean and jerk that I literally feel the direct benefits from when running. My upper body stability, my arm swing strength, my strong quads. Kettlebell for rest of my life
@@chadgriffiths3467 I’m the same way with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For the first 3 years of training I would always complement it with barbell lifting. Although my barbell lifts got high, it never translated to the mats. There was always a higher belt (or even other white or blue belts sometimes) who moved better despite being half my size and strength. With kettlebells I learned how to prioritize movement over just brute strength. I’m not saying kettlebells are the only way, but they are definitely one available option to help the way you move on the mats. Movement always trumps strength in submission grappling.
@@swoosh2835 you should try a better training regiment can’t say it’s better when you never got past 150-180 kg squats 200kg deadlifts or 100-120 kg benchpress for sets of 10 reps.
As a firefighter, in my early years I did the usual Barbell and Dunmbbell training to build muscle that looked good. Then when i started competing in the Firefighter competitions I relized that muscle that looks good didnt help in the events. Then I discovered functional training and a large part of that was completed with Kettlebells, they are a great part to an all round training plan that covered the skills needed as a Firefighter.
Now we just need Mark Wildman to react to your reaction of the reaction of a reaction. That'll stir up the hot pot nicely 😉😄
Does he even make reaction videos?
No, Mark has too much class. Not a clickbait whore like this guy
@AwakenZen, No he doesn’t. He’s also pretty clear that his channel is not a “fitness” channel, it is a skills channel. He teaches KB, Heavy Club and Mace skills.
Dr Israetel always critiques having hypertrophy, primarily, then strength as objectives. He is right in what he says regarding hypertrophy but his view is narrow, not everyone wants or needs to body build or squat 3XBW. I don't have time to be in the gym 6 times a week (nor do I want to), I need to be strong and also think of my cardiovascular health. I can do both with KBs. I won't win any BB or powerlifting contests but will hopefully still have healthy joints when I am 70
@@Ashok_Regiment as an athlete my self (rugby and wrestling) and a personal trainer, I agree that Dr Mike usually (but not always) HEAVILY favors pure hypertrophy movements.
BUT, if you truly dive into more of his material you need to analyze the context of his statements and critiques. That leads me to this.
He is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in saying that dumbbells and barbells do absolutely EVERYTHING kettlebells can do EXCEPT for the swing movement. I personally feel the power clean is better than that movement too.
And this notion that you cannot obtain “cardiovascular fitness” unless you use kettlebells is ludicrous to me. (Barbell complexes, supersets with dumbbells etc)
As far as joint health, how are kettlebells superior for that?
but the thing is his videos are for ppl that want to either win BB or powerlifting has his often or always talks about hyperthropy if that's not your cup of tea don't watch him. Simple right
@@Fluggrugger1 It's true that you can substitute basically everything kettlebells are good for, and even do a lot of things better with a combination of barbells, dumbbels, and (weighted) calisthenics. But the point of kettlebells is not to be the most optimal tool for anything, and even the most fervent proponents of kettlebell (like Pavel Tsatsouline, for example), explicitly spell this out everytime the topic comes up. The point of kettlebells is that they're a jack-of-all-trades tool with some very useful specialist applications (like the hip hinge), that are very space and time efficient, and will basically last you until the end of your life. For a regular dude, who just wants to improve in all areas of fitness to a reasonably impressive level, 3 differently sized cannonballs that he owns, can store in a random corner in his room, and use whenever he likes, are just more convenient and better bang for his buck than a gym membership he has to pay monthly and probably commute for an hour to use.
Edit: The joint health comment is probably about the freedom of movement kettlebells give you as compared to barbells. A lot of people report eg. barbell cleans or OHPs bothering their wrists or elbows, and kettlebells not causing the same problems. Of course, dumbbels have this advantage too, but some exercises are a bit akward with them because of their shape, such as the clean.
@@user-mq4vl7nq5o that last part is kindoff meh.
If you want to build strength you need to lift in a progressive way. Kettelbells fatigue you more in endurance which is not what you want. Most of the times you can’t finish the reps because you body is tired not because you lack the strength.
And barbells are safer then dumbbells and safer then kettlebells. Because fatigue of the kettlebell movement are the reason you get hurt
@@Leo88Omega Which last part? The joint health thing? I was just explaining what I thought the other guy meant. There's some anecdotal evidence that kettlebells are better for longevity, but I've never seen actual numbers, so I'm not making that claim.
As for the strenght thing, I adressed this. Kettlebells are not the optimal tool for building strenght. That's a fact. However-someone who can press a 40kg bell above the head 10 times, then snatch it 10 times is stronger than the vast majority of the population. Kettlebells can get you to this point, while also giving you endurance, mobility, speed/explosiveness, and helping you lose weight and build muscle. Again, they're not the best tool for either job-but they're good enough for all of them, and what the average person needs is not a specialist tool that will help them hone one particular ability to perfection, but rather a generalist tool to give them a wide range of pretty decent benefits.
I'm a big fan of Mike but his take on kettlebells is crap. He's so biased towards dumbbells and barbells that he doesn't see the value in kettlebell training.
@@iggs67 He only cares about looking like a bodybuilder and doesn't care about things like mobility and athletic performance
@@HarigovindSasi I would like to see someone like Mike do something like wrestling and see how quickly he gasses out. He would be sucking wind so bad, he likely would need an oxygen tank.
