Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is possibly one of the best fitness books I have ever read! I train strictly with Kettlebells and its taken me to inhuman levels of fitness and strength. Throw off the shackles of easy living and become a living, breathing chunk of steel! Take the Russian Kettlebell Challenge; if you're brave enough!
Rating: 
Summary: FINALLY! the modern world is catching on!
Review: Warning: I have NOT read this book, but am ordering it immediately. I have long been a fan of old world techniques of developing strength and can already tell you kettlebells are far superior to "modern" methods, especially swinging them. I am so glad this book has been written I hope it makes kettles more popular and hence available!This kind of workout will make you much much more functionally stronger - if you are looking to just pump up your muscles, look elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with pumping up your muscles however this kind of training will thicken and strengthen your tendons and ligaments because of the ever-changing stresses of the weight in motion, and believe me it feels a lot more real and complete than the mechanical motions of conventional weight lifting (actually I should say bodybuilding). I am not having a go at the normal modern approach there is a lot to be said for many of the exercises still popular e.g squats, benchpress, deadlift, dips etc.. but these are all generally single line of motion and stop-start ... you will reap huge benefits from the dynamic motion of swinging kettlebells. I look forward to adding this book to my extensive library of old world strongman books, and I recommend you take a look yourself. Look at all the other reader reviews, all positive! That has to be a good sign! Good luck! Get strong!
Rating:
Summary: Once you go RKC, you never go back...
Review: Well, I own Power to the People, Bullet Proof Abs, Relax into Stretch and a Pavelizer. So you would think that with all that what else could a person possibly want? How about The Russian Kettlebell Challenge... The single greatest workout tool in my arsenal, I mean tools, are my 1 and 1.5 pood kettlebells. I know now that I will never walk into a gym again - who would? It is absolutely amazing how much individual accomplishment can be attained using a kettlebell. Simply fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone at any fitness level, in any sport. Buy it, you will thank yourself for it...
Rating:
Summary: To answer some of Pavel's critics....
Review: who apparently have not tried his workouts, I'd like to respond. The Soviet Union developed workout programs that far exceed anything available in the West. Many of the Western basic assumptions about the nature of strength development, muscle flexibility, and even the nature of strength itself are wrong. Pavel's books serve to re-educate us and introduce us to these "new" theories and practices. ...Pavel is the only person who has made these Eastern European "secrets" available to the English speaking world. Yes, his books aren't [inexpensive]. ...But the ideas in those books actually work. The Bottom line: Pavel provides useful information that you won't find anywhere else, in a fun, easy to read format. His workouts can be done at home, they work and they take only 15-20 minutes to complete. ....You don't have to buy alot of equipment. I use an inexpensive dumbbell for my Russian Kettlebell Challenge workouts, and my results are fantastic. If you are skeptical, buy one of his books and put his techniques to work.
Rating:
Summary: Must Have Book For All Strength Athletes and Martial Artists
Review: Wow, I have always been a fan of Pavel's books. However, this is his best book yet! I have been doing Kettlebell training for two months and love it. It is one of the best methods to acquire functional strength and is really enjoyable. I can see clearly how it would be beneficial to martial artists and strength athletes such as powerlifters and especially olympic weightlifters. Pavel goes into great detail regarding the history of Kettlebell training, why they are superior to other methods, and how to get started and progress. Very enjoyable read with excellent photos. No fluff here.
Rating:
Summary: One stop fitness.
Review: You're busy. I'll make this brief. Kettlebells rock. They're one of the premiere tools (along with some well selected old fashioned bodyweight exercises) for developing strength-endurance: that attribute that will allow you to outwill and outlast as your opponents are sucking wind--in almost any sport.
I slashed a minute off of my miles in a month--from 7 minute miles running to 6 minute miles--all without ever strapping on running shoes. Instead I stayed inside with my kettlebell. One of the things using a kettlebell will do is restrict your breathing while it jacks up your heart rate. While this sounds like a bad thing, it's really great--it forces your body to deal with oxygen debt more effectively. So when you get back to your regularly scheduled sport, your heart rate drops--you don't have to work as hard to get the same amount out of your body. You don't have to wait forever for results, either. And as a special bonus, they're great for fat loss. At the same time, Pavel introduces strength moves--your pressing strength will definitely increase, along with your all-important "core" strength. In short, kettlebells are a one-stop workout--not something you can say about the treadmill and nautilus health club. Pavel presents a series of exercises and programs: all of which are brutally effective. You can do them with a dumbbell, or with a genuine kettlebell--your choice. The Kettlebell will definitely add another dimension of evil. Pavel's programs are the most effective that I've tried. Don't be left out.
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