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Rating: 
Summary: ultimate pilates
Review: Excellent pilates workout! Kathy is a great teacher and you will guarantee get a good workout!
Rating:
Summary: Great Workout
Review: I was a little leary of buying Kathy Smith's pilates due to the fact that most of her videos contain a lot of aerobics, jumping and bouncing. I was pleasantly surprised though with her knowledge of pilates. I feel that the combination of these two DVDs will help you to re-shape your body. If done properly, you will absolutely feel your muscles working.
Rating: 
Summary: Best for Beginners
Review: The problem with reviews for exercise videos is that they are predicated on the health & fitness level of the writer. That being said, I'm a fit 40 year old male runner with little prior pilates training. To me, Ulitmate Pilates seems best suited for beginners but I think advanced beginners & intermediates would quickly tire from Kathy's constant instruction. I guess I like my pilates to be a little more meditative SO I CAN concentrate on my form & breathing. The other issue I have with Kathy's sessions is that they don't flow very well from one move to the next. In addition, there are some redundant moves between the 2 dvds. Using proper form, I didn't feel either workout was that difficult or taxing. I got a much better workout from Ana Caban's Pilates Intermediate Mat Workout. Pilates Workout for Dummies is a much better intro IMHO.
Rating:
Summary: Pilates Workouts For Abs and Lower Body
Review: This DVD set is a combination of the Pilates for Abs and Pilates for Lower Body workouts. The two workouts are packaged together in this set. Kathy Smith's Pilates for Abs workout is a challenging workout for the abdominals. This DVD is great for both beginning and more advanced work outs.
The Pilates philosophy is all about perfect repetitions every time, so you're not going to be doing sit-ups for the entire workout. The movements are isometric and difficult if you maintain correct postures. This workout focuses on the shoulders, ribs, abs, and engaging your hamstrings. Kathy has Leah working out with her, and Leah demonstrates more advanced versions of the movements when you are ready to move up to that level. This feature will keep you using this DVD over time. While the workout only runs 20 minutes, I find it a great complement to an existing routine of cardio and light weights. I combine this workout with a 30-minute cardio segment for a well-rounded day. The Pilates for Lower Body workout runs a little longer. It has a 6-minute warmup and a 25 minute workout. It is just as challenging as the Pilates for Abs workout. This is a great combination of workouts! A must-have for Pilates enthusiasts!
Rating:
Summary: Pilates for dorks
Review: This is a great DVD for beginners but definitely not for anyone else. Neither Kathy nor her assistant Lea(sp??) seem to have a dance background, something that is usually necessary when instructing Pilates. Their own lack of flexibility hinders the moves they try to demonstrate. Plus, the set is awful and distracting.
One great thing- the music. The music is not distracting, is timed to the movements of the exercise and helps set the mood.
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