Hot Body Pilates, Vol. 1: The Fundamentals Review

This DVD is AWESOME!!! It allows me to get a great workout and the instruction helps to make sure I am in the right position. I thought my core was strong but If you can keep up with Kloey on the DVD you will be ripped!!! Super intense full body workout, in 3 weeks of use 4 times a week I already feel a difference in my strength and flexibility. No matter what level of athlete this video will put your core to the test. I LOVE it!!!!

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Product Description:
Hot Body Pilates, Video 1, The Fundamentals; is a fitness regimen that will change the way you view fitness forever. This is the first of a line of DVDs presenting a variety of traditional Pilates Floor exercises coupled with New Age Pilates based moves, creating a unique sequence of movements designed to challenge you both mentally and physically. The Pilates Method is a cumulative program; meaning that as you practice it, it never becomes boring nor will you hit a plateau because Pilates, when done regularly, gets more difficult as you become stronger and better at performing each exercise. The effect is a physique that complements your natural bone structure and perfectly sculpts your body with precision to suit your body type by realigning, re-educating, and restoring your muscular structure to its optimal form.You will feel muscles you never knew you had, see changes you never thought possible, develop symmetry in your muscular structure in ways you never imagined. Pilates, tones, stretches, elongates, balances, and defines while providing you with a solid total body workout each and every time.

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Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates (2006) Review

The concept behind "Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates" is that you can customize your workout by choosing the level which best suits your needs for each and every exercise.This is done through the use of three different exercisers displaying three different levels of difficulty.Instructor Ellen Barrett always does Level 2, the intermediate version, while her two background exercisers show the beginning (Level 1) and more advanced (Level 3) versions.

The workout itself is broken down into three 10-minute segments:Standing Pilates, Side-Lying Pilates, and Pilates Matwork.The standing work is similar to several of Ellen's previous videos (eg, Crunch Burn & Firm Pilates) in that you are doing moves such as plies, leg lifts, standing leg circles, etc.This segment focused mainly on legwork, although the Level 3 modifier added arms movements to increase the intensity.Still, this section felt like light toning at best, and it certain lacked the cardio benefit to produce the "weight loss" promised in the title.The side lying moves are a bit more intense, beginning with a side plank.Some of the exercises here were similar to the Winsor Buns and Thighs video, and I could feel them in my glutes/outer hip.Again, Ellen does the middle level while the two background exercisers show modifications.Unlike in the standing section, however, each new move does not begin until Ellen explains all three levels, which makes for a lot of unnecessary downtime.In the final segment, Pilates matwork, Ellen has her Level 3 modifier add a few twists to traditional Pilates moves, making them more challenging.However, I found this to be a fairly easy matwork sequence which failed to incorporate any of the classic Pilates intermediate and advanced moves.Also, Ellen continued to focus on the lower body here; the abs work was not very intense, and no back work was included.

Overall, I did not enjoy this video.Even following the Level 3 modifier, I found the intensity to be a low intermediate level at best, and so I did not feel like I got much of a workout.Also, as mentioned above, there seemed to be too much down-time while Ellen set up the levels, particularly in the second and third segments; she also spends too much time at the end of each segment just breathing.Similarly, the workout seemed to move at a very slow pace throughout, leaving me bored and eager to finish it.A final issue was that I just did not click with Ellen's perky personality.I do think that this DVD is nicely produced and likely to appeal to some, mainly those who have enjoyed Ellen's prior Pilates videos and who are at a more beginning/low intermediate level in their Pilates work.

