Customer Reviews

The Great Kettlebell Handbook

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've never worked out in my life. I've never belonged to a health or fitness club. I have trouble making myself do a few push-ups every morning (though I do like to hike and bicycle pretty strenuously). I thought the kettlebells sounded like fun and I was intrigued by the more well-rounded and BRIEF-but-effective workout they offered. Like the toothpaste commercial used to say, "If it tastes good, maybe he'll brush a little longer!" Yep. I love these things!

Don't be put off by the low number of pages. Yes, it is basically a small stapled booklet. But this is definitely a case of quality over quantity. Especially for someone who's never had the opportunity to work with a trainer or workout coach, the introductory pages are very helpful. I liked the emphasis on understanding and using all your muscles. It is a very holistic approach. The graphics are the clearest instructions I have ever seen in an instructional book. The full-color photographs are sharp.

One caution to other novices: This book (and some websites) suggest the the "average man" start out with a set of kettlebells weighing 35, 50 and 70 pounds. What a laugh! (or embarrassment). I am 6' 3" and in pretty good shape and I found a seventeen-pound ball quite challenging enough, thank you. Fortunately, I erred on the cautious side when ordering my balls (no jokes, please). My HEAVIEST ONE is 26 lbs. and will take me a while to work up to.

I really like the way this book breaks down the steps of each exercise, making it easier to understand the more complicated moves. The steps are numbered and you can follow along with the pictures. Great pictures. This is a worthwhile book to get if you are beginning to train with kettlebells or just want to fine tune some of the movements.

I've been a powerlifter for many years (use dumbbells occasionally too) and recently have become interested in kettlebells and how they work the body uniquely. This handbook is small, sturdy, and handy (fits easily into your workout bag) and is a thorough and excellent introduction to kettlebell exercising.
I found that it describes the basic movements and forms in reasonable detail and also provides useful programs and suggestions for the KB beginner. If you'd like to learn quite a bit more about kettlebells this is definitely a worthwhile purchase, and my personal copy is going into the much-used library in our gym.

Just getting started with kettlebells, I wanted something to the point, with clear explanations. This is it and the 3 routines for cardio, endurance, and fitness helped me create my own workouts. Just use a timer like a Gymboss, where you can time 1 minute of work, followed by 1 minute of rest, and then decrease the rest to 30 seconds the next round. Instead of buying a more expensive DVD, consider this $10 book and $20 Gymboss, and you're set.

I believe "you get what you pay for" applies here. The $9.95 plus shipping price would be arguably appropiate here for what appears to be a condensed or "shrunken" version of an original book. The item I received is a bookLET, with minitext and pictures to match. A bargain or value for the buck? I guess it depends on how you "look" at it.

This little booklet is just one selection from a series on physical fitness. It contains all the basic information you need if you are interested in Russian kettlebell training.

There are thicker books, written by "big name" authors. Those are good too, but are more expensive, and tend to a bit padded with excessive illustrations and extraneous "filler" material.

The Great Kettlebell Handbook gets straight to the point, with precise information, and it is well-illustrated with color images that portray the various excercises very well.

Good pictures and guidelines, but basic and not for the experienced kettlebeller looking for something new

A great little book. Good basic into to Kettlebell exercises with surprisingly easy to follow illustrations for a book. By that I mean, it is often difficult to learn physical skills from a book - mostly due to the limitations of the media - a DVD or personal instruction is usually better.

I have been an athlete my entire life and have always hit the weight pile hard, as I believe it benefits whatever sport I am doing. I have been researching kettlebell training and trying to evaluate whether its the latest fad - what's old is new - etc. Kettlebells are not the be all/end all of training as some proponets would have you believe (probably to sell books), but a fun, effective and unique addition to any strength work out. This book gives you a solid base of exercises and a couple sample workouts that are tough to get through the first few weeks, which is good.

The disclaimer is this: I have been trained and am in above average condition - this book is not for someone who is untrained because some of the movements could injure a novice trainee. For someone who has never done serious consistent strength training, you should consider getting instruction on kettlebell training from a certifed trainer. During these exercises you are throwing around a decent amount of iron in unusual planes of motion and body positions - if you are not flexible, coordinated and strong, you could get injured, which will certainly turn you off to training.

Bottom line: the price is right, the information solid, understandable, and useful.

Good for someone who does not have access to any kettlebell trainers. Great instructions and step-by-step pictures to help with kettle bell training.

I got the book hoping for some diversity from the usual material I have on Kettlebells. I found this to be a very good beginners book on Kettlebell training.