The media is constantly promoting that girls should be weak. It pisses me off.
This video drives me crazy.
Hey, maybe it’s not Jackie’s fault. Maybe I’m just pissed off because I read two more articles that said the same thing – girls should lift 18lb kettlebells!
Jackie Warner does kettlebell swings and get ups with super light kettlebells on Extra!
Jackie declares "If you’re not training with kettlebells, you’re not cutting edge!"
Then she shows some halfway decent swing form, and some renegade rows. In actuality, I think she might be able to do swings with decent form if she wasn’t using such a light kettlebell.
She recommends a 9lb kettlebell, and possibly moving up to an 18lb kettlebell some day.
I’m like… are… you… serious???
Working up to 18lbs for leg movements?
What’s up with promoting the myth that girls should use ridiculously light weights?
In a kettlebell swing, you are using the biggest muscles in your body – your glutes and hamstrings. If your leg muscles can’t move 18lbs around, you might not have the strength to stand up out of a chair or walk around outside the house.
Contrast that with Missy Beaver, RKC, the kettlebell instructor who trains Katherine Heigl.
At DragonDoor’s kettlebell convention a few years back, I saw Missy do swings and snatches with 52lb kettlebells with perfect form.
Missy Beaver RKC has been getting a ton of press lately for being Katherine Heigl’s kettlebell instructor. Missy has the lean, athletic body, and rockstar abs you can only get by lifting heavy and being strong.
Now, most of my female clients aren’t up to using 52lb kettlebells for swings and snatches yet, but they’re all using 26lb kettlebells or 36lb kettlebells.
A girl can start off with a 26lb kettlebell for swings, and an 18lb kettlebell for snatches.
Then over time work up to 36lbs or 44lbs for swings, and 26lbs for snatches.
Tracey Reifkind, RKC, doing hundreds of snatches with a 26lb kettlebell.
A guy can start off with a 44lb kettlebell for swings, and a 36lb kettlebell for snatches.
Then work up to a 70lb kettlebell for swings and a 52lb kettlebell for snatches.
I found this video of Lauren Brooks, RKC doing an amazing demonstration of the kettlebell swing.
Note that it looks like she’s swinging a 36lb kettlebell.
Everyone Needs to Get Stronger
The media is constantly promoting that girls should be weak. It really pisses me off.
That’s why I still run into people who think that "light weights for high reps will ‘tone’ their muscles". Right… how has that one been working for you?
I didn’t write either of these two posts to knock Jackie Warner. I love to watch her show.
But it’s ridiculous to me that everyone is saying that girls should lift super light weights.
Kettlebells are starting to creep into the mainstream, and people don’t get that an exercise like the swing, where you drive from the biggest muscles in your body – your glutes and hamstrings, you need to be throwing around as much weight as you can, with perfect form.
Everyone needs to get stronger.
Girls. Guys. Everyone. It’s the ONLY goal of your workouts.
The media is constantly promoting that girls should be weak. Did I mention that it pisses me off?
And for the guys reading this, if you are a guy and you think that light weights are going to get you there, then I really don’t know what to tell you. Seriously, the bodybuilding magazines that say that light weights for high reps "tone" piss me off even more.
Everyone needs to get stronger.
I don’t care what weight you start with. If you have to start with a 9lb kettlebell, start with a 9lb kettlebell. Then be swinging an 18lb kettlebell the next month. And a 26lb kettlebell after that. I don’t care where you start – but get stronger.
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Josh News: Las Vegas, New Books, New Gym
Ok, my Twitter account has been blowing up. So much stuff going on. Too much to even get these articles out on time.
I just spent a week in Las Vegas – a few days with 13 of top fitness professionals in the world at an invitation only mastermind session.
The second half of the week was partying like a rockstar with my wife. Besides going clubbing, we also saw Zumanity, which was AWESOME. I can’t wait to write about that from a fitness perspective, you guys are going to be blown away.
The Fighter Workouts Books have been selling way bigger than I thought. It’s awesome. But in my rush to get them out finally and meet the demands of everyone who was asking for them, there are a few questions un-answered. Coming soon I promise.
I resigned as Master Trainer at 24 Hour Fitness. Time to go out on my own. SO STOKED. So many new offerings for my clients, I can give so much better service, and I’ll have so much more time to write and create new products.
