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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book gets better and better!, September 19, 2004
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Joseph H. Pilates' Techniques of Physical Conditioning: With Special Help for Back Pain and Sports Training (Paperback)
Having read the first edition I was keen to see what the second edition had in store. I was not disappointed. Menezes is adept at finding new ways of improving his 'old' methods, even though those were a new way of thinking for the pilates industry. The Stamina Stretch I found incredible to understate the obvious! It improved my breathing capacity by 30% in just 2 minutes! His wording of the exercises has changed significantly to make them more effective. Now I understand why the emphasis he places on starting the breathe first gives more core control to stabilize you before the rest of the exercise.
My back felt great and my abs much stronger. His posturing formulas are second to none - and certainly none that I have come across in other pilates books. His Feedback Scales make you work to the max on every exercise without compromising your personal safety while achieving ultimate results.
A great improvement on an alredy great product - can't wait to get hold of the videos/DVDs mentioned in the back of the book.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Informative and Clear View of the Pilates Method and Techniques - A Must Have for Home Practice, August 15, 2006
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Joseph H. Pilates' Techniques of Physical Conditioning: With Special Help for Back Pain and Sports Training (Paperback)
Probably one of the best books on Pilates you could find on the shelves. Is written in a very clear and concise language that makes it an absolutely must have for any one interested in learning and practicing Pilates.
The first part of the book is directed to the basics and fundamentals ideas behind the physiology of body control and body awareness. You will learn how to maximize your mental control over body movements. The second part is dedicated to the actual exercises and techniques associated with the Pilates method.
One of the best features of this book is that all the routines and exercises are fully illustrated and described, with photographs, clear and detailed explanations, tips on posture and execution. The best of all is that every single exercise can be performed at home without the need of expensive or special equipment.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the money., October 5, 2007
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Joseph H. Pilates' Techniques of Physical Conditioning: With Special Help for Back Pain and Sports Training (Paperback)
I have a DVD and book now by Menendez. Both are great. The wonderful thing about Pilates is that you can start at age 102 or 10, as you just pick the level you like and go easy on anything that seems a little hard.
The thing that has impressed me about pilates is how they make me feel afterwards. Even with the very light beginning workouts I felt great afterwards the first day! (And though I do other exercises I never got that endorphin high others talk about. :-( ) Pretty quickly I noticed more flexibility and easier movements, too.
I figure anything that makes me feel so good, has gotta be good for me.
Some people don't know what pilates are. In case you are one of them, I think they are a lot like Yoga without the eastern mysticism mumbo jumbo. Also, if you like, you can get a more intense cardiovascular workout with pilates at the higher levels than is likely with even advanced yoga.
What does else will pilates do for you? They cause an increase in oxygen due to the deep breathing, which is great for oveall functioning and stamina and is highly correlated to a lower incidence of cancer. They greatly help to improve your posture and align your skeleton and neuoromuscular system in general. You know "the knee bone's connected to the..." and one problem in one area can cause problems in lots of other places.
Piates can also build up your body strength, though not as much as the usual weight bearing exercises, and certainly can make you look sleeker. Try them, you'll like them! :-)
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