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Rating: 
Summary: Pilates to Re-Shape Your Body
Review: "In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 see the difference, and in 30 you'll have a whole new body." ~Joseph PilatesPilates will do wonders for your body. That is undisputed. But trust me when I say that none of the participants in this program were "majorly" overweight. If you are 30 or more lbs overweight, you might want to give yourself more than 30 sessions. In fact, I myself have been doing Pilates "seriously" for over 30 weeks now and I can say that I do Pilates about 3 or more times a week. Most of the participants in this book had relatively flat stomachs, minor posture problems, lacked muscle definition and look like they are basically at their target weight or close to it. Measurements of one participant: Waist before, 30 inches, after 28 inches.
Hips before 42 inches, after 39 ½ inches
Upper thighs before 26 inches, after 23 ½ inches Another participant saw an increase of 1 inch in her bustline while another saw an increase of ½ inches in her biceps and deltoids. The participants all give their "view" of Pilates and are given an assessment. There are a few before/after shots that do not show dramatic changes in weight loss, but show other features like improved posture and thinner thighs. If you are close to your target weight and want to firm up your entire body, then I'd highly recommend this book. If you are just starting Pilates, I'd also recommend this book, but take the challenge less seriously if you are moderately overweight. As you do walking, you do start to see the results of Pilates showing through. Honestly, Pilates helps you walk more efficiently because it improves your posture. You also gain an added level of confidence and your stomach will start to disappear and your butt will lift. Basically, everything firms up from the inside out. If you are just starting to do Pilates, you might also want to look for a variety of video/DVD workouts to compliment this workout book. Karen Voight, Jennifer Kries, and Winsor Pilates are names to look for here at Amazon. Alycea Ungaro also has a book/CD set called Portable Pilates. There are over 350 Photographs and clear instructions for each exercise. Alycea Ungaro is a Pilates instructor who has created matwork exercises that produce real results. She has trained dozens of celebrities including Uma Thurman and Christy Turlington. The Contents of this book are too complex to list. There is an Introduction, Basic Program, Upper Body Program, Lower Body Program, Flexibility and Posture Program. You will be doing exercises called, The Hundred, Spine Stretch Forward, Push Ups, Double Leg Kick, Arm Series, Magic Circle Series, One-Legged Teaser, Can-Can, The Seal, The Saw, Neck Pull, Swimming, Mermaid, Rowing. If you have experienced these while watching a DVD then you will be familiar with the types of exercises. Many are done standing or laying flat on your back. There are no complicated bouncy exercises that hurt your knees, there are no fancy steps to memorize. This is exercise at its finest. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to make Pilates more than a challenge and who want to seriously consider this form of exercise for long-term results. Things to buy with this book: An inflatable 16-inch ball or a "magic circle." Karen Voight sells one that works very well and it is padded. A yoga mat or padded exercise mat. 2-3lb weights, pole, ankle weights and exercise bands. There are some sources for supplies in the back of the book. It sounds like a lot, but all these items can be used with lots of exercise videos. You might even get excited enough to start collecting exercise videos. Imagine, something that you can collect that is going to change your entire body! Also look for: Jennifer Kries: Pilates Plus Method - an amazing book about Pilates.
Pilates: Body in Motion ~TheRebeccaReview.com
Rating:
Summary: Pilates to Re-Shape Your Body
Review: "In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 see the difference, and in 30 you'll have a whole new body." ~Joseph Pilates Pilates will do wonders for your body. That is undisputed. But trust me when I say that none of the participants in this program were "majorly" overweight. If you are 30 or more lbs overweight, you might want to give yourself more than 30 sessions. In fact, I myself have been doing Pilates "seriously" for over 30 weeks now and I can say that I do Pilates about 3 or more times a week. Most of the participants in this book had relatively flat stomachs, minor posture problems, lacked muscle definition and look like they are basically at their target weight or close to it. Measurements of one participant: Waist before, 30 inches, after 28 inches.