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P.S. For real workouts that are about getting stronger, and actually getting results for a change, check out my two newest books:
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss For Women – www.fw4fl4w.com
and Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Men – www.fw4fl.com
By Josh Hillis, RKC Level 2
"I ripoff Josh Hillis’ workouts to use with my clients on a regular basis." Dave Whitley, Senior Russian Kettlebell Challenge Instructor, and owner of Nashville’s best fat loss bootcamp.
Josh Hillis has been featured in USA Today and The Denver Post
© Joshua Hillis 2008
I admit I fell for this myth for many years. It wasn’t until this summer that I realized lifting heavy weights adds tone and strength, not masculine bulk. Lots of other publications and shows promote the idea that women should stick to light weights. For example, I read an interview with Madonna’s trainer who claimed that women should do simple small movements with light weights(not over 3 POUNDS) and a lot of arm stretches to avoid bulk.
I keep trying to convince my sister in law and my friends that they need to lift weights but they won’t listen to the “skinny bitch”. Yeah I have a longer leaner frame but at 39, I have to work at it. I am stronger now than I was at 19.
I’m holding out for the fighter workout book!
Yeah, that Jackie Warner video was sad. My wife is 55 years old, and she does swings with 35# (she started with an 18-pounder). I tell women who work out with 3-5# dumbbells, that’s what teenage girls wear in their belly-buttons.
First of all, congrats on going out on your own! I’ve been wondering when that was going to happen.
Second, now I am mad that I watched that video. 18 pounds? Come on. I didn’t expect that from Jackie! It’s hard enough trying to convince women that they won’t bulk up with heavy weight; we don’t need someone like Jackie feeding into that myth.
Thanks Josh. I have arguments all the time with people about light weights. Some guys at the gym were even giving me a hard time! I couldn’t take the time to explain to them that I am far smaller than I was 1 year ago, lifting far heavier weights! I spent 20 years spinning my wheels with light weights and low intensity cardio.
This mythology has got to be squashed.
Well I agree with this for the most part..but this is my comment — I have been lifting weights for years, I have actually tried to challenge myself within reason (ie I do not do chest presses with a 7 lb weight!!). But I tried kettlebells recently and I feel like I would injure myself doing a swing with a kettlebell that is more than 15lbs. Seriously, I can do a swing with a 15lb kettlebell, but can barely do a snatch or other movements with that weight. I cannot imagine trying to swing around a 26 lb kettlebell right now and I think it’s really dangerous to suggest that women who have not been lifting heavy weight should be doing that without working up to it.
RE: Feeling like you would get injured with more than a 15lb kettlebell is more likely a form issue than a weight issue.
FORM IS CRITICAL.
Kettlebell swings are a SKILL MOVE.
And many people understimate just how much skill is required for a swing.
Also – it’s not necessarily an intuitive movement. Most people have to be taught. I know I wasn’t doing it correctly until I went to a seminar with Pavel.
I’d recommend getting a lesson from an RKC (Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor).
A kettlebell swing is like a golf swing. It’s a refined skill.
With perfect form, it will feel VERY SAFE, and it will feel very natural to swing heavier weights.
Loving Fight Workouts for Fat Loss!
This may sound silly, but your model is awesome and in great shape in your book. Could you do a little profile on her and feature a post about her? I don’t know if you have seen any of the fitness profiles on bb.com but they do a little Q&A about favorite foods, favorite meals, etc. That would be pretty cool.
I think part of the reason behind promoting “EASY” training means that it appeals to more people and therefore more of a product is sold. It’s similar to all the info-commercials for ab trainers, thigh toning machines that you can get full results with only one-minute per day while watching TV.
Hard work just doesn’t seem to make as much money, but it does get better results.
You are so right! I suppose it is some kind of paradigm shift that must take place. For years and years women have been told that they are going to get a masculine shape if they work with heavier weights. This was wrong, but many women still believe this. The joke is that working with weights is time-saving as you get results much faster.
Josh, found your article through CrossFit. My beginner girls use 35lb kettlebells to do swings. This nonsense about injuries is just an excuse to go light. They are strong enough and the heavy weight forces them to focus on swing form instead of mentally drifting off into la-la land during a workout which I see people do all the time. If you are a trainer or workout all the time, get over your BS excuses and get heavy. I get girls from Globo-Gyms with personal trainers who can’t do a single pullup. Pathetic. ALL my girls do un-assisted pullups. And they do olympic lifts (clean & jerks, snatches etc) as well. Keep up the good work Josh!
thanks for the great info! You are right on track. Ive been trainin people for 11 years and the girls that listen, work hard and lift the way I want em to, have the bodies every other girl in the gym want..people need to stop watchin so much TV to find info on the newest workout secret!