@@alanguagesI wouldn’t say that…he’s a competitive bjj practitioner so he’s definitely got a gas tank.
@@Mikesullin do we know if he’s any good at it?
@@ThomasRamsay1 I think he is a brown belt. No idea if he ever really used kettlebells for any length of time.
Great job of responding without getting into a pissing match. I am loving my kettlebell workouts and making great gains. Feeling better every day.
Great answer! Dr Mike seems to think that strength and hypertrophy are the holy grail of fitness. But for most people GPP is a better measurement, and kbs are an excellent tool for that.
For a lot of people who aren’t athletes (Dr Mike is often addressing your average person who wants to get in shape not a sport specific athlete) GPP isn’t even a thing. What are they preparing for? Most people want to go to the gym to get strong and/or look better (broadly speaking more lean or more muscular). Strength and hypertrophy is key, kettlebells are an inefficient method for that.
Kettlebells are a cardio exercise with some lifting benefits, which is fine
You should watch his videos and pay attention to what he says,not jumping to conclusions from watching a reaction video taken out of context.His sole aim is hypertrophy,that is one of the main goals of his channel,kettlebells do not build muscle like that and this is why they are not ideal for this type of training,this is extremely simple to understand and its baffling how many people in these comments miss that.
GPP is awesome!
But just curious how can dumbbells and barbells not provide GPP when used for things such as complexes, supersets, etc?
@@joek360kettlebells can be a cardio exercise but that’s doesn’t necessarily mean that’s all you can get from them. It is still a weight just like a dumbbell. You manipulate the weight in the correct way it’s going to cause hypertrophy. I think it’s not great to tell people it’s a cardio exercise when there are tons of people that don’t want to go to gyms or hire a lifting coach. It’s much easier to have a few kettlebells compared to learning how to use barbells safely. Idk how everygotdamndre looks the way he does if kettlebells only slightly cause hypertrophy. It’s almost like doing any exercise correctly does the job. Kind like diets. Dr Mike has changed his mind on a few things so who knows what happens in the future. I guess when you can’t scratch you back it’s hard to move a kettlebell around. Maybe that’s part of it
i'm 45 years old and trying to get myself into the gym 3-5 times a week. I use kettlebells probably about 80% of my training sessions, and I am able to get in a session that leaves me totally smoked doing something as simple as Dan John's ABC. I mix in different movements to practice skills like get-ups and snatch with days where i try to do high volume or heavier kettlebells and I'm able to get it done in under an hour. I'm not a fan of Joe Rogan for various reasons so I don't pay much attention to anything he says and Dr Mike comes from a pretty specific perspective but if i trained the way he suggests? I'd be spending twice the time in the gym and I would be dealing with a lot more issues in terms of injuries and I wouldn't be healthier and happier. I'm not a body builder, I'm just a dude trying to do the best I can and be healthier today than i was yesterday. But if you are a body builder, I hope your fitness journey is a healthy and successful one.
Glad you gave an alternative take on this guy's views. Have been using kettlebells for 3 years now. Got stronger (single 16 to using double 24's now). No problems running a 5k without any regular running practice, sprinting or sprint swimming. Never felt fitter or better at 54.
Great, but you would be stronger if you lifted 2 times per week with barbells machines and dumbbells and ofc progressive overload
I don’t think your take on the Turkish getup is warranted. You make the point that it used to be a circus act as if it’s a slam dunk, but how many other lifts have also been circus acts? Overhead pressing, circus act. Deadlift, using wheel axels before they were developed into barbells, circus act. The bent press, and more. Calisthenics came out of gymnastics, which is the brother of acrobatics - circus acts! On markets, fairs and circuses you would see strongmen, acrobats and wrestlers. These were people who dedicated their life to physical culture instead of doing regular jobs, and much of the wealth of knowledge we have today comes out of the lives of those men and women and their craft. You don’t think the getup is worth the time when taking clients. I see your point. It’s an economic argument from a fitness industry point of view. Perfectly fine argument, but if you’re gonna call it a circus act, be consistent and call everything else circus acts too. Deadlifts and Catch wrestling and acrobatics. And to the viewers I’d like to ask, what peaks your interest the most; Physical Culture or Fitness Industry? Personally, I’ll never forget the first time I saw somebody do Turkish getups with a kettlebell on an old grainy video in the early days of UA-cam - I was mesmerized! And I’m happy to be able to perform this beautiful feat of strength, and for a moment join the company of long gone strongmen.
@@Chiburi I agree with you on this, and even as someone who despises doing TGUs, I’ve seen tremendous value in doing them. I don’t know how someone who can get up with a 100 or 125 pound kettlebell in one hand isn’t “strong.” How is benching 315 strong but doing a TGU between 100-125 lbs not? Maybe it doesn’t look as cool since you don’t have a spotter shrieking at you to do one more rep in a dusty gym, but the only people who should be bashing the exercise are those who have gotten to over 100 lbs and still don’t see any benefit (like that Emilio guy who was on the channel once). I think the rest of us should just shut up and train to get to that level with the getup and decide for ourselves how helpful it was.
Yup, nothing does shoulder stability like the Get-up. Loads your shoulder in the full ROM in a way that no other exercise does.
You just spent 14 minutes doing exactly what Dr Mike did, plus; you proved him right in most points he highlighted.
