How Do Kettlebells Feel?
One of the funniest things you can do with a kettlebell is give it to a friend who thinks you should curl it like a dumbell. The same given weight they use easily with a dumbell will have them struggling. The reason for this difficulty is caused by the kettlebell's unique shape. The other reason is the improper form your friend uses to lift the weight.
When lifting a kettlebell in the proper manner it can feel as smooth as butter while doing swings. Using your legs to generate the force will cause the kettlebell to rise and fall in a natural arc without the assistance of your upper body. Other exercises will make the same weight feel like you are weak and never trained before in you life. One of these exercises is windmill where you lean sides ways and press the weight upward from a bent over position.
A big difference between kettlebells and normal weights is that you have to catch the weight on your arm during cleans. In this exercise the weight pivots around your hand and lands on the back of your forearm. If you do it improperly the kettlebell will slam into your arm (not exactly the most pleasureable experience). Luckily, learning to properly to capture the kettlebell on your forearm is not very difficult. Quickly accelerating your arm underneath the weight and bending your knees to lower your body at the same time is usually all that's needed to cushion yourself against the weight.