Light kettlebells are still useful?
Yes! This is something that really surprises me. Why do some people think that when you’re able to use the 20kg, you have to throw the 16kg away? When you’re able to use 20kg dumbbells for curls, does your gym throw away the 15kg dumbbells? Of course not. So why do people think that once you can use a heavier kettlebell, that the lighter weights become useless?
I personally use the entire range of kettlebells – from 4kg to 48kg. They are ALL useful. I use the 4kg for some shoulder and back movements that you CAN NOT use a heavier weight with. The double 8kg is perfect for me to use with overhead squat. The 12kg is one of the most useful kettlebells I own. I can take it with me any where. 12Kg is what I use for cardio/fat loss work, most of the time. A heavier kettlebell would perhaps interfere with my strength training unless I made it a part of my programming. For example, if I’m trying to increase my barbell military press, I have to be careful with pressing the kettlebells or I can interfere with my strength work. But using the 12kg doesn’t impact my strength work because it’s light for me. So I can use it for high reps to get fat loss results while still getting strong with the barbell.
The 16kg is also one of the most versatile weights you can get. I use it all the time to workout, even though I can swing the 48kg. Why? Because I don’t always feel like swinging the 48kg. Just because I can swing 48kg doesn’t mean I throw all the other weights away. Swinging the 48kg is strength training for me but I don’t always go as heavy as possible all the time. I can bench 141kg, but does that mean I never bench anything but 141kg?
I use the entire range of kettlebells for all kinds of training. Kettlebells are an investment that you can pass down in your family to your kids. They’re practically indestructible and there’s value in an entire set far beyond what most people see.