When/how to move up a kettlebell weight/size?

“How do you go about going up in weight with a kettlebell? What are the requirements that you think make it a good idea to go from 12 kg to 16 kg?”

A couple of variables to cover before the answer. They are: exercise goal, exercise variation, and the difference between being ready to start building yourself up with the next weight, or using the next weight, “to go from” requires ‘start building yourself up’. Watch the video, read the article, or both.

• How do you know you are ready to move up to the next kettlebell weight/size?
• How do I know when I need to move up in weight?
• When to move up a kettlebell size?
• Is my kettlebell too heavy?
• Is my kettlebell too light?
• How to learn proper kettlebell form and technique?
  • Free Kettlebell Training Mobile App
  • Self Assess
• Summary or TLDR

How do you know you are ready to move up to the next kettlebell weight/size?

You are ready to start using the next kettlebell weight/size when you can move that weight with good form and technique, and walk away without injury. However, you are not ready to treat that heavier weight in the same manner as your current kettlebell weight.

Making that heavier kettlebell feel like your current weight is your goal, and that requires progression. Progression by building up the reps, or in the case of cardio/endurance, reducing the rest time and increasing the work time gradually.

If you are after building absolute strength (the maximum amount of weight that you can lift for one repetition), then 3 is a good number. For strength, 6 reps is a good number. For hypertrophy, 12 reps is a good number. For muscular endurance, 12+ reps is a good number. These numbers are to keep in mind for your progression and knowing when you are ready to actually make the full move to the next weight.

1. Absolute strength: 3 repetitions
2. Strength: 6 repetitions
3. Hypertrophy: 12 repetitions
4. Muscular endurance: 12+ repetitions

For cardio, any number is good, as long as you keep moving and keep the heart rate at or above the level you are training. For example, I could do a combo that has 5 exercises, and each exercise is performed for one rep. I also switch sides after each combo. The great thing is that the combo works different parts of the body on each rep, and after the completion of the combo, I switch to the other side, which allows me to keep going much longer as the worked side now gets some rest.

An example of a kettlebell combo with 5 exercises is the BOSTON COMBO, which I designed and filmed on a beach in Albania.

The short answer

Question: How do you go about going up in weight with a kettlebell?
Answer: Through a carefully planned progression

Question: What are the requirements that you think make it a good idea to go from 12 kg to 16 kg?
Answer: The requirements to start building up (planned progression) are being able to perform a short set with good form and technique. The requirements to go from your current to the next kettlebell weight are having built up to the volume you are performing with your current weight, and not experiencing injury.

How do I know when I need to move up in weight?

When you are working out for cardio benefits, and you are doing the same workout you did a month ago, but you are no longer getting your heart rate in the same zone at the same intensity (whether pace or weight), then it’s time to start building yourself up to the next weight. It may not mean you are ready to use that weight to complete the same workout at the same pace, as this would be a jump and skipping progression.

When you are working out for strength benefits, you are ready to start building yourself up with the next weight when your 1RM has become your 4RM.

All other requirements that I cover(ed) apply.

When to move up a kettlebell size?

We know we are ready to move up in kettlebell weight when we’re working for strength, and we have mastered the form and technique for the exercise in question. We complete all repetitions and sets with our current weight and experience no injuries or discomfort.

I should mention that injury can be a result of not being ready, but it can also mean incorrect/bad programming.

So, there is building up to and moving up. When we move up, we ditch the old weight and work primarily with the new weight. When we build up, we grab the new weight and start using it in low volume, adhering to the requirements mentioned above:

1. Form and technique mastered
2. Form and technique are not affected
3. No injury
4. Low repetitions and plenty of rest
5. Follow progression

With progression, let’s not forget that mastering the Clean is a progression to the Snatch. Mastering the Clean is a requirement for the Squat, Press, and anything else that starts from the racking position or needs to be brought overhead.

Is my kettlebell too heavy?

It is if you are unable to maintain good form and technique, or if you walk away from your set with an injury. It is if you are not able to meet the requirements for the kettlebell exercise in question.

Is my kettlebell too light?

It is if you don’t have the required resistance for a ballistic exercise like the swing, clean, or snatch. It is if your weight is flopping around, or in the case of the swing, you are moving the weight with your arms. It is, if it’s not working toward your goal of strength, and you’re not even close to exerting any effort.

How to learn proper kettlebell form and technique?

