Breakthru - Pilates Sculpt

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully compact
Review: I thought that it was a very thorough workout. The time was not wasted. I was happy with the clear instructions.

Rating:
Summary: Pilates......and then some!
Review: I was eagerly anticipating the release of this DVD, I already own their Pilates Plus. I was surprised by the format of the workout. The first twenty-two minutes of the workout is a combination of arms sculpting exercises and squats,reminiscent of the firm videos. The middle section of the exercise focuses on butt and leg strengthing exercises. The last section is devoted to the abs and the chest. This is a true total body workout, however I think the title is a little misleading. If you are looking for pilates floor exercises and a separate arm sculpting section then I would recommend the Jennifer Kries perfect mix and precision pilates. Jennifer Kries generally uses three-pound weights, while Tracey and Michelle use 5 pound weights throughout this workout. Having said that, I think that this is a great workout. I am an advanced exerciser, and I certainly felt this the day after!

Rating:
Summary: Pilates Meets Traditional Gym Moves for an Effective Workout
Review: Workout Description: about 40 minutes of toning (10 standing traditional weight work, 30 traditional weight and Pilates floor work-fairly evenly split among upper body, lower body, and abs) with 9 minute warm-up and with brief stretches after each toning section for a total of 55 minutes
Workout Level: intermediate
Instructors: Michelle Dozois (Certified instructor; former National and World Aerobic Champion; co-owner of Breaththru Fitness, a personal training and Pilates studio) & Tracy York (Certified instructor and star of over 20 exercise videos). Michelle and Tracy obviously have a good rapport and are serious about exercising, although they do chatter a bit here and sometimes interrupt the other. The two alternate leading segments. Michelle is particularly good at imagery, and Tracy is particularly good at describing form in non-imagery terms. Michelle is more graceful while Tracy is more athletic. Both sides of the body are worked evenly (except for Michelle's leg raise portion, which leaves out one set-you can remedy this quickly before moving on), and the two instructors intend for you to mirror their movements.
Class: Michelle & Tracy only. The instructor in the background for each segment will demonstrate modifications, if any.
Music / Set: The instrumental music is beat-driven and synthesizer-derived. The interior set has richly-colored walls and curtains and is meant to look like a room in a house, with a chair, some side tables, and some potted house plants. The floor has carpet on it.
Equipment Needed: sneakers for standing portion (rest of workout done barefoot); 1-2 pair(s) of dumbbells (your choice of weight), mat
Caveats: Familiarity with basic weight-training techniques is a must. Familiarity with Pilates is recommended. Michelle and Tracy do not give enough pointers for this to be a good instructional video in either discipline. Pay attention to your form. In particular, make sure your knee never goes past your toes when performing any squat, lunge, or plie.
Additional Comments: You do not need a lot of space for this workout. You should be able to lie down with your arms and legs extended; when you're standing, you should be able to take one big step forward and back and two medium-sized steps to each side.
Of the three Breakthru Pilates programs, this is the least focused on Pilates and is the best in terms of production. Of the three, I personally think this is the most effective and interesting routine. However, I use all three almost equally. (I like to throw a "Breakthru Pilates Week" in my rotation.)
The DVD lets you choose chapters; I use this feature to skip the Breakthru Pilates intro and the workout intro, but you could use it to do just the abs segment, for example. There are no extras.

Rating:
Summary: Killer Workout
Review: Wow, this is certainly the most challenging workout I've ever done and it's exactly what I've been looking for. This workout is a mix of cardio with weights & pilates. If you're doing the cardio section, you'll probably want 5lb weights. I tried it with 10lbs and found it to be a bit too much to start. These ladies really know what they're doing. No gimmicks whatsoever. I'd say that if you do this 3-5 times a week and eat healthy meals, you'll have an amazing body in no time. If you're looking to be challenged and get into top shape, buy this video.

Rating:
Summary: Killer Workout
Review: Wow, this is certainly the most challenging workout I've ever done and it's exactly what I've been looking for. This workout is a mix of cardio with weights & pilates. If you're doing the cardio section, you'll probably want 5lb weights. I tried it with 10lbs and found it to be a bit too much to start. These ladies really know what they're doing. No gimmicks whatsoever. I'd say that if you do this 3-5 times a week and eat healthy meals, you'll have an amazing body in no time. If you're looking to be challenged and get into top shape, buy this video.