What is the best weight to start with kettlebells?

I can safely say I answer this question at least once a week.

Enough so that I’ve added it to our FAQ page.

But loving all things kettlebells, I’m more than happy to answer it once again.

How much should your first kettlebell weigh?

Regardless of how often I get asked this question I’m always happy to answer it because it means you’re intrigued.

And honestly, it’s an important question to ask.

A kettlebell may be a low cost, one-time investment; however, buying the right one is critical to your success.

Buy too light and you’ll feel like you haven’t done anything after a workout session.

Buy too heavy and you run the risk of injury.

Now given all that, the general guidelines that we here at HIIT HART advise is as follows:

A great starting point for men is a 16kg, or 35lb, bell.

For women we suggest a slightly lighter starting point at 12kg, or 25lb.

I tried your suggestion and it doesn’t feel right…

Again, keep in mind that these are standard suggestions.

It doesn’t take into account any previous training you may have done.

In these instances, where you’re not a complete fitness beginner we have a slightly different suggestion.

Given these circumstances, we suggest a great starting point is 20 percent of your current weight minus 5lbs for men and 10lbs for women.

From there feel free to make any weight adjustments either higher or lower.

How much of a jump in weight should I increase my kettlebells by?

As you get stronger, naturally you’re going to want to purchase additional sets to maintain a good amount of resistance.

For progressive resistance, you’ll want to increase your set by 2 to 4kgs.

This means that if your initial set was a 16kgs; the next set you should have your eye on would be either a 18kg or 20kg set.

From there simply rinse and repeat the process.

I’ve settled on the best weight to start with and got my first kettlebell set, now what?

You start training!

There’s a ton of great programs out there for lifters of all skill levels.

If your goal is to simply workout at home, may we suggest that you consider our own program?

I can say HIIT HART is an amazing fitness program that’s scalable for all users.

We upload four new, 30-minute workout videos each week that you can stream right here on our website and all for just $8 a month.

Even better yet, you can stream a free class on us by clicking the link in the green hello bar above or just click here.