Hard Vs Soft (competition) style kettlebells

Neither is better, they are just different...
Have any questions? Leave a comment below.
FAQ & ANSWERS:
What workout gear do you use?
What's your camera setup?

[markmay]

An easy way to tell the difference between the weights of comp bells is the paintwork condition. The 16kg (yellow in the vid) has been bashed around, paint chipped off it everywhere (well used). The Big Boy 40kg (white in the vid) is in nearly brand new condition (probably used twice) including for the filming of the vid. 😂

[cayers]

Mark, good content, as usual. You mentioned Jeff Martone. I know Jeff, we studied martial arts together many years ago. A good man, an awesome fighter and a kettlebell guru. Funny how small the circles get.

[AdamSimon]

Thanks for all your content Mark. It has helped me on my journey entering into kettlebells/working out.

Watched about 10 of your videos and you have some of the best content and style.

Need to check your channel for a beginner routine.

[ZZ-ZOV]

Center of mass is closer to the hand on the competition kettlebells.
This way it makes it easier to make more reps.
Classic KBs have lower center of mass, it helps to develop strength.

[ispawnalot]

Hiya Mark. I think there is a small but important point you're missing about competition kb's. They're all the same size and shape so that the dynamic remains consistent. You don't have to alter your grip, stance, or action when you change weights. Once good form is learnt and solidified in the mind there is never any need to change it. This is crucial to maintain good form and thus avoid injury and less effective training. You can also use any kb anywhere in the world comfortably and without issue.

[andy_in_nh]

The content of your videos always change, but the result is always the same - good info!

[isabellegilbert]

Mark, can do you a video on the basic clubbell movements for true beginners who want to start with the basics? Thanks for all your great content!

[TheDukeofDixie]

Would appreciate your thoughts on whether competition kettlebell is practical for fitness work (I'm not interested in kettlebell sport) without having to chalk the handle. I've used hardstyle bells thus far, but have wanted to try using a competition bell. I workout in my home and the idea of having chalk getting all over the place is a negative incentive. I notice you use competition bells for your videos without chalk, but I realize you're not doing many reps when you're simply demonstration movements. How likely to you think it is that I'd need to chalk a competition bell?

[kingakinsawisniowska]

I love competition ketts and hardstyle bells the same way. Thanks for you content Sir:)

[JohnGBeckett]

Mark, you didn't talk at all about the centre of mass offset between hard and soft style kettlebells. Would you please share your thoughts on that?

[crayzmarc]

Can you do one on the handles themselves and what you prefer as I've seen a mix of rounded and more square handles. And don't understand if there are some pro's and con's to each or one should denote one purpose and the other should denote another puropse.

[ponypruhest]

When using kettlebells for push up or plank, I found that competition style seems to be more stable. What is your experience?

[CaribbeanQueenxx]

Thank you for this video, I never knew the difference.

[raywade]

Very helpful! I’ve got some bad bells, unfortunately. This is Cajun country, perhaps I’ll sell them to some crawfish fishermen as boat anchors and start over! 🤷‍♂️

[wadsworth]

I was wondering Mark: maybe i'll stick to comp kettlebells for all the "basic stuff" i.e. swings, snatches, presses, get ups, etc. and then buy some RKC ones in heavier weights for other functional exercises like loaded carries, deadlifts and some types of squats - how's the rationale of that in your opinion?

[usernamedenied]

Just realised it's not me it's the kettlebell that's hurting my wrist. Have been practicing the 'hooking' movement for cleans and was experiencing a lot of discomfort and not knowing what I was doing wrong. I now see the lower the weight I was using to practice the smaller the handle and the less room for movement I was giving myself. Seems I need to get a new competition bell for myself 😎👌

[besmiraliaj]

Yellow is a winner in my opinion . Because it has more community compare to the movements.

[chrisfournier]

Struggledd to figure out what bells to buy when I was getting into KBs. I opted for competition bells and for me they are the right choice, sure juggling is a bit harder but that's cool. My gym has a pair of hard style of bells that are 100 lbs each. Want to talk about garbage? Yeah these are it. Someone just scaled up a smaller hard bell to the weight. The handles are at least 1 3/4" in diameter! The castings are so horrible to boot. The kicker is that someone who works for my gym actually bought these things. Of course there isn't a trainer there that actually can use KBs...

[tootallc]

This answered some question! Thank you!

[notafraid]

Hey mark. Recently found your channel, you have great content! If you’re looking for suggestions for videos, I think it would be awesome for you to talk through how to structure a complete kettlebell/club workout. With all of this coronavirus stuff going on and gyms being closed, I bought some kettlebells myself. However, I’m so used to programming a barbell workout, I’m not sure how to properly structure a workout solely using bells/clubs. Thoughts?