Customer Reviews

Pilates Beginning Mat Workout [VHS]

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(72)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(41)

 

 

I've kicked my rating up one additional star for this one reason: I have been doing this tape everyday for 2 weeks and I can truly see and feel the difference. My stomach, waist, and hips are getting stronger by the day and are visibly more slim. My pants are definitely baggier in these areas and I can see definition in my stomach, and this is after only 2 weeks. Also, I feel stronger in these areas as well as my thighs. Much less joint pain and creaking going on down there, as well. The most signifigant aspect of this rapid improvement is that *you do not break a sweat when you do this workout*. Additionally, it's short, approx. 20 minutes, so I don't feel as though I'm wasting any part of my schedule by doing it. Another bonus is that you don't need any special workout gear, clothes, shoes, scary contraptions, etc. It's just you, the mat, and Ana.

I do have one recommendation for new users: get yourself one of those sticky mats that we use for yoga. The Living Arts company, the very same group that puts out this video, has one. Also, be certain to get Brooke Siler's book in order to understand the poses to their fullest.

That's all I have to say. I just love this workout.

My wife bought this video and I decided to try it. I am a martial artist and core strength and flexibility are very important to me.

This was a hard workout that left my abs acheing. I enjoyed the clear instruction. After you do the workout a couple times, you may think the instruction takes too long between exercises. But this is a beginner's tape.

The modifications are good for those who are not ready for the full effect.

There is a lot of beginning instruction on breathing and basics, the workout actually starts 9 minutes and 30 seconds into the tape. This is where I now fast forward the tape to begin the workout. So the actual workout is about 20 minutes.

I have been doing it for a couple of weeks now - three days a week and my abs are getting rock hard. I also feel taller and lighter after the workout. In a week or so, I will probably move on to the intermediate tape as I am already noticing a big strength improvement. This tape will also help your balance, flexibility, joint stability, and coordination. That's probably why dancers really take to Pilates.

I am a certified Pilates instructor, and this is the only video series that I will recommend to my clients. Ana Caban makes the video fun to watch and easy to follow. All of the other videos on the market are slow & boring! Plus, the video follows the way that Joseph Pilates, himself, created the exercises! So if you are looking to start Pilates, this is an excellent way to do it at home, safely.

This is a fabulous workout. I love Ana Caban! She is encouraging, sweet and best of all, not ditzy. This is a wonderful workout to begin with for anyone new to Pilates that doesn't want to invest a lot of money in props. I moved quite easily through the workout the first day but the next morning I felt it. I also feel taller! Enjoy! This is a great one!

Ana Caban is the best!! She brings the method more to life than anyone else. I seriously thought I'd never loose my second belly, you know, the one below your belly button, but with this video (and don't buy it if you're just going to use it as a dust collector) it's melting away, or should i say, i'm kicking it to the curb. Seriously, this video is great for those of us with stubborn ab'flab but it also does much much more :) !

Ana Caban's video is a very good one for a beginner. I find that tapes and books by actual Certified Pilates instructors to be much better than those "based on the technigues" of Joseph Pilates. I also prefer workouts without machines or "props". I bring a mat along when I travel to continue my exercise routine. While the instructor in this video does not explain the correct breathing techniques later in the video, I found it to be an excellent beginners workout. To help fill in the gaps, I recommend Brooke Siler's book, "The Pilates Bocy". It has a complete introduction to the history of Pilates and 34 beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises plus extra advanced exercises and an arm series. The book is top rate, and I find that Ana Caban has great technique in the video. Together, the book and the video help me to do the exercises correctly and stay motivated.

I TAKE A PILATES CLASS THREE TIMES A WEEK, AND HAVE PURCHASED SEVERAL PILATES VIDEO JUST TO BE DISAPPOINTED. THIS IS THE FIRST VIDEO THAT I HAVE USED THAT IS ACTUALLY LIKE A PILATES CLASS. EXCELLENT INSTRUCTOR AND EASY TO FOLLOW!

I have been using both the Beginning Mat Workout and Intermediate Mat Workout tapes in this series for a few weeks now, and I love them! I can feel and see the most benefits in my abs and posture, but Pilates is a great overall workout -- a point that doesn't seem to be brought up too often. The leg pulls have increased my flexibility, and Pilates-style push-ups (in the Intermediate Mat Workout) work your arms. The workout is fun and exhilarating, not draining. And I agree with other reviewers that Ana Caban is a refreshingly non-ditzy and fun instructor. And just looking at Ana's lean, fit body and that of Tara Russell, who demonstrates the modified versions of the moves, is enough to sell you on Pilates.

