Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginners: Kettlebell 3 in 1 With Amy Bento

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was a Christmas present from my husband. I had tried a few other Kettlebell Dvd's featuring master Kettlebell instructors but felt a little overwhelmed by their magnitude. I was very encouraged with this beginners level by Ms. Bento. I like her instructions and cueing;she gives you time to catch your breath after power moves or when switching to a new move. I really wanted to learn how to use kettlebells because you don't need alot of space to use them and I needed more variety in my workouts. I learned about this DVD from Prevention mag and am very happy my husband ordered it for me. I am 54 yr old and actively work out 4 times/wk and feel this beginners DVD was right for me.

I consider myself a beginner,as I am brand new to kettlebell, but not new to fitness workouts. I work out daily with many types of workouts (pilates, yoga, dance, cardio, step, etc). I felt Absolute Beginner would give me what I needed to learn the basics and was interested because it also included an intermediate workout as well.

The cuing is good, she lets you know what you should and should not be doing so that you know proper form,so for that I felt it was worth it. The tutorial section instructed 6 basic moves and took about 10 minutes.

The beginner portion was about 20 minutes and you practice moves you learned in the tutorial section.

The intermediate portion was also about 20 minutes and I thought might have a bit more moves, but the main difference seemed to be that she added in a bit of extra cardio between the toning moves (such as simulating a jump rope, etc). Maybe I expected a little more, or maybe I am not quite as beginner as I think I am.

Both workouts end with a two minute stretch that basically stretches the glutes and hip flexors. I was a little surprised that there wasn't a bit more, but then again, the workout is only 20 minutes, so maybe that is about right.

I started with a 7 lb. weight and felt the moves were very easy to follow and I could build up later with a heavier kettlebell as I feel the need.

As far as the instructor, she absolutely knows her stuff, but I can't say I am a huge fan, she is a bit too chatty for my tastes and a little bit over the top on the motivational, "you can do it" stuff.

The music was not my idea of great workout music-which unless I'm doing a dance workout should basically just be a little background, not an urban kind of sound with sirens in some spots. So, musicwise, also, a little over the top.

So, who is this workout for? I would say those that are fitness beginners (not just kettlebell, but fitness in general), older exercisers (I'm middle aged, so I mean older than that...) or those that have lifted no weights and are starting from the ground, ground floor.

I borrowed this one from the library, and I have decided I would outgrow this much too soon, so will not be purchasing, but if you fall into one of the categories above, this may be just the ticket to start a fitness regime that will work your body, and give you a little cardio from someone who knows the ropes.

This video is absolutely the way to start in Kettlebells! She has a training section, a beginners and intermediate section. Her form and moves are right on. I started with five pounds and the first time could only get through one circuit. I am doing better now. It is my third day with this. She also has some stretching after the beginning workout. The intermediate section also includes some cardio. And, of course, I hadn't worked out in a couple of years but feel that this will keep me going. It is fun and short when you are finished you know you have had a workout. I am 69 years old....

I'm a 35 year-old- female. I was an athlete in high school and have been pretty athletic up until about a year ago, when I got very busy. I have been trying to get back in to an exercise routine for a while now and this dvd was perfect. Since I've worked as a massage therapist, I'm very concerned abut safety and proper form. Amy Bento gives thorough explanations of each of the moves. Additionally, it's a great motivator, since you feel a sense of accomplishment after a 20-minute workout (25 minutes if you do the additional stretch.) If you are just getting back in to exercise, this is perfect. She also includes an intermediate work-out - also 20 minutes. The only move she could explain a bit more thoroughly is the move called "the clean." The trick is putting your thumb out , so the bell does not slam in to your wrist. She does this, but she does not actually say it. Here is a demo of "the clean" that I found on youtube.[...] Amy Bento's DVD is produced by Tamilee Webb, who always produces quality and safe work-outs. (She did the Buns of Steel Videos in the 80's) It's also visually appealing compared to the dvd by another company that came with the actual Kettlebell purchase. The music is okay on this one. Not great, but not too distracting. It would be nice if there was an 'instructor only' option, so I could play my own music. But, the music is not really a problem.

I have used this DVD a few times and it has great instructions for beginners. I will be using this DVD often. Amy takes her time explaining how to do each exercise and goes slowly so that you can follow along.