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Product Description:
Awarded Top Workout DVD of 2006 by Natural Health Magazine, this Weight Loss Pilates program is a great way to slim down and develop a long, lean, graceful body. Fitness expert Ellen Barrett chose the best of the best out of three types of Pilates - standing, side-lying and mat Pilates - to create three different 10-minute routines. Each routine was developed using a dynamic, flowing technique which eliminates all the repositioning that takes up so much time in other Pilates workouts - so you'll get maximum results in minimum time! The Pick Your Level System Makes Working Out As Easy As 1-2-3. Here's how: Just Push Play-there's no programming required. Within the workout, three instructors each show the moves modified for a specific level: 1, 2 or 3.You simply follow along and do each move at the level that feels right for you. Remember, this is your workout - you don't have to stick with one level throughout the entire routine. You may prefer to stick mostly with Level 1, but choose a few Level 2 or 3 moves occasionally. You can customize the workout as you progress or as your energy level varies from day to day. Whatever level you choose, know that Ellen specifically designed this program so that all of the levels are really effective.

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Crunch - Pick Your Spot Pilates (2002) Review

The beauty of the Pilates DVD workouts is that you can workout for 10-40 minutes or pick any section or sequence. I recommend doing the entire 40 minutes. This workout goes by so quickly. For some reason, time seems to fly by extra fast. I could not believe how fast each section went by.

There are four 10 minute workouts on this DVD, not just three. There is a Bonus 10-Minutes Total Body Pilates Workout which finally includes moves like the teaser and roll-ups which are essentials.

10 minutes Belly
10 minutes Butt
10 minutes Thighs
10 minutes Challenge

I like that this is 40 minutes, but I wish they would have included a longer warm-up and cool-down section. This routine needs some stretching moves at the end. I guess that is not the focus but I felt like I wanted to do stretching at the end.

The frog move was interesting and I've not see this in other videos. There is a nice flow to most of the movements although if you are used to doing the "side series" all at once, it is broken up between the Butt and Thigh workouts.

There is an exercise at the end of the challenge section that you can do more easily if you have a couch behind you for support. I discovered that today! I've never been able to do one of the exercises and finally did it today!!

I would not recommend this DVD for anyone with lower back problems. The exercises are done much faster than in Winsor Pilates or even Pilates on the Go. There is a great advantage in having a wide variety of workouts because then you can modify some of the exercises to suit your individual needs. Like, her version of the bicycle was much faster than I'm used to, so I just did my own thing and did less.

If you are new to Pilates, I'd recommend the Winsor Pilates and Pilates on the Go before you start this DVD because they don't really cover all the basics.

A fun edition to your routine as Ellen has some variations to regular Pilates moves you might enjoy.

~The Rebecca Review

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Product Description:
3 Targeted 10-Minute Workouts For Your: BELLY - BUTTTHIGHS. Welcome to CRUNCH Fitness! Change your body in 10 minutes? It is possible. Pick Your Spot Pilates targets your favorite body parts to train: the belly, butt and thighs, with three l0-minute workouts. We've made every minute count with classic Pilates mat exercises to tone, firm, and re-shape your body. Gentle yet challenging, and easy-to-follow, Pilates focuses on precise breathing techniques to get in touch with your body's core so you can sculpt without bulk, creating sleek abs, leaner legs, and a bikini butt. Do one program at a time or all three in a row. These mini- workouts are completely self-contained including a warm- up, a fabulous workout, and cool-down all in 10 minutes! If you're time-crunched and need to squeeze in your workouts, this program is for you. You'll be surprised how many l0-minute spots you can find in your day! For all fitness levels. A mat or rug and bare feet are highly recommended. The CRUNCH Philosophy: The CRUNCH fitness program welcomes people from all walks of life regardless of shape, size or ability. We created a workout environment that is not competi-tive or judgmental. Enjoy these favorite classes with imaginative instructors in an atmosphere that makes working out fun. Meet the instructor: Ellen Barrett, Los Angeles. Certified Pilates and fitness instructor. Fitness philosophy: Fitness should lead to health, not only beauty; no matter what size you are, or what age you are, a healthy body IS beautiful. Favorite binge food: I'm a peanut butter nut. If you have any questions or comments about Pick Your Spot Pilates write to: Fitness@anchorbayentertainment.com Please consult your physician before beginning this or any other exercise program.Amazon.com description

