Kettlebell Bootcamp

Angie Miller
Year Released: 2009

Categories: Kettlebell


I am an intermediate-to-advanced exerciser. I don't tend to jump on fitness bandwagons, and so I have been avoiding trying kettlebells for some time now. However, I could no longer ignore all the rave results about what a great tool kettlebells are, working in particular the core and the back side of the body. So, after doing a lot of research on form and watching many online instructional videos, I began doing some kettlebell swings with a 15-lb. dumbbell. My next step was to purchase my first kettlebell DVD, and after more research, I chose this one.

The Main Menu of KETTLEBELL BOOTCAMP offers options for Introduction, Tutorial, Play All, Chapter Selections, and Credits. Given that I am new to kettlebells, I found the 8.5-minute tutorial segment helpful; in this section, instructor Angie Miller leads background exercise Chris through some of the exercises (e.g., double arm swings, double arm swings with glute kick, double arm swings with leg lift, one arm swings, alternating one arm swings, windmills, overhead squats). Because I don't yet own a kettlebell (just ordered one today!), I did this workout this first couple of times through with a 10-pound dumbbell. I found the moves to be very doable with my dumbbell, and the weight was definitely heavy enough to give me an intense workout.

Angie and Chris are exercising on a bright, pink-infused set. They are wearing fitness shoes, which I understand that many kettlebell trainers advise against (I went barefoot, which worked fine). The workout is well-chaptered, consisting of a warm-up, eight strength sets, and a cool-down. I have broken down each of the individual segments (along with approximate times) below.

WARM-UP, 4 minutes
Angie starts here with some simple aerobic-type moves such as marches, hamstring curls, and step taps. She ends with some dynamic stretches for the hamstrings and glutes and also adds in some hip snaps, as these are used throughout the workout itself. This short warm-up felt like a good preparation for the moves to come.

SET 1, 4.5 minutes
This set begins with double arm swings, and then Angie moves into MANY variations of rear curtsey lunges, adding pulses and a knee lift for balance work. She finishes with additional double arm swings.

SET 2, 5.5 minutes
This set was my favorite! Angie slows things down a bit, starting with deadlifts and then moving into a balance move that involves setting down the kettlebell, coming into a knee raise, and lifting the kettlebell back up. She then performs double arm swings with a glute kick, bicep curls with squats, and finishes with additional double arm swings with glute lifts.

SET 3, 8.5 minutes
Angie starts this set with a 1-arm row performed at several different tempos. She then moves into a slow rear lunge, adding a Figure 8 with the kettlebell and picking up the pace. Other moves in the segment include a deep side lunge with a row and a double swing with an overhead crush.

SET 4, 4 minutes
Here Angie begins with double arm swings with a side leg lift. She then performs windmills, with the option of having the kettlebell high or low.

SET 5, 8.5 minutes
Angie described this as "the most powerful standing set." The set starts with one-arm swings followed by a side squat. Keeping the kettlebell on one side, Angie moves though a shoulder press, torso twist, overhead squat, and plyometric squat (small side-to-side hop) before repeating everything on the other side.

SET 6, 4 minutes
This is the final standing set. Angie starts with an alternating single arm swing, then moves into a side tap with a halo (ribbons). Next are triceps overhead extensions, adding in a knee balance.

SET 7, 4 minutes
For this set, Angie and Chris go down to the floor for push-ups; Chris does the push-ups on her knees, Angie on her toes. They perform staggered, 2-count push-ups with one hand on the kettlebell. There is one set of 8 on each side and then a final set of 4 on each side--not too bad, even for someone who hates push-ups like I do. ;)

SET 8, 3 minutes
The final floor set is core work, and it consists of three somewhat Pilates inspired moves. The first exercise is a crunch in which Angie and Chris hold the kettlebell overhead and then crunch up, placing the bell past their knees. The second move starts off in an inclined seated position and twists the kettlebell side-to-side (Angie had her feet off the floor, while Chris raised one leg alternately). The final move was a variation on the Pilates roll-up, with Angie rolling up and lifting the bell to the sky and Chris keeping the kettlebell at her chest. All of the moves are performed at a relatively slow pace without a lot of reps.

STRETCH, 4.5 minutes
For the stretch segment, Angie begins with a nice held lunge to stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings; I particularly liked that she timed the stretches (45 seconds). She concludes with a few additional stretches in a standing position.

I clocked the total time for this workout at 50.5 minutes. The first time I tried it, I only did about half (mainly due to time constraints), yet by later that same day, I could definitely feel the work in my entire body, especially my glutes and inner thighs. I really liked the variety of moves included here--they were different from my usual strength workouts, challenged my body, yet didn't leave me feeling overwhelmed or wiped out. In the end, I have nothing bad to say about this DVD; I would definitely recommend it!

Instructor Comments:
Not only was this my first kettlebell DVD, but also it was my first DVD with Angie Miller, and I liked her a lot: she cued very well (with mirror cuing), and came across as both warm and professional.

Beth C (aka toaster)

09/05/2011