Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Gaiam
• DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006RJ5R
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,982 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Includes two mat workouts, bonus Pilates Energy Boost workout and in-depth interviews with Jillian Hessel and Ana Caban.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Make Your Pilates Training Work For You, December 28, 2004

By 

Rockie "Mom, wife, and lover. Lives in Florid... (Cocoa, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Am & Pm Pilates (DVD)

First of all, this is not a Pilates class for beginner's video. Do not buy this video (at least not yet) if you have never done Pilates before or you are still fairly new to it. You will be lost, as you do need a decent knowledge of properly performing Pilates movements to keep up. This video was not produced with newbies in mind.

However, with that being said, this is an excellent video for using your Pilates knowledge and experience to benefit you and your lifestyle. I purchased this DVD a while back and enjoyed doing the AM Pilates with Jillian Hessel - and I was still fairly new to Pilates. I had the basic knowledge that I learned from the Beginner's Mat Workout (with Ana Caban) to help me along. The AM workout left me feeling energized and refreshed - a feeling that stayed with me most of the day long.

I found the PM Workout more challenging and is more geared for the more experience Pilates user. (The PM workout is an end goal for me...what I want to be able to do eventually, but it certainly is not for me right now as a novice.) Definitely not for me right now.

I purchased this DVD before, but then sold it, then I decided to buy it again as I really did enjoy the AM Pilates. No regrets. I plan to keep this video. I still won't do the PM Pilates until I feel I'm more competent in Pilates.

If you're looking to do an AM/PM exercise that doesn't require prior training, but gives you that wake-me-up or de-stressing benefits you need in your life, try AM/PM Stretch with Madeleine Lewis (also by Gaiam). Since I haven't fully pursued and learn Pilates like I want to, I've gone to this gentle workout and absolutely love it.

However, if you do know Pilates and looking for great ways to use it to benefit you, this is very much a viable option.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two solid workouts for experienced beginners and intermediates, June 29, 2005

By 

C. Daly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Am & Pm Pilates (DVD)

These workouts are definately not for someone who has never done Pilates, nor do I think this is implied anywhere on the package. Instead, they are perfect for someone who has some experience with Pilates but wants a greater challenge. Both Ana Caban and Jillian Hessel have excellent beginner workouts (Easy Pilates, Beginning Mat Workout, and Pilates for Beginners) that would be more appropriate to start with.

The first workout, A.M. Pilates, is Jillian Hessel's workout for experienced beginners. It includes a quick run through of basic Pilates moves such as the hundred, roll ups, leg circles, rolling like a ball, single leg stretch, criss cross, spine stretch, saw, bridge, swan, and side kicks. I did not like this workout as much because, while many of the exercises were done very quickly, they were not especially challenging ones. Further, five minutes of the 25 minute workout was wasted on instructing you on how to breathe. If you're experienced enough to do this workout, you should already know Pilates breathing techniques.

The P.M. workout, instructed by Ana Caban, was much more challenging. This workout was almost totally ab-focused, omitting the side kicks series, but containing all of the Pilates ab-buster exercises. I like this workout because it works you hard in a short amount of time, and no I can't do all of it yet. It gives me something to build towards.

Another thing I liked about these workouts was the lovely scenic background. They took place on a platform overlooking a rocky beach. I do not think either of these workouts are particularly suited toward morning or evening. I think they are interchangeable.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Three nice Pilates programs geared to a variety of different levels, September 8, 2006

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Am & Pm Pilates (DVD)

This DVD contains three workouts, AM Pilates, PM Pilates, and Energy Boost Pilates. I've given descriptions of each of the individual programs below.

AM Pilates is sort of an odd blend. On the one hand, instructor Jillian Hessell spends a lot of time focused on the breath, which would be very helpful to Pilates beginners. Furthermore, she provides a rather abbreviated mat sequence--for example performing "50s" instead of the tradional hundred exercise and doing only two quick side series exercises. On the other hand, she does not give much detailed instruction about form, shows no modifications, and performs a few of the exercises at a very quick pace, including the criss-cross and swan dive, which would make this workout more ideally suited to advanced beginners or lower intermediates (most likely on a light day). The DVD breaks the workout into three segments, Breathing, Matwork, and Centering. The Breathing segment, about 4.5 minutes long, is performed seated in a chair, and it includes both breathing instruction and a few simple stretches. The 16.5 minute Matwork sequence begins with a controlled sit-down and roll-back. A band is used to modify the roll-up and single leg cirlces, and few repetitions are performed for the exercises. Finally, the workout concludes with a 3-minute Centering section, which involves additional breathing instruction, basic stretches, and a tiptoe balance, all in a standing position. This 26-minute workout would probably be best suited to Pilates beginners who have some prior familiarity with the Pilates exercises and are looking for a relatively basic workout.

Ana Caban's PM Pilates is designed as an evening Pilates routine to help you wind down and de-stress at the end of the day. It's perfect for this purpose (although a bit too strenuous to be used right before bedtime), but it would also serve well as an energizing routine in the a.m. or almost any time. Ana begins the workout in a seated position to perform several neck stretches. She then moves to the floor for a traditional Pilates mat series, starting with the hundred. Although Ana mostly follows classic Pilates sequencing, some of the more difficult moves (e.g., rollover) are left out, and other moves are done in a modified form (i.e., a rolling prep and an open-legged rocker prep instead of the full movements). Despite these modifications, the routine is still challenging: she does a higher number of repetitions than usual (particularly with the series of five, or stomach series), and the workout proceeds along at a steady, moderately quick clip. There is a concentration on abs moves, as Ana skips the side kick series, Pilates push-ups, and other full-body moves; personally, I liked this, but those who prefer a more complete matwork program might not. The mermaid and a standing stretch bring the routine in at 25 minutes. This was my favorite of the three workouts on the DVD, as it is well-suited to my intermediate level.

Energy Boost Pilates, also taught by Ana Caban, is kind of different in that it begins in a standing position with a few aerobic-type moves such as jogs, knee lifts, jumping jacks, and jumping lunges. This segment is very quick--no more than 1-2 minutes--and is designed to warm you up, but you could easily skip it if needed. Ana then proceeds to the floor for some traditional Pilates matwork moves. She leads you quickly through reclined exercises such as the hundred, the roll-up, and part of the stomach series. Moving to a seated position, Ana then performs an additional series of moves, a few of which I had never seen before (and I've done A LOT of Pilates videos). Then it's a quick stretch and you're done, for a total of about 11 minutes. This practice struck me as sort-of a shorter, more fast-moving version of PM Pilates; it's a nice alternative for getting in a full-body Pilates workout in a limited amount of time.

Overall, this DVD contains a nice variety of practices that would be appropriate for experienced beginner to intermediate Pilates practitioners.