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Crunch - Burn & Firm Pilates Review

This is Ellen Barrett's third Crunch Pilates video and the first which incorporates weights into the workout.Similar to in her previous video, Crunch Fat-Burning Pilates, many of the traditional Pilates floor exercises are performed here in a standing position, although Burn & Firm Pilates does include a separate matwork section (see below).The workout begins with a 5-minute warm-up consisting of simple movements such as marches and plies (there are A LOT of plies in this video!).Following this, there was a 7-minute segment that is difficult for me to define; it was too slow-moving to be cardio and might best be described as light toning.In this section, there are additional plies plus some basic ballet-inspired leg movements.

Next comes the "meat" of the workout, a 24-minute cardio segment using light weights to increase the workload.The first series includes alternating side leg lifts (the "saw") with a "swan" movement that involves raising one arm overhead and lifting the opposite leg.Although Ellen stated that we should be feeling this in our inner thighs, I found that it was actually my OUTER thighs and hips that were burning! Next comes more plies interspersed with two moves from the Pilates side series, rond de jambe and leg circles, both performed in a standing position.Continuing on, there is a segment involving knee lifts which turn into lunges and combine with a front arm raise.After that, it's back to MORE plies!This time, a standing Pilates arm zip is performed in-between sets.The finally cardio segment provides even more work for the arms:you will do a front and side mambo that turns into a front and side lunge (a bit awkward to the side) while performing bicep curls the entire time.The cardio section ends with a few additional exercises for the arms such as circles.Overall, I found the intensity of the cardio to be about the same as for the cardio segment of Crunch Fat-Burning Pilates, although this would not have been the case without using the weights.

The final 8 minutes of the video are performed on the floor, starting with arms and abs work in a seated position with the weights.Next, you move on to your back for two additional exercises, knee drops and leg straddles, using the weights as anchors.Finally, there are just two traditional Pilates matwork exercises, the single leg stretch and the single straight leg.The workout ends with a very short (1-2 minutes) cool-down in a seated position for a total of approximately 44 minutes.

I enjoyed this video and liked the addition of the weights, especially since I have been trying to add light weights to many of my cardio routines.What I did NOT like was the absence of a traditional Pilates matwork sequence; I would have much preferred to leave out the light toning segment early in the video and devote this time to mat exercises instead.Although the exercises are a bit more repetitious here, most fans of Crunch Fat Burning Pilates will probably enjoy this video as well.

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Product Description:
Welcome to CRUNCH Fitness! Now you can get a Pilatesbody faster than ever with this revolutionary workout.
Everyone knows that Pilates is great for creating longer,leaner muscles. But we've taken Pilates to a whole new level by addingsome unique "Burn & Firm" elements to this workout! Webegin with standing Pilates exercises blended with some simpledanceinspired moves for a cardio-blasting "Burn" segment. Second, we add light hand weights to gently speed up the totalbody toning and re-shaping effect of Pilates. That's wherethe "Firm"comes in. Don't worry, this Pilates routine is still low-impact,easy-to-follow, and won't leave you feeling drained like traditionalcardio and weight training. Best of all, because this programmulti-tasks, it makes the most of every minute of your workout time. With Burn & FirmPilates you can finally get that sleek, lean, elegant body fast from a workout that leaves youfeeling refreshed and revitalized.
All Fitness Levels. A set of light hand weights and amat are recommended.
The CRUNCH Philosophy:
The CRUNCH fitness program welcomes people from allwalks of life regardless of shape, size or ability. We created a workout environment that isnot competitive or judgmental. Enjoy these favorite classes with imaginative instructors inan atmosphere that makes working out fun.
Meet the instructor:
Ellen Barrett, instructor at CRUNCH New York.Certified Pilates and fitness instructor and founder ofbuffgirlfitness.com. Fitness philosophy: Strive to be the best version of yourself.Favorite splurge food: Anything peanut butter.