Hips before 42 inches, after 39 ½ inches
Upper thighs before 26 inches, after 23 ½ inches Another participant saw an increase of 1 inch in her bustline while another saw an increase of ½ inches in her biceps and deltoids. The participants all give their "view" of Pilates and are given an assessment. There are a few before/after shots that do not show dramatic changes in weight loss, but show other features like improved posture and thinner thighs. If you are close to your target weight and want to firm up your entire body, then I'd highly recommend this book. If you are just starting Pilates, I'd also recommend this book, but take the challenge less seriously if you are moderately overweight. As you do walking, you do start to see the results of Pilates showing through. Honestly, Pilates helps you walk more efficiently because it improves your posture. You also gain an added level of confidence and your stomach will start to disappear and your butt will lift. Basically, everything firms up from the inside out. If you are just starting to do Pilates, you might also want to look for a variety of video/DVD workouts to compliment this workout book. Karen Voight, Jennifer Kries, and Winsor Pilates are names to look for here at Amazon. Alycea Ungaro also has a book/CD set called Portable Pilates. There are over 350 Photographs and clear instructions for each exercise. Alycea Ungaro is a Pilates instructor who has created matwork exercises that produce real results. She has trained dozens of celebrities including Uma Thurman and Christy Turlington. The Contents of this book are too complex to list. There is an Introduction, Basic Program, Upper Body Program, Lower Body Program, Flexibility and Posture Program. You will be doing exercises called, The Hundred, Spine Stretch Forward, Push Ups, Double Leg Kick, Arm Series, Magic Circle Series, One-Legged Teaser, Can-Can, The Seal, The Saw, Neck Pull, Swimming, Mermaid, Rowing. If you have experienced these while watching a DVD then you will be familiar with the types of exercises. Many are done standing or laying flat on your back. There are no complicated bouncy exercises that hurt your knees, there are no fancy steps to memorize. This is exercise at its finest. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to make Pilates more than a challenge and who want to seriously consider this form of exercise for long-term results. Things to buy with this book: An inflatable 16-inch ball or a "magic circle." Karen Voight sells one that works very well and it is padded. A yoga mat or padded exercise mat. 2-3lb weights, pole, ankle weights and exercise bands. There are some sources for supplies in the back of the book. It sounds like a lot, but all these items can be used with lots of exercise videos. You might even get excited enough to start collecting exercise videos. Imagine, something that you can collect that is going to change your entire body! Also look for: Jennifer Kries: Pilates Plus Method - an amazing book about Pilates.
Pilates: Body in Motion ~TheRebeccaReview.com
Rating:
Summary: A Really Neat Book!
Review: I am so impressed with this book with its color photos, and the wonderful descriptions of the exercises. It includes adaptations of the exercises to the Magic Circle. The book has a 10 week workout schedule that allows you to progress through the exercises. It's definitely better than some videos I've purchased.
Rating:
Summary: A fresh approach to introducing Pilates Exercises
Review: I've been a Pilates believer since I took the Pilates challenge a few years ago. Indeed, in 30 sessions, I had muscles I'd never known about, as well as being overall stronger and more limber (and I was pretty limber to start with). Many people, of course, are quick to dispute the claim, although they've never tried it themselves, and many others don't want to devote the two months/ten days necessary to achieve the results. The Pilates Promise shows three realistic bodies taking up the challenge. Better yet, Ungaro created three different programs, one for Upper Body, one for Lower Body and one for Flexibility and Posture. I liked her choices, especially since 1) most people think of Pilates as a glorified abdominal workout and 2) a lot of people hold that it's not possible to use Pilates to improve your upper body (and sometimes lower body). Each program is a derivative of the classic Pilates mat sequence. Only the most advanced movements (the JackKnife, the Underwater Series, the Rollover, etc) are not included in the programs she designed. She also includes the Standing Sculpting Series/Arm Series, the Rowing Series and some movements with the Magic Circle. All of the participants came into the program with real bodies and left the program with real bodies. However, the participants did get their desired results. For example, the woman who wanted to improve her upper body gained 1/2 an inch in her deltoids, 1/2 an inch in her biceps and 1 inch in her bustline (while also losing 1 inch from her waistline). (While those results may not impress someone trying to build significant mass, Ungaro notes that in the absence of serious weight training most women are going to have difficulty gaining large muscle mass.) The woman who wanted to improve her lower body lost 2 inches in her waist, 2 1/2 inches in her hips, 2 1/4 inches in her upper thighs and 3 1/4 inches in her lower thighs. The most dramatic results were from the woman trying to improve her posture and flexibility. Though she changed her proportions somewhat, the overall improvement in her range of motion is what was most impressive. If you're looking for dramatic "Body for Life" results, this is not the program for you. This is not a weight-loss program (though I wonder if that's Ungaro's next book?) and changing one's diet for the program is never suggested. In fact, at one point one of the participants notes that she made a conscious decision not to change her diet while pursuing the program. As with Pilates: Body In Motion, this book is very easy to read and follow. Ungaro uses color coded charts for each program and then includes all of the exercises used in the book in the sequence they would be traditionally performed. As a bonus, she also includes charts for four time-crunched Pilates workouts, the Side Kicks Series, the Arm Series, the Abdominal Series and the Wall Series (all of which take about five minutes). Finally, for those of us who have always wondered how to incorporate the Pilates "extras" like the weights and the circle, she discusses that as well (matwork, then circle, then weights). A lot of times when reading other Pilates books, I always feel a little let-down when we get to the part about the specialized equipment- like somehow the reader is going to miss the boat if they can't run out and get everything. While Ungaro does suggest the use of items like weights, rubber bands, circles and poles, she also lists alternatives- just in case you're not able to run out and buy a Pilates Magic Circle. This is a great follow-up to Pilates: Body In Motion and will help guide both new and veteran participants to get the realistic results they want on their own.
Rating:
Summary: "...in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body."
