Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Gaiam
• VHS Release Date: December 5, 2002
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007D00M
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,297 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, March 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Pilates for Beginners (DVD)

This DVD is terrific for anyone new to Pilates or for those who want to improve their form. Jillian Hessel does a great job explaining pilates breathing and teaching the fundamentals. Pilates is one of those things that is hard to learn without a live instructor, but this DVD comes close for those who can't afford live instruction or don't have it near them.

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great start, July 17, 2003

By 

David A. Cabral (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pilates for Beginners (DVD)

I started Palates last year with the "Beginning Mat Workout" with Anna Caban. It was great. I came across this DVD a few months back and decided that it would be nice to have two DVDs so that I can alternate, rather than watching the same one over and over. This DVD is a bit easier than Anna's, but great just the same with three levels to follow. I have moved on to the intermediate DVD with Anna Caban and I hope that Jillian Hessel considers putting out an intermediate DVD as well. Oh, one more very important factor, this DVD has an actual MAN performing the exercises with Jillian. As a man myself, it was very refreshing to see that Pilates is not just for women.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars very informative but, annoying mat workout, July 22, 2004

By 

r. mills (los angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pilates for Beginners (DVD)

Okay, Pilates is complicated, posture is very important along with breathing and holding in some body parts while extending others.

I did weights for years and was just sick of them. I went to a Pilates studio just to check it out. I signed up for private sessions for 4 months, it was fantastic but, very expensive. I was forced to stop most exercises for 3 months after an injury. So, when I put this DVD on it was like starting over. But, I thought it would all come back to me. And, it did sort of.

Even though I think this DVD is informative I found the instructor a bit annoying as I hated every level quickly blurted out for each exercise. After being in a Pilates studio with private instructors I discovered there are very small movements to concentrate on and form is everything so, with 3 levels being done at once I found it very distracting.

I don't think this is a good way to start out again. Or start out at all. I am now looking for DVD's that show each level of instruction separately. Believe me, paying for 3 great videos is better than one video with everything crammed into one. I bought this DVD because it said , "Pilates for BEGINNERS" if it's for beginnners then why did someone decide to have the instructor blurt out levels 1, 2, 3 for each exercise at the same time? -( ANNOYING.

Pilates is much more complicated than weights and if you want to do it right it's a big commitment, which I don't mind making. There are so many things to remember and then forget ..to feel like a private instructor is in your living room I think a slightly slower pace with better visual and verbal queues would be much more useful and informative and effective.

Bottom line is that mat workout felt like a bad, 3 way phone conversation.

r mills
LA