Customer Reviews

The Pilates Powerhouse

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Pilates was hard for me to 'get'. I think that Pilates exercises should really be taught (in person) by a certified experienced instructor. The exercises would be impossible for me to properly learn via book, owing to their very precise nature. I could easily do them incorrectly without my trainer's assistance.

I've been looking for a book to use at home, as a guide for a mat workout. This book is the best I've found for using in conjunction with classes. It outlines a whole mat workout, and differentiates exercises by beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The photographs of Mari are clear. The exercises sometimes are explained on two pages so you have to turn the page while you're working, which interrupts the flow a bit.

Pilates works, but it must be done properly. Mari Winsor knows her stuff and provides an enthusiastic and warm guide for home use.

If you think you can buy this book and learn Pilates, dream on.

The book has some useful information but don't think, like I did, that you can practice Pilates if you buy it.

The exercises are NOT organized from easiest to most difficult but randomly listed, the directions are not easy to follow once you do figure out which ones to do first, and you had better be in very good physical condition before you start; otherwise, the exercises are impossible to do. The book feels like it was written by someone who's forgotten what it's like not to know how to do the exercises.

The good thing about the book is that it's so frustrating it motivates you to go find a class, which is what I did. The class did the trick. We started slowly with exercises that prepared us to do the actual Pilates mat exercises.

With the encouragement of the instructor, the new age background music, the commitment of others in the class, I'm well on my way to being a Pilates pro.

This book is an excellent introduction to the Pilates system. The exercises are listed in the order to be performed and the difficulty levels are are clearly marked.

I'm sold. I would like to try the Pilates Method. I read the book and became very excited about getting fit and all the benefits of Pilates that Marni Windsor promises. However, in practicality, learning from the book from scratch leaves too much to be desired. I began to search and was very surprised to find that with the increasing popularity of this method, nobody has made a video.? How is this possible?

Obviosly the best way to learn and accomplish these exercises is to have and instructor. A video would be the next best thing.

I found the book very difficult to follow. The photographs were not clear, and directions were confusing. Even after several attempts to practice the movements, I never felt as though I were performing them correctly.

I could not get past the first exercise on page 47. At the end of the instructions you are told to "Repeat the cycle until you have counted to 100". It is not clear where the "cycle" begins. On page 153 there is a modified version of the same exercise. The written instructions do not match the photos.

The instructions for each exercise are long. With details on breathing and transitions. This kind of detail would work best with a personnal trainer. A detailed and well produced video would be much better than this book.

I found this book to be a good introduction to Pilates. Unfortunately, it never gave me the confidence to continue with the program. I felt there were descriptions or directions left out or just not thorough enough for the true beginner. On several exercises, I never felt I was correct in form and needed a little more direction (e.g. the Hundred). This is one of the most important moves in terms of breathing and control of your powerhouse. A much better book to use is Brooke Siler's The Pilates Body. The directions are much clearer and you start out much slower in terms of adding movements to your routine (15 min. a day vs. 1 hour). The time issue is big if you are trying to establish a new routine in an already tight schedule.

This book is definitely not for beginners even if it mentions otherwise. I had never tried Pilates until I bought this book, it looked like it would be something that beginners could do -- NOPE. The exercises are not explained in detail enough to perform correctly, some are not explained enough so that you know what to do, I ended up making guesses, which is not something you should do with Pilates. This book is well written and made me more interested in Pilates, enough so to go and buy another book on it. I bought the Pilates book by Brooke Siler which had a wonderful modified beginner Pilate moves. It was easier to understand and perform. This book is probably alright for people who have been previously exposed to Pilates and have a general idea of what it is about and the moves that are performed.

Even though I'd read some discouraging reviews about "Pilates Powerhouse," I went ahead and bought it anyway. I am not disappointed. If you have a rudimentary knowledge of the basics of breathing while exercising and have a working knowledge of proper form, you will be just fine using the book. Yes, it is a bit difficult to follow along with a book while performing mildly complicated moves, so I suggest you hold the book in one hand and practice the move as though you were practicing a simple dance step. You will have to go through the routine a few times to get the "feel" for what you're doing, and concentrate on the breathing, but if you're embarking on any new and uncharted territory, it won't be easy from the get-go. If it is, you're probably doing it wrong. I liked the way I felt while performing the moves. The cool thing is is that when I first bought the book, I haughtily thought that what she was doing in those pictures looked pretty easy. I was pleasantly deceived. It's hard to keep your lower back flat on the floor while your shoulders and limbs are off the floor! Made me pretty sore! I look forward to continuing my home-schooling in Pilates, and am happy I bought this book.

