Customer Reviews

The Quick & Dirty Guide to Pilates, Part 1

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After wreaking havoc on my body playing rugby (followed by a long and sedentary period of recuperation!) I found myself a few pounds too heavy, itching to get off the couch, and looking for a solid, low-impact way to get back in shape. A bit of reading up and asking around led me to a choice of either yoga or pilates. Most other forms of activity were stamped with a big no no from my physical therapist.
I'll have to admit, I wasn't expecting much. Highly skeptical is a good way to put it. I've usually been more of a fan of the high-impact adrenaline-laden competitive sport sort of fitness. Any form of "mat stuff" just seemed boring. Fifteen dollars a class was just out of the question (and slightly ridiculous) so I started looking into DVDs and books. I tried yoga, but I found the poses insanely hard to follow without a live instructor making corrections to my poses. I was probably doing them wrong because I came out of my workouts without ever feeling like anything had been "worked out." Not much of a choice left. Thus began my quest for the perfect pilates regimen. One that would seriously WORK.

I started out with the (as of now!) more popular recommendations on this site. Brooke Siler's pilates book...Pilates for dummies...I borrowed Winsor pilates from a friend... They each had their pros and cons. The most cons being with the pilates books in general. Most of the books have nice intros where they talk about the history of pilates and outline basic techniques. But when it came down to having and actually DOING a good workout it was the same problem I had with yoga- I just couldn't see the poses. The photos-while they looked nice-just didn't offer enough accesible comprehensive instruction. And it was hard to use! Try keeping a pose arms and legs straining while trying to read a book for pointers at the same time. Maybe it's just me but I just couldn't.

In the DVD realm, I found things much easier to follow but of course, all DVDs are not made equal. I don't want to single any particular DVD out to avoid or anything because the truth is that most of the ones I tried were okay. Pilates in general, I found easier to follow than other workouts and free of extra things to invest in like weights or exercise balls. All I really needed was a towel or two. And a TV. (Although if I keep this up I might memorize and not even need that!). I found, though, that as a general rule for DVDs that offer multiple workouts: beginning intermediate etc.- all on one disk...what seemed like a great bang for a buck at the time actually turned out to be more boring and less effective in the long run while harder to follow in the short. I think the amount of disk space needed to cram more than one workout on one disk meant scrimping on in-depth explanation of each movement and much less attention to the (very important!) pilates basics like breathing and posture. I also found that most of those more advanced workouts would be just a repetition of the same mat moves in the previous workouts, with only a few new moves added in. Though this probably isn't an attempt on their part to con the buyer or anything (pilates matwork revolves around a set number of proven movements and they're bound to be repeated from workout to workout), it still made me wonder in the end if they were worth it since the tradeoff is less patient and (I think) less effective overall instruction. Of course, on the flip side the tradeoff to the multiple DVD workout sets is literally, price.

As a newcomer to pilates, especially one without the benefit of having a regular instructor or a big checkbook, it was first and foremost important to me that I would be able to really follow the workout, not just scramble through the movements and render them ineffective. Which brings me to THIS DVD and why, after all this trial and error, I highly highly recommend it:

The INTRO to the pilates basics is in a seperate chapter of its own in the main menu. Easy to skip or return to as necessary. I have seen many explanations of nuetral pelvis and actually, most of them do a fine job but in this DVD, Laura Hames pays added attention to pelvic floor/scoop and breathing as well- something which I found lacking in others.

This attention carries over to The MAT exercises themselves, as she paces the exercises well and takes the time to make sure you're aware of ALL the basics during every exercise- not just some and not just at the beginning of the entire set. While this is extremely important when it comes to posture and spinal alignment (no more injuries!)- this is especially helpful when it comes to breathing because, ironically, it's one of the easiest things to forget to do right! On top of that, every single exercise has an icon you can click on for further explanation.

Other reviewers for this DVD have raved about the extra nifty things this DVD has to offer. This is true, they are extra extra cool and still easy to navigate. There isn't a single fitness DVD out there that lets you program your own workout, you can even set the exercises on shuffle. For people who get bored easily by the same old thing everyday, especially in mat workouts- this is an absolute blessing. As far as pilates goes, there isn't a single DVD out there that lets you see every movement from three angles all at once. I found this very helpful in finally getting to "see" the poses.

