Customer Reviews

Pilates Powerhouse Workout

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

I would not recommend this DVD for intermediate or even for a beginner that has done some Pilates , even for a few weeks or so. The exercises are not challenging at all (not even at a beginner's level), they mainy focus on breathing techniques which you can easily find in any other workouts that are also trying to accomplish some results (body sculpting/toning). I only recommend this DVD for those who never worked out or those recovering from injuries. I am planning on tossing this DVD , only watched it once and could not find anything I might be interested in. Complete waste of money , if you were to ask me .

Overweight people may have to alter the exercises a little, but it's still a great place to start. Take it easy on the first go, your muscles are working harder than you think.

You will feel great doing Pilates! More calm and more strong. If you're too out of shape to start with aerobics, this is perfect. I might suggest starting with Yoga and then moving up to Pilates.

This particular video takes some time to get to the beginning point. It'd be nicer if you could just click forward. forward. and then be at the starting point.

It spends too much time telling you where to inhale and exhale with descriptions. I couldn't follow what they were saying with my breaths or even figure out what they wanted, at one point. That distracted from the peaceful video.

Woman is pleasant, modest and wears this classically styled outfit that will endure as this video ages. Scenery is beautiful.

Video is worthy of purchase in a beginner's Pilates collection, but more advance people will likely be disappointed. "Powerhouse" makes the video sound intense or powerful, but I believe they're describing the powerhouse area of the body as described in Pilates.

I bought this thinking it would be a new workout of Jillian Hessel. It is not. It is the AM part of AM/PM Pilates. (which is a great workout you get 3 different workouts on it.) However, i had already purchased that dvd a few years ago and I am very upset that this was not annotated on anything in the product description or anywhere else online. I wasted my money on this DVD, because I already have it. AM pilates is a great workout, but save your money and buy the whole thing.

In my opinion, one shouldn't do pilates with a DVD without first learning the basics in person from a qualified instructor. There are just too many details to get right, and an instructor can see mistakes and correct them. That said, this is a pretty good beginner-level pilates workout.

Pros:
--beautiful setting, good production quality, easy to understand instructions
--30 minute workout is very convenient

Cons:
--doesn't begin with the 100
--doesn't have a full 100
--doesn't include the full series of five.
--includes swan dive (modified) which seems too advanced for this DVD. (and series of five should definitely be included over swan dive!)

Overall I'm satisfied, but still looking for a more "purist" version of a mat workout at home.

I don't normally review products, but this DVD was awful. I'm overweight and new to pilates. I have been trying out various beginner workouts these past few weeks, and even the beginner ones are seventy times more challenging than this.
This would be a great DVD to plug in if you just want to unwind, or learn proper breathing, or if you haven't moved off the couch in ten years. Its very low-impact, so I imagine it would be a good fit for older and severely overweight people... Not a 25 yo girl trying to lose 20 pounds.

This is advertised as the powerhouse workout, but when the DVD starts Jillian states that it is A.M. pilates. Gaiam just took an existing DVD workout and then marketed it as something else. It is bad business practice. Besides that, it isn't much of a powerhouse workout, and disn't raise my heartrate. I would recommend it for very out of shape people or beginners to pilates. It does offer some of the meditative/spiritual side of pilates, but not good for a workout.