Classical Pilates Technique: The Complete Mat Workout Series

I chose this video as my beginning video after heavy research, and also borrowed some pilates books from the library for additional reference.The demonstrations in this video are excellent, and if you do the poses correctly and work at the correct level, you will undoubtedly feel the workout. Total beginners will feel their powerhouse working even in the 5-minute modified basic workout, and after a few days you should be ready for the 10-minute basic workout.Five and ten minutes doesn't seem like a long time for a full exercise, but you can always repeat them. More importantly, at the beginning level, the powerhouse simply isn't strong enough to maintain all the poses for an extended amount of time, and furthermore it is a great way to gradually ease pilates into your schedule. As you get more and more into the exercise, you will notice that you'll find more and more time in your day to do it, and as the days go on you will get more and more out of each exercise.The intermediate mat workout in this video is excellent; it is about 15 minutes long and even at that small length of time really gives you the workout you need. It is challenging, certainly, but not impossible. I was a little discouraged the first time because I could not do all the poses, but after 3 or 4 days I found that I could go through with the whole workout just fine.The advanced and super advanced sections are definitely challenging, so you can go a long, long way with this video. It is not the kind of beginner's video that you throw aside after a week or two.What I like most about this video is that it is genuine. It gives you the true pilates, without glitz and spazzle, and really respects the pilates principles of centering, precision, breathing, flowing movement, etc. This is reflected in the simple but concise voice-over instruction. The narrator speaks with a small accent, but it is not distracting, and he uses a slow, mellow tone that allows you to concentrate on the workout itself.To counter some of the arguments presented... Many people don't feel that it is enough of a workout; that either there is too much talking or the movements go too fast. There are not many repetitions or sets, but pilates focuses on quality rather than quantity. If you do the poses correctly, you will only NEED 5 reps to feel the muscles working; any more means that you are sacrificing precision for more repetitions.Furthermore, while there is some unnecessary talking in the beginning of the video and between the different sections, the workouts themselves are accompanied with only the necessary instruction. The workout moves quickly but not rapidly; if you start with the modified basic workout, the fast-moving intermediate workout will be no problem for you after a few days. Also, you will not be able to feel the true effect of pilates if you do the movements too languidly.It is true that this video is not for complete beginners. It introduces the pilates principles to you two or three at a time, starting with one or two in the modified basic workout and adding more as the level goes up. While this is a great way to absorb the pilates principle, the video did not do a very good job of actually explaining each principle in detail; I found that the instructions of a book (The Pilates Body) very helpful. If you are not good at figuring things out yourself and often need thorough instruction or explanation, you may find this video a little overwhelming and you might not get the full benefit of the exercises.Despite this one flaw, this video still far exceeds the many others on the market by far. It gives you the true essence of pilates, without affectations or airs. The workouts are doable yet challenging so long as you do them at the correct level and with the correct poses. The pilates method itself is definitely very effective; I am already getting much stronger in the powerhouse.This video is best used with a book as reference; the book will give you the theories behind the principles and the video will instill those principles in you. Together it is an excellent way to learn pilates.Also, I will mention that although the demonstrators in the video use a bar for the roll-up and a slightly complex-looking mat, all that's needed is a basic workout mat. The bar and special mat are only to help you attain precision, and you can do very well without them.

As the title states, this review is geared towards beginners since I'm just a beginner myself. When I first read reviews, I was worried by those who said this dvd offered little instruction and was a poor choice for beginners. After I finally decided to buy this dvd, I'm glad I did. Perhaps this dvd is not good for a "fitness" beginner, but if you're in decent shape, have the discipline for routine exercise, and looking for a challenge, the dvd is perfectly fine for you as a "pilates" beginner.If you're in good shape and already have a strong exercise regimen that includes abdominal work, weight lifting, and cardio, the modified basic and basic workout on this dvd will merely serve as a useful introduction. In themselves, they are way too short to break a sweat and the moves are modified to be easy. Still, the they provide useful insight into pilates moves and form, while also showing how one would modify a move if it is too hard. After watching them once, I was able to go through the two basic workouts with ease. The intermediate workout presented a true starting point. After watching it once and going through the workout once with the "pause" button handy, I was able to insert the intermediate workout into my daily routine. Thus, for a beginner to pilates, if you take the time to study the dvd first, you should have no problem. Also, you can easily add to the simpler routine--for example, the final push up exercise in the advanced routine can be easily added to the end of the intermediate routine.There have been many comments about the lack of instruction, counting, and breathing cues. I believe there is plenty of instruction by the narrator, and if the move feels smooth and in control, it's good enough for me. Counting is no big deal either since the reps and sets are marked on the screen, and you shouldn't be thinking so hard about counting anyway. Finally, breathing should come naturally in the movement and narrator provides plenty of cues. With some practice, you'll be able to discover your own smooth breathing rhythm for the workout. The intermediate workout is only a little more than 10 minutes, so you can fit it in easily during a free time slot during the day (for me, in the morning before work) while maintaining your normal exercise schedule.After practicing the intermediate workout daily for a few weeks, you'll likely be able to start studying and practicing the advanced workout, which is the true value of the dvd. It's a nice, challenging routine which is a little more than 20 minutes. The workout moves smoothly through each exercise with great transitions. While some moves are very difficult at first, some practice and also modification based on previous levels will let you flow through the workout. I find the large jumps in difficulty between the levels motivational: the difficulty challenges the user to practice and improve, and keeps the dvd from becoming boring.While the dvd lacks pastel colors, it's great as an instructional dvd to guide the user to eventually become independent in performing their pilates workout. As a final note, pass on the Winsor for sure. A friend had the Winsor 3 dvd workout set and I tried the 50 minute accelerated body sculpting workout. It's somewhat similar to the advanced workout offered in classical pilates dvd, but the workout is so slow and the breaks between exercises are very long. It's a little difficult not to daydream, nap, or even catch a cold between exercises in the Winsor workout. I'm exaggerating a bit, but it truly feels like you perform an exercise for 3 minutes, and listen to Winsor talk for three minutes...until you reach 50 minutes. Since focus is so important in pilates, I don't understand how one can do the Winsor series. Pick Classical Pilates Technique over Winsor any day. I can't judge other pilates dvd's since I haven't tried them, but I'm this dvd is probably your best bet.