The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide [Spiral-bound]

Mari Winsor (Author), Mark Laska (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2001

Health and fitness experts agree that keeping track of exercise habits helps to improve performance and motivates a person to continue an exercise regimen. Based on the hugely-popular book that introduced readers to mat-based Pilates, The Pilates Workout Journal will help all readers-from beginners to more advanced Pilates enthusiasts alike-track the progress of their exercise routines. With inspirational quotes and training tips throughout, The Pilates Workout Journal is a practical, motivational tool to help readers get the most out of their Pilates workout.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pilates gives me long, lean muscles and works deeper than any other workout I've ever done. Mari Winsor got me in great shape." -- Marisa Tomei

"Pilates has changed my life." -- Melanie Griffith

"Working with Mari Winsor and the Pilates technique has proven to be the absolute best workout for my body, mind and soul." -- Elizabeth Berkley

About the Author

The Pilates trainer-to-the-stars, Mari Winsor owns and operates two Pilates studios in the Los Angeles area. She has been featured in Allure, Redbook, Elle, LA Magazine, Health & Fitness, USA Today, Fitness, Shape, In Style, Vogue, and Time and has appeared on MTV, "Access Hollywood," and "Entertainment Tonight." She is the author of The Pilates Workout Journal and The Pilates Powerhouse, for which she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show. Mark Laska is a professional writer and publicist and co-author of The Pilates Powerhouse and Body-Fat Breakthru! He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (April 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738205001
• ISBN-13: 978-0738205007
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,013,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of money!, June 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide (Spiral-bound)

Pilates is an exercise form like no other because of it's diverse applications - strength, flexibility, rehabilitation from injury or illness, and better body awareness. As a physician and Pilates practitioner for over 10 years, I frequently recommend specific exercises for specific problems, and find that patients introduced to the Pilates method often embrace it wholly for the wide range of benefits they receive. Most individuals who begin any exercise program have clearly-defined goals to accomplish, and I had anticipated that the "Pilates Workout Journal" would be a way to verbalize those goals and record one's progress by tracking progression in strength, stamina, and flexibility in a formal and objective process, looking at springs used, repetitions performed, new exercises learned, and new body skills and movements acquired. Unfortunately, other than a brief introduction to the discipline, which most practitioners learn "on the mat" if they are trained by a certified and experienced instructor, this book is nothing but empty pages on which to record one's thoughts - a diary perhaps to map one's emotional state - but provides no way to chart one's physical progress to well-being. Since the basic concept of Pilates training is the mind-body connection, this is only half a journal - and one not worth paying for. You could do just as well with a steno pad from Costco.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Record of the RESULTS!, January 16, 2003

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide (Spiral-bound)

"Pilates is the most exciting and beneficial form of exercise that I have ever experienced. In using Pilates, I have found that sanctuary, that activity that both improves my appearance and provides inspiration." -Mari Winsor

Pilates is a form of exercise named after "Joseph Pilates" who invented this scientific system of body conditioning over eighty years ago.

Frankly, I've never seen such fast results with any exercise program. I'm amazed and my husband has noticed the difference in my body (which is in sore need of a fast exercise remedy after a winter of reading, reading and more reading) in the past few weeks. If you have yet to try the Winsor Pilates workout tapes, prepare to be amazed.

With that said, I thought it would be interesting to record my progress in a journal. Mari Winsor has created a journal just for Pilates.

Contents Include:

Introduction
Why should I use a workout journal?
How to use The Pilates Workout Journal?
The evolution of Pilates - a fascinating history!
The principles of understanding & the science of the art
The Powerhouse
The Journal starts at page 33
Beginner, intermediate and advanced Pilates workouts - a list
of the exercises, no instructions.

This is a book where you can write your thoughts about activities that rejuvenate your mind and body. You can keep a journal to make notations about which exercises you performed and how many different parts of your body felt the effects.

Each page has five sections:

Mind & Spirit - Ideas, insight.
Challenges - Areas that need improvement.
Coordination & Balance - Positive thoughts and notions of progress.
Endurance - Physically taxing or energizing?
Strength & Flexibility - How did your workout feel? Energy? Did any part of you body feel weaker?

If you have purchased the Winsor Pilates video workouts, this is an essential companion to the set. I can't believe they didn't include this book. It explains Pilates in such detail and gives all sorts of background information on Mari Winsor.

Fascinating. Worth buying just for the Pilates information!

I hope that with this journal I can keep on track with my workouts and New Year's resolutions. Throughout the book there are little inspirational passages to keep you motivated.

~The Rebecca Review

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Motivational Tool For Pilates Practioners, July 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide (Spiral-bound)

This journal is not an instructional guide and should not be used as such - but - it is useful as part of your Pilates program whether your fortunate enough to afford lessons with an instructor or whether you are an average person like myself using an instructional video and book... The Pilates Workout Journal is great for those who find it helpful and motivating to keep an exercise journal. For those lucky, lucky few who can afford to plunk down their dough at a Pilates Studio just look for one in the yellow pages. As for the rest of us, we shall continue to buy books and videos, and continue to benefit from such wonders. I highly recommend "The Pilates Body" by Brooke Siler and "The Pilates Powerhouse" by Mari Winsor. "The Method" series of videos based on Pilates are also good.