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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice intermediate Pilates practice with excellent form pointers, April 11, 2006
This review is from: Hilary Burnett's Pilates Intermediate (DVD)
Hilary Burnett's Mind Body Mat combines a very good intermediate level Pilates mat practice with exceptional form pointers. At the start of the workout, Hilary spends about 4 minutes focused on Pilates breathing, first in a seated position and then lying. This was a great refresher for me (although I'd probably skip this segment next time); I particularly liked how she mentioned that your tailbone should be on the floor with your waist slightly up. She then moves into the matwork, beginning with the hundred, the traditional first Pilates exercise. Hilary teaches with a combination of live and voiceover instruction, flowing smoothly from one exercise to the next and following the common sequencing order. At times, she does a higher number of repetitions than usually found on other Pilates videos, which I liked.
Exercises included in this workout are as follows: hundred, roll-up, single leg circles, rolling like a ball, stomach series (single leg stretch, double leg stretch, scissors, double straight leg stretch, twist), spine stretch, open leg rocker, corkscrew, saw, swan, single leg kick, double leg kick, neck pull, shoulder bridge, spine twist, jack knife, side kicks (front, up and down), teasers, hip circles, swimming, and seal. The name of each exercise appears on the screen, and modifications are sometimes shown via an inset on the screen. Overall, I'd probably rate the level of the workout as low intermediate; I would have liked to have seen a few additional challenging moves such as the rollover. At the end of the matwork, Hilary spends about 2 more minutes on some simple seated stretches, including a neck stretch plus side and front stretches. Therefore, the actual workout is about 24 minutes long, or 28 minutes total with the opening breathing sequence.
This is an excellent intermediate Pilates practice that would be perfect for Pilates beginners who are looking to move to the next level.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super Program, December 4, 2005
This review is from: Hilary Burnett's Pilates Intermediate (DVD)
I've had this for a long time, but was finally moved to write a review by what looks to be a mistake on a previous reviewer's part. A great review was given, and I think that the reviewer certainly meant to give more than two stars. The fact that there's only 2 reviews for the DVD causes that 2 stars to bring the rating down far below what this program deserves. Please read all the many reviews for the VHS version to see what I mean. It really is a great program for intermediate Pilate practioners. Hilary is a wonderful instructor who cues very well, and I love the way that she makes a fluid transition from one exercise to another. Those who find some of the moves difficult will find the "picture in picture" very helpful, showing Hilary doing an easier modification. The soft guitar music, background, candles, Hilary's soothing voice, and the smooth pace all make for a great experience. I'm at the advanced level now, but I still do Hilary's Intermediate from time to time in the evening if I haven't had time to work out during the day. Unlike some of the other fast and dyanamic Pilates programs, this one emphasizes working slowly and smoothly with breathing, precision and control. Because of the pace, in some instances there may be a few less reps than you'll find in other intermediate programs, but trust me, you'll be working with far better form this way and you'll be better off in the long run.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice pilates routine..., January 8, 2006
This review is from: Hilary Burnett's Pilates Intermediate (DVD)
This is my first video of Hilary Burnett, and I was pleased with it. This is a solid 30 minute pilates workout that fits in a lot at that time.
I liked the setting, it looks likes a cozy living room but well decorated with pillows and such and lots of candles. Soft guitar music is playing in the background which suits it well.
Hilary instructs one on one and takes you through all the familiar pilates exercises after a brief demonstration of breathing and the pilates "v". The exercises you will see include the hundred, rollup, single leg circles, rolling like a ball, single and double leg stretch, scissors, double leg lower lift, twist, spine stretch, open leg rocker, corkscrew, saw, swan, single and double leg kicks, neckpull, shoulder bridge, spine twist, jackknife, side kick series, teasers, hip circles, swimming and seal. A brief stretch follows all the exercises. The name of each exercise pops up on the TV which I liked, there are lots of pilates exercises that I don't even know the name of. There are also some modifications that are shown on an in set screen which help too. Most of the exercises are intermediate but some border on advanced, such as the jackknife and neck pull.
Hilary does a good job instructing and performs the moves well, she uses a lot of imagery as well, such as imagining your waist as a corset wrapped in ACE bandages, or imagine you are in a mermaid suit, etc.
I would say this is one of the better pilates videos I have tried it is very complete and not a lot of time is wasted, a good routine in 30 minutes. Highly recommended.
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