Customer Reviews

STOTT PILATES: The Secret To Flat Abs

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!!

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.

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.

I am quite new to Pilates though I've been doing Yoga daily for the past nine years. I'm finding Pilates to be a nice addition to Yoga and it really works your body in a different but complementary way.

I recently bought the four DVD disc set of Stott's and I've done the "Basics" previously and this "Flat Ab's" DVD today and found them both to be excellent!

It is a bit on the long side, around 50 minutes, so it's not a quickie sort of deal. It is incredibly well chaptered, in fact every exercise is chaptered so you can do the exercises you want if you don't feel like doing the whole thing (but the warm ups are really important to do before jumping into the other exercises).

I definitely was aware of my core during and after doing this program, it definitely delivers on it's promise! Of course if you are overweight you will need to eat healthy and lose weight in order to truly get flat abs, no amount of exercise will give you that if you don't combine it with good nutrition (this is something I've learned from experience). However, you will strengthen your core by doing this program!

Referring to a previous review of this program, I didn't find it to be overly slow moving at all, rather it was paced in a way that flowed but was challenging. Personally I don't like it when programs are forcibly rushed for the sake of saving time. I'd rather do part of a program like this at her pacing than rush through a practice that tries to squeeze everything in too quickly at the sacrifice of good instruction and form.

There are other programs out there that have shorter practices that may be appropriate for someone who is time conscious but from what I've seen they just do fewer exercises which are grouped according to the body part you want to focus on rather than rushing through too many exercises while sacrificing form.

Anyway, I am very impressed with this and the other Stott program I've worked with so far and I'm looking forward to trying the other programs in the set.

This is a great workout for anyone who is a pilates beginner as it gives very detailed and complete instruction regarding proper form and breathing. I would highly recommend this workout if you are just getting started. I can also see where this would be a perfect workout for new moms or anyone who needs a great, slower paced workout. Once you get past the beginner level however you find yourself wishing the instructor would "get on with it". I wish I had ordered the next level along with this DVD so that I would have an alternative workout for the days when I feel like I need to step it up a level.

I like the video...a very thorough introduction to all the basic Pilates exercises. I found Warm Up section especially helpful..to learn Pilates successfully you do have to learn how to correctly move through the exercises.

If you have never tried Pilates this is a good video to start with, I recommend you proceed slowly and carefully...it may take a number of weeks to be able to do the routine..the pacing makes this feasible.abs,sto

"Stott Pilates: the Secret to Flat Abs" is a fairly uncomplicated workout that is perfect for beginners. The slower pace allows you to focus on your breathing while Moira Stott-Merrithew's nurturing teaching style make you feel comfortable and safe.

The exercises begin with gentle breathing and a focus on proper body alignment. While the exercises focus on the abs, you will also be working your back and arms. The exercises on this DVD include:

Cat/Cow from Yoga
Arm Circles
The Hundred
Roll Ups
Half Roll Back
Leg Circles
Rolling like a Ball
Scissors
Shoulder Bridge
Sit Ups
Shell Stretch (Child's Pose)
Push Ups

If you are new to Pilates this would be a good place to start or you may want to look for anything by Jennifer Kries. I can also highly recommend Windsor Pilates.

~The Rebecca Review

i have had this pilates dvd for 2 years. And love it. i have told everyone i know about it. after each of my surgery's, this has been the first thing I use to start my work outs.

Great Product if you have a back injury. Would recommend this video if you don't have experience with Pilates.

Great exercises. Prompt delivery. Nice doing business with this seller, I highly recommended.