KB’s or DB’s.. Is One Better Than The Other?

I and I'm sure many other Personal Trainers have been asked many times.. what do you prefer to use? Kettlebells or Dumbbells ?

While you can compare the two, and say which one is better for a certain thing and vice versa, they really are quite different from each other.

A kettlebell has a handle on it, while the dumbbell is more evenly distributed..it really does depend on what you're doing with them and what type of work out. When you pick up a kettlebell instead of a dumbbell you can feel the difference. The off centred weight of a kettlebell recruits more stabilizer muscles and works the body through a wider range of motion. It’s because of the off-centre design of the kettlebell we have to work harder to also stay balanced while performing our movement. Isolation exercises such as those done with dumbbells and barbells do not hit those stabilizing muscles to the same extent, because of this design. I wouldn't recommend using kettlebells for everything, but they can be used in a multitude of situations. But whatever you're doing with that kettlebell, you could probably also get done with a dumbbell..

Kettlebell Swings ? Clean and Press's ? Turkish Get-up?

All of these signature exercise's can also be done with a dumbbell too.

So it depends what you're buying them for, and how seriously you take your training. If you have a gym or studio you may want to have both, some people just prefer to use a kettlebell for certain things and this is totally fine. Sometimes they are nicer to hang in to for things like deadlifts and farmer walks.

If you're buying stuff for at home, I would recommend dumbbells. Your stabilizer muscles can be worked in other ways, and while the kettlebells do a great job at this they are not required to do so. I personally have both in my studio at home and find myself reaching for both for different reasons, and am happy to have the option there. If you are limited on space, dumbbells are probably your way to go. You can stack them on top of each other (they have racks designed for this), for they are simply just easier to tuck away if needed.

So I guess the conclusion would be if you're doing kettlebell swings or some other exercise that's originally performed with a kettlebell, and you have access to both, do it with the kettlebell! As mentioned it can be advantageous with certain stability exercise's. If you're at a gym that doesn't have any, but you want to do some swings or get-ups or whatever your choice, you can still do so. If you're purchasing some equipment for at home and need to pick one or the other, the dumbbells are probably the better choice.

Hopefully this helps!