An exercise routine embraced by professional dancers for over fifty years, Pilates is now the hottest and most talked about fitness trend since the running shoe. The perfect blend of Yoga and Nautilus, Pilates concentrates on building strength and flexibility, improving coordination, balance, and posture, and increasing stamina. All Pilates movements are initiated by muscles in the abdominal area (known as the powerhouse) and are designed to work the smaller muscles that support larger ones, while stretching and lengthening the entire muscular package. A low-impact yet highly intense workout, Pilates is ideal for everyone, young or old, those who are extremely fit or out of shape, as well as those who have chronic pain, injuries, or asthma.Illustrated with over 100 black-and-white photographs, The Pilates Powerhouse brings this time-efficient and highly effective means to get and stay in shape into the home, without the need for expensive classes and elaborate equipment. Using only a mat, a stick and, for advanced Pilates, a ball, readers will feel personally trained by Mari Winsor’s innovative routines and spirited instruction, reaping the dramatic and lasting results of Pilates in less than an hour a day.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Help your butt say "neener neener!" to Father Time. Join some of Hollywood's best bodies (Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny Glover) who've gone gaga over the Pilates method of body conditioning. (It's intriguingly referred to as "the method" for short). Celebrities, professional athletes, dancers, and models drop $50 or more for each private lesson on the Pilates equipment (which includes contraptions with potentially dangerous-looking straps and springs, with intimidating names like the Cadillac and the Reformer). If you'd rather not shell out cash like that to help your rear defy gravity--especially when at least three classes a week are recommended--take heart. Mari Winsor, one of L.A.'s most popular Pilates instructors, has brilliantly collected the essential exercises--none of which requires any equipment other than perhaps a carpeted floor--into a supremely inspiring, snappily written, simple-to-follow handbook, perhaps the perfect book for new moms, business travelers looking to stay fit while on the road, and the swimsuit-phobic alike.
Despite the recent wave of Pilates (that's Pi-lah-teez) enthusiasts singing its praises to magazines like Vogue and Elle, the system has been around since World War I; George Balanchine and Martha Graham used the exercises to add strength without bulking up, perfect their posture, prevent injury, increase flexibility, and improve circulation. Indeed, a person who's completed a Pilates workout has a rather orgasmic glow; the workout is aerobic but not so much as to cause much sweating. This is not to say it's easy; while your behind gets a great lift, the exercises focus on the abs, or "powerhouse." Each exercise is clearly explained next to step-by-step photographs of Winsor's fabulous bod. Unlike in most exercise guides, you won't see Winsor promising remarkable results in minimum time--she says an hour a day is what you need to give to reap the Pilates benefits, but adds, "In the other twenty-three hours you will not only enjoy yourself more, but will find that you have more quality time."
Winsor even goes so far in her praise of the method to mention that she hasn't had a full-blown asthma attack since she started faithfully following the program. She adds, "it has helped me recover from devastating injuries, it has transformed my self-image and sense of worth, and it keeps me calm and centered every day." Not bad results from a workout you can do in the comfort of your own home--for free. --Erica Jorgensen
From Library Journal
Winsor, a former professional dancer who has taught numerous movie stars and professional athletes the Pilates method of body conditioning, has written a manual that will appeal to a wide audience. It addresses the needs of beginning, intermediate, and advanced users in a concise format that includes step-by-step instructions and more than 100 black-and-white photos. The Pilates method is effective because of the use of resistance, which can be increased through the use of an array of specially designed exercise machines. Winsor confines herself to discussing the Pilates mat routine, in which exercises are performed on a mat or floor, using only controlled movement to create resistance. This approach allows her to provide an excellent overview of the Pilates philosophy and methods. Following the exercises, Winsor (herself an asthma sufferer) suggests Pilates breathing techniques for asthmatics and those with neck and back injuries but emphasizes the neccessity of consulting a physician first. Finally, she tells readers how to find a qualified instructor. Recommended for all basic fitness collections as a great introduction. Those who want a more comprehensive treatment would do better with Sean Gallagher's The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning (LJ 6/1/99).AXimena Chrisagis, Wright State Univ. Libs., Dayton, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
95 of 97 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Pilates was hard for me to 'get'. I think that Pilates exercises should really be taught (in person) by a certified experienced instructor. The exercises would be impossible for me to properly learn via book, owing to their very precise nature. I could easily do them incorrectly without my trainer's assistance.
I've been looking for a book to use at home, as a guide for a mat workout. This book is the best I've found for using in conjunction with classes. It outlines a whole mat workout, and differentiates exercises by beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The photographs of Mari are clear. The exercises sometimes are explained on two pages so you have to turn the page while you're working, which interrupts the flow a bit.
