Kathy Smith's Kettlebell Solution

When I was a kid, I would watch my mom exercise to Kathy Smith workout tapes and, even do them with her. Years later, now in my twenties, I find Kathy Smith's dvds to be just as much fun now as I did when I was little. Kathy Smith's Kettlebell Solution workout is a great dvd that gives a great example of the kettlebell method. The package I recieved included two kettlebells of three anf five ilbs. There is also a fun and informative nutrition guide and chart of poses to assist with expanding knowledge and promote proper technique methods throughout the workout. Which, is one aspect of Kathy Smith's approach to fitness I've always admired. Kathy Smith always appears to be keeping up with new exercise trends teaching them in a practical way to teach consumers how to exercise correctly with more consistent long term results. While also making her workouts energetic, easy to follow and, fun all at the same time. What I love about this dvd is that you can customize your workout to target the body area(s) you want to focus on for the day. The dvd consist of seperate workouts for the upper and lower body, abs and a fat burning section that incorporates exercise moves from the previous sections. I prefer to do the entire dvd all at once to achieve a complete workout for the day. I recommend to start using the dvd with the 3lb kettlebell when starting out as some of the exercise moves can be challenging if you've never done kettlebell before. Over time, move up to the 5lb kettlebell once you're more comfortable with the moves. Additionally, Kathy Smith shows modifications for many of the exercise moves. Watch out for the modifications if you're unsure of your moves and, it'll save you from risking hurting yourself. I did the workout for the first time and afterward I was very sore but, already saw results. I reccomend this dvd for anyone looking for a challenge. Even if you've never heard of Kathy Smith, I think she's one of the best exercise guros out there and highly recommend her workout dvds!

This set is great! I got it to supplement my running with simple weight training that did not require a gym membership or stopping t reference a chart. The "warm up" section is a great, fast, and easy way to get your body warmed up and make sure you don't hurt yourself doing an actual workout. The four workout sections are separated by workout, so you don't have to skip around to get to the workout you want to do, and each ends with stretching targeted for the areas you just worked. It's a great all around exercise for beginners.You WILL sweat, and you WILL work. The instructor offers you ways to make each exercise more difficult without adding additional weight, and you can always buy a heavier kettlebell or two later. The instructor can get a bit annoying, but each section gives you the opportunity to play with and without her voice, which is great once you get a hang of the exercises. (Of course, you can also just mute the TV and play your own music, too!)The only reason I didn't rate this product five stars is because it didn't include the chart and book pictured. However, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I just feel the product description should be correct.Bottom line: Good beginner workout, light and fun without being so easy that you don't get anything out of it! I would (and have) recommend to a friend.

This workout is pretty awesome for beginngers or for those that have been out of the exercise routine for a while. I like that it's broken down into 4 seperate workouts. I'm starting my 4th week and I've seen a real difference in my strength. I love the fact that the kettlebells are not cold cast iron weights. I have hardwood floors and these bells have done zero damage. She doesn't spend a lot of time going over correct form. I think it's important to make sure you doing the moves correctly yourself. I live in a very rural area and have no access to a gym or a certified kettlebell instructor unless I drive over 2 hours one way. I love the option of being able to turn off the verbal instruction and just follow the routine. I only advise that once you're comfortable with the workouts and understand the proper form for the moves though. One workout will absolutley leave you sweating and you will feel muscles wake up that have been asleep for a long time! I plan on sticking with this and working my way up to doing all 4 workouts in 3 sessions each week. I'm up to 2 workouts 4 times a week right now. I do wish the music weren't so outdated and boring. But I turn on my own music to drown it out.

I bought this set to try something different. Background: I am currently overweight even though I have lost 30 pounds. I plan on losing at least 30 more. Currently, my activities include swimming, elliptical, and walking the dog. I am a tutor, so I am on my feet two days a week at the tutoring center. Other than that, I work at my computer. I have a bit of problem with my knees.Today, I did the warm up and then the fat burning workout for a total of 20 minutes. I was able to keep up 95% of the time, although I worked at a less "energetic" level than the instructor! I don't bend as much at the knees and can't keep the pace the whole time. I only took one water break for 15 seconds. By time I was done, I was sweating and felt like I had a really good workout. Much more calories burned than on my elliptical because of all the hand movement. I felt the exercises were doable and I hope to be able to keep up more as I go on. There are no tricky steps involved, which I like. Just movements that can be mastered in a short time.I'm happy with the product and excited about trying a new form of exercise. I also looked up online to see how many calories are burned with the kettle bell. I was amazed. WebMD says it is about 20 calories per minute! You can read about his on their website at: [...]