Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this DVD because it's longer than Pavel's first DVD, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge, which sounded skimpy at 32 minutes.I'm pleased with my purchase. The video isn't perfect, but Pavel's instruction alone is worth the price.
First and foremost, for all the self-promotion and over-the-top slogans, Pavel knows what he's doing. His sense of humor shows through the awkwardness, and his running commentary is filled with valuable information. Pavel is truly a geek: He has a broad and deep knowledge of his field, he believes in the importance of his work, and he wants everyone else to love it and know as much about it as he does. There is no substitute for the quality of instruction such a person can provide.
Based only on the choice of material and quality of instruction, I would give the video five stars. The downside is that I'm a little bit disappointed with the models.
The models are good, but they don't always look completely comfortable with the techniques. Watching a master is an enlightening experience. Occasionally these women rise to that level, but just as often they seem more like advanced beginners. On some of the exercises, I can see imperfections in their technique, and they seem to be correcting their form as Pavel describes the exercises. (I'm not talking about the times when Pavel asks them to demonstrate common mistakes.) It's easier for me to be a critic than to do it right, but for a commercial video, Pavel should have found models who were truly masters with the kettlebells. After all, they're not called models because they have exceptional bodies (although they do), they're called models because the viewer is supposed to be able to use them as models for his or her own technique.
On a final note, I'd like note that the production quality is not very good, and the people on screen are not professional fitness actors and actresses. This interfered with my first viewing of the video. In fact, on my first viewing I got a strong "battered woman" vibe from the two models. On subsequent viewings I realized that this is a product of lighting (the women's faces are often half in shadow), awkwardness in front of the camera, the fact that the women are actually being challenged by the exercises (no fake weights here), and the lack of that awful chirpiness and cheerfulness that bugs me so much in real life, but which I have come to expect from women who exercise on my television. The women don't act coked up, the actors don't always hit their marks, and Pavel's delivery is occasionally stilted. Ack! Real people on my television screen! After watching the video once or twice, this won't bother you any more. (On the other hand, you *will* be disappointed if you're looking for spunk or girl-power attitude from the models.)
In summary, the instruction is top-notch, the production quality distracted me a bit during the first viewing, and the models do not always live up to that title. It's an easy four stars, and I won't hesitate to buy more of Pavel's products in the future.
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From Russia With Tough Love
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