Product: Kettlebell Bombshell with Lisa Balash (Kettle Bell Workout) (2011)
Rating: 5.0
Great place to start KB training
As KB beginner I was looking for a video that would teach me the basics and get me going with a good solid workout. After doing this workout for a couple weeks I am very satisfied with the results. I have a few complaints but over all it's definitely worth the purchase price.One of the first things you see are weight guidelines. I appreciated that since I had no idea where I should have been starting. Luckily, I had gotten the correct size KB. And while this was good to see in the video it would have been nice if this info was in the product description. By the way - for beginner guys it's between 35 and 50 lbs. Sorry, I don't remember the females' guidelines.The video has 4 chapters.1) A basic lesson on a variety of KB moves2) Lower Body Workout3) Upper Body Workout4) Total Body circuitI've only watched chapter 1 once and wouldn't consider it a workout. It's great that it's part of the DVD and I might revisit it later to brush up on a move or clear up my technique but calling it another workout is a stretch.Chapter 2 is money. This will be the basis for my lower body work for the next few months.Chapter 3 - it's ok. At the end of the workout I feel like I still have a lot left. Maybe I need a heavier KB or to run through it 3 times instead of just twice. However, the overall results I'm seeing - including upper body strength - are undeniable. More on that below.Chapter 4 - Pretty good all around workout. Love the swing/burpee ladder and will incorporate that into future workouts with out the video.All 3 workouts are around 20 minutes. A lot of that time is resting time for chapters 2 and 4. But that's not a bad thing. First, rest is important - and you'll need it. Second, the rest time is in big numbers on the screen so you can easily fast forward to give your self as much or as little rest as you like. Lastly, since the workouts are short you can double them up or mix them together however you see fit. There are no worries about not getting a good workout in.Before each set of exercises a set of guidelines tell you what beginners, intermediate and advanced users should be doing. Lisa takes you through at the beginner pace, so you'll have to hit pause (or work into the rest time) in order to do the upper levels. This brings me to my one big gripe... No tracks on the DVD. It would be so much more usable if you could hit the NEXT button on your remote to go to the next exercise or BACK to quickly go to a previous one. But, as it is, your choices are to scan through manually or go to the complete beginning of a workout. It's 2011! DVDs are not some new fangled technology!Overall this video is a great way to get started with KBs. I've been using it for only 2 or 3 weeks now and I feel amazing. I went back to the gym last week for an upper body workout. I was blown away at how much strength and endurance I suddenly had compared to just a few weeks before. I was almost laughing as I put up rep after rep of what used to be my heaviest weight for bench. Also, my pull up reps increased by about 25% and the assist weight I needed went down by 15 lbs. And as for endurance - I did a track based sprinting workout with a couple friends. At the end of the hour they were done but I still felt fresh and could have kept on going.So yeah. I don't get why it works so well and I really don't care. It just does. If you're thinking about KBs or have just gotten into them I highly suggest this video. You will not be sorry.