My First Experience with Peloton Kettlebell Classes

When Peloton launches something brand new, like their kettlebell classes, I am here for it! Several weeks back, we heard that kettlebell classes were coming to the platform and a few days later 5 classes dropped. These classes are listed in the strength section when you filter by class type. You can also find a 2-week Kettlebell Experience, coached by Adriell “Dre” Mayes, in the Strength+ app. 

New Like Me? Start with the Basics!

I ordered an inexpensive set of 4 kettlebells online, allowing me a quick and easy way of trying the classes out to see if they would stick or agree with my body. Based on all that I learned, I would already have made some changes to what I purchased. Do yourself a favor and start with Rebecca Kennedy’s 10-minute Kettlebells Basics class. This is informational and captures all you need to know to get started. She absolutely gets you excited about this new adventure.  

First, she reviewed the parts of the kettlebell including the handle, corners, horn, window and the bell itself. She recommends a steel set of bells – no plastic ones with seams that can be rough on hands – and that people invest in a light, medium and heavy to start. I quickly caught on that my “heavy” bell at 20 pounds was not near heavy enough. If you have done any weightlifting before, follow her recommendations – even if your first reaction is “No way I could do that!” Yes, you can. 

Rebecca comments that you don’t want too cushiony a shoe – it’s important to feel the floor with your whole foot, so wear a flat sneaker. She reviewed positions, particularly the hinge, hike, rack, press and snatch. In a strength kettlebell class, the movements will be slower, while in a conditioning class the movements will be more “ballistic,” meaning explosive and dynamic and will engage the cardiovascular system. She recommended starting with a kettlebell strength class if you have never used kettlebells before. Finally, Rebecca commented on a necessary orientation period for your wrists and forearms as your body adapts to using kettlebells and that you might want wrist guards at the beginning if you find that you are sensitive or sore. 

Kettlebell Strength: Exploring Peloton Kettlebell Classes

Jermaine Johnson (JJ), from the London Tread and Strength team, was a kettlebell coach and trainer prior to joining Peloton. As you might expect, in his first 20 min Kettlebell Strength class, he was inviting and encouraging, while also providing excellent and descriptive direction. We started with a warmup that included the world’s greatest stretch, body weight squats and kettlebell halos. During the warmup, he mentioned to make sure our watches were off – the bell could hit it during a myriad of different movements. Great tip – don’t forget this. 

We started with our heavy weight and I found JJ’s direction of “line the bell up with the ankle bones” to be quite helpful – I could immediately feel the difference if I was too far forward. Another directive was to “feel yourself pushing off the floor” and make sure the big toes were engaged. 

First we did two rounds of single arm deadlifts where JJ stressed getting your booty lower than you might in a traditional deadlift and to have a deeper bend in the knees, kind of like you were sitting down in a chair. He also suggested ways to use your non-working arm to assist or balance or provide power. 

Next we transitioned over to a medium bell to move into a push press. JJ spent a good amount of time on safety – how to move the bell around correctly – to pick it up, you have a choice to clean it or use the other arm to assist it up. His direction of “Dip, Drive, Catch” made sense and resonated for me. I quickly realized why our watches were off AND why Rebecca said your wrists and forearms need training. The bell will gently bump against you each rep and a novice will definitely feel this, but will also get used to it as the body adjusts. 

In the final strength round, we needed a heavy and a medium bell. We first did an offset kettlebell squat, with the important direction of not letting the wrist collapse. This moved into a gorilla row, having the heavy and medium bells in front of you and using the non-working arm as an anchor on the lighter bell while rowing with the heavier bell. JJ pointed out that he feels there are “no limits” with bells – you can have very specialized movement patterns in these classes that differ from what can be offered in a traditional ndumbbell class. 

We ended with a ballistic finisher and I swung a kettlebell for the first time – the direction was “hike and swing.” At first, we did each rep one at a time and then moved into a continuous round. This was the moment things changed for me. I was breathing heavier and getting my heart rate up. I also felt pretty badass! The motion felt smooth and available, and my entire body was working. I was sold. As we were stretching, I knew I wanted to do this again and try more of the conditioning piece.  

This was a perfect first class with a lot of specific direction, encouragement and solid pacing. I imagine that this class would feel slow and a bit basic to someone that has been using kettlebells for years, but for me as a novice, it was ideal. I would encourage those new to the medium to actually watch one round of a particular move first before trying it yourself. I quickly learned that in a kettlebell workout you should be looking down a lot at the bell and so it can be difficult to keep looking up at the TV or bike screen.

After my husband did the same class, he wanted short 5- or 10-minute classes on each move where they are broken down into pieces to ensure good form – similar to the focused classes in yoga that teach one pose in depth. There is an idea for you Peloton! 

Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning

There was so much excitement when Katie Wang started teaching strength classes last year after joining Peloton as a Row instructor. I have seen several social media posts calling her a “new favorite for strength” and members seem to like her no-nonsense style and her ability to crack jokes while she is also providing a killer workout. Her experience on the Row is referenced several times in class because kettlebells, just like rowing, is a full body exercise of both cardio and strength. 

In her first Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Class, Katie started with a three minute warm up that included T spine rotation, inchworms and a farmer’s carry with a heavy bell. 

The strength portion consisted of three rounds, three moves: goblet deadlift, goblet hike to clean and a goblet squat. Katie pointed out the distribution difference compared to a dumbbell – you definitely use your core more, and I could feel it! The movements themselves engaged more body parts than JJ’s strength-only workout and I was getting a little breathier sooner during the workout. 

We ended the class with 4 rounds of swings. There was excellent coaching from Katie – she said, “Imagine that you are preparing for a broad jump, but you go nowhere – instead you come straight up with power.” She also stressed the importance of following the bell with your eyes – at the top of a swing look forward as you exhale. She coached with the phrase “load and explode”. At the end of four rounds, I was spent and my heart rate up. It felt really good. 

Katie ended by commenting on the need that we should all have to try something new. Kettlebells offered all the same things that rowing can, but without the necessity of a machine. It engages different muscles than a traditional dumbbell or bodyweight strength class. Katie noticed that she could have gone heavier during this class, so once again, consider going heavier if you are trying out kettlebells or even purchasing them. 

Final Thoughts From the Newbie

Although these first two classes were labeled “Intermediate,” I felt very capable doing them even though I had never touched a kettlebell before. Because the classes are new to the platform, there was a great deal of direction and coaching. I truly enjoyed them and the movement very much agreed with my body. Sometimes I can have wrist discomfort from dumbbell or floor bodyweight exercises (like pushups) and that was not the case here. I loved the conditioning piece in Katie’s class because if I were short on time, I could get some movement and cardio in alongside my strength workout. 

I now agree wholeheartedly with Rebecca’s recommendations re: go heavier and choose steel kettlebells instead of plastic. The cheap ones will allow you to get started, but you will likely not be happy in the long run. Go to a gym with someone or get a guest pass – try them out there or even take a class on the app while at the gym so you have access to different weights. Maybe borrow a set if someone you know has them. You will be quite surprised at how your opinion of what you need changes after only one or two classes. 

Finally, if you have shoulder or back issues, check with your PT, chiropractor or orthopedist about using kettlebells. Certain movements may not agree with you due to their dynamic nature and fast paced movements. Dumbbells allow a much smaller, slower range of motion that might be more ideal for some members. 

I am definitely hooked on Peloton kettlebell classes and hope they continue to expand this offering. I really hope these classes take off and maybe Peloton will even sell their own kettlebells – I would definitely buy them! If you are mildly interested, give these new drops a chance. See you on the leaderboard! 

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