Have you ever seen those guys or gals at the gym doing an exercise with a partial range of motion? Maybe they were doing 1/4 squats or even the dreaded half pullups (I call them “sissy pullups”). If you’re like me, then this probably drives you crazy. There have been times when I just wanted to grab someone by the scruff of their sweaty tank top and yell, “you’re doing it wrong!” But are they really? Do they know something that we don’t, and is there something to partial rep training that we could all do well to draw on? Well, a new study shines some light on this issue, and we’re going to take a quick peek in a minute.
But first, let me be clear that there are two kinds of people who use partial reps in their programs. First, you have the advanced weightlifters – the guys who may or may not be competitive strength athletes, but at the very least, have been at the iron game for years. These are the guys who will plug some partial rep training into their routines – usually to help improve a weak portion of a lift (like the rock bottom position of the squat, or the lockout portion of the deadlift). For example, you might see one of these guys doing deadlifts with an barbell that is elevated on pins in the power rack so that he’s only doing the top half of the range of motion, or he may be using resistance bands to make the very last portion of the ROM the toughest. So, that’s your first category of partial rep trainees. These guys are the elites and they know what they’re doing.
Then you have the next category, which is just some person who knows hardly anything about training and generally uses sloppy technique in all of their lifting exercises, usually because they are trying to lift with way too much weight. You thought 1/4 squats were bad? Try watching someone do 1/8 squats with twice their bodyweight on the bar! Needless to say, it doesn’t take a strength and conditioning coach to tell the two categories of trainees apart.
I receive a lot of emails about my own personal training program. I seldom answer them, for fear of having someone misunderstand or misapply something in their own training. My program is unique and crafted for my personal needs, and it would be irresponsible to recommend others follow the same program that I do [...]
Adjustable kettlebells seem like a clever idea, but I doubt that anyone on earth would actually enjoy using such an awful invention after my experience with them. Kettlebell handles certainly fill a niche need, but there are definitely some disadvantages that should not go overlooked.
Several years ago, a friend of mine gave me one of his Kettlestack adjustable kettlebell handles. He had just invested in some standard kettlebells of his own, and was happy to get rid of that old, clanky kettlebell handle. It was his loss and my gain, or something like that, and I appreciated the gift. Although, over the next few months, I learned exactly why he was so eager to get rid of it.
In a word, adjustable kettlebells are simply awkward. In two words, they’re awkward and cheap – not to mention flimsy, inefficient, uncomfortable and even dangerous to an extent. For the most part, I don’t recommend adjustable kettlebells or any type of kettlebell handle at all, and I hope you never have to use one for weeks or months like I did. That said, it’s important to be fair and offer both the advantages and disadvantages of each training tool. So, I put together this product review to explain exactly why I don’t like adjustable kettlebells, and why you probably wouldn’t either. If you’ve been thinking about getting an adjustable kettlebell, you might think twice after you see this review.
Adjustable Kettlebells VS Standard Kettlebells – Video Review
*Please note: the adjustable kettlebell featured in the above video is not actually an authentic Kettlestack – it is a replicated version.
Even though, both standard grade (iron) kettlebells and pro-grade (steel) kettlebells are lightyears ahead of any type of adjustable kettlebell, I only fully endorse and recommend professional-grade kettlebells. If you’d like to know why these are the best type of kettlebell, then please read my First Time Kettlebell Buyer’s Guide below. Continue reading Adjustable Kettlebells VS Standard Kettlebells
You’d be crazy to buy Russian kettlebells after you’ve seen how much the prices are marked up. See up-to-date prices from several of the leading kettlebell manufacturers below.
Russian Kettlebells
So, I was in the market for some new kettlebells and I decided to do some market research to find the best deals online. What I found was part liberating and part infuriating. After a little bit of shopping around, numbers crunching, and adding all the data to a spreadsheet, the results were downright shocking. I quickly discovered that one of the leading retailers for Russian kettlebells have their products consistently marked up over 200% from its competitors. Now, I can understand a marginal markup, but when you have the ability to offer your products at 50% off and STILL be more expensive than the competitors, something is wrong. Even shipping is more expensive than some of the competition.
One leading retailer for Russian kettlebells (I won’t mention names… yet) sells a 16kg Kettlebell for $125.95. That price is for a single kettlebell shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states of the continental USA. Another leading retailer for Russian kettlebells charges $54.95 for the same type of kettlebell – and that also includes shipping.
Note: If you haven’t already, check out my article Don’t Buy Russian Kettlebells Until After You’ve Seen This.
Professional Grade Kettlebells by Perform Better
I used to endorse the pro-grade kettlebells sold by the IKFF, but that is no longer the case. You see, I found out that the IKFF simply sells kettlebells [...]
But first, let me be clear that there are two kinds of people who use partial reps in their programs. First, you have the advanced weightlifters – the guys who may or may not be competitive strength athletes, but at the very least, have been at the iron game for years. These are the guys who will plug some partial rep training into their routines – usually to help improve a weak portion of a lift (like the rock bottom position of the squat, or the lockout portion of the deadlift). For example, you might see one of these guys doing deadlifts with an barbell that is elevated on pins in the power rack so that he’s only doing the top half of the range of motion, or he may be using resistance bands to make the very last portion of the ROM the toughest. So, that’s your first category of partial rep trainees. These guys are the elites and they know what they’re doing.
