(affiliate link) was 50% off, I thought "yeah this will be the best $.83 I've ever spent!"
Now before you go saying "I don't have kettlebells", neither do we. Or before you say, "I'm not a beginner," neither are we. Gosh you're pessimistic...HA! I thought the same things but online reviews I saw said this wasn't necessarily a beginners workout. We got it Friday and by Sunday it was in our DVD player in the dungeon.
The instructor, Paul Katami, is new to me. I'm thankful to report he's not annoying. You know how some instructors can be. He's joined by two women that are his workout partners. It's in a nice, tranquil setting with mats and kettlebells. If you have smaller dumbbells, you could do what we did and use those. It is a little awkward on a few moves with the free weights but nothing we couldn't handle. I don't know what size weights everyone was using but I used 10's to warm up and 15's for lower body stuff like swings.
In the total body workout, he warms you up with halos, some twists and you go into your typical kettlebell stuff like swing through's, lunges with chops, side squats with swing through's and all kinds of stuff that really got my heart rate up. Since I'm working through an injury, you know that made me happy! It's not high impact so I was able to modify anything my foot wasn't liking and you could certainly do that if you're a beginner and looking to work up to his level.
In the core workout, we did stuff that had me sore for two days and I've been working out my core and upper body a lot the past six weeks! I think the ones I love/dread the most are ones where he has you do crunches but with the kettlebell, then doing a military press as you come up into your crunch and another doing a fly as you come up into your crunch. My shoulder blades, lats and abs were killing me!
All in all, this is a great workout. I burned 670 calories in 50 minutes doing both workouts and that was with modification. I'm SO glad to have this to put into rotation and it's the epitome of muscle confusion for me right now which is exactly what I need.
Pros:
Workout is based on time per move, not reps so you can start at your own pace and work up.
Workout flows well and is fast paced without feeling rushed.
The instructor isn't annoying or doesn't feel like mute should be an option.
Lots of traditional moves as well as moves that create muscle confusion for a total body workout.
At review time, under $10.
Full instructional video for those not familiar with kettlebell style workouts.
Cons:
I would've liked a preview of each and every exercise before doing it. I suspect the introduction is where I would find those but it's appreciated within the body of the workout.
Would I recommend Ultimate Kettlebell Workouts for Beginners
? (affiliate link) Absolutely! I think if you're looking to get into kettlebells or just mix up your strength routine, this is a great addition to a home workout program!This post contains affiliate links. Trust me people, the kickback is a few cents. I'm not getting rich! HA!
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I was quite impressed by the workout. I burned a lot and I was sore the next day, both of which are pretty much what you look for in a workout. And as you said, the instructor isn't annoying, which seems to be the case with a lot of videos that we get. Great workout for a great price!
ReplyDeleteI could tell you were a little skeptical going in but once you were a sweaty mess, I knew you were impressed! ;-)
DeleteI bet your "kickback" is huge - what with the giant price tag on this one. Still, I appreciate the note.
ReplyDeleteThis actually sounds like a good one for me, a nice slow option to start with instead of jumping around like a crazy person right off the bat. I'm not looking to buy any dvd's right now, but I'll be adding this to my birthday wish list.
I know! That 4 cents is going to buy my yacht.
DeleteThat would be a great wish list item! Definitely room to build on with this one.
Thank you for the excellent review! I've never worked with kettlebells, but the trainer I worked with converted a lot of moves to use with dumbbells. I actually *like* dumbbell swings.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I learned quickly is that there are vastly different definitions of "beginner" workouts. Some of them make me laugh, they're so absurdly difficult for a true beginner. "Warm up with 20 lunges on each leg, 10 pushups, and five minutes of jumping jacks." Hah! It's quite demoralizing when you have to build up to doing the warm-up. At least it was for me. :)
I like the dumbbell swings too...my inner thighs are not fans! HA!
DeleteNice! Glad you got a good workout--it's always scary to try a new instructor.
ReplyDeleteI like doing kettlebells, but I have a fear that my hands are going to get too sweaty and the bell is going to go flying across the gym. That fear definitely makes me more accountable about the weight I choose, ha!
Yes it is. I'm glad I don't regret it. I use weight lifting gloves when doing any kind of strength workout. No schweaty hands! :)
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