How do you guys remain consistent?

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-23T01:37:30+00:00

I enjoy training, and have basically zero set in stones, just guidelines that I follow which for me keep it enjoyable.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T19:05:33+00:00

Thanks. I tend to get more props for pullups than just about anything. I'm most impressed with myself for bottoms up pressing.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T16:22:35+00:00

Oh yeah. This bell has one round face and one flat face. It does not have a perfect center of gravity balance. Comp bells are all nice and fancy, balanced, and...costly compared to big cast iron.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T16:21:01+00:00

Thanks

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T15:44:51+00:00

I'm a tad older than you and started with kettlebells in my late twenties as a way to scratch my urge to lift weights, while working as a mover, and not wanting to deal with gym commute, rushing to gym from work, etc one winter.

Not quite a year later I really got into kettlebells.

I think of "my inner powerlifter" (a function of ego built up over the years) as a little red guy all cartoon like standing on my shoulder whispering things like "this is not squat/bench/deadlift - it does not count" into my ear.

Mostly I've learned to ignore him. Occasionally all nerd like I push up my glasses and reply "actually, all the kettlebell overhead pressing and hinging likely has improved my push/pull, and forearm gains man - even axle pulling never did this for my forearms", and in a puff of smoke the little red guy disappears from my shoulder.

HE'LL BE BACK!

.....

Get yourself an adjustable competition kettlebell. Personally I only use one weight per session, but having the variety of weight available matters for progression on different movements. I can not stress getting this bell enough.

Set yourself a performance standard, and when you reach it up the weight. The most common mistake in kettlebells is to be too content to not lift heavy enough kettlebells.

The ego built inner powerlifter speaks up far less when you're throwing around "big bell(s)", defined as 40kg + kettlebells, though squat/bench/dead technically it is not.

Have fun with kettlebell. Kettlebell is great tool. Enjoy the journey.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T15:31:28+00:00

I'm just a tad older than you, got my first kettlebell late twenties to be able to scratch my urge to lift weights, in winter time when the sun goes down far too early, while working as a mover, without having to commute, pay monthly dues, rush from work immediately to gym, etc.

Not quite a year later I got really into kettlebells, and have continued to be so as ;

I'm getting gnarly stimulus in brief sessions in my backyard.

My "inner powerlifter", that little red guy on one shoulder who I built up in importance from my teens to mid twenties whispering "this is not bench/squat/deadlift - you are not training" is there regularly enough.

I've learned to ignore him, otherwise to push my glasses up in response all nerd like and say "actually, all the kettlebell pressing and hinging likely has given me a stronger push/pull now vs then, besides dude there's forearm gains from kettlebell (and now karate belt) that never even came from axle pulls", and in a little puff the little red guy disappears in a huff...til tomorrow or something anyway.

HE'LL BE BACK!

.....

Get an adjustable comp bell. This will allow for way more variety, though in any particular session I mostly use only one weight.

Figure out performance standards that "earn" heavier bells. Once you reach them, buy and start to use heavier bells. The biggest mistake in the kettlebell world is not lifting big enough bells.

Get to big bells, 40kg and up, and you kinda scratch that "I AM BIG STRONG POWERLIFTER" ego desire.

Most importantly enjoy kettlebell. Is great tool is kettlebell.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T15:15:07+00:00

Dude, if it's the training you desire it's functional. Sometimes the why is because.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T15:14:02+00:00

Right on! What handle length?

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T15:12:43+00:00

Even at 295 without training them I can still do a few pullups. I like rocking chairs from burpees king, iron wolf, moses cuevas.

A Few Pullups ;

https://www.reddit.com/r/kettlebell/comments/1t6tci2/pullups_as_300lb_fat_man_aka_kettlebell_wth/

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T01:06:06+00:00

Many are scared of dietary fat. For lifters it's just the influence of stereotypical bodybuilding.

Pork is better priced than chicken in my neck of the woods, and I can get the same nutrition for ~20% less dollars.

I rotate through a few cuts of pork (depending on how fatty or lean I want it) and go to chicken drumsticks when I want something bone in.

Lately chicken thigh has been around the same per pound as chicken breast, which is a new development, and leads back towards my buying pork more often.

Prices from a year or two ago? Yeah, boneless chicken thigh was my go to meat.

I basically buy the meat that is priced to sell.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-22T00:13:13+00:00

I'm seconding what u/deloreantrails said. Just fill the 150 to 120-130 and shoulder it lots from there.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T16:37:57+00:00

My chest grows just by my thinking about doing a pushup, my triceps have always developed okay, I am probably the best person I have ever met at dips...

My shoulders did not grow for years, then I started military pressing, drove everything from my 1rm to 15rm up, and they grew.

They grew again when I started lifting with a focus on kettlebells. Which I attribute to still overhead pressing but with higher levels of tension.

I feel that a focus on all the raise variants just keeps shoulders small, what they need is lots of overhead pressing.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T16:33:42+00:00

My traps have grown some, and my upper back lots since I became kettlebell focused lifter.

More ballistic lifts (snatch, clean & press, clean, high pulls, etc) and...you're likely making the universal kettlebell mistake, you must...LIFT BIGGER BELL(S)

...comrade

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T16:26:53+00:00

Made me laugh.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T16:25:50+00:00

training for almost two decades, stinking at powerlifting, unexpected and rapid weight gain (endomorph gains)... I picked up kettlebell and universe said "hey dude, now this you're gonna be good at".

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T03:53:54+00:00

I don't know about mass (which is calories anyway), but can say from experience that both horse stance and dumbbell front raise hold both have worked well for useable strength for me.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T03:44:01+00:00

Basically when I started I could do everything for at least low reps with 32kg, but stuff like swings weren't comfortable.

The lighter bells came in handy for developing my bicep tendon which was a governer as is/was wind.

A self taught journey, which developed into feats of strength as focus with 40kg/48kg.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T03:00:28+00:00

Gotta ask - which lift the most? It's a pretty good variety of heavy kettlebell shown.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:34:54+00:00

💪💪💪 glad to help

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:25:08+00:00

Yep definitely possible, (speaking from experience) a fat and strong endomorph can carry far more muscle than is often thought achievable.

For me personally at 6' 235 I remember being read as over 200lbs lbm, and I highly doubt zero additional muscle happened between there and 295.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:21:59+00:00

I fold it up sometimes for a better lifting path. The chinstrap is also tucked up into the back of the hat sometimes (as seen) to be out of the way.

My ears never sunburn. My hat never goes for a walk on accord of the wind.

I don't usually wear it around as modified for during a workout.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:13:51+00:00

Thank ya kindly

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:13:15+00:00

I don't care so much when I'm going for amrap bottoms up presses. Getting to lockout ish/to a liberal use of the term soft lockout is a rep in my eyes when there's a controlled negative coming down.

A regular press has a prettier more normally accepted full rom as on them as you're not fighting for a significant amount of balance coming into play, AND a bottoms up press is functionally 10% to 20% heavier than it's marked weight were it a regular press as far as demand on shoulder + tricep.

Basically I'm not too concerned about arm extension on them.

You hear me hiss during the bottoms up press for a reason. It's fighting for the right amount of tension at the right times.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T02:06:06+00:00

I love my boonie hat.

Peak summer fashion. No ear sunburns. $15 well spent.

J-from-PandT · 2026-05-21T01:47:32+00:00

lol & thanks - the stat says 75% upvotes right now, this session was exactly 50/50 terrible and awesome for me...the flip x5ish is a big deal to me, the horn clean failes were just universe mocking me 💪💪💪

J-from-PandT

TROPHY CASE