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Crunch - Super SlimDown: Pilates Yoga Blend Review

I was pleasantly surprised with this workout, it is invigorating and relaxing but you will feel it working too.Ellen Barrett, who is known for her Crunch and more recently Self magazine workouts is back in what I feel is her best workout ever.Ellen is joined by 7 other ladies including Marni who shows some beginner modifications.

This 40 minute workout begins with some power breathing and standing backbends before moving into the first yoga series.You will move into warrior 2 and pulse while in that position, therefore called the "warrior pulse", then you will move into side angle pose, then reverse warrior, and sweep your arms around and down to the center for some power breaths up before repeating on the other side.This series is repeated a few more times, but with less warrior pulses.More power breathing finishes this series.

The next series is somewhat similar, but you will begin in triangle pose this time.Once in triangle, you will move back to warrior 2 but twist to the front and raise the arms up, hold them before lowering and twisting back to the front.This is repeated several times on the same side before doing on the other side.Next is the zigzag, Ellen's favorite move which targets the core.You will face front and extended your arms from side to side then scoop down and do the same thing.Then you will repeat the triangle series on each side again followed by the zigzag once more.Then you will move to triangle once more before moving to plank pose then do some knee cross crunches.Then you will stretch out first in downward facing dog, then childs pose.

The next series is the willow series which is much harder than it looks.You will begin in childs pose, then lift up your torso upwhile trying not to lift your rear from your heels.I need to work on this one.You repeat this several times before moving to the dolphin float (elbow plank).The willow/dolphin series is then repeated several more times.Then you will do a variation of extended cat pose, you extend one arm and the opposite leg, and lift and lower each one, then you will extend them out to the side slightly and do the same, then you will alternate front and side.This is then repeated on the opposite arm/leg before stretching out in childs pose.

The next series starts on your front, you will first do leg beats, then a back extension, then a little piece of heaven which is a pushup on the knees, hinging back, then returning to start which your elbows are held inward.This really targets the triceps and I was definitely feeling it after a while.This series is repeated several times before finishing out with pilates leg circles.Then you will lie on your side for some more leg work.You will lift the bottom leg off the floor, then lift and lower the top leg, then you will lift and lower the bottom leg.The option of taking the supporting arm is there to make it tougher, side passe alternating the leg to the front and back follows.Then you will do the side bend twist, then the knee drop progression.Here you are propped up on your elbows and you will drop knees to each side while extending the top leg,then you have the option of straightening both legs while lowering to each side.Then you do a brief stretch before repeating the lying side leg series and side bend twist on the other side and do some more knee drops.

To finish out the workout, you will do some ab work.You will roll down and up halfway before going into modified teasers, then you will roll halfways down again while pulling the elbows together.Then you will move into the single leg stretch, some more oblique work where you drop your knees to each side and climb an imaginary rope and finally the ballerina criss cross.Then you will do some brief stretching and breathing.

While I am extremely active and aim to do weights, cardio, yoga and pilates each 3 times weekly, I do have to force it somedays.This is one workout that I truly look forward to doing.It is exhilarating and I feel great afterwards.It isn't hard, some experienced in yoga/pilates might feel it is way too easy but it is perfect for me and I have a blast doing it.This is Ellen at her best, she does an excellent job leading this workout.5+ stars for this one.

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Product Description:
Certified Pilates and fitness instructor Ellen Barrett presents a workout combining yoga moves with Pilates exercises to help tone, strengthen, and burn calories.
Genre: Exercise/Fitness
Rating: NR
Release Date: 7-FEB-2006
Media Type: DVD

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Self Magazine Exercise 4 DVD Box Set : Slim and Sleek Fast , Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast , Bikini Ready Fast , Firm Flat Abs Fast : 4 DVD Set Review

These videos are great!Videos showed up in a timely fashion and in new condition, as we described.I would purchase from this seller again.

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Product Description:
4 DVD Set

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