Mahler's Aggressive Strength for the Mixed Martial Arts
By Mike Mahler (www.mikemahler.com)
If you are into kettlebell training, you owe it to yourself
to take a look at Mike Mahler's new DVD. It is targeted towards
Mixed Martials and is well tailored to their needs, but this new
video is pretty good for any advanced Girevik. Mike has done an
excellent job of putting together a wide variety of different
exercises into a logical, structured presentation. The 25 exercises
presented are divided into a few different categories: bodyweight
exercises, ballistic power, take down exercises, full body power,
guard strength, grip strength and shoulder endurance. There are
usually 3 or 4 different exercises in a category. I think that
the needs of a mixed martial artist are well represented in the
content of this video. In fact, with only one tool, I do not think
you could do much better than this.
One cool thing about this video is that most of the exercises
have never been done elsewhere, at least not in any instructional
tape that I have seen. I think even the most seasoned kettlebell
lifter will find a lot of new stuff in here. My only gripe is
that this tape does not cover the basics, like the kettlebell
swing. I would not recommend this DVD to a beginner. I think you
need a stronger foundation before moving onto many of the exercises
in this tape. If it were not for the high degree of difficulty,
I would not hesitate to recommend this to everyone.
Mike does not go into a lot of detail on how to put these exercises
into a program. He does this on purpose and I think in some ways
it is good that he goes this route. His general recommendation
is to take an exercise from each group and then combine them into
a circuit. This is a great way to train. In response to customer
feedback, Mike added a training guide that he sends out via e-mail.
It includes recommended rep ranges for all of the different exercises,
a few different circuits and some High Octane Cardio workouts.
I think the addition of this five page manual adds a lot to the
overall package. This was the only negative feedback I heard from
customers in various discussion forums and Mike was very quick
in responding to it, so my hat is off to him on that.
The video and sound quality is very good for a home made production.
The picture is very clear and was obviously shot with a quality
digital video camera. The sound is clear and more importantly,
Mike is very articulate. His instruction is precise and he chooses
his words carefully. The film is set in a wooded area. It gives
the video a nice rustic look. One thing I found funny is that
leaves were falling from the trees in the background. If you watch
Mike manhandle his kettlebells you will know why. With all of
the stomping and kettlebell dropping, I think Mike Mahler caused
the seasons to change a little early this year. The running time
is about 60 minutes and it really did not need to be any longer.
Everything is succinct and to the point. Mike has some fun in
this tape, but he does not get sidetracked.
The Good: An excellent variety of drills intelligently
targeted towards MMA athletes. The quality of instruction was
excellent as well.
The Bad: The degree of difficulty is too high for beginner's.
There is no instruction covering the foundational concepts of
kettlebell lifting.
The Verdict: An excellent addition to any experienced kettlebell
lifter's training library.
