Customer Reviews

The New Method Pilates: Precision Toning and Sculpting

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I am a big Jennifer Kries fan. I love her newer series (Pilates Method/New Method) and her book, Pilates Plus Method. I tried in the past to get into some of her older stuff- Precision Toning and Precision Sculpting- and while I thought she gave (as always) great instruction, the workouts were very long and I just couldn't see myself making the commitment on a regular basis.

I just recently got this DVD and am now over the moon. It is very well chaptered. If your DVD has a programmable play feature, it's easy to split up the workouts so you don't have to do over an hour (Precision Toning) or forty minutes (Precision Sculpting). Some of my favorite combinations are: the upper body work from PS combined with the side kicks from PT; the matwork/Method Toning (minus the side kicks) from PT; and Toning Essentials from PT and the pelvic lifts/ballet segments from PS. And while figuring out the specific titles/chapters on some DVDs can be a nightmare, this is pretty straightforward: Title 1 is PT, Title 2 is PS, and the chapters for each segment are numbered on the title menu they provide.

Though some may already have other Pilates workouts (even other Jennifer Kries workouts) I still recommend this tape. The side kicks segment alone is worth the money- I could not believe how much my thighs and buttocks burned the first time I did her sequence, and I'd been a Pilates "veteran" for quite some time.

One final comment: when these two workouts were first released, everyone kept going on about how they were "fusion" workouts, combining Pilates, dance and yoga. Having done them, I can guarantee that they are almost completely straight up Pilates (with a little dance thrown in at the end of Precision Sculpting). Yes, we do use Child's Pose a few times, but that move has been used in "pure" Pilates practices for years. Not that this takes anything away from the workouts- I just wouldn't want someone to be disappointed by the lack of yoga on this DVD.

I was surprised by the somewhat negative reviews here. I love this workout. It has two sections. In the first section, Jennifer is very descriptive of all the moves and also talks through modifications. The 2nd section is all the moves at a faster pace and also includes the "side series". As you become more adept at performing these moves, you use the 1st segment as a warm-up and then complete the 2nd segment. I never tire of this workout and no matter how well I can now do Pilates, I always come back to this workout and find her tips and techniques applicable. It's like hiring a 1:1 personal trainer. After doing this workout only three times, you will notice a major difference in your strength and you will be hooked on Pilates! I highly recommend this DVD.

After 5 workouts (3x precision toning, 2x precision sculpting) my abdominal wall was noticeably stronger & flatter and my butt already had a "lift" to it. I was "very" skeptical of pilates as I was a traditional cardio/weights lady, but I have been raving non-stop about this dvd b/c of how surprisingly "effective" it turned out to be for me. 2nd time doing the workouts proved to be more difficult b/c I had already become familiar enough with it to start concentrating on moves & form. Definitely recommend this to any skeptic out there trying pilates for the 1st time. Bonus for me: works on my flexibility at the same time it tones me. This is great b/c I have NEVER been flexible.

I've been doing Yoga for the past 9 years every day and in the last few months have been adding Pilates in daily before my Yoga practice. Since getting into Pilates I've collected a good number of DVD's and VHS's as well as the Alycea Ungaro book "Pilates, Body in Motion".

I was actually given this DVD by Jennifer Kries as a gift from my wife. I only work with the "Precision Toning" part of the program (not the "Sculpting" section) because I get all the strength work I need from Power Vinyasa Yoga, but that section alone is enough to make this a praiseworthy addition to my library.

I find Ms. Kries to be an excellent instructor who gives precise, easy to understand instruction and does a beautiful job demonstrating the exercises. Though she is very advanced and super flexible she shows how to modify all the exercises to make them safe and doable. I find her to have a friendly and encouraging demeanor which makes it a pleasure to do the practice.

A key thing for me with any Pilates or Yoga program is how it is paced. I really love the "tempo" of this program, you never feel rushed yet there is a nice momentum throughout the DVD. That can often be a hard line to walk and she does it to perfection.

If one is new to Pilates or short on time you can do the essentials practice, but if you are more advanced you can move into the full routine. Basically it's the Pilates Intermediate series but it has an extensive side lying series which really puts me through my paces (actually it has me "begging for mercy" :)).

If you don't have time to do the full program the DVD has excellent chaptering so you can just do the series that you want to focus on at any given time.

I'm very impressed with this program and would highly recommend it!

If you've never done any Pilates before you may want to start with Stott Pilates Basics, it's a very thorough program that has detailed instruction which I find to be essentials to learning Pilates as you can strain yourself if you don't approach it properly.