I love anything from the "Living Arts" series, and I have a pretty good collection of yoga tapes from "Living Arts" as well. I ordered this tape because I read that pilates is a cross between yoga, aerobics and ballet, and I thought, "Why not give it a go?"

Ana Caban is pretty lively, enthusiastic, and she and her pilates partner, Tara have some pretty amazing bodies. If you're the type that doesn't want to watch a couple of models bending and stretching and looking oh-so adorable, then I really wouldn't reccomend this tape. For those of us who don't particularly care about these things, Ana is a little bit on the cutsie side, but she doesn't come off as an air-head, which, I might add, is probably the number one reason why I'll stop using an exercise tape. Over all, she has her silly moments but it's nothing I'd get annoyed with after viewing several times.

She and Tara alternate between the modified and more difficult exercises. Sometimes it's hard to tell who's doing what at first, until you actually try the moves, then it becomes clear who's demonstrating the more difficult version. This can be a little misleading at first, in most exercise tapes one instructor sticks with a specific level of difficulty, and usually you just follow that one instructor until you're ready to move on, but for some reason the two women leap back and forth!

The tape starts off with 10 minutes of introduction, which covers a detailed explanation of pilates terminology (it's actually quite simple), how to hold various positions to prevent injury, and how to breathe. She's very clear on the instructions, and even offers demos so it's pretty difficult to screw up. She even goes into the principles of pilates, and tells you a little bit of what it does and why. You don't need to watch this part every time you work out, but it's good if you've never done this type of exercise before.

The workout itself is 20 minutes long. The exercises are almost too simple, by my standards (remember, I do yoga and have also done ballet for several years, so I would guess for someone just starting out this would make a good beginners tape!). The great thing about pilates is that there is minimal stress on your joints, so if you have joint problems this tape is definitely for you! I did find two or three of the exercises to be pretty nasty on the tailbone. There are no modifications for those of us with sensitive tailbones, but I've found that a pillow under my butt works great, with little (if any) difference in the workout.

Although pilates is sort of seen as a kind of "fad" workout, I really would recommend this tape to older people, as it has so little stress on the joints (great if you have menopause-related joint problems, or minor arthritis, for example), women who want to get in shape after a pregnancy (the focus is on the "powerhouse" - abs, lower back and butt!), anyone just starting an exercise routine (only 20 minutes ... it'll keep you motivated and it won't burn you out!), or athletes recovering from an injury. It's not the fast paced, jump-up-and-stress-your-joints-for-90-minutes nonsense that causes most of us to go into cardiac arrest. Don't let that mislead you though, you'll work up a sweat!

Over all, it's a great tape. I use it whenever I'm too lazy to do a serious workout, or if I just want to exercise really quick. I plan to keep it as I'm still new to pilates and can really see why this type of exercise has caught on so quickly in health clubs and such. It's alot of fun and the results are pretty quick too. Even if you think maybe this beginners tape might not challnge you enough give it a go, it'll introduce you to the terminology, and get you aquainted with the seemingly akward poses (it's these bizarre little positions that actually do the most for you!). Just watch out for that tailbone!

I can't recommend this video strongly enough. I was introduced to a scaled-back version of Pilates while in physical therapy for a back injury. Being a lifelong exercise hater, I was shocked to find I missed the Pilates when I stopped PT. I picked a video for beginners at random, which happened to be this one, and couldn't be more delighted with it. I find Ana Caban to be a bright, enthusiastic instructor, and I enjoy her sense of humor. And believe me, it's no easy feat to make me laugh while I'm exercising. However, if you are not interested in a younger, more pert approach to a Pilates workout, and seek an instructor who is quiet or conservative, this is not the video for you. Admittedly, after the first viewing, I skip the intro/explanation part of the tape and go right on to the workout, but it's still a very worthwhile investment for anyone interested in discovering Pilates. The actual workout portion is about 25 minutes, and I've found that, even after seven weeks, I can't quite complete some of the movements. I love a challenge, though, so this has kept me from becoming bored with the tape. On a personal note, I've found I sleep better, eat better, have better posture, and have lost an entire dress size since starting Pilates almost two months ago. I would recommend this for anyone who finds yoga too hippie-ish or New Age-y but who still wants/needs a no-impact or low-impact workout.