** Kettle bells work! ** Revised 05/12/11, I still hate my kettle bell. I hate it when I realize it's kettle bell workout day. I'm sore not for days now but just a day after using my kettle bell in places I didn't even know that I had muscles! Going up stairs is torture after using your KB. So, after that rousing endorsement, let me say this is my second DVD as the first one, the Go Fit workout, is far too hard. Amy's style is easy, clear and has enough breaks in the action to let you catch your breath. I now like to switch off between the beginning and intermediate workout. Some days, I find the "easier" program harder if I haven't done it in a couple of weeks. One thing I've noticed is that one really gets better at the moves, which are simple but you can feel your hip snaps and thrusts really working. ** I've taken off an inch from my mama belly **

The product provides an excellent experience for first time users. The begginer workout is basic and effective. The intermediate workout has been added to my weekly excercise plan. Both can be done for a complete workout. The mix with cardio gives it some diversity. I may purchase an advanced DVD, but for now, this is just fine. Amy Bento is an excellent instructor - she makes it interesting and fun.

I've had this DVD for some time. Originally, I also thought it was slow and not very challenging, but when I got it out again recently, I went as heavy as I could handle and got a fantastic workout. The first workout goes through all the moves and you can perfect your form. The second one has combined kettlebell moves with short cardio intervals (this one is similar to Amy's other kettlebell DVD but not quite as demanding). It is a fantastic DVD. Well done instruction where you don't get hurt as a beginner, but grows with you beyond that. It really gives you a chance to go heavy without dread factor.

I have been looking for a good kettle bell workout after getting into kettle bell'n with Amy Dixon's "Give Me 10" workout video where she introduced kettle bells in her extra section. It was so much fun and so different than my other in-home workouts.

Okay, first off, you need to make sure to get a heavy enough kettle bell. For women, the recommended weight is 20 lbs!!! If you use a 5 or 10 lb kettle bell, you won't get the true benefits of the exercise routine. I am a 40+ women and I'm starting this workout with a 15 lb. kettle bell. This is the MINIMUM weight I would recommend. I'm a little wimpy on upper-body strength, although the real workout is lower body. The whole concept of the workout is swinging the heavy kettle bell around. Don't start with anything less than 15 lbs. 20-30 lbs. which will give you the ultimate challenge and you will build tremendous strength.

The video is excellent. It is made up of 3 sections. The first section is a tutorial on how to swing and handle the heavy weight. There are six exercises you will learn and are used throughout sections 2 and 3. Amy Bento demonstrates and explains each swing very well and this section gives you the opportunity to practice each of the exercises and prepare you for the 2 other sections.

The second section is for beginners, yet is quite challenging. You will feel like you really worked your muscles and it gets your heart rate going too. Even though she leads by herself (there are no other students), she makes it fun, challenging, and interesting. You basically move from each of the 6 exercises in a fast paced manner. The routine is 30 minutes and will work out all your muscles and get cardio work tool

The third section uses the same set on exercises, but she combines them into a series of swings for an even more challenging workout. In between each portion of kettle bell exercises, Amy adds cardio moves to keep your heart rate high. This is definitely a challenging workout!!!

My only grip on the workout is the stretching section. At the end of each section there is a very brief stretch that is unique for each workout. Then there is a section added to the end that is identical in each workout. This may be a style of Tammie Lee Webb who produced this video and also does this stretch repeat on her video. It would be better if they added a unique and longer stretch routine to complete the workout.

Overall, this is an excellent video for the beginner and will turn you into an intermediate kettle beller in no time if you stick to it!!!

Well the name says it all, so if you're disappointed in this video for lack of gusto, you shouldn't be. The tutorial, two workouts, and stretching portion are designed to simply get you started with handling a kettlebell, and working it in a very basic way. You learn several different and fundamental routines that help you get familiar with working a kettlebell in the "Beginners" portion of the DVD, and the "Intermediate" portion combines these moves to give you an idea of where you can go with all this kettlebell business. The tutorial is nice and explains the very basic principles of working out with kettlebells, and everything is easy to understand and follow.

The workouts themselves are not very rigorous after doing them for a week or so, and I actually find the beginners routine to be more so. They are decent lite workouts that will get the heart rate up and the blood pumping well, however. The instruction from the trainer is fine, and she is personable and motivational. This is a very basic introduction to kettlebell workouts and fundamental kettlebell moves. It involves easy to do routines for the "Absolute Beginner," as the title says. If that is you like it was me, I would highly recommend it to get familiar with kettlebells. Where you go from there, who knows? And if you already lift weights and cardio regularly and think you're up to the challenge of something more advanced right off the bat, I would suggest Amy Bento's "Kettlebell Dynamics" DVD. However, if you have never worked with kettlebelss before you will still need to hug a learning curve. This video, "Absolute Beginners," gets you very well acquainted with that initial curve.