The most surprising thing about this DVD, for me, has been its longevity. I'm thankful to be up and running around again but exploring Pilates has somehow improved my posture and my stomach has never felt more fit.... this DVD in particular, made things less boring and really helped me stick with the regimen and I intend to do so. It's easy to follow and it gives results. My apologies- such a long winded review. All in all, this was the best one I've found and this is the one I chose to rave about. new and surprisingly effective. Definitely worth checking out.

There's lots to like about this innovative excercise DVD. There is a feature that allows the user to customize the workout among the various demonstrated movements, and there also are three different camera angles available. The production quality of the disc is quite good; the menus are easy to follow after perhaps a few moments of initial confusion. The on-screen instructor, Laura Hames, demonstrates the exercises skillfully. The provided music is appropriate, if perhaps a bit monotonous.

However, like some other reviewers, I was surprised at the monolithically gentle, non-strenuous nature of the exercises. A few of the movements might give a user a small taste of what "real" Pilates classes are like, but overall, this seems to incorporate mainly a warmup and a cooldown, while averting the core-strenghtening heart of the workout that buyers might expect.

Only someone who has not exercised at all for years will find this workout truly satisfying. I suspect that the target market for this DVD is, in fact, longtime non-exercisers, and perhaps older adults who are searching for some guidance in regaining some lost strength and flexibility.

People who have taken in-studio Pilates classes know just how taxing these can be (in a good way, of course). Perhaps in "Part Two" of the Quick and Dirty Guide To Pilates, Debdoot Das and Laura Hames will provide more of a taste of what Pilates is about.

I'm deeply impressed by the technical excellence of this disc. I got it for my wife and she loves it, because of being able to programme your own routine and see each exercise from a different angle. But, as a DVD author myself, I can appreciate how much work is needed to achieve these results, and I have to say it's a real pleasure to see the format being stretched and exploited in this way. Because it's so well done, the disc is simplicity itself to use, but there's a mass of seriously clever stuff going on behind the scenes. A playlist capability like this is *very* complex to create, especially in multi-angle. For those who are interested, there's even a demo of the software they used to make the DVD actually on the disc, and instructions showing how to hack in and see it all working. Apparently the same formula can be applied to other discs very easily, so hopefully there will be many more titles made in the same way because it's on a different level to anything else that's available. The presentation of the DVD is excellent, the production standards are extremely high, and all in all it makes a superb teaching tool. The only thing I don't like is the name - there's nothing quick or dirty about it !

I was always really skeptical about Pilates because it has very little to no cardio in it. But after seeing my friend (a guy!) who has a 6 pack from doing Pilates, I decided to give it a try.

Whats great about this DVD is that it helps you understand what muscles one should be using when doing Pilates. When I do any workout, I'm alyways wondering whether I'm doing them correctly. The DVD has an introduction that explains the fundamental of Pilates. This is REALLY awesome because it breaks down how Pilates works your body and develops your core strength. I used to just think it was just about laying around. Boy, was I wrong. Also the DVD has extra tutorials that you can access while doing the exercises so you can get more info about the moves your doing and whether your doing them right.

There is a whole bunch of perks in the DVD like being able to program your own workout routine. I like the routine that the instructor laid out but sometimes I do feel like doing more stretch exercises like the CAT stretch because I have really tight shoulders. The DVD lets me design my own workout so I can add moves I like and take out moves I dont. Its something I never saw in any other workout DVD.

If your looking for a workout where you will break out into a heavy cardio sweat this isnt it. I would say that this workout is great for someone who wants to balance their already cardio workout with core strengthening and muscle defining. Or who just wants to work on core strengthening which is a hell of a workout to begin with.

