What Size Kettlebell to Start With: Pick by Movement
Swings, goblet squats and presses need different bells. Starting weights by movement, whose guidance each is, and when one kettlebell or two makes sense.
Choose by movement. One coach's ranges put swings heaviest and presses lightest, and all three main lifts overlap only at 12 kg (26 lb) for women and 16 to 20 kg (35 to 44 lb) for men. Buy that one bell if it must do everything. If you are new to lifting, or pressing matters, a lighter second bell removes the compromise.
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Most people should buy one bell in the overlap, 12 kg for women and 16 kg for men, and train swings and goblet squats on it first. Add a lighter bell when pressing stalls, or a heavier one when swings get easy. Treat every chart here, including ours, as a starting range rather than a prescription.
| Product | Owner rating | Key specs | Pros | Cons | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The default first kettlebell. A 1.3-inch (about 33 mm) handle on the 26 lb bell, a listed tolerance of about 3%, and a powder coat that grips. ↑ Quality↑ Value for money↓ DurabilityBased on 968 buyer mentions | Owner rating Gym Score 91 | Key specs
| Pros
| Cons
| $43.99 | Buy on Amazon |
 The default beginner buy: a solid one-piece cast-iron bell with a vinyl coat that protects your floors and quiets the clank. Sold in single weights from 10 to 50 lb, so you can build a rack a plate at a time without committing to a full set. Delivery note: the 50 lb option we link showed "Usually ships within 1 to 2 months" on 2026-10-17; check the delivery date before you order. | Owner rating Gym Score 91 | Key specs
| Pros
| Cons
| $73.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Amazon prices checked Nov 1, 2026. Amazon prices change often — the listing is authoritative.
One bell, two bells or adjustable
Decide by your situation, not the generic ranking.
| If | You want | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| You mostly swing and goblet squat | Both lifts tolerate load, and their ranges overlap at 12-16 kg for women and 16-24 kg for men | One bell: 12 kg (26 lb) for women, 16 kg (35 lb) for men |
| You want swings, squats and presses from day one | One bell is a compromise, with the swing near its floor and the press near its ceiling | Two bells: 8 and 16 kg for women, 12 and 20 kg for men |
| You already lift and bench over 200 lb | Pavel's book moves a stronger man up one step | One bell: 20 kg (44 lb), or a 16 and 24 kg pair |
| Floor space decides, or you are still unsure | A range of weights in one footprint, though the two in our catalog stop at 40 lb | An adjustable bell, then a fixed bell if you outgrow it |
Pick the movement first, then the bell. One coach's ranges put a swing bell well above a press bell, so a single weight only works where the ranges overlap: 12 kg (26 lb) for women and 16 to 20 kg (35 to 44 lb) for men. Most charts sort you by gender and stop, which hides why a new lifter's bell can feel light on swings and impossible overhead.
Starting weight by movement
The ranges below come from Marcus Martinez's kettlebell size guide at Living.Fit. He spans beginner to advanced clients, so read the low end as the beginner's end. Martinez is a master kettlebell coach writing for a store that sells gear, so treat this as one coach's practice, not a standard.
| Movement | Women | Men | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swing | 12-28 kg (26-62 lb) | 16-32 kg (35-70 lb) | A 12-week swing study started women at 8 kg, men at 16 kg |
| Deadlift | 16-20 kg (35-44 lb) | 24-32 kg (53-70 lb) | Bells of Steel: hinges take the most load |
| Goblet squat | 8-16 kg (18-35 lb) | 16-24 kg (35-53 lb) | Bells of Steel groups it with swings |
| Row | 8-20 kg (18-44 lb) | 16-32 kg (35-70 lb) | Bells of Steel: sits in the middle |
| Press | 4-12 kg (9-26 lb) | 12-20 kg (26-44 lb) | Bells of Steel: lighter than your swing bell |
| Half get-up | 4-16 kg (9-35 lb) | 12-24 kg (26-53 lb) | Bells of Steel: limited by shoulders and core |
The overlap: swing, goblet squat and press share exactly one weight for women, 12 kg, and a narrow band for men, 16 to 20 kg. That overlap is our reading of Martinez's ranges, not a number he publishes.
Bells of Steel explains the gap: hips and legs drive swings and goblet squats, while shoulders and core limit pressing. A press that stalls on your swing bell is normal, not a sign you bought wrong.
Where the swing numbers come from
The 16 kg figure has a traceable lineage, and the women's figure is less settled.
- Pavel Tsatsouline: a StrongFirst forum post quoting Enter the Kettlebell gives an average man 35 lb, or 44 lb with a bench press over 200 lb. It warns against starting at 53 lb unless you are a powerlifter or strongman.
- The Cureus study: its authors cite the same book for starting men at 16 kg and women at 8 kg, then moved them up to 24 kg and 16 kg over 12 weeks. Those subjects already had about two years of training behind them.
