Customer Reviews

The Russian Kettlebell Challenge

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The "Russian Kettlebell Challenge" companion book and video are well-crafted and user-friendly re-introductions to the lost (in America) art of kettle-bell lifting. I took a flyer on the video, which I found sufficiently intriguing that I bought the book and a KB, then another, larger KB, and am poised to buy a third implement. Pavel and his publisher promote KBs as a tool of "extreme fitness," but the average fitness enthusiast ought not be scared off by the advertising hyperbole. KBs are unique in my experience in combining functional strength and endurance training in a single workout which you really can do at home. My 4-month experiment with kettlebells has been very rewarding and an awful lot of fun. RKC (as this book is known among Pavel's "Party" faithful) is the best of his books to date. It describes in words and pictures the how-to's of basic KB moves and variants and gives you the parameters for designing your own workout. Many of the exercises can be done with dumbbells in lieu of kettlebells for those who are reluctant to pop for the implements until they've given the program a try. While the book and the video can each stand alone, they are designed to work best together. The video augments the book by visually presenting the unusual movements. In RKC, as in all of his books and videos, Pavel teaches his lessons with an appealing sense of humor and a heavy emphasis on safe performance. I started with the smallest KB (about 36 pounds) and found it a little daunting at first. After a few weeks, however, I eagerly moved up to the "medium" bell (about 54 pounds) and now, a few months later, plan to complete my set with the big boy (72 pounds). I am in my late 40's and have been physically active all my adult life in a range of activities, including running and cardio kickboxing when they were trendy, as well as biking, swimming, running, weightlifting, various ball sports, etc. None of those activities has been as much fun, or as productive, as RKC. I highly recommend Pavel's RKC book and video, and kettlebell lifting in general.

A kettlebell looks like a cannonball with a thick handle, and that's pretty much what it is. Because there's a mass of iron below the handle, the weight is unbalanced, and it's up to you to wield it right, which isn't easy. So what's the big deal? The big deal is, learning to handle and exercise with kettlebells works virtually every muscle in the body. It gives you a terrific cardio workout. And it gives you what they call "functional strength," which is the kind of strength a wrestler needs to gut-wrench an opponent, or a mother needs to lift and carry her kid. I've trained with weights for over 20 years, and I was skeptical when I first read about kbells. I took a chance and bought the book, then a (roughly 32 lb.) kbell. The first workout had me gasping, dripping with sweat, and feeling like I'd been wrestling five bears. After a shower, though, I felt great. Like I COULD wrestle five bears. And I gained size and definition--fast. Now, 32 pounds is no big deal for me. A 32 lb dumbbell is like a toy. But the kbell felt like it weighed 60 lbs. because of the weird displacement. Anyway, the book took me through the basic exercises, and gave me a fitness tool and technique that's time-tested and wonderfully effective. It's a good idea to get the DVD that goes with the book so you can see the exercises and get a real idea of the cadence and form, but the book in itself is excellent. Pavel is a masterful trainer and an engrossing, amusing writer. This book, and the kbells it talks about, are fitness tools worth their weight in gold. If I could give it 7 stars I would. The only caution is this: kbells are not easy. They can be dangerous if you don't follow the book's directions. And they're not for anyone who's looking for a relatively easy and pleasant workout, like cycling to CNN. But if you want a kick-butt workout that will give you real results for your effort--and I mean effort--this is the best deal in town.

It must be said that Pavel is prone to excessive hyperbole in his writing. That said his overall themes with respect to weightlifting and fitness are a great change of pace from the typical body-building game. The best way to review this book would be to list its positives and negatives, so here they are.

NEGATIVES
1) Price: $34.95 is a lot to ask someone to drop for a workout book. This is especially true when it discusses an implement that will run you an extra $80+.
2) While Pavel has the ability to condense information into short, powerful sections, he uses this as an excuse to add pages to the book.
3) Literally 18 pages of the book is advertisement for other Dragondoor products.
4) If you believe the hyperbole you will believe that the only way to get in top shape is to lift the "Russian Kettlebell" way. It is great exercise, especially if you're in decent shape already, but it's not the only way

POSITIVES
1) Great pieces of workout information packed into short, easy to read sections
2) Much of this information, while it is aimed at kettlebell training, can be transferred to other forms of lifting and exercise. To be frank, the idea that specific kettlebell training is so rare in this book is a positive. Pavel discusses many of the basic ideologies behind effective training that can be transfered to any type of exercise you choose. This is one of the strengths of the book.
3) He gives a bibliography of very authoritative books. You RARELY find that today.
4) The book discusses ways to get in top aerobic, anaerobic, and muscular condition all in one workout. While the resulting workouts are demanding, the principles can be applied to numerous forms of exercise which allow you to supercharge your own workout.