Review: I've been a Pilates believer since I took the Pilates challenge a few years ago. Indeed, in 30 sessions, I had muscles I'd never known about, as well as being overall stronger and more limber (and I was pretty limber to start with). Many people, of course, are quick to dispute the claim, although they've never tried it themselves, and many others don't want to devote the two months/ten days necessary to achieve the results. The Pilates Promise shows three realistic bodies taking up the challenge. Better yet, Ungaro created three different programs, one for Upper Body, one for Lower Body and one for Flexibility and Posture. I liked her choices, especially since 1) most people think of Pilates as a glorified abdominal workout and 2) a lot of people hold that it's not possible to use Pilates to improve your upper body (and sometimes lower body). Each program is a derivative of the classic Pilates mat sequence. Only the most advanced movements (the JackKnife, the Underwater Series, the Rollover, etc) are not included in the programs she designed. She also includes the Standing Sculpting Series/Arm Series, the Rowing Series and some movements with the Magic Circle. All of the participants came into the program with real bodies and left the program with real bodies. However, the participants did get their desired results. For example, the woman who wanted to improve her upper body gained 1/2 an inch in her deltoids, 1/2 an inch in her biceps and 1 inch in her bustline (while also losing 1 inch from her waistline). (While those results may not impress someone trying to build significant mass, Ungaro notes that in the absence of serious weight training most women are going to have difficulty gaining large muscle mass.) The woman who wanted to improve her lower body lost 2 inches in her waist, 2 1/2 inches in her hips, 2 1/4 inches in her upper thighs and 3 1/4 inches in her lower thighs. The most dramatic results were from the woman trying to improve her posture and flexibility. Though she changed her proportions somewhat, the overall improvement in her range of motion is what was most impressive. If you're looking for dramatic "Body for Life" results, this is not the program for you. This is not a weight-loss program (though I wonder if that's Ungaro's next book?) and changing one's diet for the program is never suggested. In fact, at one point one of the participants notes that she made a conscious decision not to change her diet while pursuing the program. As with Pilates: Body In Motion, this book is very easy to read and follow. Ungaro uses color coded charts for each program and then includes all of the exercises used in the book in the sequence they would be traditionally performed. As a bonus, she also includes charts for four time-crunched Pilates workouts, the Side Kicks Series, the Arm Series, the Abdominal Series and the Wall Series (all of which take about five minutes). Finally, for those of us who have always wondered how to incorporate the Pilates "extras" like the weights and the circle, she discusses that as well (matwork, then circle, then weights). A lot of times when reading other Pilates books, I always feel a little let-down when we get to the part about the specialized equipment- like somehow the reader is going to miss the boat if they can't run out and get everything. While Ungaro does suggest the use of items like weights, rubber bands, circles and poles, she also lists alternatives- just in case you're not able to run out and buy a Pilates Magic Circle. This is a great follow-up to Pilates: Body In Motion and will help guide both new and veteran participants to get the realistic results they want on their own.
Rating:
Summary: A fresh approach to introducing Pilates Exercises
Review: There's a quote from Joseph Pilates where he claims that doing 30 Pilates sessions will change your entire body. Pilates instructor Alycea Ungaro takes up this "Pilates challenge" with 3 women. She breaks down the fundamental Pilates work into 3 different developmental programs: Upper Body, Lower Body, and Flexibility/Posture. Alyecia documents the beginning, progress, and final results of the three volunteers in these programs in this photo-intensive book. First, I want to thank the three women who agreed to work with Alyecia on this project. It takes a lot of courage to go down this path so publicly -- especially when *you* are the ones who are blazing the trail. The results you achieved are fabulous, and people you will never ever meet will be inspired and benefit from your example for years to come. As with "Pilates: Body in Motion", Alyecia and the DK Books staff have created a betutiful book. There are hundreds of pictures with breakdowns and tips on every single exercise. What's different is that Alyecia uses her students as the models for most of the exercises. This is absolutely brilliant: it shows real people with real bodies doing exercises -- as opposed to those Pilates instructors who already have "perfect" bodies. Starting a Pilates program is a pretty intimidating thing to do; this book's design removes some of that intimidation. I like the breakdown of the Pilates work into the 3 separate programs. This helps emphasize that Pilates is really a total-body strength/flexibility/posture system of exercise. Alyecia also includes the classical arm series exercises -- plus some extensions -- in her upper body program. This arm work often shakes up people's misconceptions about the nature of Pilates. I also like the inclusion of optional equipment/props to the exercises. These props provide variety in the exercises and help students learn the new skills while developing their muscles. Make no mistake: this is challenging work. The before/after pictures of the models are absolutely stunning. You see both dramatic and subtle shifts to their bodies. It's interesting how Alyecia points out some of the changes but not all of them. I noticed some remarkable improvement in shoulder alignment in all three women (but especially in Casey). I have two quibbles with this book. First, I do not believe that anyone can effectively learn Pilates from simply reading and applying a textbook. The three women here didn't do that; they worked one-on-one with a consummate Pilates instructor. The book can be excellent supplementary material, but it cannot stand on its own. Even so, I think this is a "best in class" instuctional book and deserves 5 stars; it does the best job that you could expect any book to do. Second, why no men? When are we going to see the Pilates Challenge tested on some male volunteers? I fondly hope that Alyecia is considering that for her next book.
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