- A lab comparison: a 2012 swing study also used 16 kg for men and 8 kg for women.
- The community: the kettlebell wiki calls 16-24 kg for men and 8-16 kg for women the most common recommendation, depending on your history.
Women's guidance runs from 8 kg in those two studies to 12 kg at the bottom of Martinez's swing range. A deconditioned beginner belongs at the low end; someone who already lifts can take the higher one.
We searched the public sites of ACE and NSCA for a beginner load chart and did not find one. If a guide credits either body with a precise table, ask to see the page.
Are you a beginner by Martinez's standard?
His levels are bodyweight tests, which beat guessing from your gender or your scale weight.
| Test | Beginner woman | Beginner man |
|---|---|---|
| Upper body | High plank, 20-30 seconds | 5 full push-ups |
| Pull-up bar hang | 10-20 seconds | 20-30 seconds |
| Bodyweight squats | 20 full range | 20 full range |
| Sit-ups | 10, feet anchored | 15 |
Fall short, and start at the bottom of each range. Martinez also says he scales back for much older clients or those dealing with an issue, sometimes teaching the pattern with no weight at all.
Too heavy or too light?
The two errors cost you differently, so sort out which one worries you.
Too heavy
- Costs movement quality and consistency, says Bells of Steel, which would rather you start light if you are unsure
- Pulls your focus to the load instead of technique, as one StrongFirst forum member put it
Too light
- Can turn a swing into an arm lift, the warning in our kettlebell buying guide
- Leaves you buying again soon, since load climbs as technique settles
The tie-breaker: if you will mostly swing, lean to the heavier option. If pressing is the point, lean lighter. Those are the movements that disagree most.
What the bigger numbers are for
Some figures you will see online are destinations, not starting points. Do not size a first bell from them.
- 50% of bodyweight goblet squats: StrongFirst describes this as a ladder from one of Pavel's programs, done for sets of 2, 3 and 5.
- A 24 kg press: StrongFirst's Plan 410A assumes that as your training max and acceptable technique, before it builds you further.
- A "typical guy" at 53 lb: this line from a Gear Patrol piece quoted on StrongFirst's forum contradicts the book's warning above. We would not follow it.
Which bells to buy
The buying table above covers the decision. These are the catalog rows that fit it.
- One fixed bell: the Yes4All Powder Coated Kettlebell runs 9 to 88 lb, so it covers every number here. Some weights have been out of stock.
- A floor-friendly bell: the CAP Vinyl Coated Kettlebell comes in single weights from 10 to 50 lb, enough for a first pair.
- One adjustable bell: the Yes4All Adjustable Kettlebell lists seven settings from 7.8 to 40 lb, and the BowFlex SelectTech 840 dials from 8 to 40 lb. Both stop short of 20 kg (44 lb), so most men will outgrow them on swings.
Our kettlebell guide covers handles and finishes, and the kettlebell category lists everything we compare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size kettlebell should a beginner woman start with?+
12 kg (26 lb) is the one weight inside Marcus Martinez's swing, goblet squat and press ranges for women. If you are deconditioned, or the press is your priority, start lower: two studies used 8 kg for women's swings, and his press range starts at 4 kg.
What size kettlebell should a beginner man start with?+
16 kg (35 lb) is the most traceable figure. A forum quote of Enter the Kettlebell gives it to men benching under 200 lb, with 44 lb above that. Martinez's three main ranges for men overlap from 16 to 20 kg.
Can I use the same kettlebell for swings and presses?+
Yes, if it sits in the overlap, but expect it to feel easy on swings and hard overhead. Bells of Steel suggests sizing a single bell for the movements you do most and adjusting reps on the rest.
Is it better to buy one kettlebell or two?+
Start with one if you will mostly swing and goblet squat. Buy two if pressing matters from the start, since a second bell removes the compromise. StrongFirst instructor Pavel Macek suggested a 16 and 24 kg pair to a new male lifter on the forum.
Sources & Research
- Living.Fit — What Size Kettlebell? by Marcus Martinezmanufacturer
- Bells of Steel — Kettlebell Weight Guide for Men and Womenmanufacturer
- Cureus — Santos Junior et al.: Sex Differences in Neuromuscular Adaptations Following 12 Weeks of Kettlebell Swing Trainingauthority
- J Strength Cond Res — Comparison of Kettlebell Swings and Treadmill Running at Equivalent Rating of Perceived Exertion Valuesauthority
- StrongFirst forum — Best Kettlebell for Newbies (thread quoting Enter the Kettlebell)community
- StrongFirst — Kettlebell Simple & Sinister: Tips for Heavy Goblet Squatsauthority
- StrongFirst — The Big Bell Theory: Plans for Pressing Bigger Kettlebellsauthority
- r/kettlebell community — The Kettlebell Wiki: Getting Startedcommunity
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