The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells DVD

I purchased this DVD in December 2008 and have been using it regularly for the past year. When I began, I was totally out of shape and was using only a 7lb bell. I have progressed to a 15lb bell, a 20 and recently moved up to a 25lb bell. Some of the body weight exercises, such as push-ups, squat thrusts and mountain climbers were too difficult at the beginning, but I stuck with it and am now able to do them with no trouble. I have reduced my resting heart rate from a horrible 94 beats per minute down to 67, and have lost nearly 40 lbs, 8 inches from my waist and really firmed up my arms, legs, shoulders and back. I owe it all to this fantastic DVD! Including a 12 minute workout was genius on Lauren''s part, because it really gives beginners confidence to learn and practice the moves and get in better condition for the 40 minute workout. I feel so much better physically and mentally since using this workout. Highly recommended!!!

I recently started using kettlebells by purchasing videos from another instructor after seeing his "infomercial" (Kettleworx). Thank God I discovered Lauren Brooks; she is 100 times better than what I already had. Her instructions are clear, her form (and her partner''s) is excellent, and the DVD is a great production overall. I really appreciated the detailed guidelines (proper weight selection, etc.) and instructions she provided (for 15 exercises) prior to completing any of the workouts. You can tell she knows what she is doing and her personality is great. I was using a 10 pound bell but I purchased a 15 pound bell prior to attempting Lauren''s workout; I was so glad I did--it made the workout much more challenging and I felt wonderful afterwards. I am looking forward to increasing my kettlebell weight and I hope Lauren completes another video soon. (I returned Kettleworx to the manufacturer; I was thankful for the refund.)

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I am an avid fan of KB''s and believe they are the only workout tool that a person needs. This DVD is FUN and super effective. This DVD contains instructions, warm-up, a short 12-minute workout, and a longer 40-minute workout. I was skeptical that the 12-min workout would be as effective as I had read in other reviews. What I found is that in the first 30 SECONDS your heartrate truly increases so that it is in the optimal range for burning fat, and you are sweating within the first ONE MINUTE. There may not always be time for a proper 45 minute to 1 hour workout during our busy schedules, but there is always time for a measly 12 minute workout (except this 12-minute workout is anything except ''measly''). If you feel that the 12-minute workout is too easy and ineffective, then you are not doing it correctly, or you need to use a heavier KB. You should be thanking Lauren Brooks for all of the breaks that she gives you between each set (it''s THAT effective). I love this DVD.

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**4/30/11 Update: I''m still doing this workout. I mix it up with my other videos. I just did my first 50K bike ride and whooped my husband''s behind, and I definitely credit kettlebells. The stamina you get from just swinging a bowling ball around is tremendous. end of update**

This workout is terrific for anyone just starting out with kettlebells, although more seasoned users will certainly get a powerful blast from this DVD. However, this workout is not for beginners to fitness! You should already be working out regularly and have basic cardio and muscular (particularly core) fitness before doing this. I''ve been doing Jillian Michaels DVD''s for close to a year now, and I''m finding this workout quite a challenge. The great thing about it is that once you master your form and build your strength, you can move up to a heavier kettlebell. As of now, I''m doing the 15lb. bell.

I love the demonstration segment. Lauren goes through the moves methodically so you can follow along and get the form right. Then there are 2 workouts: a 12 minute blast, and a 40 minute workout. Both are great. I do the 40 minute one. In between high-intensity segments there is a 60 second rest, which you can use to either really rest and get some water or do some light cardio like jumping jacks or running in place. By the middle of the workout, you''ll appreciate the rests!

Some have complained about Lauren''s personality. She''s very matter-of-fact and she is not here to entertain you, she is here to give you a good workout. Which she does. I personally like not having to listen to the same stupid jokes over and over again or be forced to endure a false bubbly personality at 6 in the morning. Lauren gives you straight-up workout moves with solid form. I appreciate her use of a 50+ yr. old woman as workout buddy, she should be a huge inspiration for any woman, she looks better than a lot of gals in their 20''s. Thanks to Lauren and Kettlebells!

My only complaints It seems I have to restart from the beginning each time I play this DVD in our Playstation. Not a huge deal, as you''re not forced to watch a whole bunch of nonsense like other DVD''s. Also, I think the brightly colored, scroll-y design used on the DVD wrapper and the graphics in the video look amateur-ish. When I received the DVD, I took one look at it and thought "Oh no, poor production inside!" I''m a designer so I notice these things. I also think the hip-hop music used in the intro is silly. However, the music during the workout proves to not be nearly as annoying.

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First, a little background on my fitness level: I hate exercising but force myself to do it for at least 20 minutes a day, 40 minutes max. At my peak, I would jog/walk 2 miles a day and then do some stretching or light weights (5-10lb dumbells)... or I would go on my elliptical for 30-40 minutes. very boring. My BMI was probably around 20. I often tend to have an exercise routine for 3-6 months and then go off of it for 3-6 months.

For some reason I like to read fitness blogs. My favorite is Josh Hillis () and that''s how I learned about kettlebells and Lauren Brooks.

Now for my review. I started with the 12 minute fat blast workout... I couldn''t even get through the whole thing. I was seriously dying. There''s this one part where you do clean-squat-press and I could barely get that 20lb bell over my head. I really had to thrust it up from the squat. At one point I tried doing the 40 minute workout and you have to do overhead presses... I definitely couldn''t do it... so I kept with the 12 minute workout. I would do this 3 x week and go walking. After a few weeks I was able to do this workout twice in a row for a 24 minute workout. I''m always always aaaalways drenched in sweat! After that I decided to go for the 40 minute workout. I would skip using the bell for the squats and lunges sections because otherwise it''s TOO killer. I think I''ve only made it through the entire workout a handful of times. BUT I CAN do the overhead presses now (with ease!) and I can tell that my body is toning up. I think I''ve gained weight since starting this DVD... but hopefully it''s muscle!

I''ve been doing the 40 minute workout exercises but instead of repeating each one twice, I just skip and do them all just once... its like the 12 minute fat blaster except it''s around 20 minutes and more challenging.

When I got the DVD in the mail, it looks like it was made from her home computer. The music, the graphics... it all looks low quality. But the workouts themselves are HIGH HIGH HIGH QUALITY STUFF. I love that timer bar on the side so I know how much I have left to suffer. All in all, it''s really fun because I feel strong and it''s makes me focus (so I don''t go throwing my kettlebell into the wall).

Oh and at one point I emailed Lauren and asked her how many calories are burned in the workouts... she estimated between 400-800 for the 40 minute workout depending on various factors.

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