Before you can learn proper form and technique, you need to know what you want to do. There is a huge misconception out there that a Swing is a Swing, that a Press is a Press, that a Snatch is a Snatch, and so on.

To explain as simply as possible, let’s use the Push-Up as an example. Ask someone to do a Push-Up, and one might do a Triceps Push-Up, one might do a Chest Push-Up, and the other might do a Hybrid Push-Up. With the first, the elbows are moving past the ribs, with the second, the elbows are out wide, and the focus is placed on the chest. With the third, the elbows are positioned between the first and the second variation.

Each person performed a different variation of the Swing exercise. In reality, we perform exercise variations. An exercise has a general requirement, like the Push-Up, the requirement is to push yourself away from the ground. The variations define the exact requirements, like in this case, how far the elbows are positioned from the ribs, which define the muscles engaged.

I could define my point much more, but to keep it simple, the objective was to get across that to learn proper form and technique, you need to know at each stage of your studying what exercise variation you are aiming to learn.

If you are in a CrossFit environment, then to them, a Swing is an American Swing (which is a variation of the swing), and in a Hardstyle environment, a swing is always a Hardstyle Swing, which is a variation of the swing that has specific requirements to be met. Without going deeper into this topic, check out our free mobile app, which has hundreds of kettlebell exercise variations, photos, videos, and more.

Free Kettlebell Training Mobile App

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cavemantraining.kettlebellmonster

Self Assess

Something we teach our online students is to self-assess, as it’s a very important part of mastering kettlebell training, or any form of training for that matter. To be able to self-assess, you need to know what you are comparing against, which requires knowing what you are doing and making sure that the source you are comparing against is also correct.

Paid Kettlebell Training Resources

Anyone who has taken and passed one of our high-quality online kettlebell training certifications walks away knowing 200% more, moves safely and effectively, understands how to perform the basic exercises, and works out with confidence.

Anyone who became an IKU member has learned to squat, even when they thought they could not be fixed, learned how to safely perform all the exercises that work toward their goals, and has access to coaching, routines, programs, and workouts.

The programs, routines, and workouts below have all the information one needs for proper form and technique, proper progression, and more.

Free Kettlebell Training Resources

Part of the NEO program is available for free, and you can find the details here.
I’ve created a free kettlebell beginner’s guide, which you can find here.
Free kettlebell workouts with member videos that provide follow-along and technique.

Beginner Kettlebell Workout Full Body With 4 Basic Exercises

Summary or TLDR

When to move up a kettlebell weight?

You can start building yourself up with the next weight when you can do several good reps that don’t break form and technique for the exercise variation in question.

The question is generally “When can I move up to the next kettlebell weight?”, but the correct question is: When can I start building myself up with the next weight?

You can move up to the next kettlebell weight when you can complete the full set(s) required for your goal and still adhere to all the requirements of form and technique, and no injury.

How to move up a kettlebell weight?

You move up to the next kettlebell weight by first mastering the form and technique for the exercise variation in question. Then you check if you can perform several reps of the exercise variation while adhering to all the requirements, and then you can start building yourself up to fully move to that weight, i.e., carefully planned progression.

Strength Progression

Current 1RM: 32kg/71lb
Keep working until that is your 4RM
Re-test your 1RM with the next weight up

Current 1RM: 32kg/71lb
6RM (85%) approx. 26kg/57lb
Start building yourself up with the next weight up
Move up when you reach 6 reps

Cardio Progression

Current weight: 16kg/35lb
Workout: Quicksilver
The weight selection (current weight) is such that you complete the workout and need to put in a lot of effort, but are able to complete the workout.
Keep doing the same workout with your current weight. To progress, break down the workout, split it up, increase rest, or reduce reps, and build it up with your next weight. Keep progressing until the next weight feels the same as your old weight.

In other words, adjust the programming of the workout to build yourself up with the next weight.

The General Public Answer

When asking the same question to the general public, you will get an opinion or guesstimate at a number of reps for a certain exercise, like, for example, 100 swings, and then move up to the next weight. 50 presses and then move up to the next weight. 25 TGUs and then move up to the next weight. And so on.

On that note, the TGU is interesting, as muscular endurance plays a huge role here. I still go back to “If you can do one or several reps with good form and technique, then it’s time to start building up…”, but as part of the TGU, I would include the same test that I give a beginner who has never done this exercise, and that is an overhead hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t do that, then you are not ready to even start building with the next weight.