Kettlebells for the Busy Professional

This is a review of Delaine Ross' first DVD, "Kettlebells for the Busy Professional - Strength, Cardio & Mobility, All in 30 Minutes or Less." Delaine owns Condition Kettlebell Gym in Atlanta, Georgia and is an RKC Team Leader. Her DVD is geared toward those new to kettlebells, was filmed in Delaine's gym and has no music. She uses a Gym Boss timer throughout.

The DVD is broken down into the following chapters:

1. Intro
2. Why Kettlebells
3. Warm Up and Cool Down
4. How to Swing
5. How to Perform Get-Ups
6. Training I
7. Training II
8. Training III


The Warm Up and Cool Down focuses on joint mobility/stretching with form pointers. The Swing and Turkish Get-Up ("TGU") tutorials have some interesting information besides form pointers -- for example, Delaine explains why overhead swings are not encouraged and demonstrates how "towel swings" can alert you to red flags in form, among many other things.

TRAINING I

With Nashville RKC trainer David C. Whitley's consent, Delaine demonstrates his routine, "The Furnace." You begin from standing with kettlebell locked out overhead. Whitley's furnace is typically done :45 work / :15 rest but, here, Delaine does the 12 exercises :30 work / :15 rest. She takes you through the entire 12-exercise sequence, then recommends you repeat a second time:

1. Overhead lunge (left) *
2. Overhead lunge (right)
3. Swing
4. Kneeling windmill (left)
5. Kneeling Windmill (right)
6. Swing
7. Getup to palm (left)
8. Getup to palm (right)
9. Swing
10. Full Getup (left)
11. Full Getup (right)
12. Swing

* Note: If you're left-handed, reverse this and begin with your right (or weaker) side.

TRAINING II

Delaine takes you through one timed round of the following 8 exercises, explaining form as she goes along, and then recommends you repeat on your own. (:30 work / :30 rest)

1. Alternating swing
2. Contralateral single leg deadlift (left)
3. Contralateral single leg deadlift (right)
4. Swing catch squat
5. One arm floor press (left)
6. One arm floor press (right)
7. Choice: one-arm swings or snatches (left)
8. Choice: one-arm swings or snatches (right)

TRAINING III

Only 6 exercises this time. The entire training is preceded by 5 get-ups on each side (i.e., TGU 5x - left; TGU 5x - right). Delaine demonstrates one full TGU. She asks that you pause the TV and do the full TGU sequence on your own before continuing with Training III. She does not want viewers to be watching the TV when they should be focusing on their own form .... When you're done with the TGU's, Delaine recommends doing the following :30 work / :30 off routine three times. She demonstrates the first time round and then recommends you repeat that chapter twice more:

1. Clean and press (left)
2. Clean and press (right)
3. Two-handed swings
4. Halos (switching direction mid-exercise)
5. Squats
6. Alternating swings

(NOTE: There is no need to repeat the TGU sequence with each round of exercises. TGU's are only done at the very beginning.)

OVERVIEW

This is a great DVD for anyone fairly new to kettlebells, particularly those without easy access to an RKC trainer. Delaine's tutorial and form is nicely detailed without being overbearing. This DVD might also prove beneficial for those preferring paper workouts to DVD workouts but wanting form pointers. This workout would probably work well for all levels, depending on how challenging your kettlebell is; however, you'd have to have the patience to replay/repeat each section once or twice or be willing to do the routine on your own following Delaine's instruction.

You can purchase this DVD through Dragon Door, Amazon or directly through Condition Kettlebell Gym.

Thumbs up!

Instructor Comments:
Calm, matter-of-fact demeanor. Excellent instruction.

Michelle Easton

I finally purchased this DVD after having it on my Wish List for a long time. (In fact, thanks to Michelle for her great review, which helped make me decide to buy it!) I liked the idea that it contains tutorials which provide instruction geared towards beginners yet also includes training sessions which contain some more advanced movements such as Turkish Getups (TGUs) and snatches, both of which I love.

The instructor for this DVD is Delaine Ross, who holds a (former) RKC Certification as a Team Leader and who owns her own kettlebell gym in Atlanta, Condition Kettlebell Gym. Ross instructs live, and although the production quality is good, the presentation feels more like a live class than a professional workout DVD. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I'll explain in greater depth later.

The Main Menu of this DVD offers the following options: Intro—Why Kettlebells—Warm Up and Cool Down—How to Swing—How to Perform Get-Ups—Training I—Training II—Training III. In her Introduction (2.5 mins.), Ross talks about how she was working in the construction industry with little time for exercise when she heard an advertisement for a kettlebell gym. She maintained that this style of exercise “clicked” with her for the first time. In Why Kettlebells (2 mins.), she goes on to explain how the advantage of kettlebell training is that it combines strength, cardio, AND mobility training. With respect to the latter, she emphasizes that working with kettlebells targets the thoracic spine, often overlooked in other types of exercise.

