Product Details

• Actors: Moira
• Directors: Wayne Moss
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Stott Pilates
• DVD Release Date: September 1, 2003
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000ALPIL
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,141 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Let this beginner mat workout help you tone your deep abdominal and back muscles. Find the flatter, firmer abs you ve been looking for while strengthening the mind-body connection from the inside out. Master Instructor Moira Merrithew takes you through a revitalizing sequence that will leave you feeling strong, stretched and streamlined to the core. A moderately-paced workout suitable for beginners. Also, provides fresh programming ideas for fitness instructors. SUITABLE FOR: Beginner audiences (Level 1 of 5) EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Exercise Mat

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars some serious Pilates instruction!!, February 28, 2005

By 

TJ "thephantommoon" (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stott Pilates: The Secret to Flat Abs (DVD)

Excellent, excellent instruction. This is the 1st of a 4-series set and is truly for a beginner to Pilates. The exercises in this DVD is to build up your core strength in a safe way without straining your neck and back.

I am surprised at the negative review of this by the other reviewer as it is an excellent, full workout for a beginner. Moira is not the one doing the exercises. She is talking as another is doing them. She gives many instructions to make sure you are breathing properly as the breathing is an important part of Pilates. But even more important is her instructions to keep you doing the moves in the correct postures so that the moves are safe.

In between exercises she doesn't talk and talk while leaving you hanging waiting for the next move to begin. This was the problem with Winsor Pilates--it got very annoying to wait for the next exercise to begin.

Another thing I love about this Stott Pilates series is that there is a good stretch/warm-up session at the beginning. Also, many harder Pilates exercises are in a modified form in this DVD. It is still a challenge for a beginner and a great way to build the strength so that you can safely do the harder full exercise in the next series and beyond. There are also exercises on this tape that are not on the Winsor Pilates tapes.

If you are a beginner, definitely get this 4 series set. It will challenge you as you safely gain the strength needed to progress to the next in the series, the second one--"Firm and Fit". You will love how Sott Pilates makes you feel!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Pilates, September 21, 2005

By 

D. Snyder - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stott Pilates: The Secret to Flat Abs (DVD)

If you don't understand the concepts/ideas behind pilates and want to learn, this is a cheap alternative to a few $60 hour lessons with an instructor (which I did) and probably as close as you'll get to the detail required to correctly do pilates. If you don't like detail and don't realize that is EXACTLY what pilates is about, this isn't for you. I do this DVD to relieve my back/neck/shoulder pain and even though I'm in shape can still make it incredibly challenging. Once you have the basic concepts you can fast foward through the sections that are just review but it's important information for a beginner. I'm buying a second copy to give to my sister and hope she can find freedom from back pain like I did.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very Slow, May 21, 2005

By 

C. Daly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stott Pilates: The Secret to Flat Abs (DVD)

Moira Stott-Merrithew is a detailed-oriented instructor. Some have called her dry, but I find her lack of fake enthusiasm refreshing.

Even so, I did not enjoy this video. I found it too slow and boring. For the amount of time I invested in doing it, I did not feel like I got enough of a workout. The warmup is extremely long, and consists of breathing exercises, pelvic tilts, and some ab prep. After that, you go into some traditional Pilates exercises, most of them significantly modified for beginners.

For an informational introduction to Pilates, this is a great video. There are tons of explainations of the precise position you need to be in. The exercises are modified in such a way to be non-intimidating to someone who is out of shape. I think for out of shape beginners, this is a decent way to get started.

Unfortunately, the long explainations get old after the second viewing. By then you're ready to move more quickly through the exercises, and there's really no way to do so on this DVD. I do like Stott's teaching style, though, so I plan to give her level 2 workout a try.