Rating: 
Summary: A complete waste of time
Review: I bought this workout hoping for some challenging exercises, and got a bunch of stretches and breathing. I did the advanced version, and was so bored I could have fallen asleep. I have trouble believing that even the most out of shape person could lose weight using this workout. I'm very disappointed, after hearing that Pilates is so popular and a great way to stay in shape, I basically burned my money buying this DVD. The weight loss claim is tatamount to false advertising, and I'm surprised that their lawyers will even let them say this anywhere on the tape, let alone in the title. Stay away from this one if you really want to get in shape!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a workout, only for extreme beginners
Review: I found this video to be definitely not for me. I have a little experience with Pilates, so the moves were much too basic. Even if I had no experience, there is minimal cardio benefit and is mostly used for strengthening abs. Even if you're interested in strengthening your core, I would HIGHLY suggest looking for another Pilates or yoga video. The pace for this one is much too slow and I found myself waiting much too long in resting poses for the next instruction.
Rating: 
Summary: Mind/Body Connection
Review: I have been a pilates student for some time now, and am going to begin my certification this summer. The best thing about this DVD (and I think the thing that most people miss) is the way it teaches you to be more in touch with your body. I've read some of the reviews and people have made comments like, "I don't feel like I've gotten a workout", or "I haven't lost any weight". Those folks are missing the point entirely. The instructor cues well and moves at a methodical pace. There's no heart stopping, Denise Austin style aerobics in this workout. If you focus on your form and the excercises, you will get a very nice all over workout, feel refreshed AND hopefully begin the process of connecting with your body so that you do make better choices about your overall health and fitness. For those of you interested in "feeling like you've worked out" try running or weight lifting on the days you don't do pilates.
Rating:
Summary: Very Well
Review: I have been doing this workout for a couple of months, and I like it. You are given three levels to follow. The third is the most challenging. I tried level one for the first month, then I moved to the third after that. The tape does work well for beginners, such as I. But if you want to see great results, you must reach the thrid level in this exercise. Otherwise, you will be waiting for a very long time to see results. I exercies on the third level, and evertime I am finished my hips, thighs and abdomen muscles ache for my hard work. Try it out, you'll see results as you work up to the third level. It is a good workout, and is still very challenging.
Rating:
Summary: Best ever
Review: I have used a lot of exercise videos, this is the best ever. For one thing she gives you time to think. You use ever muscle in your body, without killing youself. Best ever for older people. I would recomend it for every one. Bob P
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Review: I purchased this DVD assuming it would be a step further in difficulty from Ana Caban's Intermediate mat workout. I was disappointed. This workout is too easy and too slow. I don't have time to do such a long boring slow workout. I would recommend something else if weight loss is your goal.
Rating: 
Summary: Good begnining pilates workout
Review: I think that this video is great for thoses looking into pilates. Not extremely challenging, however I like the filming and the instruction better than a lot of other pilates videos out there.
Keeps you coming back for more because it is a good balanced workout on days you don't want to strain.
Rating:
Summary: MY FAVORITE PILATES TAPE-I'm a beginner
Review: I think that which VHS you prefer depends a lot on your temperment, just as much as
the quality of the workout. For Pliates and Yoga, I prefer straight-forward, calm and
pleasant instruction (nothing intrusive) like that of Suzanne Deason and Alan Finger.
On the other hand, for Aerobics, I prefer more animated instruction (even annoying
Richard Simmons to that of comatose Jane Fonda who is totally devoid of
personality). With that said, this VHS is my favorite of the 5 that I own (Pilates for Dummies-which I also like a lot and which I found to be invaluable for learning the exercises before
moving on to Suzanne Deason's VHS and the 3-SET of Mari Winsor-whom I can't stand-
she talks, actually, yells, incessantly and says little that is useful. She wastes half the time
making stupid comments and her tapes are nothing exceptional). I do recommend "Pilates
for Dummies" before doing this tape, because, if you are brand new to Pilates, I think that
you will be somewhat confused withour prior instruction. This tape is approximately 55 minutes of actual workout time. The first 10 minutes or so are devoted to "Awareness", awakening your muscles with various gentle exercises and easing you into the Workout. You then move on to the "Workout" which is about 40 minutes long. (I prefer a long workout to a 20 minute one) The tape ends with another 5 minutes or so of Yoga to relax you and make your back feel great. After the Bridge, you do the SideStretch and finish with the Hammock. There are 3 women doing 3 variations on each exercise. You follow whichever one you like according to your level of proficiency- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Suzanne Deason makes you go slowly into each Pilates exercise (pose), one step at a time, you come out of each one the same way. If you do this properly (abdomen tightened - this is the KEY to reaping the benefits of Pliates) even the setup and easing out are pretty intense for a beginner like me. ... DO NOT expect to lose weight from this and DO NOT expect to see immediated results, although, you'll feel results right away. I find this workout to be both relaxing and invigorating, and, I feel great afterwards. I've been doing Pilates for about 6 weeks. I used "Pilates for Dummies" for 2 weeks, then switchewd to this tape. As a beginner, I love it (I do some intermediate and some advanced levels now). I can't say if I'll still find it enjoyable and challenging when I'm more proficient.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but I'd buy something else.
