Hello All
When working with kettlebells remember a few safety things:
• Clothing: make sure you wear clothing that is comfortable, neither too tight or loose. It is important that we wear clothes that won’t interfere with body mechanics.
• Footwear: running shoes are not recommended. The sole of the running shoe is not conducive to power transfer or stability due to the sponginess of the sole. Barefoot training or wearing a shoe that has a solid sole, like a weightlifting shoes are your best choices. If you need to wear a sneaker, try the Converse All Star or Nike Frees
• Workout area: your workout area should be free of clutter and obstacles. It is also important to make sure someone else is not in close proximity to you as you are training as they may be struck by the kettlebell.
• Flooring: rubber matting is the preferred flooring to train on. Given the ballistic nature of kettlebell training there is always the chance of dropping the kettlebell, outside is awesome too, as you can throw the bells around and it won’t damage anything
• Gloves: wearing gloves interferes with the ability of the proprioceptors (the things that tell the body where it is) in the hands to communicate with our central nervous system making it difficult for the body to adjust posture and movement.
• Weight belt: Usually only worn when doing the competition lifts, e.g Jerk, Long cycle and possibly snatch.
• Chalk: using a good quality chalk will help prevent the kettlebell from slipping from your hands. Also get into the habit of sanding your handles to remove rust.
• Wrist wraps: or sweatbands help to prevent the bell slipping while it is positioned against the wrist. They will also offer some padding to the wrist / forearm, though after a while you won’t need them and will find its better not to wear them.
• Technique: it is very important to use correct technique when training with kettlebells, this will help in the prevention of injuries.
Enjoy