Thing is, you're both correct from your stand points. You correctly indicated that you are biased and so is he. Being biased doesn't make either of you automatically wrong. The difference is, you tout the KB as an unbeatable generalist whereas he has a very specific perspective he's speaking on, of which the KB is not great at.
People need to accept that a great generalist tool cannot be a great choice when you want to specialize, irrespective of the specialization.
Yeah, if you want to look like Dr. Mike stick to barbells and dumbbells but not everyone wants to look like a bloated ball of muscle.
Don't let his looks scare you away from barbells. That is only achieved through excruciating hypertrophy training and juice. Barbells are the best tool for max strength, kettlebells can be really fun to use and increase strength endurance. If I could go back in time I would start using barbell compound movements earlier and use kettlebells only to get in better cardiovascular shape for competitions
@@db1777 your not going to accidentally look like a big ball of muscle using barbells and dumbbells
For sure. It so depends on goals, eh? Being super hypertrophied isn't necessarily indicative of better health-fascia and lymph function are so important. Plus genetics are a big component of what kind of exercise is best for most people. When I discovered kettlebells the clouds parted and the angels were singing-felt like home to me, definitely the best fit for my genetics and goals.
@db1777 ridiculous take
@@PropheticCoachTheresa "...the clouds parted and the angels were singing..." That is too cool!
It amazes me how many people prefer to remain under the clouds, with no music.
Dr. Mike is big on hypertrophy, and so are many of his viewers. That's not the kettlebell's strongest attribute, but there is a blue ocean of people who exercise whose primary focus is to be physically fit. That's the kettlebell's strength.
Well said
The barbell can do exactly the same, it seems to me that KBs attract a certain kind of cult following
I am far from an expert here, but my understanding is Dr Mike’s reactions are from the perspective of someone training as an elite athlete or bodybuilder. Dr Mike really breaks down in other videos that it’s difficult to heavily load certain muscle groups without the classic barbell and some machine lifts. He is right about that when it comes to kettlebells. Your glutes and hamstrings are going to have a hard time getting big and strong as fast using KB vs. heavy barbell deadlifts, purely because of the weight you can load. But an average amateur and recreational athlete doesn’t need that and doesn’t have time for that, so KBs are an awesome all around tool - as Gregory says.
Some bodybuilders can't even touch their toes. The benefits of kettlebells far exceed anything you can get from bodybuilding and traditional lifting imo. Sure, dumbbells and barbells are great for building strength, but it kind of just ends there. The mobility, range of motion, bodily awareness and movement that comes with kettlebells is unmatched. A big reason bodybuilders tend to reject kettlebells is cause they don't understand them and don't want to take the time to learn the techniques. Kettlebells require a lot of patience and understanding of bodily mechanics.. they're not as simple as what you see when it comes to traditional weightlifting. There's a lot of depth to them and because of that people tend to reject them and when they reject them they disregard the legitimacy of them altogether.
As a 60 plusser I´m very hapy to have discovered the kettlebell. I´ve never enjoyed more doing workouts as now with that canonball, just love this thing 💪💪💪
I'm almost 40 and feel the same.
It'd be great if Dr Mike came on the podcast!
Personally i dont care what anyone thinks so ofcourse i will continue to use kettlebells in my training routine.
There are too many "experts" that claims that you should do this and not that now a days.
Even if seed oils aren’t bad somehow he praises them like there’s studies showing benefits. This is a common theme with him. If someone says something he doesn’t agree with he will just dig up the most nonsense trash research to show it has a slight benefit in a certain way while ignoring all the anecdotal evidence that directly contradicts him. I think he’s slow to actually change his mind on stuff. Let’s not forget this was the guy telling people to eat like 8 meals a day because protein can’t be absorbed in just 3 meals. This is patently false yet he repeated it for years without one study proving it. Who knows what else he gets wrong confidently
I'm 48 years old and have been training amateur cycling for 12 years. This year, I added a kettlebell workout once a week. The changes have been amazing!
First, I lost an additional 2kg. My explosive power in sprints and short climbs has increased. My back doesn't hurt, and overall, I feel stronger. Kettlebells are great!
Dr. Mike is just talking to much...
he would also promote new faczines in the next pL4ndemy
so no credibility there...
I love Dr. Mike's video's. I was bummed he didn't give kettlebells a little more love. but that is why I watch your video's. Thank you for sharing your perspective on what Dr. Mike had to say about kettlebells.
I don’t understand how people that are otherwise knowledgeable about fitness seem to not know about kettlebells and have some weird ideas about fitness. They seem to somehow think lifting or swinging a heavy piece of steel or iron will NOT make you stronger. How do they figure that? Plus, people like Dr. Mike and Mark Rippetoe appear to define fitness as maximal strength and/or hypertrophy and that is the only concern for their training.
Well he's a professional body builder and most of the people who watch his channel are training to be bodybuilders. If he didn't emphasize hypertrophy, that would be a lot more concerning.
I'm 46 and work out 5 days a week. I use kettlebells almost 90% of the time. They work wonders and I prefer them to dumbbells
If you want to look and live like a troglodyte then Dr Mike's approach to dumbells and barbells is the way although I question if a bodybuilder is the kind of athlete a lot of us wants to become. I admire Dorian Yates for what he accomplished but I never aspired to look like that! Thanks to KB training +proper stretching +healthy eating habits I have a better physique, excellent stamina, no injuries, good deep sleep hours and no gym fees....., at 69!