Pilates works, but it must be done properly. Mari Winsor knows her stuff and provides an enthusiastic and warm guide for home use.
124 of 134 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you think you can buy this book and learn Pilates, dream on.
The book has some useful information but don't think, like I did, that you can practice Pilates if you buy it.
The exercises are NOT organized from easiest to most difficult but randomly listed, the directions are not easy to follow once you do figure out which ones to do first, and you had better be in very good physical condition before you start; otherwise, the exercises are impossible to do. The book feels like it was written by someone who's forgotten what it's like not to know how to do the exercises.
The good thing about the book is that it's so frustrating it motivates you to go find a class, which is what I did. The class did the trick. We started slowly with exercises that prepared us to do the actual Pilates mat exercises.
With the encouragement of the instructor, the new age background music, the commitment of others in the class, I'm well on my way to being a Pilates pro.
54 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is an excellent introduction to the Pilates system. The exercises are listed in the order to be performed and the difficulty levels are are clearly marked.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent!
I was just checking to make sure the book is still available on Amazon. I have recommended it to so many people through the years. Read more
Published 13 days ago by C. Stark
Awesome
This book was a gift for our daughter in-law who asked about my & my husband's pilates routine. This isn't the first time we've shared this book with others. Read more
Published 6 months ago by D. Cleveland
Not for beginners
I agree with most of the other low-rating reviews: if you're new to Pilates and aiming to learn from a book, you're probably better off picking something else. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Maarten
Very disappointing
The directions are unclear and don't coordinate with the photo illustrations. Nothing could be worse for a beginning Pilates student. Read more
Published on November 27, 2009 by A Reader
Wonderful Pilates Introduction
I like this book because Mari includes in the back of the book many exercises people can do BEFORE they begin the more intensive exercises. Read more
Published on July 2, 2006 by ELF
Build your core!
This book is my favorite pilates book, hands down. It begins with a history of Pilates, then goes directly into "the hundred," the first workout. Read more
Published on May 1, 2006 by Alina L. Mitchell
Get it...do it...
If you want to get in shape, if you want to feel strong, if you want to have an easy book to follow, get this one. Read more
Published on February 18, 2006 by Amanuensis
Great Resource
This is a great resource for your pilates workout. Even tips on avoiding exercises for bad neck, bad knees or a bad lower back. Great integration. Read more
Published on August 1, 2005 by Brenna E. Arthur
exercise memory!
The detailed instructions on each exercise are extremely helpful for those of us who are "word" people, but it is probably most useful as an accompaniment to a video or to working... Read more
Published on October 8, 2004 by Ellen Weaver
Good Reference
I bought the Pilates videos and I've enjoyed them. This book is a useful tool for understanding the method behind the moves. Read more
Published on March 28, 2003 by "allie_kat_"
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When most people make the decision to engage in regular exercise, they look at themselves with disgust and say, "I have to lose some weight," or "I need to tone these flabby muscles, so I guess I need to go to the gym." Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pull your powerhouse, pull the powerhouse, use your powerhouse, use the powerhouse, mat routine, body conditioning, pull your shoulders, bad neck, mat work, abdominal musculature, lift your legs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ready Lie, Action Inhale, Joseph Pilates, Action Pull, Prep Lie, Action Lift, Ready Come, Ready Sit, Single Straight Leg, Action Exhale, Action Push, God Bless America, The Wunda Chair New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When most people make the decision to engage in regular exercise, they look at themselves with disgust and say, "I have to lose some weight," or "I need to tone these flabby muscles, so I guess I need to go to the gym." Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pull your powerhouse, pull the powerhouse, use your powerhouse, use the powerhouse, mat routine, body conditioning, pull your shoulders, bad neck, mat work, abdominal musculature, lift your legs Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ready Lie, Action Inhale, Joseph Pilates, Action Pull, Prep Lie, Action Lift, Ready Come, Ready Sit, Single Straight Leg, Action Exhale, Action Push, God Bless America, The Wunda Chair New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
8
books
cite this book:
See all 8 books citing this book
- The Pilates Workout Journal: An Exercise Diary And Conditioning Guide by Mari Winsor in Front Matter, and page 7
- Total Pilates (Total (Thunder Bay Press)) by Malcolm Muirhead on page 187
- The Tribal Bible, Exploring The Phenomenon That Is American Tribal Style Bellydance by Kajira Djoumahna in Back Matter
- The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup in Back Matter
- Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a Legacy of Physical and Emotional Health by Christiane Northrup in Back Matter
See all 8 books citing this book
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