Pick up a kettlebell. Swing it 10 times. You’ll know within those 10 reps if it’s too heavy, too light, or just right. That’s basically this entire post. But there’s nuance depending on the movement, so here’s the longer version.

Kettlebells jump in 4 kg increments. 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32. Each jump is a big deal. Going from 16 to 20 is a 25% increase. There’s no slapping on a 2.5 lb plate to micro-load. You either own the weight or you don’t.

Swings

Swings use your biggest muscles and the movement is ballistic, so you can handle more weight here than anything else. Your hips do the work. Your arms are just hooks.

Most men start at 20 to 24 kg two-hand, 16 to 20 kg one-arm. Most women start at 12 to 16 kg two-hand, 8 to 12 kg one-arm.

The quick test: 10 swings. If the bell floats to chest height without you pulling it with your arms, you’re good. Barely reaches your belly button? Size down. Flying over your head? Too light. Or you’re pulling with your arms, which is a different problem.

Get-ups

Completely different animal. Slow, controlled, and every position in the movement needs to feel stable. The roll, the bridge, the sweep, the stand. You’ll use less weight here than anything else.

Men: 12 to 16 kg. Women: 8 to 12 kg.

Hold the bell at lockout with a straight arm for 10 seconds. Shoulder creeping up? Elbow bending? Too heavy. You should be able to pause at every position on the way up and feel like you could stay there.

Presses

This is where ego gets people killed. The kettlebell press is strict. No leg drive, no layback. Just your shoulder and tricep doing honest work.

Men usually start around 16 to 20 kg. Women around 8 to 12 kg.

Press it 5 times each side. If you can get all 5 without your body leaning sideways or your wrist bending back, you’re in the zone. If you can hit 8+ reps without thinking about it, go heavier.

I spent months pressing a 20 when I should’ve moved to 24. Kept telling myself I wasn’t ready. I was ready. The 20 had become maintenance, not progress. Don’t sit on a weight because it’s comfortable.

Squats

Goblet squats load the front of your body, so your core and upper back work hard to keep you upright. Most people can squat heavier than they think.

Men: 16 to 24 kg. Women: 12 to 16 kg.

5 reps. Full depth, elbows inside your knees, chest stays up. If you can do that without your torso collapsing forward, the weight is right.

Run a swing test

If you want something more objective, set an EMOM timer for 10 minutes. 10 swings at the top of each minute. 100 total.

Finished all 10 sets and felt like you could keep going? Heavier. Form held up but the last 3 rounds were genuinely hard? Stay here. Form broke down before round 8? Size down.

One good rep when you’re fresh means nothing. Sixty good reps under time pressure tells you where you actually are.

Going heavier

There’s no fixed timeline. I’ve jumped a size in 3 weeks on swings and spent 4 months on the same press weight. The movements don’t progress at the same rate.

The signals: your planned sets feel controlled. You finish with gas in the tank. You’re not thinking about the weight during the set. You could add reps without your form changing.

Don’t go heavier because you’re bored. Go heavier because the current weight is genuinely easy and you’ve confirmed it across multiple sessions, not just one good day.

Sizing down

No shame in it.

Learning a new movement. Coming back from time off. Form breaking down under fatigue. Switching from two-hand to one-arm swings. All good reasons to drop 4 kg and own the movement instead of fighting a weight that’s too heavy for where you are right now.

How many bells do you actually need

If you’re buying fixed bells, two. A heavier one for swings and squats, a lighter one for presses and get-ups. 16 + 24 for men. 12 + 16 for women. That covers most people for months.

The other route is adjustable kettlebells. I train with two Bells of Steel adjustable kettlebells that go up to 32 kg each. You pull a pin, swap plates, done. One pair covers every weight I need from 12 to 32 kg. No collection of six bells taking up floor space. For most people starting out, adjustables solve the “which bells do I buy” problem completely.

Track your weights and reps so you know when to move up.