Kettlebells Don't Build Muscle! - (REACTING TO ELLIOTT HULSE) 

A Navy SEAL showed me how to use the kettlebells 12 years ago, that dude was pretty big. He used kettlebells, plyometrics, and calisthenics. I was more of a runner then and I have to add that kettlebells improve your running a lot too. I went a month without running and I could still pump out 3-5 miles no problem. Kettlebells are my life now 💪🏼

Kettlebelling is basically like doing physical job, construction work or lumberjack work. And i love it. Bodybuilding is just a different sport.

Being 43, i decided to chang up my training style and thinking at the beginning of 2020 (right before the orginal Covid Quarantine). By the end of the year I lost 38 lbs, and inches, going from a 42 inch waist to a 36 inches. With increased strength. Started with a 20 lb bell from wal mart, and finished with an 82 lb (PR) Turkish get up. I am sold on them! I want to be functional strong. And in my humble opinion I believe I am finally getting there.

I started using kettlebells about a year ago as a serious form of training. I have found that using kettlebells feels better than working out with other free weights. When I train seriously with kettlebells my body feels tight, strong and healthy. My body doesn’t hurt and my joints feel stronger which I feel are a great way of prepping yourself for a body building style regiment.

I just want to share that as a newbie, I've gained about a lb of muscle a month since I started training with kettlebells 3/4 days a week. I have a smart scale that measures that. I don't know how accurate that tech is but I know I've also lost inches all over and I'm getting some serious compliments from the hubs so I'm gonna keep swinging that bell! I just ordered a heavier bell too, my first kettlebell kings.

I’ve being using kettlebells for about three months now and I have gain muscle mass from using them.

Great video! Love the positivity and excellent advice 💪🔥

Lebe, you are a class act! I appreciate the balance in your observations!

Great video! Keep them coming.💪

Loves these videos! You still go out of the way to point out good in everyone even though they may not agree with you. Good work.

I am happy I discovered your channel. Awesome... Subscribed!

Elliott Hulse was genuinely a father figure for me from age 14-20. I miss the old Elliot you show here. Yo Elliott and Strength Camp were amazing. Now I mostly follow you, Squat University, and Coach Bernard. I recently discovered the power of kettlebells and seeing you cover Elliott in a respectful manner is amazing. Keep up the amazing work! Thank you 🙌

Love the way you look at the kettlebells and you keep in mind whay people need and look for without scarin them off. Nice man!

Great Commentary Coach.... I remember seeing Elliot's video years ago when I started implementing Kettlebell training at AGE 50 (about 8 years ago) and as you mentioned he is very knowledgeable. BUT everyone is on a different fitness journey, and how you define "building muscle" is relative to one's Age & Agenda for Fitness. Having done heavy barbell lifting, marathons & Ironman triathlons from age 25-45 yrs and punishing my body (without adequate core & posterior chain development) I lacked functional strength and flexibility. As you age....Mobility becomes #1 and Strength #2. From my experience Kettlebells (and Clubs) are hybrid tools that provide almost all you need for flexibility, strength & stamina and will benefit 85-90% of active lifestyle folks. As Coach re-iterated you will not acquire a BODYBUILDERS physique BUT will be extremely fit, strong & AGILE = Lean Muscle Mass!

Great review. Very positively argued, love the channel.

I took classes with Pavel before he was well known and as a 7 time IPF masters world champion and coach I have used kettle bells in my training for years and have lifters I coach use kettle bells. They do build strength and muscle AND mobility. I really enjoy your videos because theyprovide solid info. Unfortunately, Ive seen RKC certified trainers who can't even do a proper swing. I recommend your show all the time. Keep up the good work.

Dude, spot on with your comment that people don't want to necessarily look or move like body builders but for some reason they feel compelled to train like body builders. I'm not a coach, I'm not an expert, I know this confusion from my own personal experience as a novice doing it all wrong.

