Which weight do you need?
The most common question we get — and the answer hangs on the exercise, not on the person. The reason is simple: your hips are considerably stronger than your shoulders. In the swing the hips work, in the press the shoulder does. So the same weight can be easy to swing and impossible to press.
Hence the rule of thumb: what you swing is roughly double what you can move cleanly overhead.
Guide values for starting out
| Exercise | Women, starting | Men, starting | What matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swing | 8–12 kg | 16–20 kg | hips drive, arms only hang on |
| Deadlift | 12–16 kg | 20–24 kg | the exercise for learning the hip hinge |
| Goblet squat | 8–12 kg | 16–20 kg | trunk holds against it, back stays straight |
| Clean & press | 6–8 kg | 12–16 kg | the shoulder sets the limit, not the hips |
| Turkish get up | 4–8 kg | 8–12 kg | rather too light — this one forgives nothing |
| Snatch | 8–12 kg | 16–20 kg | only once swing and clean are solid |
Why starting lighter is almost always right
With a kettlebell, technique decides the effect, not the weight. A clean swing at 16 kg trains the hips better than a ripped one at 24 kg — and it does your back no harm. Start too heavy and you pull the bell up with your arms, which is exactly when none of what you bought it for happens.
That is why for most people the second bell is a lighter one, not a heavier one: for get ups, presses and windmills. The heavy one for swings and deadlifts comes after that.
How you know the next bell is due
Ten clean reps
If the last rep looks like the first and you are not out of breath, there is room above.
The technique holds
Back straight, hips driving, shoulders down. Only when that holds under fatigue is more weight worth it.
The step is 4 kg
From 16 to 20, from 20 to 24. Bigger jumps cost technique, smaller ones you hardly notice.
Your hands keep up
Often the grip is the limit, not the strength. If your hands give out before your hips, stay at the weight and work on the grip.
Want it more precise?
The finder asks about your training, your experience and your space — and suggests a type and concrete weights.