Rating: 
Summary: Fast Pilates!
Review: I have been doing Pilates for a month now. I had to set this DVD aside for 3 weeks before I could try this workout. It is FAST! On my other tapes there is a lot of instruction and the exercises are performed slowly. On this one the BASIC workout has 10 exercises and is 7 minutes long. The instruction is given, as the moves are being performed, not before. It is great, but it will take you time to really know the exercises through and through before you are able to follow along. The Intermediate workout has 15 xercises and is 12 minutes long. On my other DVD's, 15 xercises amounts to at least 45 minutes. I do agree with this DVD, but like I said it will take you time to really know the exercises before you can follow along at this fast pace- A pace like in no other Pilates tape I know of. The exercises themselves are classic Pilates and are done very well and gracefully. The advanced workout has 25 exercises and is 20 minutes long. This one is good and the man doing the exercises actually sweats a lot, something I have yet to see in any other Pilates film. This is a really challenging workout! The quality of this DVD is outstanding. You are sure to get a classic Piliates workout of the highest caliper. I do wish there was a one minute pause between exercises so you have time to get out of one exercise and into the next one. It will take you a lot of practice before you can follow along with the people in this workout, but the rewards will be superior to the other tapes. I find it really nice to have so many workouts one one DVD. An amazing value for such quality. I suggest you buy Brooke Silar's book The Pilates Body as well. This book has all the exercies of this DVD, but it also explains them in fine detail that is missing in this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Great workout!!
Review: The mat workout is really great! From the modified Basic and Basic to the Advanced is really clear what you have to do.
Gives you a clear direction how to perform each exercise and beyond that the vocal insructions are very usefull and specific for each level. Just continue your great job!
Rating:
Summary: My Own Private Pilates Class
Review: When I workout along with this tape, it's like I have my own private Pilates class at home. Bob Liekens is a master instructor of the highest caliber, and the performers on the tape are excellent. They are all very inspirational. I have already noticed a significant improvement in my Pilates workouts from just a few sessions with this tape. I also bought their Reformer tape, and I love it! It's better than the tape I got with my Performer from QVC. Classical Pilates is first class! I highly recommend their tapes and hope they produce more.
Rating:
Summary: perfect for progression
Review: This is the fourth pilates video/dvd I've purchased. I've gotten something different from each one, but if I were to recommend any of them to a new student of pilates, this would be it. The key is to practice the workout in each level until you have mastered it, then to progress to the next level. After practicing mat workouts for about 9 months, I bought this and was able to perform the intermediate workout and was delighted that I could do the entire workout in (?) 15 minutes or so. This workout moves smoothly through the routine without sporadic stopping for explanations or for "new movements" which I have found tiresome in other videos. Once your have gotten accustomed to the "new movement" the slowdown in the workout is distracting. This workout is one that I look forward to doing every day, for a smooth and complete quick workout that is every bit as good as the longer but choppier 30 - 45 minute workouts already in my collection. When I am ready, the longer advanced workout advises learning one new movement at a time -- good advice. When I have mastered it, it too is smooth and flowing. Also, with 4 or 5 workouts all in one package, this one is a real bargain.
Rating:
Summary: Something for everyone
Review: This video by Peter Fiasca and his colleagues fills a much needed void in the world of self-help guides for learning pilates. There have been excellent workbooks written but usually the still photographs are of poor quality or simply insufficient to convey the proper form and flow of pilates excercises. It shouldn't go without mentioning that Peter has assembled what can only be called the "Dream Team" of pilates instruction. Nothing will take the place of hard work and personal instruction from a certified instructor but you will learn a great deal from watching this video. A strength of the video as a learning tool is that it covers beginner and advanced level exercises. It is not just for the novice or just for the trained practitioner. I think that everyone that is interested in this excercise method should have a copy on their shelf.
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Summary: Classical pilates matwork
Review: As a pilates instructor i am very pleased to finally see an instructional video, which can be used for novices as well as teachers, of a high standard which even the late joseph pilates would approve of. From the basic through the intermediate all the way to the superadvanced matroutines which have not been altered in content from the way they were originally intended, this video is not only beautifully executed, it also thouroughly explains all the components neccessary to understand and perform the pilates method correctly. Anyone interested in authentic pilates, not a watered down version of the pure method, will greatly benefit from the instructions of this tape as well as get inspired by the "superstar" moves which you might be able to execute once the more basic matwork has become part of your movement vocabulary. It is a relief to see that someone actually cares enough to try to preserve this wonderful method of body conditioning rather than changing
and, in most cases, spoiling it for retail purposes.
Rating:
Summary: This is the Original Pilates Method...
Review: If you want to learn the Pilates Method in its purest form and highest level of accuracy, being performed by teachers certified in Joseph H. Pilates original method, then this is the DVD you ae looking for. The insightful instructions are designed to focus the mind into being fully engaged with the body in learning the precise forms and movements. This DVD teaches you to perform correctly and safely each exercise in its sequence with percision, rhythm, dynamic flowing movement and energy. By following the in-depth instructions you will gain maximum adbominal strength, efficiency of movement, lengthening and stretching of the spine, increased flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning. I now experience my posture and physical structure as it is meant to feel when properly aligned. I am continuously challenged and inspired as my mind is able to imprint more of this method into my body. I recommend this DVD for beginners to advanced students. The talented instructors clearly show how the Pilates Method was meant to be done, you can be sure you are getting the real method on this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Best Workout
Review: This was the best workout I've ever had.
Rating: 
Summary: Classical Pilates is Great for Teachers and OK for Students
Review: This DVD is a great resource for Pilates teachers who want to refresh their memories on the precise movements of each classic exercise. However, I don't agree that it is for everyone. The Intermediate thru Super Advanced workouts are far to rapid for someone just learning. In fact one of the points that are made by the narrator is that Joseph Pilates tried to get away from Rapid and Repeated Movements. (While demonstrating the 100, the demonstrators looked like humming birds!) In every other Pilates video, DVD, or mat class I have seen these exercises are done precisely but slowly. If you're a new student and unfamiliar with Pilates I would recommend "Pilates for Dummies". It has two levels, beginner and intermediate, and there is clear instruction and slower movement than on this DVD. Once again, this is a great resource for Pilates teachers or experienced students.
Rating:
Summary: The only Pilates tape I need...
Review: This is by far the best Pilates technique video on the market, and I have purchased several over the past year. Bob Lieken's instruction is pure gold, and the comments provided by Alycea Ungaro offer great insight into the method. The performances by Peter Fiasca, Junghee Kallander and Jamie Trout clearly illustrate the proper way to do Pilates. All of the exercises are shown from several different angles, and I can easily workout along with the tape. And with all of the levels on one tape, it is the only Pilates tape I need.
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