JILLIAN MICHAELS:SHRED IT WITH WEIGHT

I've been a kettlebell fan ever since I heard Jillian raving about them on her radio show about a year ago (to listen to her radio show archives, go to [...] and type Jillian Michaels into the "Displaying" box in the top right corner). She mentioned that "Crazy Trainer Steve" was teaching her kettlebells and that she had to retrain her brain to just drop the kettlebell instead of doing a negative repetition the way she had always done with traditional weights. Her point was that even the top trainers in the world are always learning something new from THEIR trainers. Nice humble attitude and great information.

Intrigued, I immediately went to my local Tarjay and bought a 15 pound GoFit kettlebell for 40 Georges. GoFit 15-Pound Red Kettlebell with Vinyl Coating, Iron Core Training DVD and Exercise Booklet The kettlebell came with 2 DVD's: Iron Core Kettlebell (tutorial DVD) and Iron Core Kettlebell Express Volume 3 DVD, both by Sarah Lurie. The tutorial DVD is great, but her voice is annoying (it sounds like she's talking to a 2 year old), and the workout DVD has only a few moves that are done over and over again.

So I bought every other kettlebell DVD I could afford, and they were not cheap! Pavel's From Russia With Tough Love is an excellent tutorial and it's still my go-to reference for remembering how to do each move. But it doesn't have a follow along workout, which I really need. The Kettlebell Goddess Workout by Andrea DuCane is boring and wooden. I would rather watch grass grow. Kettlebell Dynamics by Amy Bento has 3 ADVANCED killer workouts with no tutorials that I would recommend after you are past the intermediate kettlebell stage and longing for more. I also downloaded the fabulous free MP3 kettlebell workout from [...].

And now Jillian came out with her own kettlebell DVD that I've been waiting and longing for, and it's awesome. I LOVE IT! Her terminology for some of the moves confused me the first time through, but I figured it out. What she calls "a rack" is really called "a clean" in the kettlebell world. And instead of using the very simple kettlebell term "alternating swings", she calls them "a squat swing with a pass".

You must buy a kettlebell for this workout . . . 10 pounds if you are an absolute beginner girl who hasn't exercised in years, 15 pounds if you are a girl who can FEEL a little muscle when you flex (even if the muscle is under a cushion of fat, your muscles are still ready for 15 pounds and the kettlebell moves will shred the fat right off ya). If you're a guy, go for 15 pounds if you're totally out of shape, and 20 pounds if you can feel a little muscle. Why can you use a much heavier kettlebell than you thought possible? Your ENTIRE BODY is lifting the weight, not just your arm. More about that coming up . . . .

Here's why dumbbells are dumb and kettlebells rock: With a DUMBBELL, the weight is centered. It works one muscle group at a time. Since it doesn't have a handle, using a dumbbell to do moves that are designed for the kettlebell can feel very awkward, not to mention the risk of dropping the thing on your toes. In contrast, the weight of the KETTLEBELL is off center, so you have to use every muscle in your body to balance it, especially your core (abs and hips/butt). Every kettlebell exercise is a ballistic (explosive) whole body exercise. It's cardio and weights at the same time. Remember those days when you had to walk on the treadmill for an hour, then work the weight machines for 30 minutes to get in your cardio and weight training? No more. Working with kettlebells 20 minutes a day, your cardio and weight training is done!

I wouldn't bother with Jillian's adjustable kettlebell; it's too expensive. And did you hear the clanging noise of the plates when it was fully loaded in the DVD tutorial? That sound would drive me crazy. The traditional kettlebell is cheaper, completely quiet, and available in the sporting goods section of your local store.

One other thing . . . as I do my kettlebell workouts, I really work up a sweat, and my hands get sweaty, too. I was worried about the kettlebell flying out of my hands to directions unknown, so I went back to my local Bullseye and bought some GoFit Weightlifting Gloves, and they give me some serious grip on the kettlebell. GoFit Women's Pink Pearl-Tac Weightlifting Gloves w/ CD Now I can do all the swings and snatches I want with complete control.

Kettlebells make you strong and empowered, give you a great butt and shredded body. For me, it's also a stress reducing mind-body exercise, since I can't possibly complete these moves with correct form while worrying about paying the bills. Have fun with Jillian's kettlebell workout!

UPDATED REVIEW...
I'm hooked on kettlebells for life. Just by spending quality time with my kettlebell . . . 20 minutes per session, 3-4 days a week . . . I have lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle in 3 months. I also very proud to say that in the same 3 month time period, my 15 pound kettlebell became too easy to use, so I moved up to a 20 pounder. Kettlebells have transformed my body, and I am in the best shape of my life! However, I stopped using Jillian's DVD a couple months ago, because I prefer other kettlebell routines. Here are my current favorites:

1. The DVD that came ABSOLUTELY FREE with my new 20 lb GoFit kettlebell (available at Target, Amazon, and possibly Wal-Mart). The name of the DVD is Kettlebell Konnection and the instructor is Jessica Huthmaker. Her tutorial is excellent, and her form is perfect. Awesome 25 minute workout.

2. The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells by instructor Lauren Brooks. The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells DVD with Lauren Brooks It has a 12 minute workout, which seems too easy to me. But it also has a 40 minute workout, which I have converted to a 20 minute workout, since I do each circuit once instead of twice.

