I've been thinking for a while now that I want to pick up a pair of competition bells - probably 20kg, since I already have the 2 35lb kbs (even though they're not competition bells).
So the question is whether I should go with AKC or Perform Better. I have the 24kg kb I bought from Perform Better. Their prices are great and they ship almost immediately. The problem is that they have a very glossy, "smooth as glass" finish...including the handles. Even with as little as I use that bell, I find that slippery finish annoying....it makes it tough to hold onto after a while.
I've read about other people stripping the paint off of the handles on their bells, and I decided to give it a shot. If the paint would come off easily and the bare handle had a good feel, then I'd feel comfortable ordering more competition bells from Perform Better.
Indeed, I think it went pretty well. I bought some Ready Strip paint remover in a spray bottle for about $12 and some cheap stripping pads. I wrapped the bell in plastic garbage bag, leaving just the handle showing. I applied the Ready Strip and let it sit for about 40 min. I took one of the pads and tested an area by trying to scrub the paint off...and it came right off.
After stripping the paint, I cleaned off the handle with some water and let it dry. I did a couple swings, cleans, jerks and snatches. The handle feels MUCH better now.
Wow, that's pretty innovative. Question, what is the difference between regular and competition style?
ReplyDeleteInnovative for someone else...I just stole the idea! :)
ReplyDeleteCompetition bells are all the same size and shape regardless of the weight. So a 16kg and 24kg and 32kb bell all look/feel exactly the same (except for weight of course).
Regular bells tend to get larger as the weight goes up. The bell gets bigger and the handle gets thicker. Compare the 25lb bell with the 35lb bell in the title pic of this blog.
The uniformity of the competition bells makes moving up in weight easier, because your technique doesn't have to change. And in general, that particular size works very well for the competition lifts.