"If you honor the spiritual and scientific basis of this technique, and give over all your concentration and incorporate the fluidity of movement, you will possess all the keys to bring "Quality" to this method and experience the profound benefits Pilates offers." -Mari Winsor

Mari Winsor enjoys helping people transform their bodies and for those of us who are just discovering the benefits and FINALLY seeing some results, we are especially excited about the fact that Mari has organized a program for us to help us transform our bodies.

Maybe these types of exercises are just addictive because you really can see results. These exercises also provide a quiet place where you can just be by yourself and nurture yourself. In a way, they are like Yoga where you have time to yourself just
to reflect and move in the moment.

You need three items to fully appreciate Winsor Pilates:

The Pilates Powerhouse book
The Winsor Pilates Body Sculpting Program
The Pilates Workout Journal

This book is probably best purchased along with the Winsor Pilates Body Sculpting Program and Pilates Workout Journal. To find the Body Sculpting program, link over to the drugstore.com area that is connected with Amazon. For some reason, I can't get
the program to list when searching for Mari Winsor at Amazon.

I would like to see this book in a "spiral bound" version because you will want to be able to keep the pages open. This is a book you want to use, not just read once. I would also like to find a Pilates wall chart. No luck so far.

The exercises in this book are all in Mari's Body Sculpting program. To do these exercises correctly, I find it is essential to watch the videos first. Then, you can use this book to remind yourself of the exercises while doing other fun things like watching movies. The journal is also useful as it has a beginner to advance routine and you can follow the lists.

I've thought about cutting out all the pictures in the book and pasting them onto note cards and placing them on a key ring so I can have the exercises all in a row. This might be what I resort to if I can't find a chart.

The reason I personally love this method of exercising is because I can do the exercises while watching TV or a movie.

This book is going to tell you all the basics you need to know. The explanations do go into more depth than even on the videos. Yet, I think to appreciate the program, it is best to watch the videos first.

Contents:

Introduction: Find out who Joseph Pilates was and why he was a revolutionary force in the world of fitness.

Part One: The Power of Pilates

1. The Joy of Movement - What are the benefits? These are rather convincing. If you are stressed out by other routines, these exercises provide a loving, nurturing environment in which your body can change. You feel that you are really caring for yourself.

2. Principles of Understanding - Learn about breathing, relaxation, concentration, control, fluidity, strength, flexibility, freedom and control. There is a certain joy in the opposites presented in these exercises. You stretch and tone. You relax and work out. There is a certain balance you achieve through each routine.

3. The Powerhouse - The secret and essential ingredient. I didn't really understand fully what this was until reading this book. There is not enough time on the videos to go into depth. That is why this book is essential!

Part Two: Doing It

4. Before You Begin - More motivation and pep talk from Mari. I love her style. I love the way she can convince me to get down on the floor and work out. What a woman!

5. Pilates Mat Work - These are the exercises. A full list of 41 ways to firm, tone and stretch. All the exercises are shown with complete detailed explanations. Most have a "prep, ready and action" area. Some only need a "ready and action." The instructions are easy-to-understand, but to fully understand them, I again recommend the videos. So worth the price.

Part Three: Injuries and Injury Prevention

6. Defying Defeat- If you have been injured and are in pain, Pilates might be the perfect remedy for healing and diminishing chronic pain. I know it has helped my back and my entire body feels stronger.

7. Neck Injuries - Neck stretches you can do to alleviate pain. When first doing these exercises, you will notice some tension in your shoulders and neck, but that quickly subsides as you build up muscles to support your head. There are also variations so you don't have to lift your head as much when doing the exercises. Of course, you want to work to that level.

8. Lower Back Pain - Stretches and modifications. "Rolling Down the Wall" is a fun exercise to stretch out your lower back.

9. Asthma - interesting to have included this in the book. But asthma is actually very common. Breathing through your nose is what Mari recommends. I've heard that cold air on the back of the throat can actually aggravate Asthma. Exercise induced Asthma is a reality.

10. Beyond the Mat - Look for a Pilates studio. The equipment can help give you a deeper stretch and added resistance. In this section, it would have been nice to see the exercise machines. She gives a toll-free number so you can call and find a studio in your area.

Like Yoga, Pilates is really a way of life for many. You can add this type of program to a walking program and see added benefits. I like this better than Yoga, because there are still some pretty intense moves in Yoga that will take me years to perfect. With Pilates, you feel almost proficient from the start. None of the exercises are "too difficult" or "impossible."

A Balanced approach to Life and Exercise.

~The Rebecca Review