· Steve Callanan · 5 min read
A kettlebell is one of the most useful things you can own in a small home gym. One bell covers swings, goblet squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and carries, and it stores in a corner. The hard part is choosing the weight, because the right kettlebell for a swing is rarely the right one for an overhead press.
This guide is for home and beginner buyers. It covers how to pick a starting weight, when to add a second bell and how cast iron and competition kettlebells differ.
Why the first kettlebell weight is tricky
Different movements use very different amounts of muscle. A swing is driven by the hips and the legs, so most people can swing a bell far heavier than anything they can press overhead with one arm. A goblet squat sits in between.
That means a single kettlebell is always a compromise. Buy too light and the swings and deadlifts stop being useful within a few weeks. Buy too heavy and you cannot press or row it with good form, so half the program disappears.
The answer for most people is to choose the first bell for the two-handed lower body movements, then add a lighter or heavier bell as the program asks for it.
Starting weights by exercise
Rather than a chart by age or body weight, start from what you will actually do with the bell.
- Two-handed swings, deadlifts and goblet squats. These want the heaviest bell of the three. Choose a weight you can deadlift from the floor for 10 smooth reps with a flat back and no strain in the lower back.
- Rows and single-arm work. A step or two lighter than your swing bell is typical. You should be able to row it for 8 to 12 reps on each side without twisting.
- Overhead presses and Turkish get-ups. The lightest bell. If you cannot press it overhead with control for 5 reps on each side, it is too heavy for this job.
If you are new to training, err on the lighter side for your first bell and spend the first few weeks on technique, especially for swings. A bell you can move well is worth more than a heavier one you fight.
When to buy a second (and third) kettlebell
Most home lifters outgrow a single bell in one of two directions: the swings get easy, or the presses stay too hard. That is the signal to add a second bell.
A practical pattern is three bells spaced a few kilograms apart: a light bell for pressing, a middle bell for rows and single-arm work, and a heavy bell for swings, deadlifts and squats. MasterKraft sells this as the Competition Kettlebell Set of 3, an 8kg, 12kg and 16kg bell (36kg in total), which suits a lot of people starting out at home.
When you add bells, keep the steps sensible. Jumping straight from a light bell to a very heavy one leaves a gap that most exercises fall into.
Cast iron vs competition kettlebells
The two styles you will see most often look similar but behave differently.
Cast iron kettlebells grow in size as they get heavier. A light cast iron bell is small and a heavy one is large, so the handle width, the shape of the bell and where it sits on your forearm all change from weight to weight. They are usually the lower-cost option and are fine for general training.
Competition kettlebells are made to the same physical size at every weight. The handle, the bell diameter and the way it sits in the rack position stay identical, so your technique carries straight across when you move up a weight. That consistency is why competition-style bells are popular with people who train kettlebells seriously.
MasterKraft's Competition Kettlebells are this style. Every weight from 8kg up is made from steel rather than iron (the 6kg is aluminium), with a powder coated finish, a smooth square handle, a large flat base and colour-coded bands so each weight is easy to pick out. The range runs from 6kg to 40kg. There is also a urethane-coated competition range, which uses a black urethane finish that hides marks.
For a home buyer, competition bells cost more per kilogram, but the consistent size makes it easier to build a set that feels like one tool rather than several.
Storing kettlebells at home
Kettlebells have flat bases, so they sit happily on the floor, but a row of bells along a wall soon turns into something to trip over. A rubber mat under the bells protects the floor and stops them sliding.
Once you own three or more, a rack keeps them off the floor and in weight order. The two-tier kettlebell rack is 1.2 metres wide, so check the published dimensions against your wall before ordering.
Home kettlebells vs commercial buying
Everything above is aimed at a home gym or a beginner choosing one to three bells. If you are equipping a studio, PT space or club and need a full run of weights for many users, our commercial kettlebell buying guide covers ranges, quantities and durability for that setting.
Choose your first bell
Start with one bell for your lower body movements, learn the swing well, then add bells as the program asks. You can compare weights, finishes and sets across the kettlebell range, with stock and lead times on each product page.