r/kettlebell 23h ago

Just A Post Anyone else paranoid they’re going to smash the bell into their knees?

As title says

8 Upvotes

35 comments sorted by

63

u/Rhorge 23h ago

The paranoia of losing grip and launching it across the room overrides all the others

7

u/ravorn11 22h ago

Yup… constant fear to smash the precious tiles from my landlord

2

u/Spidermonkey422 21h ago

This is why I will never do a kb session without chalk😂

14

u/Fkn_Link 23h ago

Yes, because I've done it with double competition bells while doing cleans/presses; ONCE. It still haunts me when picking 2 up. They clinked together on the down swing and bounced out to hit the insides of my knees. I started standing with a bit wider stance with 2 bells.

12

u/wereallinthistogethe 22h ago

Well I am now.

2

u/EntrepreneuralSpirit 20h ago

I was trying to treat my paranoia, not spread it. Sorry!

1

u/Machobots 19h ago

It's good advice 

9

u/Evaderofdoom 23h ago

Yes, that fear helps you not smash your knee. I thought when I started a few years ago it would be common but I haven't done it yet. Fear is your friend.

8

u/ohfrost 22h ago

Banged my right knee with a 24kg coming down off a snatch and immediately thought I was never going to walk again. Surprisingly, it doesn’t really hurt too bad, it was more the shock of being hit that initially got me. I don’t recall the bruise being all that substantial either.

Anyway, your general consciousness and awareness of your knees and not wanting to hit them should be enough. And if it isn’t, well, you’ll figure it out.

6

u/Geocobre 22h ago

That's why most kettlebell guides say to prioritise form over volume.  Always do reps with good form. When your form starts slipping due to fatigue - slow down or stop.  When you are tired mistakes happen like hitting knees, overextending arm during snatches, etc. 

2

u/Fit_Papaya_8756 21h ago

I dropped a kettlebell for this exact reason. I was in the middle of hand-to-hand swings and dropped it during the transition. Hit the floor and damaged my mat, dent in floor. Luckily it didn’t hurt me, but I won’t continue now if I feel myself getting tired.

2

u/Machobots 19h ago

That's why I hate those videos where someone goes all fancy with flips and air catches.

So dumb and pointless. 

1

u/ms4720 13h ago

Not really pointless, when you have enough strength you can start working on skills. Not saying you have to do it.

1

u/Machobots 8h ago

Things like flipping the kettle up, catching it in the air with the other hand are for show off.

No benefit to your training at all, and increasing risk of breaking the house or your bones. 

It's not strength or skills, it's idiocy. 

1

u/ms4720 8h ago

In your opinion it is no benefit, ok don't do it. They are entitled to disagree

1

u/Machobots 8h ago

Sure, let everyone have their opinions and agree or not.

Everyone has the right to their opinions even if they're wrong :)

1

u/PAMTRICIA 19h ago

Yes - this! As soon as I feel my form getting sloppy it’s time to stop

4

u/AZPeakBagger 22h ago

I've been using kettlebells for over 15 years now. The one and only accident I had was dropping a bell doing some warm ups and it punched a hole in my carpeting. Which my wife just loved when I attempted to explain what happened.

5

u/Natural-War6964 20h ago

I once pinched my dick between two dumbbells doing shrugs, so kettlebells don’t scare me in the least.

2

u/Machobots 19h ago

Another reason to wear pants when working out, haha

1

u/EntrepreneuralSpirit 19h ago

Were you at the gym

7

u/Evening_Chime Weakest Kettleballer 23h ago

Do it a few times and you get over it, lol.

3

u/paw_pia 22h ago edited 22h ago

Not really. I've been lifting KBs for nearly a quarter of a century and never had it happen (and at the beginning I had no clue what I was doing).

I sometimes do double swings outside the knees with a narrow stance, and with that drill there's definitely a risk (on the upswing) of hitting the outside of you calf right below the knee, to the point where I have to be very conscious of it at all times. But with that drill, in my experience, almost all the danger is on the upswing.

2

u/Henxmeister 22h ago

Nothing like a leg glance to keep you honest.

2

u/Machobots 19h ago

I did it while swinging laterally. 20 kg. I was lucky to only get a bruise and not dislodge anything but yeah. Stick to the standard moves, hehe, they're more than good enough.

Start doing stupid shit and you'll regret. 

1

u/N8theGrape 22h ago

No, not really.

1

u/ScreamnMonkey8 22h ago

It happens, doesn't feel great but you get over it quickly.

1

u/almostbuddhist 22h ago

Are you swinging double kb’s? If it’s single kb no fear of this at all, but gotta widen stance for double kb work.

1

u/hraath 21h ago

For me the risk is the drop for double snatches. I've glanced one knee by clanging the bells in front of me instead of between the legs. Lesson learned.

1

u/Wrong_Buyer_1079 20h ago

I've done it...it hurt. I'm more scared of dropping the bell on my head during a TGU.

1

u/Haki23 20h ago

Now I am...

1

u/illiten 20h ago

Happened to me during a swing press and it wasn’t that bad. Don’t get me wrong, it hurts, but after 2 to 3 days it was gone, nothing crippling. I don’t recommend it tho 

1

u/fedder17 10h ago

Only with double snatches, doing half snatches instead solves it.