Customer Reviews

Look Great, Feel Great: "Plus Size Pilates"

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

 

 

I am a certified pilates instructor and I have many clients who will love this matwork. It's a gentle but deep workout that exemplifies all that I love about pilates.
The back to basics section is excellent, and the two main workouts are precise, flowing, and beautifully cued.

There is a morning energizing workout, a midday energizer and a short evening relaxation segment. The emphasis is on "zipping and hollowing" the lower abdominals, then adding movements of the limbs to challenge core stability. Several levels of difficulty are demonstrated.

I noticed the instructor includes modifications that will support a larger-sized body without making a big deal out of it. While not a strictly traditional pilates mat workout, the pilates principles are well represented.

I am a plus size woman and I have always wanted to do Pilates, but was unable to because of my size. This DVD has allowed me to finally experience Pilates. I have really enojoyed this workout. And even though you may feel like you are not getting much of a workout, you are definitely working your muscles. I highly recommend this DVD to any plus size woman that wants to experience Pilates, but feels that she is too big to do it.

This DVD was great for me as a busy plus size woman wanting to improve my health, but not the most active person out there to get started. I found the exercises and Lynn's instruction very easy to follow and I have progressed my fitness level and am now adding some cardio to my routine. Great purchase!

This is supposed to be for plus sized women, but I find that it is too advanced for me. The lady in the video is plus sized, but she is very strong. I can't do what she does without straining my back. I can't do these workouts every day or else I will get injured, so I alternate them with other things.

The lady who is demonstrating the exercises is plus sized, but not obese. She has a relatively flat belly that does not get in the way of the exercises and so if you have a large belly there is really no practical suggestions as to how one might adjust to allow for that. PILATES HAS SEVERAL POSITIONS THAT ARE PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS A LARGE BELLY THAT GETS IN THE WAY. THE EXERCISES ON THIS VIDEO DO NOT ADJUST FOR THAT AND DO NOT SUGGEST ALTERNATIVE POSITIONS. The woman who demonstrates the exerses is also very strong and fit - so this is really standard Pilates with a larger than average woman demonstrating. There is nothing in particular in the choreography itself to address the issues of truly overweight, injured, out of shape or otherwise physically challenged people. If you buy this expecting to find a pre-beginner starting place for exercise then you might be disappointed and discouraged. There are two fitness levels demonstrated and even the easiest level is a challenge for me.

I checked it out of my local library before purchasing so I could determine if it is usable to me and I suggest you do the same. It is a stretch, but if I am careful I can use it under the direction of a professional pilates teacher. Please do not try this before hiring a qualified pilates instructor for at least 10 lessons. It is very VERY difficult for a physically challenged person to find a beginning exercise routine that will not threaten to injure an already out of shape body and this one has the potential to do more harm than good. THIS VIDEO IS NOT MEANT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED AN EXCEEDINGLY ELEMENTARY STARTING PLACE, NOR IS IT GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO START OUT WITH NO PROFESSIONAL HELP.

The advantage is that the video contains 3 complete workouts that are only 15 minutes long and are therefore good for people who are busy. If you have time and are fit enough, you can do all three, but if you are not fit or are pressed for time, you can choose only one at a time, HOPEFULLY WITH QUALIFIED HELP.

I give it only 3 stars because their definition of plus sized is too small for me and it did not address my particular problems.

I love this dvd it's perfect for me! I cannot move as fast as some of the other dvd's have you move but this one is easy and enjoyable, I am very pleased with this purchase.

I was very excited to get the DVD. I enjoy doing Rodney Yee's AM Yoga, and can do most of his poses, so I figured I was ready to move on to Pilates. I'm morbidly obese, which causes my belly to get in the way, so I was looking for a workout that would work around it. This DVD had great reviews, however, I was very disappointed when I sat down to watch it.

* It's very boring and the instructor talks too much.
* Where is the actual workout? I was hitting X2 on the remote, scanning for actual exercising. It seemed mostly to be an educational DVD, teaching poses, but not actually working the body while it plays. I don't have all day to sit and wait for an instructor to stop talking and get down to business, or demonstrate 1 pose and taking 5 minutes to do it.

I'm sticking with Rodney Yee. I wish I could buy Megan Garcia's Just My Size Yoga, but now that it's discontinued, people are seriously price gouging. But if you have the patience of a saint and can't move very much, then this DVD just might be for you. It's just too slow for me, and of course, being my size, I never dreamed of the day I'd ever say a workout was too slow for me.

This video is a good one for heavy, inflexible people like me. They offer many modified exercises. Even beginners can benefit from this video.

I Love, love, love this DVD, and this is the first pilates DVD I have tried. It is tastefully done for those that have a 'plus sized shape' but yet can still help you as you are ready for more advanced sessions. I cannot say enough good things about how well this dvd has been put together. You can really feel your muscles working after the first session.

I bought this because I really wanted to revisit pilates and really liked a plus-sized yoga dvd I had bought. But the sad truth was that this DVD felt like it was for senior citizens and people with very limited mobility. I am going to have to sell it because after using a few times I was so bored and not inspired the way I thought I would be. It makes me want to stick with yoga, as I always feel inspired and refreshed. Maybe pilates is just not for me. But truthfully, this DVD was pre-beginner level. Good instruction but not a challenge even for this beginner.

In the past ten years, Pilates has been publicized as a way for already fit people to further strengthen their bodies. I've talked to a lot of people who don't realize that it was originally designed for active people to recover from an injury, making it also a great system for out of shape and, most notably, inflexible people. So why shouldn't plus-size people also benefit from it? I have a back/shoulder/neck injury that keeps me from following the likes of Mari Windsor and Ana Caban, but I've always favored Pilates for my morning workout. Lynne Robinson does a great job and it's nice to see how different it looks when a larger person does these exercises. If you like this, but want to graduate through different levels, also check out Gaiam's Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss with Suzanne Deason.