Winsor Pilates DVD Review: All the Right Moves Review

In ALL THE RIGHT MOVES, instructor Grace Lazenby does a nice job of blending traditional sculpting with other methods, mainly yoga but also a bit of pilates and ballet-type conditioning. Her warm up begins with a focus on breathing and incorporates simple sun salutation moves from yoga. (Note: Grace does not use very good form for the yoga poses, thus some prior familiarity with proper form is helpful, although not necessary.)

Following the warm-up, Grace moves on to standing toning exercises. She uses a body bar for balance (a chair can be substituted), and the moves are similar to what you would do with a ballet barre--fans of Callanetics and/or the Lotte Berk Method will see some similarities here. Grace also uses a weighted ball between her legs; I didn't have one, but I found that the exercises were tough enough without the ball! She performs several sets of each exercise, thoroughly fatiguing the muscles. After these moves, Grace returns to the mat for a yoga warrior series which incorporates many down dog poses.

The workout then moves to the floor, beginning with some light weight work for the chest and shoulders. This is only a short section of the video; the overall focus of this workout is definitely on the lower body. The abs section comes next, and here's where the Pilates moves are woven in: Grace starts with the hundred and also does a variation on the roll up using a dumbell. This abs work was a bit of a disappointment to me, as I didn't feel like my abs got a thorough workout doing the few exercises here.

The remaining floor work which follows focuses on the thighs and glutes, and I found it somewhat similar to Karen Voight's Total Body Toning (minus the fitness ring). The moves are simple to execute, yet the many repetitions make them TOUGH to do--just when you think you must be done, Grace throws in another set. Finally, the tape ends with a "warm down" section which provides a nice stretch.

I enjoyed this video: I found the transitions from one method to the next to be smooth and flowing, and the varied workout held my interest. However, at 65 minutes long, I did find the length to be a bit prohibitive.Grace is a good instructor--encouraging without being overly chatty--although mirrored cuing and proper form would have made this tape even better.Despite the flaws, if you are looking for a workout that includes a blend of styles and really challenges the lower body with a bit of fun thrown in, check out this DVD!

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Product Description:
A unique combination of moves inspired by yoga, Pilates, and dance conditioning, on DVD. You will sweat and your muscles will burn, and then you will stretch and elongate them until you feel deliciously relaxed, calm, and rejuvenated.