Product Details

• Directors: Pavel Tsatsouline
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Dragon Door Publications
• DVD Release Date: October 1, 2003
• Run Time: 72 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0938045474
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,413 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

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 Tsatsouline 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. iscover: The Snatch -- to eliminate cellulite, firm your butt, and give you the cardio-workout of a lifetime; The Swing -- to fry your fat and slenderise hips 'n thighs; The Power Breathing Crunch -- to shrink your waist; The Deck Squat -- for strength and super-flexibility; An incredible exercise to tone your arms and shoulders; The Clean-and-Press -- for a magnificent upper body; The Overhead Squat -- for explosive leg strength; The queen of sit-ups -- for a flat, flat stomach. Combination exercises that pack an unbelievable muscular and cardiovascular workout into zero time. Approximate running time: 72 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent instruction outweighs imperfections, March 8, 2005

By 

David Huebel (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Russia With Tough Love (DVD)

I bought this DVD because it's longer than Pavel's first DVD, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge, which sounded skimpy at 32 minutes. I'm pleased with my purchase. The video isn't perfect, but Pavel's instruction alone is worth the price.

First and foremost, for all the self-promotion and over-the-top slogans, Pavel knows what he's doing. His sense of humor shows through the awkwardness, and his running commentary is filled with valuable information. Pavel is truly a geek: He has a broad and deep knowledge of his field, he believes in the importance of his work, and he wants everyone else to love it and know as much about it as he does. There is no substitute for the quality of instruction such a person can provide.

Based only on the choice of material and quality of instruction, I would give the video five stars. The downside is that I'm a little bit disappointed with the models.

The models are good, but they don't always look completely comfortable with the techniques. Watching a master is an enlightening experience. Occasionally these women rise to that level, but just as often they seem more like advanced beginners. On some of the exercises, I can see imperfections in their technique, and they seem to be correcting their form as Pavel describes the exercises. (I'm not talking about the times when Pavel asks them to demonstrate common mistakes.) It's easier for me to be a critic than to do it right, but for a commercial video, Pavel should have found models who were truly masters with the kettlebells. After all, they're not called models because they have exceptional bodies (although they do), they're called models because the viewer is supposed to be able to use them as models for his or her own technique.

On a final note, I'd like note that the production quality is not very good, and the people on screen are not professional fitness actors and actresses. This interfered with my first viewing of the video. In fact, on my first viewing I got a strong "battered woman" vibe from the two models. On subsequent viewings I realized that this is a product of lighting (the women's faces are often half in shadow), awkwardness in front of the camera, the fact that the women are actually being challenged by the exercises (no fake weights here), and the lack of that awful chirpiness and cheerfulness that bugs me so much in real life, but which I have come to expect from women who exercise on my television. The women don't act coked up, the actors don't always hit their marks, and Pavel's delivery is occasionally stilted. Ack! Real people on my television screen! After watching the video once or twice, this won't bother you any more. (On the other hand, you *will* be disappointed if you're looking for spunk or girl-power attitude from the models.)

In summary, the instruction is top-notch, the production quality distracted me a bit during the first viewing, and the models do not always live up to that title. It's an easy four stars, and I won't hesitate to buy more of Pavel's products in the future.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Work-Out, March 13, 2005

By 

Jamie "Jamie" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Russia With Tough Love (DVD)

I bought this DVD after flipping through a friend's book and not completely understanding the proper techniques of Pavel's exercises. The DVD at first is not a work-out video per say, but a comprehensive instruction guide of kettle bell exercised for a woman's body.

I love it.

After watching the video in its entirety and learning precise technique, I now just jump to Andrea and D.C.'s workout to do a complete routine with them. I have not changed my diet and have seen such fast results I am an absolute fan. The work-out is very short and very intense, working every muscle of the body and including cardio swings with the kettle bell (which, by the way, leaves me absolutely winded in about 3 minutes without the "traditional" 20-40 minute cardio work-out).

A perfect A+ and highly, highly, highly recommended.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Money!, June 9, 2005

By 

Diane O-C "dianeoc" (Gardnerville, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Russia With Tough Love (DVD)

After watching a friend use kettlebells for two years and become stronger and more flexible, I invested in this DVD and one kettlebell. I'm a visual learner, so it helped me understand proper form in each exercise. The information is presented with a sense of humor. I would also recommend getting the book as it goes into more detail on the strategy behind the program.

I dropped one dress size in 3 weeks of training. It definitely works, and it feels good!