In a brilliant follow-up to "The Quick and Dirty Guider to Salsa", producer, director and editor Debdoot Das brings us a DVD for those interested in learning about Pilates in an interactive fashion. Know how most DVDs offer a ton of extras, bonus items and documentaries that complement the main "feature"? How about taking the main feature and showing it to you in a ton of different ways, for you to make the most of it? This is where this DVD Guide to Pilates excels.

Indeed the ability to view all the exercises from different angles is fantastic, considering that you can get more detail for some of them from different angles. The same applies to sound and your ability to turn it on and off, if you'd rather practice to your own music once you've learned the instructions provided. You can also dive deeper into the exercises, if you choose to, by obtaining more details about them. But perhaps coolest of all interactive features is the ability to set up a personalized series of exercises, to perform. I cannot think of any other DVD series that exploits the interactive possibilities of this medium more than the ones that Debdoot Das puts together. Highly recommendable for its adaptability and high quality.

I have looked over a number of Pilates DVDs, so I have some experience, not to mention a bad back. I had seen the Quick and Dirty Guide to Salsa in this same series, so I knew this was worth checking out. This DVD is the real deal. It offers 3-camera angles on all 20 exercises, which is a great help. As many of you may know, Pilates is a powerful, but somewhat subtle technique. Having three camera angles available at all times really makes it clear how to do these exercises properly. Another feature that I find indispensable is the ability to program the exercises in any order I want. My back problems are such that I need to cycle through a particular series of exercises and this DVD lets me do just that. I also like the gentle background music, which you can turn on or off.

And last, perhaps the feature that makes this DVD ideal for me is the "Plus" button. Let me explain it, since it really is a plus. Each of the exercises takes you through a period of actually doing that exercise, so that you can chain them together to custom-build a daily workout. For most exercises, there is a button you can press for a complete introduction to that exercise, explaining why it helps, and just how to do it. You only need to see these sections once or twice to get the idea for each exercise. In this way, it does not intrude into the flow of the actual exercises. I find this totally useful. I don't have to go to some other section of the DVD for instruction. It is built in to each exercise and always there to remind me, if I need it.

This is, by far, the best Pilates DVD I have come across to date.

I love The Quick & Dirty Guide to Salsa so I was curious about The Quick & Dirty Guide to Pilates. Wow. This DVD is incredibly well done. We all know about the multi-angle part but now you can also design your own workout. You can re-arrange your Pilates routine so easily that there is no reason to get bored with the same routine anymore.

The instructor Laura Hames has a great voice, personality and a clear accent. You got to check her out. She is really good. She sounds like an angel with the music. Though the music on this DVD is very gentle and soothing, you can also turn the music off. I prefer my own workout music and this is my most favorite feature.

Overall, this DVD is so fun that it will put a smile on your face. Bring out that mat. Highly recommended.

It's too bad that all exercise videos don't take advantage of the DVD format as well as this one does. In particular, The Quick & Dirty Guide to Pilates allows for each exercise to be viewed from multiple angles--including front, top, and behind--which is enormously helpful, especially to beginners. In addition, at any point during the exercises, you can click on the "+" button to obtain more detailed information on how to perform the movement.

That being said, I found the workout itself to be disappointing, as it contains virtually no traditionally Pilates matwork. Instead, I would classify this workout as more of a stretching program with components more similar to yoga than to Pilates. Aussie instructor Laura Hames does begin by offering an introduction to Pilates principles (neutral spine, pelvic scoop, and breathing), and she does remind you of these principles during the exercises.

The DVD is very well-chaptered according to the individual exercises, with most of the chapters being very short (<1 minute), and the total workout coming in at about 31 minutes. Below is the complete chapter breakdown along with my short descriptions:

