From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale [Paperback]

Pavel Tsatsouline (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2002

In Russia, kettlebells have long been revered as the fitness-tool of choice for Olympic athletes, elite special forces and martial artists. The kettlebell's ballistic movement challenges the body to achieve an unparalleled level of physical conditioning and overall strength. But until now, the astonishing benefits of the Russian kettlebell have been unavailable to all but a few women. Kettlebells have mostly been the sacred preserve of the male professional athlete, the military and other hardcore types. That's about to change, as Russian fitness expert and best selling author Pavel, delivers the first-ever kettlebell program for women. It's wild, but women really can have it all when they access the magical power of Russian kettlebells. Pavel's uncompromising workouts give across-the-board, simultaneous, spectacular and immediate results for all aspects of physical fitness: strength, speed, endurance, fat-burning, you name it. Kettlebells deliver any and everything a woman could want -- if she wants to be in the best-shape-ever of her life. And one handy, super-simple tool -- finally available in woman-friendly sizes -- does it all. No bulky, expensive machines. No complicated gizmos. No time-devouring trips to the gym.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pavel Tsatsouline, Master of Sports, was voted Rolling Stone’s ‘Hot Trainer’ of the year in 2001. ‘The Evil Russian’ is the author of a number of best selling fitness books including Relax into Stretch and Power to the People! He is a contributing editor Muscle Media magazine.

A former Soviet Special Forces instructor, Pavel was nationally ranked in the Russian ethnic sport of kettlebell lifting and holds a Soviet Physical Culture Institute degree in physiology and coaching.

In addition to conducting national seminars on flexibility, strength and kettlebell training, Pavel teaches his ‘low tech/high concept’ fitness approach to US military and law enforcement agencies and conducts national kettlebell instructor certification courses.

Pavel has been interviewed by CNN Headline News, the Fox News Channel, EXTRA TV, USA Today, and The Associated Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Dragon Door Pubn (August 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938045431
• ISBN-13: 978-0938045434
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best workout ever!, August 1, 2005

By 

T. Thomas (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale (Paperback)

When I first heard of kettlebells a couple months ago they seemed like they were for hardcore macho-man types--commandos, Green Berets, whatever. Not for me, a plump middleaged woman trying to get into shape and lose fat.

But then I found out about this book and video for women, and suddenly I knew I had to try it. I'm so glad I did!!!

Pavel's attitude is highly amusing as he milks the macho Russian drill sergeant schtick for all it's worth, but it's all tongue-in-cheek. And at the same time, he's giving priceless information and motivation about a training method that I'm sure will be huge once it catches on, because the results are so spectacular and quick and it's so physically satisfying and fun to do.

I ordered this book, the accompanying DVD, and one 15-lb. kettlebell to get started with, and I received them and started using them about a week ago. I can honestly say that this kettlebell workout is the greatest form of exercise I've ever tried.

I'd been eating a super-healthy top-quality diet for about five or six months and going to the gym and using the machines (both resistance and cardio) for about an hour to an hour and a half. Hadn't seen much in the way of results yet, despite my healthy diet and working out several times a week. I was feeling good, though.

But when I tried the kettlebell, it just ***blew away*** my gym workouts. I've been using the KB for about a week now and plan to cancel my gym membership ASAP. The KB stays in my bedroom and I use it at least once a day, sometimes twice, for up to 20 minutes at a time. It feels so good that I WANT to do it--and that means no more time-consuming trips to the gym for me.

I'm already starting to feel a difference in my body composition. According to Pavel, if you work out a lot with kettlebells you can shred up to 1% of your body fat per week, which is a LOT.

The book has a lot of pictures showing the correct form, which I like, and it explains the WHY's behind KB training, which helped me to quickly gain a basic understanding of everything KB-related without having to read the book cover-to-cover.

As for the DVD, I watched it through twice, and then started just skipping to the workout at the end, where the two women (DC and Andrea) are doing a freestyle KB workout as Pavel comments in the background. I watched that freestyle workout every day the first few days, as I did my own freestyle workouts, but now (yesterday and today), I've started just doing a freestyle workout to my favorite music instead.

I feel I don't really need the book or the DVD anymore, except for occasional reference. So, to me, I'd say the most valuable part of the three things I bought to get started (Pavel's book, DVD, and a kettlebell) was by far the kettlebell itself. You pretty much need to have either the book or the DVD, or both, to get started, however, because you need to learn the various drills, correct form, etc. The DVD physically demonstrates how to do it, whereas the book explains why and gives more detail. In my opinion you need both, although for me I think the DVD was more valuable.

These KB exercises are very different from dumbbell exercises. Way more fun, for starters! It just FEELS incredibly good to do the KB workouts. I get a flood of pleasant endorphins after only about 15 minutes, whereas it used to take me about an hour to achieve that at the gym. My flexibility has already improved a lot too--now I spring out of bed in the morning like a panther, rather than dragging myself around with morning joint pain/stiffness. After only a week of daily use!

I'm so glad I found out about working out with KBs--I know it will make a profound difference in my life and health. I'm telling everybody I know about them. I'm completely confident that I will be able to shed over 100 lbs. of body fat in a year with my kettlebell training. I'm so ready to become a FEMME FATALE!!!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Evolution In Method, July 28, 2005

By 

B. Tate "FederalGuy" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale (Paperback)

"From Russia With Tough Love" represents an evolution in Pavel's methods of teaching kettlebell techniques. "The Russian Kettlebell Challenge" was male-oriented, taught basic exercises and then said "Have at it." "From Russia with Tough Love" is designed for women, assumes that the reader is an absolute beginner, starts from ground zero, and builds an effective workout step-by-step. I recommend "From Russia with Tough Love" for anyone, male or female, who is just starting out with kettlebells.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you can get through the clutter..., September 18, 2004

By 

davide - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: From Russia with Tough Love: Pavel's Kettlebell Workout for a Femme Fatale (Paperback)

Eliminating 28 pages of advertising, 41 pages of innane comments plus the dragondoor ad on each page(we got the message)would improve this book immensely. There are some really good techniques and principles of kettlebell training in this text, but it's almost a bother each time I open it to decipher the organization through the distracting clutter. Definitely needs some professional editing and it could be a respectable training manual. I will hesitate ordering any other of his works before physically seeing them in a bookstore first and verifying the layout first. Even with the great prices at amazon.com, I'm not interested in buying filler pages.