How to Use an Adjustable Kettlebell Properly? | Lock It First

Set the load while the kettlebell sits on the floor, turn the dial until the setting clicks fully in, and lift it a few inches to prove no plate is loose before any swing.

An adjustable kettlebell turns one handle into six weights, which is exactly why it punishes sloppy habits. On a fixed cast-iron bell the danger is your form. On a dial unit the danger is a plate that never locked — and the lift that answers that question is not a swing.

The sequence below covers the SelectTech 840 dial model, the clearest documented US example, and adapts to plate-stack and threaded-collar designs. Five minutes of setup discipline is the whole difference between a compact home gym and a swinging pile of loose steel.

How Do You Change The Weight Without Losing A Plate?

Every weight change happens with the kettlebell resting on a stable, hard surface and your hands off the moving parts. The BowFlex SelectTech 840 uses a weight-selection dial, and the manufacturer’s own instruction is to confirm the selector has engaged the setting completely before you lift.

The order matters more than the method:

1. Set it down first. Change weight only when the kettlebell is stationary on the floor. Never turn a dial or pull a pin while it hangs from one hand or sits overhead.
2. Turn to the marked setting. On the 840, rotate the dial to 8, 12, 20, 25, 35, or 40 lb — 3.5, 5.5, 9, 11, 16, or 18 kg on the metric scale. On plate-loading models, seat every plate fully and tighten the collar.
3. Prove it. Lift the handle a few inches and set it back down, without swinging. Any rattle, shift, or plate that drops out of line means the setting did not take. Reset and try again.

If the unit still rattles after a clean reset, stop. A damaged or partly assembled adjustable kettlebell is not a lighter version of the exercise — it is a falling object.

Which Weight Should You Actually Start With?

Start at the low end of the dial and stay there until the movement looks the same on every rep. The 840 bottoms out at 8 lb, and that setting is not a formality — it is where you learn the swing without the bell steering you.

Two mechanical cues carry most of the load. Brace the trunk and keep the spine neutral. For swings and deadlift patterns, hinge at the hips and drive with them; the arms guide the kettlebell rather than haul it upward, and the knees track over the toes instead of collapsing inward. Rounding the back or squatting the weight up with the arms are the two habits that make a swing feel heavy when the weight is fine.

Keep the bell close during cleans, presses, carries, and squats. An adjustable body is bulkier than a solid bell, so its housing and plates meet a forearm or a floor sooner than you expect. Clearance is part of the technique.

Move up a setting only when the current one stays controlled from the first rep to the last. The manufacturer states the 840 replaces six kettlebells; the trade for that span is that jumps between settings are fixed, so patience at 20 lb buys a cleaner 35 lb.

BowFlex lists the SelectTech 840 at $149 and covers parts for two years, though pricing and terms can change. If you are still weighing a dial unit against a plate-stack design, our tested adjustable kettlebell set roundup compares the locking systems side by side.

What Wears An Adjustable Kettlebell Out?

Dropping it. An adjustable mechanism has selectors, plates, and fastening hardware where a solid bell has only iron, and impact is what loosens those parts. Set it down on its base or a protected surface every rep, and check the handle, housing, plates, selector, and any visible hardware for cracks or looseness before each session. BowFlex’s SelectTech 840 product page lists the specifications and warranty details behind those checks.

BowFlex’s Canadian product page adds one honest note: manufacturing tolerances can make individual plates vary slightly from the stated weight. A 25 lb setting may read a hair under or over. That is normal and irrelevant to training — trust the setting, not a bathroom scale.

A few habits prevent most failures. Never adjust a selector while the bell is moving. Don’t treat the housing like a smooth competition bell with unlimited wrist clearance. And store it dry and upright rather than in a pile of gear where the dial takes knocks.

Stop the set if the selector shifts, the plates rattle, or anything hurts. Reset, inspect, and if the fault returns, retire the unit and get qualified coaching for the ballistic lifts.