Customer Reviews

The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide

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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.

"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

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.

I have been using this journal for five months now-I actually started over from the beginning and am comparing my first comments to the current ones. It is really helping me stay on track and record my accomplishments little and big. Most experts agree journaling has many benefits and I have to agree.

Is so fashionable!! Pilates is the thing to do, just like the stars. And so many authors profit from it: writing the same thing all over again with just a few changes in the vocabulary or maybe in a few exercises. Pilates is to be taught by a trained person. Trust me no Hollywood star sits in front of a video or just reads a book. There is no substitute for personal training. I find it a bit cheeky to try to make money with someone elses ideas and exercises. And to imply that you can learn it by reading a book. Will you buy a book on how to perform open heart surgery? Another try. Another failure.

As an advocate for weight training and an interest in Pilates, I do believe that one should record his/her exercise progress as well as emotional and mental state. The diary offers an incentive to those who may not want to utilize a steno pad.

The words and photo itself may be mentally and emotionally stimulating to others interested in purchasing the DIARY. So, if they prefer to spend their hard earned money on purchasing a diary to keep them motivated, then by all means... allow them to do so without ridicule.

Someone 400 lbs. may find the diary as a motivational tool for them to continue an exercise routine to stick with when others have probably talked about them instead of helping them. It just may be his/her only goal.

I couldn't imagine a "celebrity" sitting in front of the VCR and performing pilates. I'm quite sure Mari Winsor has trained them one on one. If any individual thinks that they should purchase the diary just because a "celebrity" reviewed it on the VCR...then they are crazy. Purchase the diary because YOU and only YOU want it and no one can tell you what to do with your life.

I had a diary in High school and now I have a Journal. It keeps me focused and allows me to look back at situation that I thought I would never conquer. They all make me laugh now. :)