Those are the eight major benefits and pitfalls of the book. I would definitely recommend it for someone who wants to overview different forms of exercise, and some radical ways to supercharge their own fitness regimen. That said, the hyperbole rules this out as a beginner's book. A beginner should start with a much more balanced approach to general exercise.

The kettlebell, or "girya", is an iron ball with a thick handle. A century ago, kettlebells were used worldwide for strength training. But as the Western world got softer, wimpier, and more lawsuit-prone, the kettlebell went out of use and remained popular only in Eastern Europe. They are now being revived in the US thanks to the work and evangelism of Pavel Tsatsouline, a former trainer of Soviet special forces. Kettlebell training is hard-core. I have two kettlebells at home, and as exercise devices they could never be confused with a stairmaster. They require focus and concentration and are used for demanding lifts such the snatch, the clean and jerk, the bent press, and a whole arsenal of other lifts you aren't going to see in your gym this week. You can't curl a kettlebell absentmindedly while staring off in the direction of the aerobics class. (In fact, if you manage that feat send me an e-mail.) However, if you've got the focus and can put in the work, kettlebells will yield enormous benefits. Handling their awkward weight while in motion is one of the single best things you can do to make yourself faster, stronger, and, as Pavel would say, more "eeeevil." As a karateka, I have found that kettlebell training has improved my hand speed, foot speed, and striking power, and has made me tougher to hit and tougher to hurt. To my knowledge no other type of training will do that all at once. RKC contains clear instructions and a lot of interesting kettlebell history as well. If you're interested in kettlebell training it's a must-have, as is the companion video.

I bought this book on a recommendation from a fellow martial artist who was claiming terrific strength and endurance gains. I ahve been trying the exercises using dumbells in the gym and the results are fantastic.

The ballistic swings give an intense cardio AND strength workout and I am dropping bodyfat fast.

The book is deceptively short, but the material is very very good. I hear that the real kettlebells make a big difference, but you can try out the exercises with dumbells.

In this book, Pavel introduces the reader to the most effective training tool that most of us had never heard of. I was personally very skeptical about the kettlebell and I waited until I heard others rave about the results that they have achieved with this hunk of cast iron before I purchased this book. Through Pavel's expert guidance (his attention to detail on the execution of the lifts is extraordinary)and the use of the KB, my fitness level has skyrocketed. It is rare to find a workout that will improve your power, strength, strength endurance and cardiovascular functioning but this is what you can expect with KB use. I have experienced the following benefits from the use of the KB: decreased blood pressure and resting heart rate, greatly improved grip strength and an increase in upper and lower back strength. The most practical benefit that I have noticed is the physical endurance carryover to every day physical activities (moving furniture, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow). I highly recommend the Russian Kettlebell Challenge to anyone who would like to move to the next level of physical fitness!

I have practiced Kettlebell training for a year and a half. I now have an anatomy chart back and have gotten MUCH stronger.

I read many of the reviews of this book on this site. While most of the reviews are positive, there are a some people with much that is negative to say about this book. Many of the criticisms are true. Yes, you CAN get hurt doing this workout. Yes, Kettlebells are expensive, but the book readily admits that you can do virtually all of the exercises with a dumbbell. Yes, the book contains a great deal of "fluff" but the information that you do get is memorable and useful. Funny, I was able to glean a great deal more useful techniques upon second and third readings. This helped me tweak my techniques and improve.

Lastly, the exercises are HARD. Surely, I wasn't expecting the hyped results without hard work. One of Pavel's mottos is "enjoy the pain." Surely, when I gasp for air after another hard workout, I am fully enjoying the pain. Then again, I take solace in the gains to come in strength and conditioning.

There have been some very negative reviews written about this book, and they simply amaze me. Not only is the kettlebell a very effective strength and endurance tool, it's also a great way to develope incredible coordination and grip power. It's something to be respected, and so is the man who has brought the knowledge of a so-called "obsolete" sport to the American fitness forefront. (Kettlebelling is not obsolete... it's still very popular in Russia... American ignorance rocks!)

