Kettlebells versus Dumbbells

The advantages of dumbbells – especially adjustable dumbbells – are overwhelming. You might as well fill a milk-jug with concrete and use it for strength training.

Here’s a quick comparison of kettlebell and dumbbell training. Read below the chart for details:
 

Kettlebell	Dumbbell
Fixed weight; Expensive adjustable kettlebells are awkward, ungainly, and cause pinches and bruises	Easily and quickly adjustable
Thick, non-rotating handle causes blisters	Normal handle designed ergonomically
The off-center balance point strains the wrist during presses and “pushing” movements	Wrist naturally assumes ergonomically-proper orientation, no matter the exercise
Grip strength the limiting factor in “pulling” movements with thick-handled bells; no way around this drawback. Bells’ handles were designed by foundry foremen, not athletes.	Grip strength is rarely an issue. DB grips are thin and ergonomic, not thick and ungainly. If necessary, grip strength can either be addressed through training, or overcome with various time-tested techniques
Kettlebell training is synonymous with skill training. Often, strength gains come from neural adaptation and skill acquisition, not hypertrophy. It takes weeks to learn to clean a decent-sized bell without bruising yourself too much.	Dumbbells are a fitness and strength training tool, not an end in and of themselves. They deliver results immediately, regardless of the level of neural adaptation and skill. You can clean a dumbbell right the first time, and every time.
Repetitive-stress injuries are common and practically inevitable with the massively-hyped but impractical kettlebell movements. The movements are defined by the bell itself, not by the athletic benefit they confer.	Repetitive stress injuries are rare and avoidable because of lower reps and lack of ‘contortion’. Dumbbells lend themselves to all manner of athletic training, they don’t require you to learn special movement skills just to avoid injury.
Expensive and overpriced	Priced almost as a commodity; plus, the plates are fungible
Handles are cast iron instead of forged steel. This means they need to be thick and stubby to avoid breaking.	Forged handles are thinner and ergonomically designed
Limited number of movements, some highly contrived and impractical	Dumbbells are suited for many time-tested movements and exercises used by successful athletes
Cast iron handles must be painted or coated after manufacture to prevent rust. This means you need to remove coating and season the handle to do high-rep snatches.	Forged handles and knurled grips go a long way towards preventing blisters. No friction during power moves like snatches or cleans.
No way to get “under” the weight during heavy snatches, cleans, and presses. You can only ‘swing’ the weight into position. This means you can’t use kettlebells to develop power.	Dumbbells or barbells are used by every successful athlete during their formative years for power development (not to mention strength training)