. . . you're not doing ir correctly, according to Joseph Pilates. I agree that the negative reviews here are unwarrented. I have had several Pilates tapes/DVDs AND I have used a certified personal trainer. I am fit and limber -- but I still sweat to this video. Perhaps the problem is not that the video is too easy, but that Kris does not stress enough that you have to be very precise with your movements (or that it's too easy for viewers to skip over that part -- particularly on the DVD version). I've never had a problem with her explainations, but maybe that's because I have had the benefit of one-on-one training. It's a great video for use between trips to the gym/studio. If you know what you're doing, you can use it as a guide and advance your movements according to your level -- even use equipment -- without being distracted by "exciting" graphics and music. But only if you're serious. If you're looking for a hand-holding video, you might want to look at something else.

I was getting tired of my workouts(consisting of weight training/running)and thought I'd give Pilates a try. AT FIRST, I didn't find the workout challenging but there a few things I wasn't doing to maximize my results. (i.e. keeping heels off the floor when in sit-up positions-this enagages the quads continuously). Those of you that say it is not challenging are not performing the exercises correctly or not fully engaging the muscles(which takes a lot of mental concentration). I'm very happy with this DVD and encourage those who are not to give another try with the above mentioned in mind. You won't be disappointed.

This is the very first pilates dvd i ever bought, not to mention the first dvd workout video i have ever even used! needless to say, i didnt know what i was getting in to. i love the way jennifer interects wth you. i also like that there is no music playing, so you can add yours if you want. i like how it feels like a personal training session with jennifer. she seems really sweet and nice, and she talks very calmly. like i said, i am a beginner, and i just got done having my first baby about 6 months ago, so i am way out of shape. this video, however, has really been great for me. its not too hard or too easy. every day i can really feel good after i work out. This is a great DVD to buy, and even if you dont buy this one, make sure you buy one with jennifer kries. shes fantastic!

I had been a certified fitness instructor for nearly 20 years, I had taught everything from step aerobics,low impact, aqua, toning, sculpting, personal training on all variations of gym equipment and free weights.

I had never learned anything about Pilates and Yoga.

I injured my quad years ago and had to stop teaching. I've been through rehabilitation, nothing helped. I was dealing with constant pain. My work outs were limited to the eliptical machine and trying to work my lower body was excruciating. I had lost considerable amounts of fitness and strength.

I saw the info mercial for another Pilates system that intriqued me. I wanted to learn Pilates and hoped it would allow me to continue to work out without aggrevating my injury.
The infomercial discs, while great, were just too 'fast paced' for a novice. I found the Precision Toning DVD and began with the Toning Essentials portion. This portion, really instructs on Pilates basics. Jennifer Kries, is a wonderful,straight- forward instructor. I like the non-fussiness of this dvd. I like that it's not 'dated' looking, even though it's several years old. I had no idea. If you've ever worked out to 80's videos, they feel dated in the music and production and styles. I find that distracting.

I stayed with Toning Essentials for weeks but gradually moved on to the Precision Toning chapters. This workout is very concentrated and it's not easy. Jennifer keeps you focused on your form and keeps a pace that allows you to concentrate to make each rep count.

I am rotating into my workouts now, the Jennifer Kries Targeted Toning DVD workouts, but am remaining loyal to this DVD as my core workout. I have seen vast improvement in my injury. I own other popular pilates burn type programs and those use a bit more speed in the workout. I actually prefer doing the pilates at the pace Jennifer teaches.
Perhaps as I become more seasoned, I'll step up the pace.
Maybe not, though. I'm seeing great results in my body shape, fitness level and flexibility is better than it has been in my entire career in fitness.

My husband is also using it with great results. He had also been a gym rat for 20 years, yet he has ZERO flexibility. This dvd really challanges different fitness levels. Day by day, he is seeing excellent improvements in his flexibility and core strength.

There is another section of the DVD called Precision Sculpting which uses light weights. It's excellent and again, divided into chapters so it's easy to plan your workouts, further your fitness goals with this DVD.

This dvd will give you results if you are interested in Pilates, you will not be dissappointed. I have bought this dvd for my parents and they also love it.

I agree with the person who said this is like having a 1:1 trainer. Jennifer Kries is no-nonsense about her explanations and is very clear about breathing and how to hold the positions. No, there's no music, and no, she doesn't smile like a robot and talk endlessly like some exercise personalities do. That is why I find this DVD workout appealing. If you are just wanting to learn the basics of Pilates, this is a challenging workout you will want to do long after you learn the positions. Also, it's great that there are 2 workouts, the "Sculpting" and the "Toning." More advanced Pilates devotees will probably find this boring.

I'm an avid Pilates fan, and I own close to a dozen DVDs. This one is by far my favorite, now that I'm no longer a beginner (at which time Pilates for Dummies was my favorite). It kicks my butt! The instructor is down-to-earth, but she's a bit of a tease (in a good way). I mean, it will sound like you're almost finished, and then there's one more set. Or there's another whole group of exercises. And at the very end, the (actual) teasers are KILLERS, but in a very good way. I only play the first part of this DVD. The second part, toning, is good, but I prefer a non-Pilates approach to weights, so I generally use something else. No doubt about it, the first workout alone is worth twice the price of the DVD!