Don't be kidded- the kettlebell is hardcore, and the ability to use one effectively is an art that requires a lot of dedication, practice, pain tollerance, and a mind wired to your body's natural movement patterns and muscular abilities. If you're not 100% aware of your body in relation to an accelerating kettlebell, you will be hurt- either muscularly or kinetically- by taking a jaw or skull shot. I only got cocky with my snatch form once... and taking a 16kg fist to the dome humbled me greatly.

The fact is this is a GREAT book, very informative, and amusing. The best thing about Mr. Tsatsouline is that he takes the edge off of fitness rhetoric, explains the history, focuses on the mechanics, and gives amazing advice and instruction on a seemingly simple idea: pick up heavy weight, lower heavy weight, repeat until you puke. Again: this is hardcore and barbaric. But I have never seen a fat or weak barbarian. But I have met many "bodybuilders" with permanent ligament, tendon, and overuse injuries do to over-hypertrophic mania- and most of those injuries come from single-axis machines. You know, the Nautilus crap that 24 hour Fitness and Curves tries to sell their customers on.

And the negative views on the amount of advertising... I'm an NSCA Certified Personal Trainer with 5 years of hard experience, certified massage therapist, registered dietician, and an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I'm not saying this to be a braggart, I'm stating this as an expression of my familiarity with kinesiology. Look it up. I own every book and piece of equipment Mr. Tsatsouline has given to the public- and I stand by every single bit of advice the man has ever given to the public. I say "given," because at $30, his books are a gift. Some people pay upwards of $2,000 a session for the amount of wisdom Mr. Tsatsouline conveys in each and every one of his books. My clients pay upwards of $75 an hour for theories based not on any textbook, but on the instinctual wisdom I inherited from Mr. Tsatsouline. I have never had a client injury. NEVER. His philosophies are essentially the Bible of strength training. Safely.

There are negative comments about the girth of this manual, not to mention the font size... give me a break. Pavel is not a moron- this is the land of BIGGER is better. How could you expect to take a 30 page book seriously? Afterall, Arnold's book of bodybuilding is nearly 600ish... no offense to Arnold, but if you need that much of an explaination of exercises- hire a trainer... and then there's a comment posted taking into literal account of Pavel's joke on Soviet Russian society. It's about pickle juice, vodka, and kettlebells. It's a joke to convey the seriousness of the kettlebell sport in his home culture: no matter what, if you're a strong and powerful man- you lift- no matter WHAT. No excuses.

If you need your hand held, get a membership to Curves. If you're a bed-wetter, wear a bicycle helmet during your snatches. If you're a ballerina, put on your tu-tu and check your makeup in the mirror. If you're an idiot, write a negative review.

If you're strong, dedicated, focused, tired of spending time next to the same sweaty ape clone giving the same stupid advice about Nautilus machines, and desiring the best possible puke-inducing efficient workout- buy this book. And buy a kettlebell.

You'll never be stronger or more ripped. And another thing: when choosing a personal trainer, ask for their credentials.

I can highly recommend RKC. The days are over of Monday: Biceps and Triceps,Tuesday: Chest and Shoulders ETC.. It is a total body work out. I first started with dumbells to see if I liked the work out. I purchased RKC the DVD version, watch it several times before starting to lift any weight. I later bougth an actual Kettlebell, although it is the same weight as I was using the KB is more difficult to use. I quit my gym after the first week of starting the RKC. For example I have seen my biceps grow, yet I have not done a bicep curl in two months.

At first I was skeptical as to whether Kettlebells were right for me or not, but after reading Pavel's other materials, I decided to proceed with an open mind. After watching the video and reading the book, I started doing the routine with dumbbells. It was incredibly challenging at first, but it was fun. A month later I was hooked, so I decided to purchase a genuine Kettlebell from their website. It is the most effective training tool I have ever used. I have increased both my speed and endurance, with extra power to boot. It wasn't even a priority, but I lost some bodyfat, which was nice. However, increased athletic performance was my main goal, and this is where the program really shines. Beyond sheer strength, KB's require technique and finesse in order to be efficient. It also builds grip strength, also important in sports.
The only con of this book is that the movements are difficult to display in pictures. It provides nice insights into the techniques, but watching the video is the best way to learn the movements. Where the book excels is in teaching you how to custom design your own program to fit your goals. It also goes into the history of kettlebells and Pavel shares some humorous anecdotes. It is an enjoyable read, and highly informative.
In conclusion, Kettlebells are challenging, fun, and there is no limit to how far they can take you. My fitness has improved greatly and I hope this program can help others as well. Buy the video, buy the book, and buy a Kettlebell. You will enter the elite!