I was strictly KB home workouts for a few years, but recently got access to a gym through my work and now hit barbell 1x/week on Saturdays in addition to two KB workouts on weekdays. Best of both worlds for me.
Kettlebell training is a preparation for Olympic weight lifting training programs. Not body building or power lifting.
You make some interesting points.
The scope of his knowledge is limited and hardly goes in the field of actual sports. Otherwise, he'd be familiar with the fact that MTB riders, for example, not just ride the bikes as he suggests and wrestlers not just roll and throw each other. They use KB to navigate course features and develop throwing and rolling power.
I saw Dr. Mike on a Farmer's Walk with kettlebell. Many people state that KBs make most every day physical tasks easier, regardless of physical strength required for a task - you just move and manipulate the objects better, including a water bottle, which Dr. Mike holds with two hands while drinking. In this case developing neuro-muscular and tactile coordination with KB's grip modulation may help with using one hand for taking a drink, it's called "Functional training benefits".
I don't know any activity other than KB that not only boost running performance, but maintains running form while not doing actual running training.
Pro golfers, wrestlers, box jumpers, even power lifters boost their performance with KBs.
Does anyone know the fastest not sport-specific ways for VO2max elevation other than EPO and TUE approved anti-asthmatic substances? KB swings and snatches are that ways even for advanced endurance athletes.
I think its strange to say barbells and dumbbells do not promote cardiovascular system. Its the type of training and timing not a piece of iron you take in your hand.
I think it's mostly a difference of goals. Dr. Mike is focused on max hypertrophy vs kettlebell training which have more generalist goals.
Thank you, Gregory, for your propaganda of the Kettlebells.
Greetings from Ukraine 🇺🇦
Exercise science is still all theory !Everyone has their own theory. I took a kinesiology class in college as part of my degree to become a Massage Therapist! Kinesiology is the anatomy of movement based on the design of our skeleton. What I learned was a game changer.Most exercises in the gym are actually more harmful to the joints because our skeleton was not designed for most of these exercises .Just one example is that barbells take away the natural arc of the body movement starting at the wrists and moving to other parts of the body. Which explains most of the painful joints and injuries we hear about , and may have experianced. Kettlebells allow for the natural movement of the body and make you strong at full extension . IMO Its an amazing cardio workout as well as strength training exercise that makes you strong for every day living.
Dumbbells take care of the “problems” that barbells create too.
💯! This is why boxing gyms implement competition kettlebell and landmine exactly 💯
I don’t take advice from juice heads. No matter how educated.
I value dr mike's advice on performance enhancing drugs, hypertrophy, and weight cutting for competition. Outside of these topics, he's often out of his depth. Worse - he deliberately says certain things to annoy people and drive engagement, and he's been doing it a lot lately.
Funny, the bodybuilding crowd always hating on training that is difficult like burpees and bells. They will dream up every excuse not to do them.
Was waiting for this one! 🍿 😎
Mike is great but he's another one of these experts who can't see beyond his own views sometimes. It's like he's the only one who knows best and anything else isn't good. If you're talking purely body building, then he's the man. Other methods, i take what he says with a pinch of salt
Critiques a scientist by dealing in absolutes. You just proved you are being biased and not logical.
Yeah no Dr.Mike has no Idea what he is talking about here. Dude trained himself to a point where he cant perform a overhead press.
Back when I was able to train jiu jitsu I became so strong when I started kettlebell training.
I’m 51and have tried barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, calisthenics and now kettlebells and for me kettlebells are the only thing I’ve done where I don’t feel stiff and sore and my body feels on all the time. I wake up and jump out of bed, run with my grandkids and don’t have to warm up. I just feel amazing and strong all the time. I’ve never experienced this with any other training. I don’t really understand why but there’s something to these kettlebells.
Did Mike pay you to make such a flattering thumbnail of him? I like a lot of his stuff but he don't look like that!
That was a great and educated response. Dr. Mike is 5’6” 240 lbs and 10% body fat according to him. I can’t imagine him having great mobility and flexibility with that frame, and he himself even takes shots at his own lack of mobility and flexibility in his videos. If he’s able to snatch a 24 kg for 100 reps in 5 minutes and walk away saying “that was easy, see I told you kettlebells suck” then fair play to him. Something tells me he wouldn’t be able to. At some point, being a 100 out of 100 in pure strength but a 10 or 20 out of 100 in flexibility is going to have diminishing returns. It’s why most MMA fighters and boxers don’t fuck with the barbell too much and stick to mostly bodyweight (sprints, hills, plyo, etc).
Fair play on the getup, seems like everyone is hating on that exercise lately 😂 I for one look for every excuse to get out of doing them so thanks for the reinforcement!
Well his goal hasn't been to pick up a heavy kettle bell for 100 reps has it ... He's strictly been going for hyperthropy aka becoming bigger and bigger mobility will be reduced being that big you can't avoid it when being lean 240 llbs
I can't stand the RP guy......thumbs up for pissin on him.
This is my go to channel for kettle bell's. Gregory knows his stuff and people need to listen to him. The only other channel is Wildman Athletic. Thank for this very informative video.
Guys who talk like this are obviously people who have never done a kettlebell workout. They’ve just read about it or watched a UA-cam video.
I’d much rather look, feel and move like lebe than dr Mike.
