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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
96 of 97 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superlative Pilates manual,
By
This review is from: Pilates: Body in Motion (Paperback)
There are other good Pilates books out there. Brooke Siler's Pilates Body, in my opinion, raised the bar for all Pilates books- and so far few have come close. Jennifer Kries' Pilates Plus Method is VERY comprehensive and tells you more about muscle relationships and breathing patterns than you thought you needed to know, as well as quite a bit about yoga and dance. However, for the student who wants to learn Pilates (and not yoga or dance), this is the book to use.Ungaro gives a brief description of the origins of Pilates (and hers is slightly more detailed than some of the other accounts) as well as an introduction to Pilates terminology and principles. READ THESE if you are just starting out. Also, better than other sources I have read, she explains why some movements are considered "Beginner" and some are "Advanced"- good information for anyone who has ever scratched their head when watching a video or following another manual. Then to the body of the book. She first lays out the Introductory Program, a series of six or seven of the most basic Pilates movements done with modifications. Then the Beginner's Program, which is exactly the Introductory program only with more traditional form. For the Intermediate and Advanced programs, she uses guides which show all of the exercises in order. In addition to being a good quick reference to what sequence to use, it also gives the reader a sense for how each exercise should flow into another. The exercises themselves are explained with photographs linking breathing to each "mini movement" and just enough text to explain what to do. The photographs in this book- as well as the pages themselves- are perfect. Color photographs in muted tones that make it easy to see what you're supposed to do without being distracting. Ungaro also includes Circle and Wall exercises. These smaller, shorter routines can be incorporated into your day when you don't have time for a full mat workout, or added on to complement it. One drawback: she does not include the any of the Standing Sculpting Series (used with light weights). If you need a reference for this, see Siler's book. Otherwise, this is the perfect Pilates manual.
55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to do Pilates at Home.....,
By A Customer
This review is from: Pilates: Body in Motion (Paperback)
Pick up Pilates:Body in Motion and you know you're actually going to work out with it. The photos are so beautiful and inspirational I found myself lying down immediately to attempt the routine. The introduction is thorough and simple to follow. The author sets the stage for the student to perform each exercise according to the principles she explains in the introduction.Several added bonuses which I found in this book that were not in any of the other books I looked at. 1) There are breathing instructions on every page for every exercise. 2) Ms. Ungaro is a Physical Therapist and so each exercise comes with a "caution" for certain injuries. I found this very helpful as I have an old knee injury. 3) There is an actual "TRANSITION" for each exercise to help you link one exercise to the next. Although I haven't gotten that far, I imagine that this routine will be very aerobic if you keep moving through the exercises without stopping. I have been doing the intro section now for just about a week and I think I have the "scoop" concept down pat. I plan to move on to the beginner section next week. I will write another review as my results become apparent.
52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE PURE PILATES MAT WORK,
By A Customer
This review is from: Pilates: Body in Motion (Paperback)
Pilates: Body in Motion is a stunner. I picked this book up at the bookstore and my first thought was - "wow, this is so beautiful, I bet the content is poor". Well, I was wrong. The pictures and gorgeous layout are actually secondary to the clear, precise, and extraordinary instruction that author Alycea Ungaro provides for each and every exercise.I am a Pilates student and have been working out at a studio for about 5 years now. I have many of the other Pilates books but from now on I will only refer to Pilates Body in Motion. The Pilates Body by Brooke Siler has been my best resource until now but that book is very long winded and a bit weak on photographs. This book by Ungaro really put it all together. Great design, superlative instruction and a good price too. I am planning to buy her audio Mat class next to put her instructions and her live voice together for a true "real-time"experience.
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