Customer Reviews

Gaiam Pilates Body Sculpting Workout Kit: Pilates Ball & DVD

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

the pilates sculpting ball and accompanying DVD are great. the ball is much smaller and easier to store than large stability balls and is great for providing balance and some resistance. Ana Caban has you add the ball to various standard pilates positions, making you focus on having better form when doing the exercises.

I have forearm tendonitis in both arms and even though it is getting better I'm not ready to get back on my pilates machine. I thought I'd try this workout and I'm VERY glad I purchased it. It's a wonderful workout and I've only been doing it for one week and can already feel a difference, particularly in my ab area. Don't hesitate, you'll love it!

This is my workout for days when i'm just too tired to do my full routine. It's easy to follow the instructor, and the exercises themselves are fairly easy as well. The dvd is about 20-30 minutes long.

Note that the ball itself is not heavy (as i was expecting). It's just a regular pilates ball which is filled with air.

I have been using Winsor Pilates Ab Sculping DVD for the past several years and really needed a new routine. Based on the other reviews, I decided to purchase this ball and DVD set. I would recommend this set if you've struggled with other pilates ab exercises, as the ball really does help you properly align and tone your core. However, I would not recommend this to a seasoned pilates exerciser, as you may not be challenged enough. Ana Caban's moves are fresh to me, and I found that I prefer Ana's variations on many moves such as Teasers and Rolling Like a Ball over Mari Winsor's moves. Ana's instruction is very easy to understand, and I enjoy the one-on-one feel to this DVD over the Winsor studio DVDs. As with most Gaiam DVDs, the scenery is beautiful and the music selection is inspiring. I will probably buy more of Ana Caban's pilates DVDs in the future, as I was very pleased with this one but it's not challenging enough for me. I usually follow this routine with about 40 minutes of yoga. Lastly, I gave this set 4 stars because the ball was not the same size as the one Ana is using in the DVD. The one I received was 6 inches as described, but Ana's looks to be closer to 7.5 inches. Using a smaller ball does make the workout more difficult, which is good, but may be disappointing for other users.

The video shows a good core workout, but my only complaint is that the ball you buy is a lot smaller than the one the woman uses in the video. This ball is 6" in diameter and the one she uses is more like 8 or 10". Not a huge deal, but I had ball envy.

This workout kit is a blast! The DVD gives a good workout. It's amazing how much of a differnce this toning ball makes in the workout. It makes you concentrate on your muscles more, and is very effective. It's not as simple as it might first appear to keep this ball where it should be during the exercises :) I found it to be just the perfect amount of challenge balanced with fun. Highly recommended!

This product is a joke - its not worth the money asked for - the DVD in the box did not contain enough and barely required the ball to do the exercises - I actually thought that I was purchasing a pilates squishy ball not a hard unweighted ball. I do not recommend the purchase of this product.

this is mostly core strengthing. even though it feels like you are doing nothing you really feel all your muscles the next day.

I love the video, but at 5-8 and with larger hands the ball is too small to use for balance for any of the exercises that you do while laying on your side. It gave great resistance when placed between the knees or ankles, but overall I'm disappointed in the size.

I love this thing. I'm still learning about all the new ways to incorporate it into my at home pilates workouts- tons of info on poses and stretches online. After reading the reviews of many similar products (that said they were questionable quality and deflated quickkly) I'm glad I spent a few extra bucks on this ball. It's a quality brand and a great product. Thanks!