Mike's biased turned me off his channel.
As an elite level competitive powerlifter and amateur boxer, I am trying to poke holes in your assessment. I listened to it a couple of times, and you have convinced me to start using my kettlebells more. I realized that I am leaving some efficiency on the table. The question then becomes, how to best incorporate into a competition training program that makes sense.
Mike is the typical gym-muscle focused, hypertrophy obsessed guy that simply can't value other approaches to training. It's always about getting big muscles and "look" massive. At one point when I was younger I was also with that focus however I knew other things were missing. I went from the typical "gym bro" type of routines to crossfit, then boxing oriented routines, then I fell in love with calisthenics and movements related to gymnastics which do a lot for your flexibility too and then started doing other disciplines like yoga, pilates, etc. Recently I have doing more and more KB routines and the benefits are palpable.
I'm in my forties and I don't focus on hypertrophy anymore, just staying healthy like I am, train my cardio part, have good strength and maintain a good weight. People are excessively focused on having big muscles but you have to think for what?
Dr. Mike is not so conceited that he thinks that about other training modalities... he's simply someone who specialises in hypertrophy...
I’m loving KB’s I even do a 20 min routine in my work lunch break when I’m working from home 👍 the difference I’ve noticed in my first year of using them. I’m a happy person 🙌🏻
Why not use kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells and machines??? 🤷♂️
Exactly. I don't get why people can't try and use different tools for their training. They may discover new approaches and feel very so different.
I came into this wanting to hate it. As a big dr Mike fan I wanted to disagree. But you made some great points. I also think you may have taken some of his points maybe a little out of context. Mike is a nuanced guy. A longer more in depth analysis would most likely show you guys agree on a few more things
Forgive the lack of punctuation this is voice to text everybody is biased to their preferred system especially if you're making money off of it I wish I had discovered kettlebells before I went back into the military muscular endurance became a bigger priority and I can't travel with a building full of dumbbells now that I'm back out I have kettlebells with me everywhere I go I'm Not Looking Back
I also work 80% with KBs, but I think Mikes video is fair. Maybe I am wrong, but if you are doing olympic lifting barbell movements like barbell snatch, I think this comes very close to KB training. And I think this is the context we need to put Mikes video.
humans are animals build mainly around endurance and some strength, and exercises like the kb can fill all the needs of a regular person, even allowing it to become not so regular.
Real people who know the benefit of kettlebell training don't need to be convinced. I work a physical job 10 to 12 hours a day. I've been a gym goer and had pain and I injury from trying to build muscle. Then struggled at work for a few weeks because of a gym injury. So that's counter productive straight away.
I use kettlebells about 4 times a week 20 to 30 mins and feel much better. Still feel strong and look ok I think. But I feel a bit fitter as well.
if you hurt your self from working out in the gym you're either doing it wrong aka wrong form or using to much weight ...
@whyAzami been lifting weights for over 2
30 yrs boy sometimes things catch up with you. Kettlebells follow the natural pattern of your body
@@BobParker-gm8jf still doesnt take away my point if you lift wrong/to much weight you will injur yourself no matter what and yk what even with a kettlebell 🤯Crazy
@@BobParker-gm8jf and you have probably not been doing enough stretching/movement training either so 🤷
@whyAzami I work a physical job in construction and always trained hard your dork. Sometimes things catch up with you. Watch your fingers don't get strained you keyboard nerd.
Dr. Mike never said anything was wrong with Kettlebells. He just implied that if your entire exercise routine is kettle bells, that is kind of ridiculous. He also mentioned it depends on your goals. You also countered an exercise scientist doctorate with "yeah but for me..." and "yea but when I..." anecdotes which is...great as part of your argument...but when it is the whole thing and you don't have any research to reference.....ehhhh
The fact that “Dr” Mike is a “Dr” and has opinions as he does about kettlebells, strengthens my opinion that there are very few experts in the physical training world. There are a bunch of people with opinions. Some - like Mike’ s - very, very wrong. I also suspect Mike may use artificial help for his fitness- a decision which crushes his credibility with me.
Why are there no citations to studies? It would be interesting to see a study comparing kettlebells to traditional dumbbell and barbell training for general fitness, and time efficiency for workouts.
With that said I would challenge the idea that dumbbells and barbells do not improve joint health. There are plenty of studies showing that they do. Most physical therapists use dumbbells and barbells as part of their therapy and I have personal experience with them helping me overcome injuries.
Kettlebells are certainly much easier to hold on to since they don't rotate in your hand so you could carry more weight without losing your grip. E.g. Farmer walks.
As far as improving flexibility, I would think dumbbells and barbells would be superior since you can train every joint through a full range of motion where is it would be a little bit annoying for some joints to use a kettlebell. E.g. dumbbell pullover, chest flies, deep squats, deadlifts.
The scientific landscape of kettlebells is a desert
@@lebe-starkI left a comment with links to citations but My internet might have glitched. If you look on Google scholar you can find a bunch of studies. Some of them did support the use of kettlebells for reducing neck and back pain. In that study the kettlebell training did not improve cardiovascular fitness. There were others that showed that they actually did improve aerobic fitness compared to circuit weight training. However one study comparing standard weightlifting with kettlebud training show that the weight lifting increase strength more.
I just went to Google scholar and typed in kettlebell and a bunch of studies popped up.
