Starting weight for kettlebell (HIIT) page

[atmetal]

Due to a recent desire to perform HIIT workouts as often as twice a day to keep my endomorphic metabolism going, I got interested in the kettlebell. It seems to me that most HIIT workouts emphasize lower body movement, which if I do twice a day will be way too taxing. While I realize that even the basic kettlebell swing works the lower body, it's not nearly as dominant as say, sprinting or jump roping. This is the only thing that interests me regarding kettlebells. I do not wish to become a kettlebell master and I do not wish to grow stronger using kettlebell. I would rather use barbell or bodyweight training. This is another reason I am interested in kettlebell for HIIT, because I can't very well do HIIT pushups or something and expect to be at my best during my next strength training session. Kettlebell, on the other hand, seems like it wouldn't be that hard on the muscles so long as the weight wasn't too heavy. Anyway, my point is that I don't plan on buying multiple kettlebells or using the one I have for anything other than HIIT. So as a relatively fit male, which size should I get?

[jfreaksho]

The Complete Guide to Interval Training [Infographic] | Greatist

HIIT stands for "High Intensity Interval Training". All of the major protocols limit these types of workouts to about 3 times per week. If you are doing the workouts properly, you will not be able to do them multiple times per day, not even once a day, without serious overtraining issues. If you can do these workouts every day, then your intensity is not high enough, and you are no longer doing HIIT.

Before you buy a kettlebell, you probably need to rethink your programming strategy. "Just do more" is not always the correct answer.

[andyTHFC]

It is recommended that males start with 35 lbs (16kg).

[atmetal]

Before you buy a kettlebell, you probably need to rethink your programming strategy. "Just do more" is not always the correct answer.

I really wanted to believe this. I used to sprint only once a week, walk on all the other days and strength train 3 days a week. I ate at an overall calorie deficit, cycling those calories and the macronutrients within to have VLC days interrupted with carb refeeds. I was getting adequate sleep as much as possible. I was doing 16 hour daily IFs with occasional 24 hr fasts. While no system is perfect, all this should have yielded more results than what I had been seeing. Then along came the theory of somatypes with everything pointing towards me being an endomorph. I already started a thread asking advice from other endomorphs and combined with my own research, the general consensus is that we have to rev our metabolisms often because of how quickly it can slow down. I absolutely hate it when non-endomorphs try to share their secret for fat loss with me.

Obviously, if overtraining becomes a problem, than I'll hold off a bit. But wouldn't it be better to try and fail, then to never know in the first place whether or not I could handle that frequency. Besides, I'm well aware that the routines I've been doing aren't really HIIT. I'm only using the term for convenience sake. A long time ago, I tried tabata-style on an elliptical. That was probably the only time I've ever experienced true HIIT. However, my goal was not to qualify my workouts as HIIT. I just needed to keep my metabolism up in a way that low intensity aerobic work won't deliver. So far, it's actually working. The weight is starting to come off again. But everything I'm doing (sprinting, jump rope, burpees, jumping jacks, high knees, etc) is destroying my calves. This is the only thing that's keeping me from doing this stuff twice a day, so I need to find more upper body work while at the same time not interfering with my strength training. Hence, my interest in the kettlebell.

[WeldingHank]

Start with a pood(35lbs)

[FlyingPig]

Another vote for the 16kg. However, you WILL overtrain if you really do proper swings several times a day.

[atmetal]

I understand where you all are coming from. I may have implied that I would do kettlebell HIIT everyday. I meant just a HIIT workout of some sort everyday. That's why I'm interested in the kettlebell, to provide variety so as to avoid overtraining.

I have also read that 16kg is recommended starting weight for men. What I was hoping to find out here is if that would be too heavy considering my only planned use is going to be HIIT, which means it can't be too heavy to keep me from being quick.

[pfair143]

You can make your own kettlebell. I did and it works fine. Very little investment as long as you already have some plates or can get some cheaply. You can experiment to your heart's content.

Tips From The 4 Hour Body Kettlebell Replacement - YouTube

[UpACreek]

One endomorph to another - nothing worked for me until I tried Mark's workout outline, and started moving some serious weight around while 'lifting heavy things'. I had to totally rethink what I considered to be weight-training. I'd been one of those guys that wanted to play with my bodyweight on the bar and then up the reps I could do. I got pretty good at that, but nothing about my body changed. Nothing. Ditched primal for awhile, got sick again, came back. Read Starting Strength and Stronglifts. Started systematically tracking and upping weights during scheduled (read 'regimented') workouts. Muscle grew. Fat melted.

Happy!

...And 40. Age isn't a factor.

[atmetal]

I am well versed in StrongLifts. Progressed fairly far. Then I herniated a disc. Didn't realize it was herniated so I continued to work those heavy weights for another two weeks because I thought it was muscle soreness (and Mehdi says that the quickest way to eliminate soreness is to work through it). I too was seeing decent results doing the heavy compound lifts, but I dare not risk it until I've given my self several months to heal. For now, I've been following Convict Conditioning, which is strength focused. The reps may be higher than 5x5, but it still has a progression system that keep the reps from getting too high. In the meantime, my glycogen depletion strategy was gone and I had to find something else. Another endomorph on this forum said she wasn't seeing any results for years until she delved into HIIT. I gave it a try, and a few days later I had seen weight lost where for two weeks straight it hadn't budged. So I'm certain I'm onto something here.