u/cavemankettlebells

Most of you know me here. I've coached kettlebells for over twenty years and I run this community.

Last month I jogged about twenty metres and nearly passed out. I had to hold onto a tree and lower myself to the ground, and it took five to ten minutes before I felt normal again. My wife made me see a cardiologist. He told me I have aortic stenosis, my aortic valve is calcified and narrowing, and that I was born with a bicuspid valve, two leaflets instead of three, which I never knew in fifty-two years because nobody had ever looked.

I'm posting this because the warning signs were there for months and I explained every one of them away:

- Training that suddenly left me wrecked, and recovery that took far longer than it should have. I called it being out of shape.

- Nearly fainting while running a workshop. I blamed the heat.

- A set of burpees that felt like I was going to die. My chest went tight, I couldn't get words out, and I wasn't even gasping.

- A heartbeat that would stumble now and then for years. I decided it was normal and never told anyone.

Being fit did not protect me from this, and it does not for anyone. A bicuspid valve is something you're born with, it's more common than people think, and it stays silent for years until it doesn't. The first symptoms usually show up with exertion, which is exactly where a lot of us live.

I wrote the whole thing up, the full timeline, what the condition actually is, and what I wish I'd done sooner. If you train hard and you've noticed something feel off lately, get your heart checked once, properly. Being strong is not the same as being checked.

Full write-up here: https://go.kettlebell.monster/still-here

A question that often comes up is what is the right rep range for hypertrophy in kettlebell training or what are the best kettlebell exercises for hypertrophy.

I wrote an article that explains it and it's not the 8-12 rep range, it's more important to understand the effect you are seeking.

The old 8-12 rule is too narrow. Science says hypertrophy occurs across 5-30 reps to failure. Here is what that means for kettlebell training. https://kettlebell.monster/learn/best-rep-range-hypertrophy-kettlebells

Your thoughts? Problem with exercises?

No catch. I just released a new tool on my platform that requires users to upload their exercise videos. I then review it, leave feedback, and assign common mistakes, etc. The great thing is that the tool will show you at what time the common mistake/issue occurred; you have a record of what to work on; each common mistake links to details on how to fix it, and more.

Full transparency. You need to create a free account on my platform; other than that, you just show up. No live session. We discuss what to submit, you submit, I review, and use the system to assign fixes. Then you can submit again, and I will mark it as fixed or needing more work.

I'm offering this because I need a beginner to use the system, i.e., you are my test subject to see if the system works as intended. Who requires quality kettlebell coaching?

I'm only looking for 3 people in total.

Most people think the curl is a pure biceps exercise. It is not. Part of the biceps (the long head) attaches directly to the scapula. When you curl standing with no bench support, the muscles around the scapula have to work isometrically to keep it anchored. This is a serious training stimulus for scapular stability. But you have to actively engage it. You can curl without engaging your scapular stabilizers, and when you do, you won't be able to curl as heavy and the lower back picks up the slack, which is where injuries happen.

Read the full article on the link.

I've coached kettlebell training for over twenty years, and I want to be straight about where I'd like to take this community.

The best kettlebell knowledge is still scattered, gate-kept, or buried under hype. Most spaces pick a tribe, Hardstyle or Sport, and defend it. I've always wanted this to be the opposite: a straight-talking, no-tribe home for anyone who trains with a kettlebell, from your first bell to competition. We take what works from every style, we ground technique in physics and anatomy instead of tradition, and if a popular cue is wrong, we say so, kindly.

To kick that off, I just pinned a set of free kettlebell calculators you can run right inside Reddit, no login and no app to install: 1 rep max, snatch test pace, kettlebell weight selector, volume, work to rest, heart rate zones, and more. Look for the pinned Kettlebell Monster Calculators post. That's the first of many tools I want to bring here.

Where I'd like to take this:

- Free tools, inside Reddit. Calculators today, more to come, including a "new to kettlebells, start here" guide that tells you exactly what to do first.

- Real answers for beginners. Clear technique and programming, plain language, zero gatekeeping. Everyone started somewhere.

- Honest, evidence-based content. Physics and anatomy over tradition and marketing. No broscience, no fear-mongering, nothing to sell you.

- A place to ask anything kettlebell and get a real answer, not a sales pitch.

A bit about me: I run Cavemantraining and Kettlebell Monster and have spent years writing, filming, and coaching this. But a community isn't one person, and I don't want it to be.

So I'm also looking for one or two moderators who live what's above: hybrid not tribal, evidence over ego, no hype, no gatekeeping, and correcting the idea, not the person. If you train with kettlebells, you're level-headed, and that sounds like you, comment or DM me with a bit about your background and how you'd help. A couple of the right people beats a big mod list.

And whether or not you want to mod, tell me, especially the first one:

- What would you most want to be able to do right here in the sub, without leaving Reddit? A tool, a lookup, programming help, form feedback, whatever it is. There's a lot behind Kettlebell Monster to pull from, so if it's useful, there's a real chance I can build it or bring it here.

- What made kettlebell training finally click for you, or what's still confusing?

- What would make this your go-to kettlebell space?

Drop a comment. Where this goes depends on what you need.

Train smarter with KETTLEBELL MONSTER — 1,000+ exercise videos, structured workouts, online courses, and real coaching. Free to start, no credit card. Whether you're a beginner with one kettlebell or a certified coach building a client base, it's all on one platform.

"Start light to learn the technique" is repeated everywhere in kettlebell content. For most exercises, fine. For the swing, it's the worst advice a beginner can take.

A bell that's too light doesn't teach you a swing. It teaches your nervous system a shoulder-driven, hip-quiet pattern dressed up to look like a swing. The deltoid lifts the bell, the legs barely engage, and after a few hundred reps that pattern is grooved. Now you have to un-train it before you can train a real swing. That's months of work most people never see coming.

The article covers:

• Why too light fails (no muscle loading, drift, shoulder takeover, no deceleration to absorb)
• Why too heavy also fails (different failures, same outcome)
• The un-training problem and why it costs beginners years
• Why same-weight, same-lifter can be wrong for one variation and right for another (10 kg two-hand vs one-arm)
• A self-check so you can tell whether your bell is wrong right now

Not a "go heavy or go home" piece. The whole argument is about the right weight, in both directions. Erring light is just the more common, more damaging mistake.

Open to pushback if anyone disagrees with the un-training point or the per-side load argument for one-arm swings.

Most lifters hear "drive through your heels" and end up pressing only through the heel, with the ball of the foot and toes doing nothing. That single change cascades: the hips have to travel behind the heel to keep balance, the torso folds deeper than the hinge needs, the bell has nowhere to sit except pressed against your shins or thighs, and the calves drop out of the kinetic chain entirely. The hamstrings get loaded harder at end-range  — which is what most coaches teaching the cue are aiming for — but yuo trade away force production and stability to get there.

Wrote up the full chain of consequences with the EMG/biomechanics research  behind it (Romanian deadlift activation studies, myofascial force transmission, tripod foot, the barefoot connection). Includes a self-test you can do under the ball of your big toe.

Curious whether other people here cue this differently — "spread the floor with your feet" / "tripod the foot" / something else? Or is heel-driving working fine for you?

I wrote a detailed step-by-step guide for anyone asking: “Where do I start with kettlebell training?”

It covers the beginner paths, what exercises to learn first, what kettlebell weight to start with in kg and lb, common mistakes, and how to structure your first few weeks.

It also links into a free beginner program with instructional videos, workout explanations, warm-up guidance, and follow-along options.

The guide can be found here: https://kettlebell.monster/learn/where-do-i-start-with-kettlebell-training