@@lebe-stark did you block me because I was critical of something you said? I reply to you but it seems like my replies are getting deleted
They compared it some studies realized there are no benefits over dumbbells/barbells/machines. And fatigue is a problem because of the endurance aspect with kb it minimizes strenght gains.
@@Leo88Omega Yeah, I saw some of those studies. I guess it comes down to preference. I did see one study where they compared dumbell circuit training with tabata training using KB and found that the KB was better for increasing cardiovascular fitness. This was done with soccer players.
It seems to be better for cardio which makes sense why it's worse for strength.
Someone at the gym mentioned the turkish get up is a great jiu-jitsu exercise bc you are constantly going against resistance throughout
Cool material (as always)
Gregory, invite a Tacfit master trainer to your podcast - e.g. Jan Stolz from Germany, Nicola Orlando from Italy or Nestor Serra from Spain. You will talk about kettlebells in the Tacfit system, about the differences between clubs and kettlebells - it would be a powerful experience for both parties! I can even arrange such a conversation for you :)
The word "functional" is VERY misunderstood with respect to fitness/exercise because it simply means an activity or purpose intended for a certain person/thing therefore, ANYTHING/EVERYTHING is functional! So when people say that this exercise/movement is more "functional" than another is RIDICULOUS, and no different than saying a hammer is more functional than a screwdriver!!!???
Awesome video as always Gregory! My names Martin, I’m a personal trainer and Fitness Coordinator. Im going to be doing a Lunch & Learn at my job to other employees about the benefits of using kettlebells. I use a lot of knowledge in my presentation from your channel. Thanks so much!
That's awesome, Martin! Best of luck with your kettlebell Lunch & Learn.
@@LebeStarkJason thank you!
Well... you are not really contradicting him. And I am saying this as someone who likes kettlebells, and do some kettlebell exercises as my training.
1. The big question is what do kettlebells train? Are they a strength excercise? Are they endurance? Are they skill/mobility? The answer is all, but as they say a jack of all trades, a master of none. Kettlebells are cool, but they are cumbersome. You either have to go to a gym to get different sizes, or buy multiple kettlebells, or buy that adjustable kettlebell in order to effectively scale your workout. What works for clean and press, might not be enough to stimulate for goblet squats. Or you would have to do a lot of reps, which will fatigue your nervous system faster than your muscle, thus it pushes the exercise in the endurance direction. On the other hand, if your specificity is strength, then yes, dumbbells are more easily adjustable than a kettlebell. Or a weighted vest is more versatile combined with calisthenics and you could do strength/skill/endurance with it depending on your workout plan.
2. "I got humbled by kettlebells" is not really a good argument. If you do a new sport, then literally anything can humble you and feel hard. I went to my wife's yoga class and it was freaking hard. I also took a spinning class and I was sore for 3 days. I can write exercises next to numbers, use a dice and slap together a WOD like the crossfit guys do and you would get tired by the end, but it wouldn't mean that the workout was actually effective.
3. I don't understand the grip strength argument. You can literally use straps with any dumbbell and barbell and do fast movements with them and achieve same cardiovascular benefits. Not to mention doing the same barbell snatch/clean as a kettlebell would. The only thing that might be better to do with kettlebell is the swing. But the swing is basically in the hip hinge category, so you could use a similar barbell hinge movement for it to achieve similar benefits.
4. "Kettlebell is similar to rowing" -> so why not go row then? :)
5. I would argue that weighted calisthenics is the king of GPP... And Dr. Mike is correct on how "functional fitness" is too broad of a term. A swimmer needs different functional fitness than a firefighter. For an 80 year old grandma yoga would be much more functional than kettlebell. Fitness FAQ always repeats the line that "in fitness, specificity is the king". And I couldn't agree more. Saying that the kettlebell is the king of generality kind of contradicts itself. In fitness you need goals and in order to work towards them you need to do movement that specifically trains you in that direction, not some generalised tool. This kind of also proves Dr. Mike's point that if you want to reach any goal in your sports/fitness journey, then kettlebels COULD be a waste of time depending on your goals.
6. Its not the bodybuilder approach, its the basic strength training approach. Gymnasts and weight lifters also use this approach. I even saw a video of "BJJ specific strength training" and it was literally basic push/pull/hinge training. (What do you know, the basics work..)
7. Improving your sports technique IS part of "doing your sport". So I don't know what you are trying to prove. If you have done anything other than bodybuilding and kettlebells, then you would know that every sports has skill based training. Getting better at some sport is not just strength and endurance.
8. This was the funniest "Searching for a universal strength development regime is futile without considering the type of sport and specific muscular tension involved" -> This applies to kettlebels too IMO. And Dr. Mike is saying the same thing-> Do strength traingin that is most specific to your sport and do sports specific training.
9. As someone who owns one kettlebell, its not convenient. Really hard to scale exercises. And again, the jack of all trades, master of none. Its also not easy on your joints. At least not easier than a dumbbell, barbell and any calisthenics movement.
10. "You don't have to work out for an hour" is also a false claim. Depends on your goal. If you are gassed out then you won't be able to utilize all your muscle for strength, thus you will be training endurance and stength is just lagging behind.
11. "Your brain is engaged in a way that its building a skill"-> you first say that the kettlebell is a general tool for every GPP, then you say that its skill building, which means that it has sports specific application? Are you doing KB to get GPP or are you doing it to "get better at kettlebell"? Because if you want to be "better at kettlebell" then your training literally falls under "sport specific training".
