Customer Reviews

5 lb. Kettlebell

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just spent an hour going through the stock of a local fitness company. The Body Solid kettlebells are really well-finished - not quite as smooth as the picture makes it out to be, but close (!) and quite a bit smoother and better finished than the GoFit, Cap, Troy, Apollo, and Powermax bells I looked at recently. I found several that I could buy and never bother to touch up the handles, in fact. They're almost as smooth as most epoxy coated kettlebells.

The handles graduate in size somewhat, but are roughly 1 3/8" or 35 mm through most of the range (appx. 20 - 50 pounds), and a bit smaller below that and a bit larger above. Space inside the handle is a bit under 3", but measurements were hard to get very accurately with a tape measure. Suffice it to say that handle diameters are sufficiently beefy, and space is certainly mainline.

The paint on all the examples I saw, except one oddball, was shiny black. Body Solid describes it as enamel, though the dealer insisted it was powder coat. It scratches white, and some on the rack showed some scratches like this. I actually preferred the matte finish on the oddball, but the dealer insisted that all new ones are the shiny black.

I like them, and they're well-priced. The only problem - for me - is that I prefer kettlebells in conventional kilo weights, as virtually every book, video, training regime, article, etc. that you read on kettlebells uses kilos (standards weights start with 4kg and go up in 4kg increments). Pound weight is a non-issue for the 35 pounder, as it's only 3 ounces different than a 16 kilo bell. The 55 pounder, however is 2.2 pounds heavier than a 24. Body Solid doesn't make bells above 75 pounds. All competition bells, should you develop that interest, are in standard kilogram weight progressions as well.

If you are staying abreast of the always changing and evolving world of modern fitness you've probably heard of the kettlebell by now. The kettlebell craze seems to have begun with Master of Sports Pavel Tsatsouline's publications like: Enter The Kettlebell! Strength Secret of The Soviet Supermen So I finally decided to see what all the hype was about.

I bought a pair of Body Solid kettlebells off of amazon and starting getting to work with swings, snatches, presses and the Turkish get-up. Kettlebell training has taken mixed martial arts training and combat fitness to another level and I can easily see why after a few weeks of training with them. Body Solid's kettlebells are your basic, no nonsense black iron kettlebell and the wide, thick handles provide a nice grip. They are about as smooth and shiny as they appear to be in the image. Body Solid's kettlebells are fairly well priced too.

I wanted to add product links to instructional DVDs on kettlebell exercise unfortunately it seems that most of the women's kettlebell routines are just aerobics workouts with kettlebells instead of dumbbells. There are plenty of videos on kettlebell sets on certain popular file sharing sites if you are looking to add these to your combat conditioning or functional strength routine.

Bottom line. These simple if unorthodox weights have given me a fever. And the only prescription is more kettlebell.

I am a personal trainer that specializes in "boomers and seniors." The 10 lb kettle bells are too difficult for many women this age to handle. They become discouraged and quit. The 5 lb. kettlebell is perfect to ease the women into this strength-building program. 5 lbs kettlebells are scarce as hens teeth but are a valuable asset to getting clients interested in continuing the program.

OK! So I order this kettlebell after hemming, hawing.Am a kbell newbie with several years home gym training and I'm a Girl.Glad I didn't get the 10 pounder, 15# is good to learn form, and I'm a lightweight at 116lbs. It can be hard to decipher your fitness level and beginning KB weights.I am definitely ordering another 15 plus some 20#'ers to challenge myself.I am so excited! You can feel the difference right away, your Whole Body is involved and all your little muscles incorporate to achieve good form.So much more efficient.I'm looking forwrd to increasing the strength in my wrists and fingers. I've noticed repetitive motion weakness as I get older.Very good buy if you are dedicated.Look forward to heavier weights from same vendor.Excellent customer service BTW, guess they don't wanna lug them back ;> !

Pros:
- Black, smooth finish
- Shaped correctly
- Accurate weight (I weighed mine on a shipping scale)
- In terms of workout equipment, you can't beat a kettlebell. They're very portable, can be used to achieve practical cardio/strength, and are simply fun. Many, many exercises can be performed with a kettlebell. And, not every exercise will suit you. Get a good book (such as Kettlebell Training for Athletes) and follow it.

Cons:
- Can get quite slippery (due to the smooth finish) if your hands are sweaty

Well made bell with no seams to cause pain in the hands. Great product for the price.

Its a kettlebell, very nice and lot cheaper in price than the rkc kettlebells, shinier and has nice smooth finish, would buy again, but I dont need another Kb at this moment, I have this one and the 35 pound rkc Kb.

Tommy

Was so inspired by Tim Ferris book "4-hour body" and got stuck watching all the youtube videos on how to make your workout fun, while still achieving great results. And I gotta say - it works! This cute heavy kettlebell is my best friend now. It's brand new and looking kinda cute, but it's doing its job just perfect!

I am pretty Happy with it. With it I can do challenging exercises, so my workout routine can have a little variety.

I got this Kettle Bell for my fiance for christmas. It came in the mail last week and it is "just what I was looking for". It is Body Solid's typical awesome quality. We will surely be adding the other weights to the set.