An excellent and a well reasoned critique, moreover I appreciated that it was done without malice and that you were gracious in being willing to say what he got right and not just what he got wrong. While it is easy, especially on social media to tear others down when trying to either to build one’s self and/or trying to gain followers, in the end it is a faulty tactic because it highlights that you have little better to offer. I appreciate that you are not like this, as it builds your credibility as an instructor and coach. It is also, one of the reasons that I choose to subscribed to your channel. As for myself, I am a runner and a rower. I started to train out of an interest to stay healthy (I was working in health care and seeing a lot people that were ill and dying on a daily basis) and to improve and maintain my fitness. I took inspiration from athletes that were not only strong, but dynamic too! My role models, were sprinters, downhill skiers, gymnasts and ballet dancers. What they all had in common were bodies that were not only strong, but mobile and functional and having an appearance of balance. -A caveat that I would like to make and one that is rarely in these circles is, while it is important to set goals and to have sporting role models, it is more important to recognize that we will all reach a point in life when it is clear to all that we will never be or no longer are a top line athlete. With that reality, our training should be targeted towards promoting our longevity, which inevitably brings us to maintaining joint and muscle functionality, and mobility, helped along by a healthy and balanced “diet” that keeps us fit. Keeping all of this in mind, in my journey towards keeping fit and challenging myself, I have gone through and tried various things and finally, in part thanks to Pavel, it brought me to Kettlebells. Based on my experience, it is what compliments my needs and my desires best. I have found it to be one of the most efficient strength and core development training regimes that I have come across. (To paraphrase you, even if we admire or follow body builders, most of us are neither looking, nor wanting to become one. -Besides, based on injuries and mortality, particularly in the upper echelons of the sport, it is not a healthy means to train, if you are just looking to keep healthy and fit.) For that, kettlebells are one of the rare training instruments and training routines that I use and do that after nearly every workout, I say to myself, I wish I knew about this earlier in my life. Thank you Gregory for your work in putting out your videos, all the best.

I appreciate your respect for others, even when you disagree with them! Your training videos are very helpful, thank you! God Bless

I visited a seminar with Elliott in Berlin back in 2014... I meant a lot to me. What I loved was that he did meet and greet and took his time for EVERY single one until 20:00 at least... This man is an OG, you name it. Great video😊

I think he’s changed his tune on this. From what I remember he has done additional videos saying that it does build muscle and he uses them in a lot of his training now.

His thought process makes sense, most traditional kettlebell exercises like swings, cleans and thrusters, all are very power heavy movements so they won't be to effective for actually progressing muscle size as a goal, of course kettle bells can be used in a more bodybuilding training way with constant tension and full stretch but it's more beneficial for everyone to include different ways of getting stronger, faster, more stamina, do what's fun to you, but try different things, it's never done harm to branch our

Excellent "reaction". Love the respect and your insightful, expert analysis and background info! New to KB coming from an endurance cycling background. I bought my first pair knowing nothing other than I wanted to expand my functional strength workout variety from deadlifts, lunges, dumb bell squats etc. Being a cyclist I'm using my off-the-bike workouts to build strength and neuromuscular capabilities. I'm certainly not into bulking up or necessarily focusing on any endurance benefits of KBs. I do like the core building and of course the ballistic/strength aspects. So I guess I really will need a coach. I'm 51 and don't want to break anything swinging those things the wrong way!

I first learned about kettlebells through my dad in which he introduced me to mike mauler. We proceeded to use his workouts. Those kettlebells, if used correctly can give you a full body workout.

Best react I have seen. Showed respect, cleared a few points up and added to the learning. Great point about most people just wanting to get in shape, but using machines and equipment designed for body building, but then not lifting in a way that would result in the building of muscle anyway. Strange isn’t it.

One of the biggest natty guy I know, once a bodybuilder, trains 90% of the time with kettlebells focusing on getting strong and conditioned on every big and compound movement. Funny thing is that now he’s A LOT more flexible, conditioned for cardio and actually strong on every big movement. When you see someone clean and push pressing two 32 kgs kettles or row two 40s for multiple sets of high reps, you know these things don’t lie. And, I want to add: biggest men of classic bodybuilding and strongman era, used them as main part of their training to get big and strong like oaks.

Very well said. Thanks

Thank you so much for your clarity. A least some clear and honest answer. thank you. I subscribe and gone see more of you.

A year late to this discussion, but I think Joe Daniels from Swing This Kettlebell would argue that you can build muscle from just kettlebells. Side note, been doing kettlebells for 12 years, both hardstyle and sport, follow tons of KB related channels.....but RU-vid only now sends me this gem of a channel. I very much appreciate your honesty in your videos. Keep it up!

I got JACKED with nothing but kettlebells, WHILE burning fat. More muscle mass. Less fat. My experience.

