The Russian Kettlebell Challenge: Xtreme Fitness for Hard Living Comrades Paperback – January 1, 2010

I like Pavel's books. I read this when it was first published. I have the copy of Milo magazine with his very first Kbell article published in the US that got the Kbell ball rolling.He has revised his programming with time, but this is a good book and it's well worth the few bucks it costs. It's one of the books that started it all in the Kbell world and it is kind of a classic.I've been training since the 1990s with a focus on strength more than bodybuilding, so Pavel's strength oriented writing resonates with me a bit. I will say that this book's emphasis is on the work capacity that you can build with these simple tools.Sure, you can use a dumbbell for many of the lifts.in the book, although I like the Kbell for swings and some things because of the shape and balance. I'll say I'm not in the "all Kbell" camp. The Kbell is just one tool to use for strength and conditioning. It's a good one and I like the variety to use something different.I agree with the author that presses are better worked for lower repetitions and swings and snatches can be worked with higher reps. That's personal preference. You can certainly reverse that and use a quite heavy bell for swings for lower reps (as one example). I used heavy double Kbell swings (with a somewhat wide stance) as a deadlift assistance exercise and I felt that it was very effective, particularly for wider stance sumo deadlifts.The big question might be, "Can you get a full body workout with just a Kbell?"My answer is yes. Is it the only way to train? Absolutely not. You can get great results from a bar and some plates, adjustable dumbbells, or kbells. I personally use all three. There's no dogma about picking only one tool for the job. Variety staves off boredom, and I think swings and snatches are awesome for strength-endurance and conditioning. They are great for intervals and fat loss and actual research validates that the basic swing, done with sufficient weight and effort, is a killer fat loss modality without the joint pounding you can get from running.So, my opinion is that this book is well worth a few bucks. It teaches some cool drills and many of the theories the author notes have been proven in the gym and in the lab. You'll learn technique much better with YouTube, but the book is still interesting and worth a read. The only thing you might not find is a simple Kbell training program. The programs in the book are more elaborate, but you can find a ton of examples online that are geared toward your personal goals, whether it's brute strength or killer work capacity and conditioning. Do yourself a favor and branch out a bit if you've never tried Kbell training. It's fun and it's different.

This book is twenty years old now, but is chocked full of solid, old school KB info. Not as up to date as Simple and Sinister or The Quick and the Dead but I love this book. I bought it specifically for info on some older exercises like windmills, bent press, side press, etc. My right shoulder and left hip got banged up in a motorcycle skid back in 1988. I'm looking for these older exercises to safely increase my range of motion and have not been disappointed. I'm 69 years old, fast 16 hours daily, work with KB's four days a week, jump rope, etc. but push ups, presses and other movements are painful. I'm finding these old exercises after just a month, along with more stretching have helped immensely. I don't see how anyone can fail to benefit from Pavel's instruction... plus he's got a great sense of humor.

Kettlebells are a very unique piece of exercise equipment. Seemingly simple, for the same weight they provide higher loand than dumbbells. And due to their awkward shape, many exercises are uncomfortable and, therefore, more efficient. And unlike other weightlifting equipment, kettlebells traditionaly incorporate dynamic exercises, thus combining wiight training with aerobics. All in all, there must be a reason why kettlebells' popularity virtually exploded in the last few years.I follow Pavel's work for quite a while and have many of his books. All are of good. This one is in line with the rest.The RKC is an introduction to kettlebells. A little bit of history, followed by chapters explaining where and why KBs may be used, then who would benefit from them (everybody?). After that - actual KB exercises, including explosive and grinding ones. At the end a few training programs. Exercises are well described with emphasis on good form.The book does not have an index. However, it is not so comprehensive as to require one. Also, the table of contents is very thorough, and one can easily find any topic. Most references are from Russian research which are impossible to trace and verify for English speaking readers. But there is no research on kettlebells in English sports literature. This is the whole point of this book: it introduces totally new, Russian way to exercise to the western fitness person!This book is all that is needed to start working with KBs. They are really great way to exercise. You can build muscle, help lose fat, work on endurance, cardiovascular fitness - anything you want. If you want more - then buy other books on the topic, by Pavel or someone else, there are literally hundreds of things you can do with kettlebells.And yes, kettlebells go well with vodka and pickle juice!

Alot more info & ideas then simple & sinister.Not an easy "do this" type of book you actually need to think about what you want to do!For more experienced KB practitioners

I've got three Pavel books and I've not been impressed with any of them. Always seem lacking in clear content. I won't be buying a fourth. He may well have brought kettlebells to the West (??) but I've since found other authors who do it better.

Very tedious description of why kettlebell training is good, insomnia inducing list of Russian lifters, their regimes and a few boring lists of kettlebell training plans and competition rules.

As expected an excellent read

Great book from Pavel. Syuperb info passed in short direct sound bites. No waffle and has all you need to know