Customer Reviews

Winsor Pilates Basic 3 DVD Workout Set (Basics Step-By-Step/20 Minute Workout/Accelerated Body Sculpting)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Mari Winsor's 3-DVD set is a great set of workouts for beginners and intermediates. By alternating the 2 workouts, I increased my strength and flexibility as well as my control. I also felt the difference in my abs after only a few sessions. Obviously if you are experienced in pilates these workouts may not do anything for you (although her other workouts available on the Winsor Pilates website are very effective for the more experienced). But if you are relatively new to pilates or are a bit familiar with it, you should find these workouts to be challenging and beneficial. Mari Winsor is excellent about talking you through the workouts and is constantly reminding you of the importance of correct positions and processes. The trick with this program is to be consistent and remember that pilates is meant to sculpt your body and increase flexibility and strength. Losing weight requires a healthy diet and other activity like walking or jogging to burn the calories! Do those things and add Mari Winsor's program and you will have the whole package!

Mari Winsor has changed my life!!! I know this sounds infomercialist but she really did!! i was really overweight and almost 2 years ago I decided to really get serious about weight loss. I ordered this series but as usual it took me months to actually use the tapes. When I did, no lie, the first week I noticed my posture was more erect, my stomach had lifted a tad. I was amazed because usually unless I see some sort of improvement within 30 days, I stop. I didn't expect to see something the first week. You talk about motivation. I have since ordered eveything that she comes out with. If you have monster thighs such as myself, she has a pilates tape or DVD specifically for buns and thighs, her upper body tape literally melts fat off your neck and face within days. By the way, Target sells the series for $40 now. Hope I helped someone. I only have 40 pounds to get off now, I just ordered a new dvd from her, wish me luck!!

I really love this dvd set. It is different than my other workouts and combined with walking everyday about 5 miles it helps me to balance things out with a good all over toning routine. I like the 20 minute one when I have done most of my working out already, as a supplement, and the Accelerated Body Sculpting (57 minutes) when I have not had as much activity throughout the day. Mari's instruction is top notch. The moves are excellent, they target the areas effectively without a lot of repetitions. Her style is friendly, but to the point, so you are not listening to a lot of talking throughout the video. She also uses a modifier, who demonstrates a less stenuous version for those who may not be quite as advanced in some of the moves or who are working up to building their core muscles. I exercise 5-7 days a week and bore easily, and I am finding myself going back to these dvds again and again. Get in, get working, and see the effects of a really balanced, total body workout. If you'd like something a little different, I highly recommend her dvd, as well as her series that targets abs, thighs/buns, upper body and advanced body slimming.

Pilates is a powerful method of body forming. The trouble is if you do it wrong it's ineffective. The wonderful thing about Mari Winsor's entire DVD line is that she explains the work well, drops in regular reminders about maintaining form, and makes the whole process fun.

I've got well over half the DVDs from Winsor, so you could say I'm a convert. I'm seeing wonderful results in terms of my appearance, feeling better for it in a general fitness and wellbeing way, and I intend to buy more of the DVDs to enhance this further.

My husband has noticed the changes in my muscle form, and is really impressed, and I've gone from someone with serious motivation and health problems to a Winsor Pilates addict with a new lease on life. The differences between these and other pilates DVDs are huge, and are not reflected in the price.

My advice is to get several of the DVDs, starting with the basic starter back (this one), and mix it up. There's nothing more stifling of motivation and focus than boredom, and though these workouts are more enjoyable than most, and the earlier ones *do* deal with every part of your body, you will want *some* variation to keep you sparking. I do a pilates workout almost every day, and some days I do two, and I couldn't get off my butt until not so long ago. A reasonable amount of that 'oomph' is due to the variation and interest I've maintained with my ever increasing collection of Winsor DVDs.

Definitely ideal for those lacking motivation, and you only need to do 20 minutes or so three times a week to see a real difference...unless you want to do more, as I do :)

Get a pilates/yoga mat too - it makes all the difference, and they're not expensive if you shop around.

As a final work here's a tip: go for individual sales, rather than the 'club' purchase from the informercials. That way you can buy DVDs for workouts you want, rather than just getting sent the standard kit in the standard order. Guthy-Render and other resellers are happy to sell you whichever DVDs you want in whichever order you want, and we're not all the same. Retain your power of choice.

I bought this 3-dvd set and find it overall to be a good workout, but it's not worth $59.99. (Daisy Fuentes's infomercial appearance boosted the price?)

Mari explains the moves very clearly - which is great the first few times but gets very old, very quickly, and could be done in another section of the DVD. The 20-minute workout probably includes 10 minutes of talking. Importantly - she does tell you how to protect yourself from injuries, many tapes don't.

If you fast foward through the chatting, the workout is great - I see a visible difference, especially in my abs and hips. And especially with the killer advanced work out.

Personal pet peeve - Mari's repeated use of the word "tush" and "tushie". <groan>

My advice - shop around for a better bargain.

I bought this two years ago, and started working out in Feb for my August wedding. I looked better on my honeymoon (at 35) then I did when I was a teen or in my 20's. I took the DVD back out a couple of weeks ago to work off that last 15 pounds of 'baby fat' after having my son 9 months ago. I am already seeing a huge difference. My tummy is already looking flatter. The first DVD is only 20 minutes..so easy to work that in every day. After a month of that, you can work in the accelerated workout once a week, then eventually move it up to 3 X a week. I highly recommend!

Maren Winsor has me hooked on pilates!

I absolutely love these DVDs. I started off with the basics to learn the moves, and quickly progressed to the 20 minute, coupled with other excersises. Once I started doing the accelerated body sculpting, I haven't done anything else!

I am a pretty petite person, but with trouble spots. After one month, I lost 6 pounds and saw some awesome definition in my buns, arms and stomach. My stomach is so flat and lean, I have never seen such great definition. All from one video! Best yet, my husband has noticed my new body.

This is an awesome workout that I don't get tired of, it has a combination of many pilates mat excersises that really challenge your "core". Since then, I have tried other pilates videos, and by far, this one is my favorite.

I've tried different Pilates DVD's and Mari Winsor's are by far the best!! I've lost 25lbs just doing her 20 minute Workout!! And I've lost another 10lbs doing her Accelerated Body Sculpting intermittently with the 20 minute Workout!! And the moves were easy and fun!! I'm so toned now, I'm amazed at my results!! And my flexibility has improved so much, too!! A great investment for your body!!

This is a great set. I started using this set doing the Accelerated 2-3x/wk and the 20 or basic the other days. I really became in tune with my core muscles and became more aware of my body. I think it does a great job to tone up but not much for cardio. If you are looking to lose weight try something different but if you are looking to tone up and loose some inches this is great.

After just having a baby, I ran to buy the whole pilates set knowing this was the latest thing. The first few weeks it seemed to be a challenge and exciting to master, but it was so easy master that in those weeks it is now too easy. I am still doing the pilates religiously to get toned and I have realized that although her explanations are very clear, it takes up way too much time. I find myself laying there for the next exercise throughout much of the video.

This is probably a little too petty, but you also are not able to fast forward the intro to each of the DVDs (I'm not talking about the FBI warnings or doctor warnings either), which takes literally 2-3 minutes. With a baby ready to wake up any minutes, it is pretty annoying.

I have not really gotten into the all-around workout dvd yet, but I was hoping to get more out of the abs and thighs and buns. Overall, pretty good but too much instruction and talking and not enough exercise. For the money it costs, I was hoping for a few different workouts on one dvd for the same body areas.