Kettlebells can be used literally for both resistance cardio or for bodybuilding. It all really depends on how you're using them to train. The way kettlebells are assumingly judged by those in the bodybuilding community (included myself before I got into them), most of the people experienced shown in media or seen in public gyms are deemed as skinny lean people with an average build and look as if they only focus basic fitness on losing weight & staying fit without having a goal of building muscle mass with them. But yet, kettlebells have the potential use for building up for hypertrophy, mass and strength. You can always do the main bodybuilding mechanisms when lifting either one or two bells such as doing overhead presses, hammer curls, back rows, front squats, deadlifts, lunges, and turkish get ups etc. This is IF people out there dislike the swinging then you can always stick with the one mentioned above. There are like only small percentage of fitness enthusiast who are experienced and have mostly used Kettlebells and they have a strong physique. Examples are guys like Eric Leija, Swing this kettlebell, Chandler Marchman, and Rhino strength etc.

My goals are. Be strong enough to Save myself Be strong enough to save others Be strong enough to kick ass

gregory, did you achieve your physique with kettlebell exercises (and maybe bodyweight exercises) only? or do you use bodybuilding techniques?

Lebe you are so right. Many athletes need a kettle bell style workout or a weight conditioning program that compliments their sport training. Yet too many programs are modeled around body building exercises.

the video he was reacting to was probably the first time, I heard about kettlebells, I can't remember how many years ago it was. but I remember seeing that vid and thinking that kettlebells, will never really be for me, as at the time I was into powerlifting and after that, I was more into bodybuilding, but I always trained around the barbell. I then had some difficult times in life and fell out of training. Now I am getting back into training again, but I'm working out from home and don't have the room to use a barbell. So I thought I'd give kettlebells a try, as I have heard good things and I must say I was wrong in my initial thoughts of the kettlebell. I have been really enjoying learning how to use it and I can feel myself getting stronger. I know I will not be able to reach maximum straight with it, as such I will go back to the barbell one day. but I am looking forward to the journey of using and learning how to use the kettlebell.

Great video, very Professional

What year is the study? I read one from 2018 I think that demonstrated that higher intensity does in fact lead to more gains in muscle mass even when you equalize the volume. Lifting to failure may be equal on both heavy and light weights, but lifting to failure is not optimal on all sets. So if you incorporate sub-failure training by leaving one or maybe two reps in the tank, and going for more volume instead, higher intensity ranges (80%RM) are better for mass. The real diamond edge for kettlebells is power generation, and the correlation between swings and the vertical jump among other things. For example, there is no correlation between standard back squats and vertical jump height. So understanding which exercises lead to power generation is crucial. Here the kettlebell has a mighty kingdom in the land of power generation

I agree with your assessment regarding kettle bells. It is one of the old fashion equipment for toning, and building muscles.🧐🤔💯👌👊👍🙏

Awesome vid. Buying a kettlebell tomorrow and starting my journey!

Using the KB for time in your workouts like AMRAP in a certain amount of time is crazyyyyy. I've been getting sick gainz and my athletism is crazy.

I am using only kettlebells and I am lossing fat weight like crazy and building muscle.

What Exercises are great for isolating the core with a kettlebell?

I find it interesting your view on Pavel's training. I did find it uncomfortable that he expects you to use a certain weight for certain exercises, when I first got into kettlebell. For example, I have a 16KG, 24KG, and 32KG, but I can only do upper body exercises with the 16, 32 for lower body, and my 24 is in the middle. As you mentioned about bodybuilding, I do believe bodybuilding training is ruining the fitness industry. I think most people's goals are to lose weight and have a more functional body. Especially the fact it ruins a lot of people's lifestyles. From working a different body part each day, to eatting 10 meals a day. Then it gets worse when you have soldiers who follow a bodybuilding program, and they can't function if they can't complete their daily ritual.

So you can build explosive power and strength with kettlebells is it best to use just 1 or 2 kettle belles?

I was introduced to them by Stan Pike, he was a huge ex-marine and a blacksmith.

KB's are definitely the best well rounded workout tool, especially for functional fitness, and it's really no debate.

I'm not a big fan of the American/overhead swing, but I have to say, Elliot's form on them is the best I've seen. He can actually do the overhead swing without turning it into a squatting swing.