12. I don't know what "kettlebell specialist" means. If you call yourself that then that means that your "sport" is kettlebell. And your sport specific training is "to get better at kettlebells". In this case, yes, the KB is superior. But lets not treat it any other way than (as you said) a funny shaped dumbbell.
13. Yes, TGU is a skill, not a strength exercise. But it helps me with shoulder prehab.
I am sorry to say this and burst your bubble, but kettlebells if you understand training, are nothing special. I do them from time to time for endurance and grip strength. If you only do kettlebells, then you will get better at... kettlebells! :D They are a fad like the TRX that's literally a gymnastics rings with better marketing behind it (and rings are way more cheaper and versatile). Set a goal and work towards it. Hitting everything, including screws, with a hammer is not the solution.
Thanks Gregory for all your hard work on kettlebell education and kettlebell culture 💪🏽
Hope to meet you someday in a kettlebell workshop or Training
The explanation about gpp vs sport performance was the best part of this video.
Im a bjj coach (and rkc certified coach), and I tell people if you're looking for a little strength training, some muscle growth, a cardio vascular hit, and want to address mobility kettlebell is best at doing a bit of it all.
On the other hand, Dr. Mike's degree is in sports performance as well. Ive done his program he designed for bjj athletes and saw an improvement in strength on the mat. There's alot to learn from his approach, but I also wish Dr. Mike would kettlebells their due credit for ballistic movements such as the clean, snatch and swing at least
sometimes dr mike takes psychology into account, and sometimes he just ignores it, like in this case where he is clearly biased. Even if it turned out to be provably true that exercises like the clean, swings, jerk, and snatch, are just as beneficial with dumbbells vs kettlebells, they are somehow far more enjoyable (for me) with kettlebells. And i can have a bunch of kettlebells in my apartment, and not need to go to a gym. And once you start removing max hypertrophy as a consideration, kettlebells are just obviously a great tool. I'm 72 in a few days, and my workouts consist of kettlebells, persian meels and indian gada exercises (well, both steel mace and wooden gadas), and rucking, and i think i'm doing pretty damn well. I'm a believer in science, but it seems like a misuse of it to somehow convince myself that i could do better with barbells and dumbbells. That said, I quite enjoy Dr Mike, but sometimes he seems blissfully closed minded in that he doesn't really try to understand differing positions.
I love kettlebells, but I agree that they don’t have a unique advantage. Athletes would do better getting their GPP from sports practice and using more practical tools for developing strength, power, size, etc.
Kettlebells are awesome if you enjoy kettlebells, which I do. They’re great cardio, they develop some power, and I think they’re fine for preserving muscle you already developed by other means.
For me, my glutes and hamstrings are big enough so I do kettlebell swings for the cardio benefit. If I want to grow a muscle group I use bodybuilding techniques.
To be fair to Dr. Mike, I think practicing running (or other sport-specific) technique would fall under the category of 'practicing your sport.' His point, right or wrong, is that if you get really strong and then do specific training for your sport, your body will naturally take the muscle and strength you've built and redirect it towards that sport. He's arguing that you don't need 'functional' exercises outside of your sport-specific training.
💯There's a reason KB's are called "the thinking person's exercise." Being super hypertrophied isn't necessarily indicative of better health-fascia and lymph function are so important. Plus genetics are a big component of what kind of exercise is best for most people. When I discovered kettlebells the clouds parted and the angels were singing-felt like home to me, definitely the best fit for my genetics and goals.
Wait till you get into your mid 40s plus. You will see the difference in your mobility and body function. As an older body builder and power lifter I was beating up my body and started to realized it. Don't get me wrong, as a youth your superman but as you get older Father Time will catch you. I started to get into kettlebell training and it's showing me a world of difference in all aspects. Problem today most ppl are on some type of PED that mask the aging process. Train smart , stimulate do not annihilate .
Just to stir the pot-Steve Cotter says that barbells are better for building strength in his book “Kettlebell Training.” Full disclosure: I train with kettlebells and barbells and bodyweight. So I’m not biased toward any modalities.
KBs are just another tool to get in shape. You wouldn't gain a lot of strength and muscle with them (specially on legs) and also you wouldn't improve your GPP with barbells only...
Dr Mike just seems to focus on bulk and heavy lifts, whilst this is good for putting on size and strength, as you get older you need to focus on protecting your body from injury
Whilst the man apparently has a higher education, he seems locked into the "beefcake" brigade, not into fitness, mobility and strength together
If you're just a body builder his views might help, but that's not what I'm looking for, so I don't have a lot of time for his show or his comments
About a month ago, I started getting back into kettlebells after a break of 14 years... Honestly, i am suffering from kettlebells addiction now, as i am having a hard time to take a day off from my kb workouts, just because i get this urge around the same time evry day to go and do my kb routine. I only have been working out for 3 months, but the eight loss by itself in the last month has been twice the amount I've lost from my regular workouts in the first 2 months. I dont care who says what, but out of all the equipment at the gym, KBs works the best for me and my body
That why I do bodybuilding like training, CrossFit and mountain biking. With CrossFit we use a lot kettlebells, those are the hardest workouts.
