Rating: 
Summary: Nice Complement to Fitness Program
Review: If you are a veteran of Gaiam's Yoga and Pilates workouts, this DVD is a nice complement and something new to try. This DVD runs about 50 minutes. The features include variations for beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels. The DVD appears to have been filmed in Hawaii. It looks like the slopes of Mount Haleakala. The scenery is a stunning complement to the relaxation and centering exercises at the beginning of the program. The instructor says in the booklet that being overweight is a symptom of being "out of balance" in your life, and that this workout is trying to create the connections between mind and body. At the end of the workout, the instructor invites you commit yourself to maintaining that connection. Pilates exercises are largely isometric, so if you are new to Pilates workouts, you may be surprised to not find that heart-pounding, dripping sweat cardio workout you may be used to. The movements are subtle, precise, and difficult if you maintain correct form. The Pilates philosophy is not about quantity, but creating a perfect repetition every time. The focus is on the Pilates powerhouse - your shoulders, the rib cage, the abs, and the hamstrings. If you are looking for a high-calorie burn workout, this is not for you. This workout is a great complement to an existing routine of weight training and cardio workouts. I use this workout once a week to maintain flexibility, and improve core stability.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring!
Review: If you want a workout video for the scenery, I guess this might be for you. If you also want a workout video for the reputation and work record of the people featured in it, then this might be for you. Personally, I couldn't care less about how beautiful the scenery is. I just want a good, well-paced workout. This DVD is boring in its pretentious slowness...it's more like a stretching, find-your-inner-peace DVD. But I've got to say, even my inner self isn't as dull as this video. I gave my copy of this to charity. I wouldn't buy this if you want a workout...only if you want to take a nap or just be at one with the lovely scenery in the background.
Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: If you want a workout video for the scenery, I guess this might be for you. If you also want a workout video for the reputation and work record of the people featured in it, then this might be for you. Personally, I couldn't care less about how beautiful the scenery is. I just want a good, well-paced workout. This DVD is boring in its pretentious slowness...it's more like a stretching, find-your-inner-peace DVD. But I've got to say, even my inner self isn't as dull as this video. I gave my copy of this to charity. I wouldn't buy this if you want a workout...only if you want to take a nap or just be at one with the lovely scenery in the background.
Rating: 
Summary: A gentle Pilates workout
Review: In this video, Suzanne Deason offers a very gentle, slow-moving Pilates workout. She begins with a 10 minute section called "Creating Awareness" which focuses on form and breath; it's a nice way to get used to the Pilates style. She then moves on to the workout and starts with stretches to warm up the feet and calves. Following this, she begins the classic Pilates matwork, starting with the traditional first exercise, The Hundred. She moves very slowly from exercise-to-exercise, and prior to each new move, she gives specific setup instructions. Suzanne herself performs the most challenging movements (Level 3), while two assistants show modified versions (Levels 1 and 2). The 45-minute workout ends with some final yoga-type stretches. Although both the slow-moving pace of this workout and the level of the exercises offered (more challenging Pilates movements are not included) would be appropriate for beginners, Suzanne does not offer detailed instruction on how to perform each move. As mentioned above, she does explain how to setup for the exercises, but she provides few guidelines on form, which is vital to the practice of Pilates. This video might work well for those who already have some familiarity with Pilates but want a gentle, relaxing workout. However, both absolute beginners and more intermediate/advanced Pilates practioners will probably want to look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: This is Toning, NOT weight loss
Review: Pilates conditioning for weight loss is great if you are into the whole yoga/pilates thing. The atmosphere is very relaxing with beautiful scenery. It is very easy to follow along and it has three different people doing three different difficulty levels which is very helpful if you want to add more difficulty to certain moves. It is an excellent toning workout for a moderatley fit person. I don't see how this is designed for weight loss because an overweight person like myself can not physically do half the moves. There is NO cardio involved here at all. This is definately not for someone who is looking to lose weight in a timely manner. I would recommend a cardio work out to lose weight and the pilates for toning.
Rating:
Summary: "For Weight Loss" doesn't always mean calorie-burning
Review: There are a number of videos on the market that incorporate yoga or pilates or other systems that have "weight loss" in the title, and these videos always get knocked by the ignorant as not having a cardio component and therefore are ineffective and mislabled. Some even go so far as to use the word "fraud." Yet, what they don't understand is that people who are seriously overweight DO need that "mind-body fluff" if they are to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Many overweight people have lost touch with their bodies and videos such as this one can help restore that connection. No one would stay that this should take the place of cardio or strength training, that food is not important, etc. But, tapes such as this one add a dimension to weight loss programs that is often missing. In addition, overweight people have difficulty doing the same things that fit people do -- whether it's endurance, flexibility, or simple factors like having extra flesh that "gets in the way" of standard movements. So, routines such as this one often take those very real physical issues into account, perhaps modifying movements or offering more variations and modifications than the average video. Finally, those who are overweight are often intimidated by "regular" fitness videos. Again, sometimes it's a physical issue -- we cannot do all of the movements. Sometimes we simply need some extra reassurance that something is doable, that we won't be made to feel inadequate and hopeless when presented with a supermodel twisted into a pretzel shape. So, a title that includes "for weight loss" not only tell us that it may take our special needs into account, but that we may feel more comfortable with this approach than one marketed to "normal" people.
Rating: 
Summary: A great introduction in understanding pilates principles
Review: This dvd expanded my understanding of pilates movement principles and technique. The dvd provides basic and introductory levels of practice along with intermediate and advanced challenges. I found it quite thorough in offering a range of techniques for beginners. Well articulated descriptions, time to implement them, great visual and music qualities made this a positive purchase for me.
Rating:
Summary: Effortless toning
Review: This DVD is my first attempt at pilates. As a former gymnast, I find the moves fairly simple to replicate, and the hour-long workout is a great way to energize in the morning or wind down after school. I specifically like that there are three different levels of difficulty to choose from. I got "Pilates on the Go" for Christmas and was disappointed that I need a tension band and tubing to complete the workout. Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss is a much cleaner workout, and doesn't require any special equipment. I love it! (and I'm 26, not 9- just didn't want to register with Amazon.com) :)
Rating:
Summary: Very good intro DVD, but you will grow out of it.
Review: This DVD was my introduction to Pilates. I started with the "partially modified" level (medium difficulty) and after the first few times I was getting pretty good at the moves. Soon I noticed feeling more toned in areas, particularly in what they call the "core", such as my lower back and abs. However, after a few months I was ready to try the advanced level and was disappointed to discover that, unlike the two lower levels, it's not possible to view just the woman doing the advanced moves on the screen - you have to have all three women on the screen, one doing the advanced, one the partially modified, and one the fully modified. It requires too much patience to hear the instructions for all three levels when I already know what I'm doing. So I am ready to try my next DVD, one that moves along at a faster pace. In conclusion, I do not think you will be disappointed with this DVD, but you may find yourself outgrowing it. I suppose if you have some friends who have also expressed interest in pilates, you can pass it along to them when you're ready to move on. Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: Great for a beginner.
Review: This dvd would be great for a beginner, or for someone who's looking for a workout that's not too intimidating, but I was hoping for something more intense. It never really got my heart rate up and I never felt too challenged. I use this workout when I'm feeling a bit run down or when I need to relax, but still get a workout. I do appreciate her focus on breath and body awareness. Also, if you know some pilates parts of this dvd can drag. I knew a lot of the exercises in the dvd, so I was a bit bored at times, listening to the explanation of each exercise.
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