Steve Cotter - Extreme Strength - 12 Week Kettlebell Progarm

Let me say this right off the bat: Steve Cotter''s Extreme Strength is not--I repeat--is not for beginners. If you are absolutely new to kettlebell training, this is not the system for you to begin with. Mr. Cotter says as much in the introduction. You''d be better served with a milder instructional series to acclimate yourself to kettlebell training such as Steve Cotter''s Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting series or even the Skogg program.

I say this not to ward off newbies entirely but, simply put, this DVD series is for those familiar with kettlebells who looking to take their conditioning to world-class levels ("not good shape but excellent shape").

However, I should add that, if you are new to kettlebells, Mr. Cotter has an entire section on the introductory DVD where he goes over the form of EVERY SINGLE EXERCISE ON THE PROGRAM. That''s over two dozen exercises. He demonstrates the form and discusses the finer points of each exercise (which he also does regularly on the workouts themselves) before you even begin the program. I cannot say this enough: Steve Cotter is a spectacular teacher in addition to being one of the best athletes on the planet.

So, if you do disregard my advice about familiarizing yourself with kettlebells, know that there is actual point-by-point instruction and demonstration of the exercises. Additionally, if you work according to your conditioning level, anyone can do this program. It will challenge kettlebell neophytes as well as more seasoned practitioners. Just remember to get the requisite clearance from your physician and start off with a fairly conservative weight. You''ll see that it won''t take much to leave you in a pool of your own sweat.

I''ve been training with kettlebells for about five years now and came into this thinking that I knew what hard training was (having worked up to 88lb kettlebells at 200 lbs in hard form lifting). I was quickly humbled. Pure strength will not take you far in this program. Anyone can be strong for brief periods but, to paraphrase Bruce Lee, only the truly strong endure over time. Be prepared to push yourself to your limits.

What Cotter emphasizes in this program is all-around conditioning: strength endurance, aerobic conditioning, anaerobic conditioning, work capacity, pure strength training, and flexibility. In short, real world fitness and athleticism. To this end, he will take you through progressively more challenging routines (18 in total) for six weeks culminating in what I like to call Hell on Earth, a short but unrelentingly brutal test of conditioning that will push you to the brink.

And then you repeat the process...but with more weight! This will push you beyond any plateaus into a new realm of fitness and you''ll reach rep counts that you never imagined possible (eg. 200+ snatches!).

Now, just to be clear, there is quite a bit of equipment suggested: several pairs of kettlebells of varying weights, a pullup/dip station, a dipping belt, a roman chair, an Olympic barbell set, and a power rack. You might ask why you would need anything beside kettlebells for a kettlebell training program. The answer is that, while kettlebells are magnificent tools and pound for pound the most effective training tools, they do have limitations. Maximal strength can be increased only so much as you progress. The heaviest kettlebells I''ve encountered are 100 lbs and squats with this sort of weight can be dangerous initially due to leverage and ineffective later on as your body adapts to the weight. With barbells, the sky is the limit and the power rack will ensure that you are protected as you venture into heavier weights. Additionally, the barbells will overload your muscles and help to make the toughest kettlebell cycles (series of repetitions) more manageable.

As for the remaining equipment, I made economical and space efficient choices where possible. In lieu of the pullup/dip station, I simply used an old doorframe pullup bar and a collapsible Ultimate Body Press Dip Stand sold on Amazon. Instead of purchasing a roman chair that would only be used solely for one exercise, I substituted hyperextensions with good mornings with my heavy kettlebells. Instead of a dipping belt, I used a weighted vest that I had lying around but dipping belts are hardly expensive.

Is it cheating? Far from it. In fact, Mr. Cotter encourages you to adapt and customize the program to what you have on hand and your current skill/conditioning level. He gives several kettlebell substitutes for the barbell lifts so a lack of barbells should not thwart you from purchasing this program. In fact, I did my first cycle without barbells and still found the workout to be exceedingly effective. (I used the three month program as an opportunity to save up for solid barbell set sold on Amazon for $269--$3 a day.)

My results:

Pullups (Day 1: 12 / Day 90: 20)

Dips (Day 1: 10 / Day 90: 21)

Resting Heart Rate (Day 1: 72 / Day 90: 64)

Women Staring at My Butt (Day 1: 0 / Day 90: several)

I sincerely wish I had this program while I was in the police academy. I would''ve have finished in the top of my class!

To wrap up, here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

-Effective, no-nonsense, hard work

-Customization: Can be used by anyone--from relative newbies (once they understand kettlebell fundamentals)to more seasoned practitioners

-Progressively structured to ensure optimal results

-Thorough instruction on every exercise in the program

-Includes flexibility/stretching

-Barbells, pullups, and dips strengthen your weak points

-Only three workouts a week!

-Most workouts clock in at 35 minutes or less--they''ll just seem endless while you''re doing them

-Will result in a leaner, more muscular body that performs as well as it looks

-Pushes you to the brink and tests your mental toughness

Cons:

-Pushes you to the brink and tests your mental toughness

-Can require a bit of equipment as you progress

-While this may be a vain quibble, there is not much focus on chest or abdominal development per se. That is, there is not a focus on the aesthetics of these regions; performance is the name of the game. I do wish that he had indulged in building up the vanity muscles but I''m appreciative of the focus and relatively short sessions.

In conclusion, if you would like to attain the kind of professional level of all around conditioning that you never thought possible, then I wholeheartedly encourage you to pick up this program. It pays for itself with the increased energy levels, lean and muscular physique, and confidence that comes from knowing that you are in supreme condition.

If I could give this a 4.5 star rating, I would!

This is a great strength and endurance workout system. Steve Cotter is an excellent instructor and was easy to follow. Cotter performs all the lifts in a tutorial, supplies a warmup and cooldown. Unlike some instructors, he performs all the lifts along with you while you work out. He goes a long way in supplying you with everything you need in this system except the equipment for the different lifts. Over the last 5 years I have completed P90X, P90X+, and Rushfit several times. I also have used Shadow-Jitsu and Combat Kettlebells (My Mad Methods). These are all quality workouts supplying excellent systems that merit the dedicated in different ways. None of the previously mentioned systems pushed me to the brink the way this 12 week kettlebell system did. This program is designed to push the user beyond what they thought their abilities were and what they thought their bodies would bear. The end result is explosive power and endurance for perseverance.

I agree that this system lacks a targeted chest and abdominal workout, but there are many workouts that can supplement, since this is a 3 day system. This is the only thing this system lacks.

One word of warning: this workout is not for beginners, it is a very advanced system. I reccomend Kettleguards or sweatbands for the wrists, chalk for the hands, and in the case of high rep count, weightlifting gloves. The hands take a beating, and in the beginning, so do the wrists.

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Excellent dvd gave you great idea about the grat job make steve this man is really amazing great teacher big master is my master ikff att. Body Rip Fitness

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