Review: I thought this was a decent workout, especially for a beginner like me, but I was a little disappointed because of the following: 1) The workout was a little on the easy side, and too short.
2) The different workout levels only vary slightly - they're effectively the same workout but different people are doing slight modifications. So, you're really only getting one ~30 minute workout here.
3) The "weight loss" part of this is pretty thin - a bunch of "mind-body" fluff that if you just take control of your life blah blah... If you do this workout *exactly* I seriously doubt you're going to lose much weight - it's not aerobic enough.
4) There was virtually no attention paid to the upper body. If you like Suzanne Deason I would point you to her balance ball DVD (which incorporates some Pilates or at least Pilates-inspired elements), which is much more of a workout and a much better purchase in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Ocean Waves & Pilates
Review: If you are a Pilates fan and you also love ocean scenery, this is one of the best workouts yet! I love the "yoga" atmosphere and Suzanne Deason is actually a yoga instructor who has been teaching for over 25 years. She brings a calming influence and intuitive awareness to the entire workout. You learn to integrate mind, body and breath. The focus is not only on exercise. This DVD also has a small pamphlet with a nutrition and weight management guide (more a reminder than a complete program). Suzanne's philosophy is to regain a sense of balance and then you can use diet and exercise to help you with your weight loss. We all know that when we are stressed, we munch more and make poor food choices. If you take an hour to exercise each day, you will notice you are eating more salads, drinking more water and basically making better choices because you feel more calm. You will notice an increased awareness as far as the whole mind/body connection is concerned. You will feel more awareness during the day and the days that follow this workout. It is as if your entire body is more in tune and you have more confidence on all levels. The scenery is gorgeous and you can truly escape into Maui! Lately, I'm thinking of exercise as a mini vacation for my soul and body. This workout also calms your entire nervous system and gives you an inner calm and confidence on a higher level than most workouts. First, you are watching just Suzanne sitting near the water and then two friends join her to show you the beginner and intermediate versions of the exercises. Suzanne shows the "challenge" exercises. If you have done any Pilates videos, you can almost be assured you will be able to do the challenge section. I found it warmed my body completely, yet I was not out of breath. The cueing is excellent and actually, Suzanne is not talking during the exercises, she is talking about what you are doing. It is as if you are just working along with three other students. This approach does take some of her personality out of the workout and yet it made it more personal and calming. So, she is still cueing, but not talking while she
is exercising, it is more of a dubbed over approach. You need: Pilates Mat or Yoga Mat and Pillow. The workout starts with an excellent "creating awareness" warm up that wakes up all your muscles. If you have chosen to go with the combined workout (recommended at first so you can see what level you enjoy), you can follow the begginer, intermediate or advanced versions or switch between them depending on your level in that particular exercise. You can also chose to just do the partially modified or the fully modified versions. This is more relaxing as you don't' have to listen to instructions for all three versions and you can up the challenge level if you want to go with the advanced versions. The Exercises: Foot and Angle Work, The Hundred, The Roll-Up, Leg Circles, Single-leg Stretch, Cross-Cross, Hip Circles, Double-leg Stretch, Gentle Spine Twist, Spine Stretch, The Mermaid, The Saw, Quadraped, Swam Preparation, Lower Body Leg Lifts, Swan, Child's Pose, Bridges, Hamstring Stretch, Scissors, Unicycle, Side-leg Lifts, Side-leg Circles, Inner Thigh Lifts, Bicycle, Double-leg Circles, Standing Roll-up, Cat Spine, Arch Curl, Side Stretch, The Hammock. The exercises were chosen with the idea that larger bodies would be performing them. Amazingly enough, many instructors don't take this into consideration. The pace is perfect and I felt I could do all the exercises without feeling I had to reach some impossible goal. There is a way to access additional information about a specific exercise when a special icon appears. This is called the "personal instructor" option. The funniest thing was while doing the "Cat Spine" exercise, my one cat was walking under me, back and forth thinking I must be a cat. It was cute. The exercises were all familiar, yet Suzanne does include some variations I had yet to try. Her Swan was more like a swim and I liked that version more. Her roll-ups don't quite go as far over as I'd like, but with any workout, you can change the exercise if you like another one more. There is more foot/ankle work which is always a good thing because most workouts don't focus on this area at all. So, you get three workouts on one DVD: Complete 60-minute Pilates conditioning workout
Two 45-minute workout variations to allow you to progress to the next level Well organized, smooth transitions and comforting environment. Excellent music and ocean scenery was a real plus! Recommended for Pilates & Yoga fans who love well organized and highly effective workouts. See my other favorites at: seasonedwithlove.com/fitness_videos.htm. Also look for: Gaiam Pilates beginning Mat Workout
Gaiam Pilates Intermediate Mat Workout
Gaiam A.M and P.M. Pilates Mat Workout ~The Rebecca Review.com
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