Bells Up

For anyone interested in learning how to use kettlebells and other strength equipment properly, and just establishing general comfort in the gym, Lacee and this app are an excellent resource. And for deep kettlebell experts, the app is an incredible resource for fun, efficient, thoughtfully-programmed classes — with bigger picture structure. I’ve been studying kettlebells for a decade (and have some certifications) and have known / known of Lacee, the creator of Bells Up, for a while. She is an incredibly smart, humble, inspirational resource and I always look forward to opening the app to see what new gems she’s added for the week. The format is lovely and easy to use also.

I started training with kettlebells 10 years ago after an injury sidelined me from running and dancing. I quickly fell in love with bells, but sadly my coach moved across town and I just couldn’t get to classes anymore. Since then, I’ve been looking for programming to do at home, and let me tell you, a lot of it is B O R I N G. Effective, sure, but I can’t do the exact same thing every day for a month. BellsUp gives me exactly what I am missing by not being able to do in-person classes: fresh content is always coming, the programming is smart and progressive, you learn new movements and skills but its always rooted in a foundational movement (so not just being novel for novelty’s sake), and the cuing is exactly what I need. Following along with the videos, Lacee does an amazing job of threading the coaching needle where I feel pushed to pick up the heavier weight or go an extra rep, while also having the grace and option to take a modification if I need to. Classes leave me feeling like I worked really hard, but I’m not destroyed. Plus, sometimes there’s puppies!

I’ve done a lot of workout apps and never kept up with them. This one is majorly different. It’s progressive so you go into the workouts with a set plan of what you’re building towards and you know which workouts to do, how often, and in which order. Knowing what advanced moves exist (thru the app and thru following Bells Up, Lacee and Missy on Insta) gives me great motivation to keep building strength. And this app focuses heavily on lifting weights properly and having good form, which is perfect for those of us who are beginners and want to learn without injury. It’s just all so well set up that you don’t have to think much. Just show up, follow their great cues and direction, and do the work. Highly recommend!