Product Details

• Actors: Pavel Tsatsouline
• Format: Color, NTSC
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 2001
• Run Time: 32 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 093804527X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,384 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, November 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Russian Kettlebell Challenge [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Pavel starts out with simpler exercises such as cleans, jerks and snatches. He then moves on to more difficult exercises like the windmill and bent press. He even demonstrates a stretching exercise that was so effective it prompted me to buy his book "Relax into Stretch." These exercises are of such varying complexity that even the most seasoned comrades will find some sort of challenge here. Just hearing Pavel say "eeeeeevil" makes the video worth watching. :-)

Some people might be annoyed by the fact that this video only runs 32 minutes, but I thought Pavel covered all the essentials. He demonstrates all the major exercises, then he gives some tips at the end.

I strongly recommend these exercises for anyone who wants to get in shape. Even the simplest exercises will leave unseasoned comrades out of breath after just a few minutes. This is the best exercise program I have ever tried, and I've tried a few. A few pointers: What good is this video without a kettlebell? Get one from Dragon Door, but make sure you start out with the lightest weight you think you can handle. I was bicep curling 80 lbs. on my Bowflex, and I almost couldn't lift my 35 lb. kettlebell out of its box. These exercises are MUCH harder than they look! Above all, be very careful not to hurt yourself. It is very easy to pull a muscle or bonk your head if you get careless, so watch and listen to Pavel carefully.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the Future, June 25, 2002

By 

Rick Bauer (Bellmawr, N.J. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Russian Kettlebell Challenge [VHS] (VHS Tape)

These "evil" kettlebells have been around for over a century. They faded from the weight lifting landscape with the advent of modern bodybuilding. With this video, Pavel Tsatsouline is bringing kettlebells back in vogue. The exercises are similar to powerlifting movements, but with a twist. Pavel teaches the use of dynamic muscular tension, which allows lifting in greater comfort, minimizing risk of injury. Forget about your cable crossovers, preacher curls and spinning classes. If you want a total body workout that's going to leave you lean, tight and strong, the Russian Kettlebell Challenge will do it! The most versatile weight training program on the planet, along with "Power to the People". The best thing about kettlebells is they can be taken anywhere. Tired of the gym? Take them to the park, or the beach, or your hotel room. This type of training cannot be beaten. If kettlebells were around when I started training, I may never have joined a gym.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1 star deducted for the 'hard sell'., August 6, 2004

By 

. (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Russian Kettlebell Challenge [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The advantage of kettlebells: The weight hangs off the handle, so 1/some movements are mechanically superior at heavier weights , when dumbbells would be too long, and 2/ leverage on some exercises give a trainee more work per pound. BUT, a -great- deal of what is promoted as an advantage is really only an advantage IF you're interested in excelling at KBs in particular. Pavel says, "strength is a skill". DB and KB strength aren't 100% transferable to each other , and KB strength is no more transferable than DB to -any- activity. The recent popularity of KBs proves the importance of variety to maintain interest, but that's all. Then there's the HIGH cost of KBs, (as Pavel has somewhat of a monopoly at the moment), and the promotional material of KB advantages, much exagerated, some false. Decades of athletes in all fields have excelled without KBs. I'd rather have the variety of weights that adjustable DBs provide at a lower cost. .