I've been working through Ripptoe's Starting Strength and Practical Programming books and training schedule, mostly aiming for basic fitness and building muscle mass. My current workout is mostly squats, deadlifts, bench & standing presses, and a few variations on the plank. True to the full title of starting strength, both of these books focus almost exclusively on barbell training. I've found that I was able to incorporate dumbbells into my workout as necessary (particularly for the standing press). I've recently begun simply playing with the kettlebell - not really using it as part of my workout, just getting to know the basic exercises and motions. So far it seems to me that barbells are typically used for increasing core strength, and dumbbells are typically used for targeted muscle group workouts.
My questions are twofold:
- Is there a "typical use" for kettlebells?
- Given my goals (fitness & muscle mass increase), are there any kettlebell exercises that would better suit me than