3. Free MP3 kettlebell workout at liftkettlebells dot com. Look for this in my comments section of my review if the link gets removed. I think the 20 minute workout is perfect. Great workout and awesome cuing for each move.

First the pros. Jillian has put some valid twists on some of the workouts. While level one is basically restricted to getting the basic moves down, level two put twists on some kettlebell moves.

Jillian is exciting and infectious. I do not care for her adjustable kettlebell, but that is my thing since I have from 13# to 35# for different workouts, but to get the maximum of this workout a kettlbell is a must. Using a standard dumbell will not get you the results that you need and will probably not have you sweat much, so if you like the exercises investing in a kettlebell is a must.

I like that this is like a quick express workout. The workout is around 20 minutes and hits what needs to be hit. Another great workout is the GoFit Kettlebells Iron Core Express DVD Volume 3. This workout is around that time span but does the same sequence 3 times in rapid fashion.

Jillian is bringing a true cardio/strength combo workout that has been around for centuries to the masses, but along with this comes responsiblity.

Cons. First, there is problem with Jillian's form. One thing that is a must for any kettlebell workout is form. Why? You can easily hurt yourself. I know that she is trying to make this workout more available for the masses, but using a dumbell won't get you there. I do understand that folks want to try the workout with dumbells before investing in a kettlebell, but you won't get the intensity and same workout as you notice from reviews on here already.

Jillian also makes up different terminology for standard kettlebell moves, why she does that I don't know but it will confuse you if you move onto seasoned, certified kettlebell instructors with workouts on the market. A clean and snatch is not anything else. This is heads up because I have been using kettlebells for over 2 years and her terminology irked me.

Lastly, the dive exercise on level 2 is dangerous. There is no way that you swing with your hips and dive all the way to the back with the kettlebell. I never saw this move by any professional instructor and it just looked too dangerous. I replaced that with alternating swings, which Jillian calls something else. Also, the russian twist on level two for the ab routine should not be swung side to side. If you have a #15 kettlebell in your hand jilting and swinging that kettlebell will HARM YOU. That exercise is done completely wrong. Go to youtube and search "kettlebell russian twist", you will see the correct form of this exercise.

Overall, this is an ok introduction to the masses for kettlebells. Just remember to get a kettlebell heavy enough to be challenging and that gives you resisitance and watch the tutorial is a must, if you have never peformed a kettlebell workout.

Using this workout 2-3 times a week will result in you seeing real improvement in stamina, endurance and start you on your way to getting shredded. And when you are ready for a full body workout and real challenge try The Art of Strength:Providence. Excellent workout from one of the owners of the first kettlebell gyms in this country.

P.S. For those brusing by the kettlebell banging on your wrists, get wrist bands that will help tremendously. My wrists have always been sensitive and this has helped me a lot. And if your hands sweat and you have a smooth handle kettlebell and worry about possibly dropping it, get fitness gloves. That will alievate this problem. I use this brand, Bionic Women's Fitness Gloves, for me it fits like a glove. HTH!!!!

***UPDATE*** If you want a real kettlebell workout with proper form using a dumbbell try ATLETICA by Powerstrike. Go to totalfitnessdvds dot com and view the clips. This is how a dumbbell is SUPPOSED to work in place of a kettlebell, with exceptional form. I did this workout with a 15# and 12# dumbbell and it was a total sweatfest. This is what Jillian's workout should have been. Read this review from the L.A. Times, it says it all. [...]

I really am not a kettlebell expert, and I can't really speak for JM's kettlebell form. However, if you are a novice like me, definitely watch the kettlebell tutorial on the DVD before you begin. Do not skip it! You can really hurt yourself with a kettlebell if you don't know what you are doing.

You could say I am a Jillian groupie. I love JM's DVDs. So far I have mastered 30 Day Shred, No More Trouble Zones, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, and Yoga Meltdown. However, my muscles have gotten pretty used to these workouts, so I was beyond excited to get a new workout to try. Luckily I already had a 10 lb kettlebell at home, though I was confused as to what weight I would need to begin with (on a fitness scale of 1-10, I am about a 7.5).

This is the reason I did not give all five stars: I did not feel there was enough information to give people a general idea about what size kettlebell to use prior to use. JM touts her 20lb "adjustable" kettlebell in the video - which retails about $100. Give me a break, who can afford that? She definitely did not use all 20lbs on Level 1 -- she looked like she used about 8-10lbs. Most of us will need to commit to a single-weight kettlebell. It would have been nice to get an estimate on what to start on. Otherwise, it was a great workout in itself.

Yes, you can use a 3-8 lb weight with this DVD (however, since you are using your entire body to move the weight, I would suggest leaning toward the heavier end if you want results), but you might want to splurge for a kettlebell. My 10 lb kettlebell on Level 1 tonight was perfect. I worked up a sweat reminiscent of the early 30 Day Shred days, and the entire workout from warmup to cooldown is just shy of 30 minutes. Once I "master" this DVD, and improve my form, I will probably buy a 15 (maybe 20) lb kettlebell, but I am looking to gain and sculpt lean muscle, not lose weight, thus why a heavier weight may be needed for me. Those out there trying to lose weight, there is no problem with a single-weight kettlebell to lose the weight and get lean. Level 1 was awesome and it was nice to really sweat again with JM. I'll probably do it for another week and then move to Level 2 and I'll update my review. All in all, a definite must-try to any JM collection. I am looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.