The Warm Up and Cool Down segment (7 mins.) covers some of Ross’s favorite stretch moves; these can be used either at the start or the end of a workout. First, with the help of a partner, she demonstrates proper breathing technique. Then, she moves through stretches. She performs only a few repetitions of each, encouraging the viewer to add additional reps on one’s own. These are dynamic movements, many of which will be familiar to experienced exercisers (e.g., a lunging hip flexor stretch), but there are also some novel add-ons, such as holding a very light weight overhead and twisting in the lunge position.

This DVD offers two tutorial segments. The first, How to Swing (11 mins.) breaks down each element of the classic hardstyle swing. Ross starts by practicing the sumo deadlift, a simple up/down movement of the kettlebell. Next is the silverback deadlift, pulling the kettlebell from behind. Practicing kettlebell drags follows. Finally, Ross puts all of these movements together for a full swing. She provides detailed form pointers throughout, including showing how performing plank and bridge can enhance the swing. Ross also teaches “towel swings” as another option for perfecting form. Finally, she demonstrates one-handed and alternating swings. The second tutorial addresses Turkish Getups (7 mins.). Ross begins by demonstrating a TGU and reviewing common mistakes in performing this move. She recommends initially practicing “naked” TGUs (i.e., without weights) as a means to learn the exercise. She concludes by running through the entire TGU exercise again with an actual kettlebell.

For the training sessions, Ross completes just a single round of each. However, she recommends practicing an additional 2-3 rounds on one’s own, providing a complete workout in under 30 minutes time. The exercises in the training routines are performed interval style, and Ross uses a GymBoss timer to keep track of time. I have described each session in greater detail below. [Note: the times I listed are the actual times of each segment on the DVD, not the times it would take to complete the routine for the full number of rounds specified by Ross.]

TRAINING I (10 mins.)
This routine is called “The Furnace,” and Ross notes that she borrowed it from another RKC trainer, David Whitley. She modified his routine of 12 total exercises slightly, performing them at a work to rest ratio of 30:15. The sequence basic builds up to performing full TGUs, with two-handed swings performed in-between. The 12 exercises are as follows: 1) overhead lunge, 2) Overhead lunge (second side), 3) two-handed swing, 4) kneeling windmill, 5) kneeling windmill (second side), 6) two-handed swing, 7) getup to palm, 8) getup to palm (second side), 9) two-handed swing, 10) TGU, 11) TGU (second side), and 12) two-handed swing. Ross recommends repeating this entire sequence once.

TRAINING II (8 mins.)
This series is performed with a work to rest ratio of 30:30, and it includes eight total exercises. Here are the moves included: 1) alternating swings, 2) contralateral single leg deadlift, 3) contralateral single leg deadlift (second side), 4) swing-catch-squat combo, 5) one-arm press on floor, 6) one-arm press on floor (second side), 7) one-arm swings OR snatches (Ross performs half and half), and 8) one-arm swings OR snatches (second side). Ross also suggests performing this sequence a second time.

TRAINING III (8 mins.)
For this routine, Ross recommends beginning with a full five minutes of TGUs. However, she starts by demonstrating just a single TGU on either side, then suggests pausing the video to work on one’s own. The session itself again consists of a 30:30 work to rest ratio, and it includes the following six exercises: 1) clean and press, 2) clean and press (second side), 3) two-handed swings, 4) kneeling halos, 5) squats, and 6) alternating swings. Ross suggests performing this routine a total of three times through (although the TGU warm-up would only be performed once).

I have been using kettlebells (KBs) for just over two years. I work out at home solely using fitness videos, and I have had a tough time finding kettlebell DVDs that I like. Even though I am not brand new to KBs, I am finding that “Kettlebells for the Busy Professional” is near-perfect for both my KBs experience as well as my fitness level (high intermediate). I enjoy mixing and matching my exercise routines, so I absolutely love that the training rounds are so short—I have done all three rounds together, two of one + one of another, etc. Ross is very down-to-earth and extremely likeable. This DVD was definitely worth the wait for me, and I would highly recommend it.

Instructor Comments:
As noted, Delaine is very likeable. I love how she started out as a construction worker! She also responded to an email I sent her very quickly. (I was asking about the format of the DVD, as I received a DVD-R, and the answer was yes, that is how this DVD is produced.)

Beth C (aka toaster)