When doing strength and conditioning, it is important to understand the purpose of the tool you are using. For the most part, all strength equipment is functional when it is used in the manner for which it was designed. Understanding the difference between a kettlebell and a barbell is essential in getting the most use out of your tool. It is like understanding the difference between a chainsaw and a lawn mower. Both tools are designed to cut, but trying to cut your lawn with a chainsaw is just dumb. I often see the kettlebell being described as a power tool, but in reality, it is a power endurance tool. If you want to work maximal power, you should use a barbell. If you want to do high rep clean and jerks or snatches, you should use a kettlebell.

There are three major differences in the performance of the kettlebell jerk in comparison to the barbell jerk. The first is the rack position of the weight, the second is the breathing during the jerk, and the third is the speed and flow of the first knee bend.

The kettlebell is a power endurance tool and is best utilized as such. Part of what makes it such a great power endurance tool is the design of the bell. Its shape allows for you to keep it close to your center of mass (hips). In the swing portion of the clean or snatch, the forearm and wrist should lay against the hips in the back swing and almost up until the acceleration pull. This allows you to direct the power from the hips more efficiently without putting as much stress on the back because the trajectory of force in the back swing is coming up into the hips, not dropping towards the floor away from the body. In the rack position of the kettlebell jerk, you directly connect the power of the hips to the bell by deflecting your torso back and resting the elbow on the hip. This allows you to bypass having to transfer the energy of the hips and legs through the torso to the bell. With the kettlebell, you are directly connecting the hips to the bell, and the torso isn't involved at all until the catch of the jerk during the second knee bend. The ability to have such a direct connection of power from hips to bell allows you to move the weight efficiently and conserve more energy. This, in turn, allows you to produce more repetitions over a longer period of time. By contrast, with the barbell jerk, the weight is loaded on the shoulders. The torso needs to stay tight, and the spine needs to stay in a neutral position to distribute the power from the hips and legs to efficiently drive the weight to an over-head position.

Breathing during the kettlebell jerk is also very different than the barbell jerk. With the kettlebell, which is always a submaximal weight, there is a breath at every movement. This not only allows for more efficient oxygenation but can also create more leverage during the lift. Without disconnecting the elbow from the hip, exhale as you quickly bend the knees and sink your weight into the heels. The exhale in the first knee bend allows for a deeper connection of the weight to the crest of the pelvis, and it starts the breath cycle of the jerk. As you explosively extend through the knees and drive through the heels extending through the toes of the feet. Your chest will raise and you will have a natural inhale at this point in the lift. The inhale will keep a smooth and continuous supply of oxygen and will also cause a natural expansion of the ribcage, which will increase the power of the “bump” or drive phase of the jerk. As the kettlebells float up over your head, you will exhale and quickly sit back with your hips, straighten your arms, and lock out your elbows. With a quick (almost undetectable) inhale and exhale, stand up to a fully locked out overhead position. Inhale with the bells overhead and then exhale as you receive the bells back into the rack position. The exhale as you catch the bells helps slow down the impact and sets up the breath cycle for the next jerk.

With the barbell jerk, you will need to inhale deeply, allowing the abdomen to expand and the diaphragm to contract, ensuring the lungs are able to fill completely. Inhaling deeply will reduce the potential for flexion or extension of the torso. This will allow for better power distribution from the hips and legs due to the connection having to transfer through the torso to the weight. This is pretty much the only breath taken during the lift. You might hear a breath out during the explosive phase, but this should be due to an effort to tighten down the torso pushing air out through the lungs and trachea, creating a glottal noise. Because the lift happens in a split second, it is crucial to keep a pressurized torso throughout the entire lift. Barbell jerks are anaerobic as opposed to kettlebell jerks, which are aerobic. Keeping tight and stable is way more important than getting more oxygen into the system.

Finally, the speed and flow of the kettlebell jerk is significantly different than the barbell jerk. With the barbell jerk, the first knee bend is a quick bend down with a violent contraction up trying to heave the weight overhead. In the case of the kettlebell jerk, the first knee bend feels more like jumping on a diving board. The kettlebell jerk is a little bit slower, and you need to wait for the recoil to get maximal thrust. This flow and rhythm is crucial to produce maximal reps. You only want to use as much power as is needed to get the bells overhead. A high level male lifter may jerk the two 32kg bells for over 120 reps in 10 min. The load will remain constant, but the objective is to produce more reps. Smooth, consistent power out-put is key.

In the barbell jerk, the objective is maximal weight lifted, and in a competition the athlete will get three attempts (if they are fortunate enough to catch their clean) to jerk the weight overhead. The load will increase with each successful lift, requiring the speed and timing of the movement to adjust to the different loads. Each jerk is a maximal attempt with the barbell. This all-out effort is what makes the barbell such a great tool for maximal power.

The kettlebell is a superior endurance tool. The shape of the bell allows the lifter to always keep the bell in closer proximity to the hips than any other tool. The pendulum motion of the bell allows for a much more rhythmic and repeatable movement that can be performed for long durations. The placement of the bells in the rack position challenge the respiratory muscles more than any other strength and conditioning tool by directly placing a load to the abdominal wall, rib cage, and diaphragm.

It’s important to learn to use all of the strength and conditioning tools available and apply them to the job that they were designed for. Using the right tool for the right job ensures that you will see greater success in your strength and conditioning training. Don’t be the jackass trying to cut your lawn with a chainsaw.