This is an excellent workout for beginners or advanced. I use a heavier bell for most of the moves, but when I first did this workout with the 5 lb. bell, it was tough! If you are looking for a total body “kicka&**&” workout, Kelsie delivers. She is a seasoned trainer: Kicka%$* Kelsie! She knows what she is doing and what works. This DVD comes with a 5 lb bell so it is very well priced and worth every penny.

It’s a known fact that working with kettlebells are an effective and effecient way of exercise to tone and condition the body. While weight training is good, kettlebells engage the total body with each movement, making it a cadio/weight routine all in one. It’s been a Soviet military tool for centuries and now it is being used by our own military to train in strength and endurance. Even Hollywood celebs use this tool. What are you waiting for?

I wanted a change in my exercise routine so I decided to try working out with a Kettlebell. I have a few Firm Workouts and I love Kelsie Daniels as an instructor so I decided to buy this to try it. Let me just add this little note…I ordered this workout through Amazon on Sunday (1/31/2010) and received it on Wednesday (2/3/2010)! Great shipping Amazon!

I agree with everyone about the Kettlebell itself, it does scrape your knuckles, but because of the reviews on it I was prepared and had bought my own ahead of time.

I did this workout the day I got it and instantly loved it! According to my HR montior I burned 350 calories and I was sweating through pretty much the whole thing. I am pretty impressed with myself that I managed the Turkish roll up move on the second try because that is a hard one! I did found the moves easy to follow so that was also a plus. I am not new to exersise and I was a little doubtful that I would get any kind of workout with a 5 lb Kettlebell so I had an 8 lb one standing by, well I was pretty surprised at how mighty that little 5 lb bell is. I could feel the soreness setting in almost immediately after the workout and my muscles were thoroughly fatigued.

I haven’t been this excited about an exercise routine in a long time. I totally recommend this workout to anyone who wants to try working out with a Kettlebell but doesn’t know what to do with it!

This workout by The Firm, for once, didn’t disappoint me. This was the first kettlebell workout I’ve ever tried, and I thought it was a blast. It’s not for those who have a lot of experience with kettlebell workouts, but it’s a great workout for those who are just starting out (like myself!).

Here’s the breakdown:

GOOD:

1) If you are an experienced exerciser, you can actually keep up with the moves! Usually, this is a problem for me when I try a workout by the Firm–any of the ones involving dance moves just go too fast for me to keep up, because they change up the moves so often. I had no problems catching up to Kelsie Daniels even if I was unsure of the moves. Also, the moves were not overly and unnecessarily complicated.

2)The moves with the kettlebell are definitely tailored to people who haven’t used the kettlebell before. There is even a “Learn the Moves” segment in the Bonus section of the DVD so you can familiarize yourself with basic kettlebell moves.

3) The kettlebell is used a lot (I hate DVDs where they say it’s a sculpting or weight-training DVD, and then hardly use the weights!), and is interspersed with some brief cardio sections. However, I found my heart rate up even while doing most of the moves with the kettlebell, because compound movements are used.

4)There are modifications shown for beginners; again, I liked these because if I did get a little lost when Kelsie switched up a move, I could follow the beginner moves and still get a good workout.

5) I liked how the kettlebell was incorporated into the brief abs section at the end of the workout. I especially liked the Turkish Get-Up and the pushups with overhead flies.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT:

1) As other reviewers have said, the kettlebell is a little hard to grip and handle, especially for people with big hands. I found it a bit difficult to get a good grip on the thing during the moves where you had to switch what hand the kettlebell was in between moves. In one move where you swing the kettlebell in front of you with one hand and switch it to the other, I was worried the whole time it was going to slip out of my hands and crash into my flat-screen TV. I would suggest buying a different kettlebell if you love the workout but are having issues with gripping the one sent with the kit, or get lifting gloves to get a better grip.

2) I love Kelsie Daniels as an instructor, but I’ve noticed her workouts involve a LOT of lunges (some of them jumping lunges). I began to feel pains in my knees after a while; be careful with this. I made my lunges a little smaller because of that.

3) The stretch at the end could have been a little better; I would have liked to see more hamstring and glute stretches since you do so many lunges. I added these in after the entire workout was over.

4) As with most of The Firm workouts, Kelsie does add on to moves fairly quickly. You have to pay attention to when she switches; but again, I didn’t find it hard to catch up to her, as the moves weren’t complicated to follow or do to begin with. I don’t mind some fast switches between moves every now and then, as long as I can eventually catch up and keep up pretty reasonably!

Overall, I LOVE this workout; the good outweighs what needs improvement in my opinion. It was a great introduction to the kettlebell, the moves were pretty easy to do and follow, and Kelsie Daniels knows her stuff. If you want to vary your routine and try something new, then I would definitely recommend this workout. If you are experienced with the kettlebell, you may want to pass on this one.

I was surprised how much you feel the muscles working, this is added exercise you need to tighten up your loose areas, plus I sweat and your heart starts pounding, its really an awesome workout with terrific results!

MO

WoW!!! I am a bonified couch potatoe but this little gadget here is the cooolest. The video is fast paced (just my opinion) and really gets you moving. It looks easy until you actually try it yourself. Ha, the Turkish getup, I thought I could do this without hesitation…(take break to laugh at self again)…needless to say I had to practice. Now I workout with a 20lb Kettlebell and love it. If you want to burn fat and lose jiggle, GET THIS!!! I always felt sexy in my tighty whites,but now I look sexy too. (or at least as sexy as one can look in tighty whites)

I’ve had this DVD for about 6 months now, and I love it. I feel like I’m getting a total body workout, and Kelsie (the instructor) is great. Her instructions are clear and easy to follow. She’s also encouraging. I have not had any problems with the kettlebell scraping my knuckles as some of the other reviewers have mentioned. I’ve tried a couple of other kettlebell videos – like The Kettlebell Goddess one. I like The Firm’s video MUCH more.

I have to admit that the first time I did the DVD, I hated every last grueling moment of it. I was out of breath… okay gasping for breath and felt like I was literally going to sweat every ounce I fluid in my body. But, I kept with it and it got easier. Two weeks later, I found myself 6 pounds lighter – of course the loss was a combination between the workouts and a 1200 calorie diet. You will workout hard with this, but you will also get results. I am a size smaller!

I tried the Biggest Loser Workouts, specifically the 30 Day Shred and they don’t even compare. I am a FIRM believer! Trust me, if you want results, this is the way to go.

This workout kicks butt–my butt. I love this workout. Kelsie Daniels is so inspirational and easy to follow. I have followed the Firm for years and this is my favorite of all the workouts. I would recommend this DVD to anyone wanting to get fit and feel great.

by the light weight of the KB. Unless you’re an experienced user of the KB this will give you an excellent workout. I have a lot of Firm DVDs and I think this one so far is my fave. The KB does seem a bit small to fit in your hands for some of the moves, some of the music is too frantic for my liking and I don’t think I will ever master that Turkish move – but all in all a super workout DVD.