Customer Reviews

Rael Pilates 3 Pack

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set of 3 Pilates dvd's is the 3rd I've tried, the other 2 being Winsor Pilates and Classical Pilates with Consideration of the Neck and Back.

Mari Winsor is perky and friendly and her workout really is OK. But I borrowed her dvd from a friend, gave it back, and did some research on Pilates and Pilates dvd's.

That led me to the Classical dvd and to Rael's set of 3 dvd's.

The instruction on the Classical dvd was poor. Having back problems, I tried to stick with it a few times, thinking it would be the best way to get my back in shape again, but gave it up in frustration and turned to Rael.

What a difference! Rael is thorough, knowledgeable, and an excellent teacher (he's been a Pilates Master for over 25 years and is known as "teacher of teachers"). His workout goes at a natural pace, his style is relaxing yet professional, and his dvd is very well done. He explains everything, reminds us when to inhale and when to exhale (basic stuff in Pilates, but unnatural to the beginner) and goes through the movements in a way that sets the foundation first, building upon it with each successive movement. This set of 3 dvd's is the next best thing to having Rael as your personal Pilates trainer.

For beginners, intermediate, and advanced students, Rael's dvd's are excellent!

I hate exercise. I've tried many different workouts, and I've hated all of them, so I'm very out of shape. One of my friends recommended that I try pilates, so I did some research and found that Rael's DVDs were highly recommended on many pilates websites. I popped the System 7 (the most basic) DVD in last night, and I had an exercise experience like nothing I've ever felt.

Rael is an amazing instructor. Some (many) exercise DVDs leave you wondering whether you're doing a movement properly. Rael explains all of the positions so thoroughly that I knew exactly what I was doing wrong (even if I don't yet have the muscle strength to do the exercises properly yet). He also explained exactly how I should be breathing on each exercise and explained which muscles I should feel working. He even told me which parts of my body should be relaxed during specific exercises. At the end of the workout, my body felt relaxed and refreshed, which is something I've never felt from exercise. The stress from my day had also melted away. And I'm only on the first workout! I can't wait to master the system 7 positions and move on to the more advanced positions.

I am a complete beginner to Pilates and haven't exercised in about five years. I found the first 2 DVDs in the series to be completely unchallenging. The instructions in the 3rd DVD are complete and sufficient to pick up the basics of Pilates without having to endure the boredome of the first 2 DVDs. It's a challenging workout with a wonderful pace. Just get the Rael 27 DVD.

I think this is a great, basic pilates video. No equipment to purchase. Rael is very soothing to listen to. I think it is a good challenge.

I sit at a computer chair all day and my back is very unhappy about it. Enter the System 7 disc. You might think of Pilates as being great for the stomach, but I find System 7 to be excellent for my spine, especially the knots and soreness along my upper back. It lets me stretch it out while also strengthening my core to give me better posture. I don't sweat or groan when I do it, although I do feel the burn in my abs the next day as well as the relief and loosening in my back. By contrast, System 17 kicks my butt. Definitely sweating and groaning there and a great, solid workout. I haven't mustered the courage to try System 27 yet, but based on the first two discs, it should be great for someone more fit and determined than I am. ;-)

If you're looking for other good back relief discs, check out Yoga Zone's Sunrise & Sunset and Rodney Yee's A.M. Yoga (part of the A.M. and P.M. Yoga DVD).

The 3 pack gives you an opportunity to learn and master each level before progressing to the next. Rael is an amazing teacher with many years of experience which I believe enables him to cue so thoroughly each of the exercises, because he is aware of common misalignment and tendencies practitioners do, so he addresses them which helps you to be aware and make corrections. He teaches in a way that you will pick up deeper levels of instruction the more you improve and are ready to hear and assimilate the next layer. I love his accent and choice of descriptive words, they put a smile on my face, which makes the challenging portions more enjoyable. In comparison to Stott Pilates, I think they're great to get started, but I get so much more instruction and knowledge from Rael.

I was quite looking forward to this DVD series after reading Rael Pilates book which is a fantastic Pilates book with good explanations and examples. However, this DVD series were disappointing. The system 7 is only 7 exercises, it flows beautifully but too short and not worth it. The system 17 is the same 7 exercises as in the 7 with a few more 'difficult' variations, which is an improvement. However the best of the series is system 27 which feels like a more compressive work. Overall, the best about this set or Rael's 'workouts' are the flow and transitions between the exercises. In that respect I didn't get disappointed. Rael Pilates 3 Pack

This is as close to taking an actual Pilates class as possible. Rael takes it slowly and gives you an intensive pilates session. Love it!!!

Rael's voice is annoying, but this is a good beginners tape. It is really slow, so it would be best for beginners.