As for this workout, it’s very fast paced, and higher impact than I would have expected. This workout also has a much more complete warm-up sequence than the others, in my opinion. After the warm up, it’s straight into swings, high pulls and overhead press. Michelle has you doing lateral leaps (jumping side-to-side) plyos and burpees. This is NOT for the faint of heart. I know that all workouts get easier over time, and this one will too. I was absolutely drenched with sweat halfway through. After she’s done doing the higher-impact cardio segment, you move into abs with full russian get-ups (love them!!) and russian twists (work WONDERS on my waist!). There is also a section of push-ups with arm extensions, which created a *good* burn in my abs, arms and legs. I guess that’s why she called it ‘total body’. This is a great, well rounded workout. It includes Michelle’s favorite stretching sequence at the end, which is quite relaxing. I look forward to doing this again. Maybe this time I can finish all of the plyos without sweat dripping off my nose!

I just remind myself that it’s taking it one day at a time, one decision at a time. If I can remember that, I will be in control and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, I’ve been honest with myself (and the world of people who read my blog), which is a HUGE step. The next step is taking all of this realization and putting it to good use: eat better, save more and EXERCISE my brain AND my body. I’ll get there. It just takes time. And admission is the FIRST step to recovery.

Next, you move on to lower body. This workout made my legs BURN. I will admit to using the 8 pound kbell here…I have fairly strong legs and it takes a bit to tax them. Curtsey lunges, side lunges, single-leg dead-ish lifts…it’s all here. AND she incorporates one of the most ignored muscle groups in exercise videos: YOUR CALVES!! WOOHOO! This workout gets your heart rate up, and provides a pretty good burn for only being 10 minutes long.

The next two segments of the video are standing abs and floor work. Both are fantastic. I like all the twists (both standing and Russian) and the interesting movements. I took it a little easy this morning, since my abs were STILL sore from Tracy Anderson’s Post Pregnancy Workout! (each segment: standing and floor work is 10 minutes)

The last segment is probably my favorite: dynamic stretching. Who DOESN’T love to stretch?! It makes your whole body feel good. And after beating it up this morning, stretching felt absolutely DIVINE! I like the fact that Michelle actually takes a full 10 minutes to stretch your ENTIRE body.

I think I like this workout because it’s a full 50 minutes if you do all the segments, and I always feel SUPER refreshed from the stretching. Definitely a keeper!

I think that the same principle applies to strength training…I’ve run the gammut here, too. Spending hours in the gym, both on the machines and with free weights. I’ve found that I prefer to have variety here, too. Some days I want a gym-style workout. On those days, I reach for Jari Love. She gives great instruction and you really feel the workout the next day. Other days, I prefer to do some serious lower body toning…those days I usually pull out my step and FIRM workouts. Lately, I’ve been more intrigued with isometrics, O-lifts and kettlebells. I’m absolutely addicted to Kettlenetics, and cannot believe the changes that I’m seeing in my body from the kettlebell workouts. I have the Kettlenetics set, and then I supplement those workouts with some more traditional kettlebell videos (Gin Miller and Kettlebell Bootcamp). I really enjoy the fluid motion, I think. AND the kettlebells are a totally different type of strength training from gym-style weights. Now, I’ve also been doing P.I.N.K. Fitness, which incorporates Olympic-style lifting to help sculpt your body. And you’re only using a 5 pound bar! In addition to doing kettlebells and P.I.N.K., I’ve also been doing barre workouts at least 3 nights a week. I love the stretching aspect that comes with these workouts. AND I think that it’s helping get rid of my saddlebags!! YAY! As you can probably tell, I have a little bit of Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to workouts. I think that it’s good to have choices, and have choices that you enjoy. There will be mornings that you wake up and don’t feel like swinging around a 10 pound kettlebell, and mornings when you just feel like having a good stretch.

If you can’t already tell, I workout at home. I have found that I am more motivated if my exercise equipment is sitting in my front room. I feel guilty just sitting on the couch, so I workout instead. I’ve had gym memberships, and they just don’t seem to be enough motivation. Inevitably, I think that it’s the drive to and from the gym that gets me. I feel like it’s a waste of time. So I have alot of home-based workout programs that keep it interesting.

