Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power & Peak Performance

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a pilates instructor of mat classes. I've been certified through 2 different organizations. This is a great book! I like the part on the reformer on the mat. It's well written and i also like reading on the differences between men and women with refrence to the exercises. Good purchase!

Truly a remarkable Pilates resource specifically for men! I have been practicing Pilates for over a year now. The first time I bought a Pilates book, I felt a little intimidated because of the thinking of most people that Pilates was only for women. Most of the public did not know that Pilates is Joseph - a man! When I saw Daniel's book, I was captivated by the other advanced mat work exercises I had not seen before not to mention the reformer on the mat exercises! (quite challenging, I tell you!) I stood at the bookstore and read the book for almost 2 hours. The next day, I finally bought the book just this month. I have seen many Pilates books but they offer the same exercises, mostly modified and lack representation of the complete and original mat work of Joseph Pilates. I am a licensed physical therapist and I just decided to include Pilates even more in my fitness regimen for life, like air! Pilates is results-driven! Let's now hit the mat and burn that powerhouse!

This book incorporates some traditional exercises, (such as pushups) into a cohesive whole, where the trainee doesn't just do the exercise out of the clear blue, but rather, gets into position from their original, (standing, in this case), position, in a carefully thought-out manner. It's surprising to me how much difference it makes to account for the points between one's 'non-exercising' position, and getting into the exercise, both in quality of the movement, and the greater liklihood that one will continue to do the exercises over time.

I am a certified Pilates instructor and I consider this book to be THE authoratative text on Pilates mat work. It is not only an incredible resource for teachers seeking to "tighten up" their already advanced form, but also a fantastic, user-friendly entry point for a beginner looking to build a Pilates practice from the ground up. Exercise descriptions are both clear and concise, and the unique illustrations of the exercises "in motion" go far beyond run-of-the-mill photographs. Lyon's instruction on classical mat work is worth the price of admission alone, but his "Reformer on the mat" section puts this book over the top. "The Complete Book of Pilates for Men" is just that: complete. Man or woman. Beginner or advanced. When I was learning the nuts and bolts of Pilates, I wore out my copy of Lyon's book. It is truly exceptional, and anyone serious about Pilates needs to own it.

"As a Pilates instructor who has a library of exercise books, this one is awesome! I am always looking for ways to help my clients and this book is unbelievable. I purchased it for my library and it is a total treasure. The detail in the book is phenomenal. The traditional mat work with variations is extensive, the illustrations are mind blowing and the reformer on the mat is awesome. This is the only book that I have found with a completely illustrated reformer on the mat. There are variations in this book that I did not learn when I was certified. It is the biggest Pilates book that I own and it is double the size of all my others. The title says it all. It truly is "The Complete Book of Pilates for Men." I find it is great for men and women. My clients who have bought it for their husbands tell me their husbands love it. I know this because they are coming in for mat classes."

Jennifer, California

This book is great. In a matter of a week or two you will feel the results in your entire core, & lower pelvic regions where your legs connect. If you go advanced you'll get the full body workout. The excercises are not difficult to figure out. The book is written perfectly and the illustrations are dead on. I like the fact that all of the excercises are easy on your joints, or at least can be modified to be that way. This guy is a good teacher, and his book is perfect.

I continue to be incredibly surprised by the effect this workout has on me. I've always been physically active but constantly suffered from tightness along my lower back and legs, despite conventional stretching. After routinely performing the exercises in this book, I found myself feeling unusually well. My back quit feeling so sore and my calves, shin and hamstring stopped feeling as tight after my usual non-Pilate workouts.

Interestingly enough, my family loaned me several Pilate workout videos when they discovered my enthusiasm. I've tried a few of them but have not had as pleasant an experience. The videos aren't targeted for men, perhaps this lends a clue. I suspect, however, that the book just includes some great lower back and leg stretches that the videos do not.

For the novice to the seasoned gym goer, Pilates is something you should very much consider adding to your workout schedule. Buy this book, READ it carefully, and start taking classes at the local studio or health club. ESPECIALLY if you are an athlete! Core conditioning and stability (and we're not talking six pac abs) will prevent you from getting injured, regardless of your sport, be it running, boxing, rowing, basketball, tennis, swimming, golfing, everything. This book by Daniel Lyons will challenge you physically and help get you toward the best shape of your life. His diagrams/cueing/benefits/skill levels are meticulously presented.

A note to Pilates instructors: This book is a very useful manual for mat instruction. Try to start offering Pilates for Men classes where you instruct. I've taken Pilates classes all over and when the class is mostly women, flexibility ends up predominating over full body conditioning and it's keeping the guys away. And read Daniel Lyon's intro as well, pertaining to us who are barrel chested (quit trying to correct or shoulder position, please).

Great book, Daniel!

When it comes to "self study" guides for pilates, yoga, etc. it seems to me you've got to find the book or DVD that works best for you.

With yoga my favorite guide of all time is Richard Hittleman's 28 DAY YOGA EXERCISE. The simple, figure-against-black photographs and straight-forward descriptions are exactly what I needed to learn (decades ago now--my mother gave me my first copy!). For busy folks Hittleman provides easy-to-follow routines.

Having bought several pilates books and a DVD, none of which did it for me, I had stopped looking for a pilates book. Then I chanced to see PILATES FOR MEN. 10 minutes later I bought it.

Like Hittleman's approach it's the accessibility and ease-of-use that does it for me. The pencil drawings are excellent, with the required movements easy to see. The text is straight-forward. And the exercises are presented in the order you might use them in. This is just what I needed given the way I process "kinesthetic instructions on the page" and a fairly busy life.

The trick is to get a copy of this book in your hands and get a sense of how you might use it learning pilates or brushing up and how it might serve you in developing a plan to squeeze into your life.

Personally, I'd say this is a classic. But who knows and only time will tell.

Dr. Kirtland C Peterson

Finally, someone has set to the task of translating the Pilates system to specifically male needs. This guy is not playing around. Pilates for men has serious moves for serious Pilates folks only. I have been trying to get my husband to join me in Pilates for years but he always assumed Pilates was for girls. It was only when I brought this book home that he decided to give it a try. The author speaks to men in a clear friendly way and somehow, someway, the guys just "get it". And now, wouldn't you know it,my husband is hooked on Pilates. In fact, he's now waking me up in the morning to work out with him!!

Ladies, grab your men and this book and hit the mat. You won't be disappointed!

Good Luck.