I used to do body building style workouts but haven't been to the gym in 7 years. I've got a lot of weight to lose and decided to try kettlebells so I could work out from home. I'm only 2 days in and hurting all over and still have a lot to learn but could you build a body similar to what this guy has from home with just kettlebells and dumbbells? I really don't want another gym membership but I have a couple kettlebells and some of those adjustable dumbbells and a bench to work with

I just started weight training: 16kg kettlebell (not just swings, but shoulder press, bicep curl, bench press) all of these non-“swing” exercise are much better with kettlebell as it trains your stabiliser muscles (in my opinion) and your e.g. bicep/triceps too.

With kettlebells You can do all exercises, squats, tríceps extensión, biceps curls, and Also ballistic, and there are very heavy kettlebells, and You can mix with bands,so You can gain a Lot ofmass,Even i think useful for bodybuilding, it is only a type of resistence You manipulate that resistence

For someone who does weighted fullbody workout ( gym ) 3x a week, how should a kettlebell routine be combined through out the week? Will it be too much to lift weight 1 day then next day do a kettlebell routine?

Steve Cotter is amazing. I have great respect for him. Pavel is great guy but the dragon door marketing machine was way too gimmicky. The simple programs he promotes today are good for most people to get fit, but the kettlebell has so many options and exercises I don’t see the reason to limit it to two exercises. Now that I am working on GS I see the real benefit and fun of that style. Lol on the clubbells, I have those, too. Scott Sonnon used to be on the old dragondoor forum way back in the day when it first started. Cotter as well. In 2001 or so there were a lot of great people on that forum. Love your channel and videos!

I remember learning at a very early age that 1kg bag of feathers weighs the same as 1kg bag of rocks. Weight is weight and if it is causing a good amount of resistance you are gonna grow muscle haha. Plus KBs are just fun

Gregory can you recommend a 45-50 minute kettlebell workout that incorporates active recovery? I’m 71 and my bells are 30, 50 and 70 pounds. Working out 6 days a week. Thanks

I just bought some kettlebells, any tips on videos for a complete beginner?

Can you build muscle with kettlebells? Yes. Is it the optimal way to reach that goal? No. Great conditioning tool tho.

I REALLY enjoy training with kettlebells. The classic bodybuilding exercises are kind of boring for me now, BUT i like that type of physique which can be achived with bodybuilding type of training. So the question is this: is it possible to reach a "bodybuilding kind of physique" with mixed kettlebell and calithenics or weight training? Sry if it is a dumb question. I'm natural, i don't want to use steroids and i don't want to be as big as a bodybuilder. I just like that kind of form, that kind of physique.

My shoulder are crazy from kettle bells. I use minimum momentum. You wanna drag the weight to shoulder level “drag”... slow down your momentum drag the weight like you’re racing the momentum if that makes any sense.. your wanna race the swing of the weight with your hands 💃🏻⤴️

Glad you did a piece on Elliot. I have followed him for years and he is no nonsense, straight up on point with his information. Good stuff.

A year late I know, but it you could only do one exercise between snatch and swings which would it be. Snatch looks like a swing, but utilising extra muscles for the lift.

Greta video! Also the original one from Elliot. I have seen his video many times, but just now I realized he looks very much like Steph Curry if Steph Curry was that strong 😂. Thanks for the content!

great content as always Gregory! be safe and be well as always! - coy

Is a 40lb one enough if I do high reps

So can you please describe the type of body that kettlebell training produces? What type of body can one expect to produce given maximum kettlebell training? This is regarding the notion that kettlebells do not produce a bodybuilder body. Great videos btw. Awsome knowledge sharing.

Just added a kettlebell to my home gym and have to tell you that I find it great for shrugs and farmers walks. Still working on those swings to get the technique down.

I'm 71 y/o female who wants to build strength and put on muscle. I don't care about body building. Will kettlebell do it for me?

Brah im getting mad gains atm with kettle bells

Can you address why as I look across the KB landscape, (as it seems to me from my limited, personal perspective) many, but definitely not all, RKC certified instructors look weak, skinny fat, or maybe fit but seemingly not strong? Small arms and small legs…

Does Michael Skogg fall in the category as a good instructor of the kettlebell?

Can I build a lean Physique with kettlebells alone?

Yo elliot!! :) Thanks

I just realized...He's the bulk version of Stephen Curry.

Cant you get somewhat of a "bodybuilder physique" if you use the kettlebells like dumbbells too? I dont think kettlebell is restricted to only the common functional movements.

Lebe, what is an OG?