The last thing that I wanted to touch on is diet. You have to find something that will work for you LONG TERM. Health is not about dieting. Diet’s DON’T work! They always fail. So, make a concious lifestyle change that you can live with. I’ve tried every fad diet out there, from Medifast to Nutrisystem to Weigh Watchers. The one thing that I keep coming back to is www.sparkpeople.com. It’s a great resource for nutrition and exercise information as well as support. It has a great nutrition tracker, and you are working on counting calories, rather than Points.

Your diet needs to be something that you can stick with through the long haul…and it needs to nourish your body. I’ve chosen to take the vegetarian route, but you must find something that you enjoy, because if you don’t love what you eat, you’ll end up unhappy with your diet, and that will lead to an unhealthy lifestyle all around.

If you’re new to kettlebells, start off small. 5,6, or 8 pounds would be sufficient for traditional kettlebell work. You DO NOT want to injure yourself while you’re learning, especially if you’re learning at home. Here are some good places to start:

http://www.getkbells.com (Kettlenetics, one of my FAVORITE workouts-this is a FUSION of dance and kettlebells)

http://www.ginmillerdvds.com/Gins-Calorie-Burning-Workout-with-Kettlebells_p_58.html (more of a traditional approach with good emphasis on form & stretching)

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/kettlebell-bootcamp-angie-miller-5658 (A kick-butt workout that goes from beginner to advanced)

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/amy-bentos-kettlebell-3-in-1-5667 (A GREAT beginner-intermediate workout)

This workout is a great addition if you have kettlebells already or are just starting out. I started out with an 8lb kbell, and it was plenty heavy. Considering that I normally swing around my 4lb kbell for Kettlenetics, I was VERY proud of myself!

If you’re looking for a good, solid (somewhat fusion) workout, this is a good one. It’s not terribly spendy ($14.95), and the fact that you can progress by increasing weights, motion or both is impressive. All in all, I really enjoyed this workout for the extra toning and larger variety of moves. It will definitely stay in my kettlebell rotation.

I really enjoy all the workouts that come with this set. AND I think that it’s fairly resonably priced for what you get: 6 workouts and the 4 lb kbell…then you have an option to UPGRADE. I would recommend that you do this. The upgrade includes 2 additional workouts as well as an 8 lb kbell, which you will eventually be able to use. When you’re starting out, the 4 lb kbell is heavy enough, believe me. This workout is unlike anything that I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried most everything! LOL

Here’s the breakdown: The set comes with a DVD that breaks down the most basic moves that you’ll be doing with the kbell. Michelle instructs on form, which is SO very important when you’re using something like a kbell. I would recommend watching this once through. Then you can move on to FlowMotion Basics. It’s a 20 minute workout that actually gets your heart pumping, and you go through the basics in a slower format. I love this workout for when I’m crunched on time, or I want to burn upwards of 200 calories in 20 minutes (usually so that I can enjoy that glass of wine with dinner! LOL). The other DVDs are a mix of cardio and stretching. There is one toning workout included. I really enjoy this mix of strength and cardio. You get your heart pumping, and are toning your muscles at the same time. I always look forward to doing these workouts. I will say that I have 2 traditional kettle bell workouts that I purchased AFTER having Kettlenetics for a few months, and those are okay…but not nearly as fun. I just like the motivation, spirit and educational aspects that Michelle brings to the workouts.

I’m sure you’re curious to know about my results: FANTASTIC!! I have never done a workout that made my abs SO SORE! I was sore for almost a full week after my first round with Cardio Balanced!! I am finally able to fit into size 8 jeans, and when I started Kettlenetics, I was a size 12. I am also finding that my shoulders have more definition, and I’m getting more shapely legs. I will be honest that I am not a Kettlenetics purist. I have also been running, doing FIRM (although very seldom lately) and isometric/bar exercises. I cannot credit my results soley to kbells, but I KNOW that they helped!!

If you are looking for something challenging, different and really fun, then I think that you should go for it. This is a system that will grow with you. You can always get a heavier kbell! The fusion aspect is also nice, since it’s a welcome change from traditional weights-only workouts.