1. Sliding Legs--lying on your back, moving each leg in and out in turn
2. Pelvic Tilts--performed lying on your back
3. Knee Drops--lying on your back, opening and closing your knees
4. Knee Stairs--lying on your back, making circles with each bent leg
5. Hamstrings--reclined hamstring stretch with towel (from yoga)
6. Spine Curls--similar to pelvic tilts, but incorporating a wave-like movement with your entire back
7. Arm Opening--still in a reclined position, raising your arms over your chest then opening out to the side
8. Drops--in reclined position, lifting and dropping your shoulders
9. Diamonds--a simple back extension from a face down position
10. Cat--spine stretch performed on hands and knees (from yoga)
11. Oyster--lying on your side with your knees bent, opening and closing your top bent leg
12. Glutes--lying on your back, a bent leg stretch (called thread the needle in yoga)
13. Curl Ups--a very slow abdominal crunch
14. Knee Bends--a gentle standing squat
15. Side Bends--a standing side stretch repeated to each side
16. Rotations--a sort of bow & arrow stretch from a standing position
17. Walk on the Spot--tiptoeing in place
18. Shoulder Circles--rolling your shoulders
19. Roll Down--rolling from standing to a forward bend
20. Rest--finish in shell stretch (Pilates) or child's pose (yoga)

Although this workout has some merit as a stretching routine based on Pilates principles, I think calling it a "guide to Pilates" is definitely poor marketing. The comments on the DVD case just add to this confusion--one statement referred to instructor Laura Hawes, saying "even her presence melts fat." I found this to be quite misleading; not only is this workout not traditional Pilates, but it is also NOT a fat-burning workout by any means, as it moves VERY slowly. If you are wanting to take advantage of special DVD features to learn basic Pilates principles and stretches, you might enjoy this DVD, but don't expect to become familiar with Pilates or to get an intense workout from this DVD.

Having enjoyed and reviewed this company's Salsa lessons on DVD, watching this unique approach to yet another form of exercise was technically no surprise, The folks at Digifilm have entered the workout arena with this QUICK AND DIRTY GUIDE TO PILATES and win the competition hands down!

Not only is this DVD an interesting film to watch merely as a bit of advanced technical video achievement, with a course instructor like Laura Hames it is impossible not to just give in and get down on the floor and participate! This video DVD makes the positions and steps of gradual advancement as easy as is humanely possible. With Digifilms trademark multi-angle approach not only is the viewer able to understand the physical musculoskeletal dynamics of each move, but also can alter the workout with every viewing.

This is a fascinating and highly instructive program. For those pinching the midriff after the holidays, buy this indispensable aid to better health and give in to it! Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

This DVD is the first real tool I have found that makes it easy to learn how to do exercises such as Pilates or Yoga. I attended a group yoga class for a while, but I was always just barely keeping up, and as soon as I got home I would forget how to do the exercises.

Here everything is explained in detail, and shown from 3 different angles. But you are not forced to watch or hear the same explanations over and over, you have complete control over the sequence of events. As a computer programmer, I really appreciate the elegance of the navigational structure of this DVD.

First there is an introduction that explains the entire theory behind Pilates, and gives you an overview of the components that make up each exercise. But, if you are already an expert, you need never watch this particular piece, you can go directly to the exercises.

When following a particular exercise, the verbal instructions are very simple and soothing. In fact, this is the most relaxing DVD I have ever encountered, both visually and aurally. You may choose to listen to very pleasant background music, or turn it off.

If you can't see exactly how to perform the exercise, switching to another camera angle will usually help. But if you forget some vital point, clicking the enter button will take you to the "Plus" track. This track is in addition to general introduction, and gives a step-by-step explanation of the current exercise you were viewing. When the individual explanation is complete, the DVD will automatically return you to the beginning of that exercise. Or if you wish, you can click the enter button again and return immediately. These options are shown as a "+" sign on the exercise video and a "-" sign on the explanation video, and can be turned on or off.

The ability to program any number of exercises in the order you want is accomplished through the Design menu. On this menu, you just click on the exercise names in the sequence you want. Then you can hit Preview, and it will show you names you have chosen, so you can double-check. Or you can hit Reset and start over. Then when you hit play, it will play those particular exercises, while still giving you access to the plus track. You can even include the same exercise multiple times, up to a total of 24 total selections.

You can also Loop the chosen exercises forever (until you hit an appropriate remote key), in sequence or even randomly. There is also a context-sensitive Help key for each menu, and all of the important menu buttons are repeated identically on each menu, so you never lose your place.

All in all, this is an awesome DVD!