Mike is correct in that kettlebells are an overhyped niche tool. There might be some benefits to them that Mike hasn't mentioned. But it doesn't change the fact that there is nothing special about them. They're too awkward for big weights and at the same time they're too easy to grip for "functional strength". Lifting rocks or a tree or a frigging sofa, that's functional strength. Exercises on the floor, with rings, paralettes or even furniture are functional. Kettlebells are a waste of money.
when mike talks about barbell , dumbell and bodyweight he isn't he probably isn't talking about single arm work which can give you some of the same benefits as a ketllebell . a lot of these bodybuilders think single arm work is a waste of time because it doesn't make a difference with muscle gain . they aren't thinking about real world strength and injury prevention and recovery .
Dr. M is all about gaining muscle. For that, the KB is not ideal. Love the KB. But, if I had one tool it would be a sandbag: wicked training device. As with KB’s, the magic is in workout design.
Barbells are superior at building bulk. Kettlebells are better at overall fitness and a leaner muscular build. Each serves a different purpose and pick the tool depending on your goals. Just look at the two in the video and decide which physique you prefer.
I think Mike is underestimating kettlebells, but I also think you overestimate them. Also a bit weird how you keep going to soviet scientists for affirmation, is that because you genuinely think they provide better information, or because what hey say fits better with what you already think? If we look at results, the western scientists and their methods win by a landslide in every sport though...
Very well stated points! And you were very respectful towards Dr. Mike as well. Thanks for the video!
I think its best to avoid the 'either-or' approach. I use barbells, dbs, kettlebells and bodyweight exercises. I find that with the introduction of kettlebells, all my lifts are improving at a healthy pace.
Fitness is the ability to work; kettlebells work nonstop, whether doing a complex or 3-5 exercises for many rounds. You are doing work; yesterday, you cleaned five sets of 10 55 lbs and pressed them. I did ten rounds of 10 reps of 45lbs dbl kb front squats, 35lbs dbl kb presses, and 70lbs dbl RDLs. Took me an hour of no stop work 1min-2min rest. Between rounds 350total reps.
Dr Mikes knowledge is mostly all about strength or hypertrophy in which case barbells are indeed better. They really don't replicate or replace the benefits of kettlebells though.
some say funtional training should be about fixing imbalances by training the muscles you don't use in your sport or activity like if your sport involves a lot of pushing then you should work on pulling and also to balance your non dominant side with a lot of sigle arm work .
😂awesome Gregory all 👂 💪👍
I agree... Dr . Mike is a Little "to good" sometimes for his own good...
I do enjoy some of his content, but sometimes People need to think a little for themselves😅
And even more undervalued than kettlebells and rarely seen are clubbells, Indian clubs, gada, and Persian meels.
Im with Dr Mike. Kettlebells are not for the same thing as weight traing with weights. Theyre so overhyped
"Barbells do not contribute to cardiovascular strength" false exit video.
Der Doktor bekommt einen Herzinfarkt nach 20 Swings. Damit habe ich vielleicht leider recht. Er ist jetzt nicht berühmt für sein Herzkreislauf Training. Ich finde den Vergleich mit Rudern sehr passend. Es ist wie Intervalltraining. Früher hat man noch nicht zu allem Hit Training gesagt und trotztem aus dem Boot "gespuckt". Ich habe übrigens nichts gegen Bodybuilding. Er vergleicht nur Äpfel mit Birnen.
What, pray, is dysfunctional strength?
I really like kettlebells especially 50lbs . I can do everything with that one kettlebell and try openers with that cannonball for a while. That will rock your world.
I'm 35 and have been training my body since i was 5 years old. Martial arts does that to you.
No object can fully train anyone all around than the human body itself.
People always look for three things in the life but get these three confused!
*Lose weight
*Get in shape (fit)
*Gain muscle! (Body building)
Losing weight always involves diet and exercise.
Getting fit involves more commitment than the first one and maintaining that
Body building is dangerous because now you are dealing with heavy 🪨 equipment and can injure the body.
Gaining more muscle you have to be ready to maintain that muscle for the rest of your life because if you stop it will become mush.
Dumbbells are good for building muscles, bench press is good for building muscles, and so on. These things are dangerous to train with.
Kettlebells are great to train with but also dangerous if not done right.
Honestly, I expected Dr. Mike to be much harsher.
If you use kettlebells regularly , then you know.
Ofcaursr u can train cardio whit a barbell. Kettle bell dumbells and barbell are all great.
Problem with Dr.Mike and his devoted followers is his mindset that "everyone wants to get jacked". How about no? I would rather have an explosiveness and endurance. Don't get me wrong, Deadlifts and barbell squats make me feel like Hulk, but at the same time, I move like Hulk, or like a clay monster. I have massive legs, yet I can't jump up to a threshold above my knees etc... Dr. Mike's mantra is great if all you want is to have a lot of muscle. When you want to USE those muscles for something, looks somewhere else.
I started using kettlebells a while back and my benchmark is bouldering where one of the most common challenging moves is to use the tips of your fingers to hold most of your body weight, but the rest of the body needs to be flexible - so the mindset of the deadlift where you are so tense you can crap out a diamond is not going to cut it. What I discovered was - kettlebell training taught my brain how to very dynamically contract muscle groups where they are needed, without locking up the whole body.
You are not choosing kettlebells for explosiveness and endurance. Cardio is for endurance. Explosiveness is possible with every type of weight.
This guys in the video doesn’t provide any research. Which Mike does…
gpp is bullshit