I don’t post here much, but I feel I need to briefly come out of lurkdom to add my 2 cents worth
I’ve just finished my first week of the rotation (first four workouts). I think this is a solid and well-thought program and I am thoroughly enjoying doing it. I am sure I will gain a lot of strength upon completing the rotation (as well as pick up some extra skills and further master the moves in the process).
I’ve watched the tutorial section and have to say -- it is fantastic! For those who think that there are no modifications shown -- Donica teaches all the moves/exercises she uses in the program and provides PLENTY of modifications for each (from very basic to highly advanced). In the workout sections, she doesn’t show different modifications for each move/exercise and most of the time she performs the advanced version herself, but it is very easy to take it down a notch by using one of her suggestions provided in the instructional section.
This tutorial section by itself is a gem. My only complaint (suggestion for the future releases) is sometimes it is difficult to see some nuances of what Donica is doing because of the black clothing and black background selection. It would be much nicer if the studio was brighter and/or Donica was wearing light-colored clothes.
As for some repeated footage, Mark stated from the beginning that this DVD would be similar in format/organization to all his FIF DVDs (and it is). So it is unclear why this came as a surprise for some people. Repeated exercises are inevitable in kettlebell training, so I am completely okay with the usage of repeated footage. Of course, Donica could perform each workout in one go, but then this DVD wouldn’t cost us 14 dollars and a change (most of us got it at that price including free shipping) and no way could they fit everything (including the tutorials) on one DVD. Repeated footage or not, each workout is solid, effective, and well-thought-out. For me, this is what matters the most.
As for Donica being a bit nervous in front of the camera, I don’t consider that to be a cardinal sin for the instructor of a fitness DVD. I’d much rather work out with instructors who are fitness professionals and/or accomplished athletes (nervous or not) than with celebrities who often don’t know much about fitness or good form, but are very cozy in front of the camera and looking good in a video.
The production quality is okay, it could be better of course, but then the DVD would cost much more in that case (IMHO). I personally tend not to be that picky when I get so much content at such low price.
Overall, I am very happy I have this DVD, since I know I’ll get a lot of use out of it and, most importantly, I
these workouts.