A weight is a weight no matter what shape it is. If you do not know how to use any weight properly, then you will not build muscle.

For beginners, proper weight, technique and exercises

2 weeks of kb, and I mal leaner and meaner. Used them before, but, now I m focused on the technique more. Great tool, especially for that hidden dad power. I Don t need to be big, just lean and healthy.

I like to see Elliot try to do swings with a 60 kilo kettlebell.

Is body building even about health and fitness?

Can you do kettlebell training everyday?

Kettlebells don’t build muscle? Negative, kettlebells build muscles you never knew you had before.

But in a way he’s right. You build muscles by breaking down fibres and letting them recover (xtrmly over simplified). This you can do with any type of resistance.

kettlebells always have built muscle.

If I do bodybuilding workouts using kettlebell, I will still got some "bodybuilding" results, no?

Great video! I always cringe when I see the American swing. You should do Ekaterina Tabakova next. She has a great KB channel on youtube.

Kettlebells do build muscle coach I agree as I look at milluple OG Valentin Dikul who can bounce the monster KB (200lbs approximately off his back), and trains religiously with kettlebells- he's real strong as in Ronnie Colemans physique in his prime to kettlebell strength feats. A legend of legends. Also, steroid use in an earlier video and the affect of herbs on the liver, I know water and lemon juice everymorning cleans and heals the liver, milk thistle helps and water/ apple cider vinegar. But mainly lemon juice water. I dont advocate steroid use but Elliot said an herb like Milk Thistle wont help, well lemon juice and water heals, cleans and regenerates the liver hmm all three would be just crazy for a heavy steroid cycle you could probably stay on indefinitely. But everything in moderation like Louie Simmons, he has been doing steroids for over 50 years as anti aging but moderation thats the key. Elliot is and OG, but Louie and Dikul are in their own universe- champions OOOG's. I'm just saying I love Elliot and his advice but these two points kettlebells do make you strong and herbs do help tremendously on a steroid cycle with lemon juice...applecider vinegar. You may not look like Greg Kovacs in his prime asthetically, but kettlebells can make you as strong as a strong man/ with endurance. I like a nice body, but given the choice I would rather be strong as the Big Z- Zydrunas Savickas. Just muy thoughts on the video.

Kettlebells are not meant to build tones of muscle like machines are barbells. The 100% will build muscle but it will build functional muscle, a super strong core and joints and explosive power with endurance. Kettlebells arent focusing doing one thing to the extreme they are traing everything at once very effectively. You will get powerful, fit, strong, functional, pain and dysfunction free and increase mobility at the same time

Did Steve Cotter at any point explain why did he switch styles? I'm pretty sure his old workouts were Pavel / fitness style in comparison to how he trains now.

I would say Pavel is a peaceful warrior...

I wonder if he is an OG?

Yeah...you've got to have context...Hulce is approximately 170cm and over 90kg in the video. He's close to biological max....of course he much less Kai Greene is getting more muscle with kettlebells. I've done em since a young man and I'm 44 now at 82-85kg. I'm not waiting for a sudden muscle growth. For that there's power lifting and bodybuilding. Guess which implement makes you more gas station ready? Thanks for the video!

I didn't think Eliot was negative or unrealistic about his opinions. From a pure strength standpoint they're not the best tool that's all.

Yep... kettlebell routines only and some walking and I lost fat and gained muscle, so...

He's being facetious.

That is interesting, ppl dont want to look like body builders but train like so.

Kettlebells can build muscle like the greek hero (and some of the gods) statues. Wide obliques Thick forearms Strong Glutes Strong Shoulders and Thick back Achilles and Heracles statues

"Not going to look like Arnold", all I can think is great! I don't want to look like a bodybuilder, I don't think they look asthetically pleasing (Arnold actually managed to, but others dont). I want something for my teenage kids that builds real athletic performance and makes the body work in unison instead of getting muscle bound. This is a big deal for swimming.

A few kettlebells, dip bar, pull up bar and the ground, no gym necessary. For me anyway.

also note on building muscle. Arnold was on steroids, you can train like Arnold and you still won't look like Arnold, if you don't use steroids. and on top of that you have to have some great genetics to look like him. but yeah, if you use steroids and have the genetics or Arnold. and you use only kettlebells, you probably won't look like Arnold. just putting things into perspective. Great video.

Old school body builders where more abs and lower body based