Customer Reviews

Anatomy of Pilates

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Anatomy of Pilates is the best book out there for the serious pilates practitioner, and believe me I have read them all. Its copius detail is comprehensive and well organized. It covers the anatomy and biomechanics behind pilates, which are essential to proper isolation and coordination of muscles and movements. Explanations bridge the language of medical professionals, trainers, and clients so that you can talk easily about the same issues to anyone you meet. The 16 Fundamentals are the basis for every other pilates exercize there is; if you can master and understand these you can do anything, and teach anything. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This is an excellent guide in terms of information, but the numerous typos on pages 26 and 27 (I counted 15, I believe) are terribly distracting. As an instructor, I think this guide is a valuable, educational source. However, I advise that customers wait for the new corrected edition.

I am a certified Pilates instructor and I use this manual to prepare for every class I teach. It really helps clients understand what muscles are working-facilitating the mind body connection.

If you don't know Pilates and would like to find out what really works in your body while practicing Pilates, don't buy it! The general part of the book is pretty good, although you start wondering at times if you should take the book seriously or not. I think the back of the book, with the exercises and all, is pretty useless. Most of the drawings of the exercises are faulty! Maybe someone with no or very little Pilates experience drew them and, somehow slipped by the authors who didn't stop publishing those bad drawings. The general part and, especially the posture part is very useful. For biomechanics I would rather suggest to look up one of Joseph Muscolino's books, especially his new book titled: "Kinesiology". Although, you could use this (Anatomy of Pilates) book to find out about the core abdominal muscles and pelvic muscles (a little!) and, how and which ones we use in Pilates. You can also learn about a couple of basic muscles that play a role in Pilates. It is still a far outcry from all the muscles and mechanisms that are involved in practicing Pilates. And just to point out some, does not do justice for Pilates! I am a Pilates instructor apprentice and, I think the book is a lot of fluff. If you are a trainee also, I suggest that for your anatomy and biomechanics turn to a more professional and credible source than this book. The book is very slim and quite expensive to just take a look at it! It is not a really good reference either! Very unprofessional at some level! Get this, they actually wrote this in the book:"Pubis - okay, it's the pubic bone". I am not joking, they actually printed it like that! I think that says a lot about the book!

This book is an essential read for anyone ith the Pilates field. It is the only one I have seen to describe the primary muscles activated in the standard Pilates matwork exercises and reformer exercises, as well as the stabilizers and secondary muscles activated. With this knowledge, I find it easier to cue my students/clients on what they muscles they should be using.

This book isn't what I expected. There is much more you have to know, if you want to learn the proper way of Pilates. But I would say, it could be a start.

It is not very in depth, but the book does break down the basic needs for understanding planes of movement and anatomy.
I used it to study along with other books.
Its just too basic for any real studying.

This is an easy-to-read and straightforward review of the basic principles of Pilates. It is by no means comprehensive, but it is practical and specific, giving cursory info about anatomy and biomechanics. It also evaluates common choreography on the mat and machines, to show how this info applies in context. Cool!

This is a great book that manages to condense a lot of Pilates information in an easy to read format. It's a great reference guide for any Pilates Instructor or enthusiast with good illustrations and accurate descriptions of muscles used for each exercise. One of the better Pilates books out there for sure.

wish I'd had this when I was studying for the mat series. Well informed yet easy to understand even for a dullard like me.