Bob Harper Beginner's Weight Loss Transformation [DVD]

I've just started using Kettlebells and was looking for a DVD to motivate me rather than just trying to learn from a book. This Bob Harper workout is definitely a good place to start.I'll admit that to begin with I found it quite tough (I work out but had let my cardio fitness lax a bit too much me thinks) and on the first couple of run throughs I paused it for a minute or so if I needed time out. That was only last week and now I can go all the way through without stopping - which is testament to how much I've improved in just a few sessions. My legs, back and stomach are noticeably stronger already and I've been made aware of muscles I hadn't even noticed before.It's worth noting that this isn't a kettlebell instruction DVD and you won't find lots of complicated moves - just the core basics integrated in to an engaging routine, which is all you need to begin with. Bob explains the moves clearly enough, but not exhaustively so its really up to you to feel whether you're doing it right. It's good that 'Stephanie' (you'll hear that name a lot) doesn't always do it exactly right because as Bob corrects her you can identify where you may be going wrong.Bob is entertaining and motivating throughout, and even on repeated watching is not proving to be annoying - always a bonus!A quick note about Kettlebell weights...I did a lot of research as to which weight to start with. Generally I found the 12kg was about the minimum recommended for a man, however while I can lift and use a 12kg perfectly well I felt it was too heavy (for me now) for this routine. I bought an 8kg - which is about right...I'll swap to the 12 (or heavier) when I'm 100% comfortable with my form for each of the moves. Bob uses a 20lb (9Kg) weight Stephanie a 15lb (7kg ish) throughout.I recommend getting a kettlebell book too - so you can read about good form and be inspired by the more advanced moves.Good stuff!Update! 12th March 2013I moved up to the 12kg Kettlebell about a week after writing the above review (though I still use the 8) and will be shortly purchasing a 16kg one to add to the mix. My strength, endurance, balance, muscle tone and flexibility have all improved massively by doing this workout on average 2-3 times a week.I've also lost some of the stubborn belly fat that has been hiding my abs - which as many of you will know can be very hard to do. I'm expecting to look like a xylophone by summer...I still don't find the DVD annoying even after watching it so many times and on the bits where Bob is introducing the moves I simply start doing the exercises rather than following the 'tuition' steps - so I squeeze some extra sets in to the routine.To reiterate what I said above, I'm really glad I started with the lighter Kettlebell as I'm sure I'd have given up or injured myself by now had I attempted to follow the DVD with anything heavier. I would definitely advise against trying to run before you can walk!On the strength of this DVD I will be definitely be purchasing the other Bob Harper kettlebell workout available.Update! 1st August 2013Still swinging those bells...and still using this DVD. I've added the Bob Harper Cardio Shred edition to the collection..which is a slightly more entertaining workout with more aerobic content rather than isolated strength exercises.There are also some good (in my opinion) instruction videos available on Youtube which I also add to the mix, partly for variety but also because it seems that no one instructor does everything 100% correctly...and there is ALWAYS someone criticising one aspect of the routine or another, no matter how professional the instructor appears to be.In terms of my progress I now almost exclusively use an 18kg kettlebell and have just begun to experimenting with using two at once - it's quite tough! The 8kg bell I started on now seems ridiculously light and I can't believe that I struggled with it at the beginning. I resort to the 12kg when I'm getting tired. or if I want to do really fast reps of certain moves.My hot tips for kettlebell success...start light, don't rush it, keep at it, listen to you body...and have fun.Good luck!

Let me begin by saying that The Biggest Loser USA is a guilty pleasure of mine. I know the contestants shouldn't be losing those crazy amounts of weight in a week. I know there's loads of setups and cheats. I've heard all the horror stories from past contestants, but I still love to watch. The stars of the show for me are Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. I'm in the UK and up until now we have only been abale to get Jillian Michaels workout DVD's in our region so when I saw that Bob Harper was finally releasing a workout DVD here I had to pre-order it from Amazon. It arrived this morning so of course I had to try it today.I am in no way a super fit person. I have not run couch to 5k. But I do workout daily with workout DVD's or 5k walks and I have done 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30, admittedly doing some of the easier versions of the exercises (pushups and I just aren't friends) and also have Jillian's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. I have two of Davina McCalls workour DVD's as well as a few other 'celebrity' endorsed workouts.Let's start by looking at the DVD's front cover. There's Bob in some sort of a skater pose. The title is Bob Harper Beginner's Weight Loss Transformation. The promises on the cover are "Beginner level workouts that work!" "Burn fat build muscle transform your body." Being that I am not a beginner I thought that this might be a little easy but I certainly wanted to give it a go.Well, if that's a beginner's workout then I'm a monkeys uncle. The full workout is 45 minutes long. The warm up is less than 3 minutes and within 5 minutes I was sweating like never before. Soon came push ups, planks, squat thrusts and other exercises that I would love to see a 'beginner' do. Also I found this DVD very repetitive. The same movements were repeated for fairly long periods of time and multiple times. I hate to compare Bob to Jillian, but I will anyway, and one of the things I love about Jillian's DVD's is that she never repeats and exercise more than twice so if you find something boring or really tricky you know you won't have to do it again today.The studio is a sparse white space and we have Bob with 2 guys and 2 girls, none of whom are remotely like a beginner and throughout the DVD Bob tends to show you a move and then walk around his 'student's making sure they are doing the moves correctly. There was little instruction on how to correctly do the moves so you had to pick alot of it up by watching what they were doing. Bob seems very serious and there is no 'banter' or humour the way there is with Jillian's DVD's. Infact I found him to be quite wooden and uninspiring.You do burn alot of calories if you can keep up. I often found myself having to jog on the spot or do other exercises because I just couldn't manage some of the moves or the number of reps we were being told to do. I have also managed to hurt my left elbow doing the 'swimming' move with weights which cosisted of squatting while holding a pair of weights and doing a front crawl action with the arms, and my weights are only light.So, to sum up, sorry Bob but I'll stick with Jillian. I like Bob on BL USA but if this is a beginners workout then I'd hate to see a more advanced one.

I fell off the exercise wagon a few years ago when my work routine changed and I struggled to make time for the Zumba classes I used to do weekly (and loved). I watch Biggest Loser and am a fan of Bob, Jillian and Dolvet so was excited to try some of their workouts. I admit I was afraid of anything Jillian might have to offer, fearing she might make me cry or throw up, so opted for Bob's (hopefully) gentler workout to get my fitness levels back up. I completed it for the first time yesterday and I have to say that while it's supposed to be for beginners I think it is more of an intermediate level. I modified to slightly more manageable movements where I really struggled but Bob himself tells you to do that if you are struggling. I think if I continue to do it this way I will eventually build up to the level required for this routine. Overall though, it was fun, easy to follow and explained to you in laymans terms. The trainer is not patronising and isn't annoyingly yelling countdowns at you throughout the DVD, which is a definite plus in my opinion. If you're looking for something to get you in shape I think this is a definite contender.