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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Works Beyond Expectations!, November 17, 2002
Denise Austin has produced a real winner here--I have been using this book's exercise program for four weeks now (three with the beginner's program, one with the complete schedule), and the results have been awesome! Using a minimum of equipment (one section with exercise bands, one with small dumbells, one with a balance ball, most with no equipment at all) and a maximum of careful instruction, Denise guides you through the very specialized methods of doing Pilates exercises, as well as doing other kinds of exercises (yoga, weight training) in the Pilates manner.Pilates is a form of exercise that concentrates very specifically on the body's "powerhouse", the complex of abdominal muscles that support the back and supply much of the core strength for all forms of physical training. Denise has a lot of personal experience in this form of exercise, and is able to translate that experience into instruction which, followed carefully, guards against injury and assures the maximum results from the special Pilates emphasis. Especially in the beginning, but throughout the program, it is very necessary and beneficial to follow these instructions to the letter and do the moves exactly as Denise outlines them (as she says in the book, "Think quality, not quantity", a somewhat novel, very effective approach). This especially guards against injury to muscle groups such as the lower back area. Also, one could do these exercises without the special Pilates emphasis and gain only a fraction of the benefits. As one who has had lower back problems for a long time, I can testify that this Pilates program works beautifully to keep the possibility of injury to a minimum (in my case, zero), and allows for muscular and postural strength development in this area that is nearly unbelievable. Denise also includes information about diet, scheduling, and positive attitude that is worth reading and giving a try. Muscular and strength training with Pilates leads to development of long, lean, supple musculature and strength with flexibility. As an example, recently I was helping to put together a set at a public access television station, and I had to lift, carry, and place a heavy coffee table which in former times I'd been able to lift to about thigh level and carry with some difficulty. This time, after doing Denise Austin's Pilates program for almost a month, I lifted the table (with proper form according to her recommendations) and surprised myself and everyone around me by nearly effortlessly raising it to chest level and moving it to the set, feeling as if the table itself had lost about twenty pounds! I've also noticed my midsection slimming down (especially the "love handles" that seem to plague men) and firming up nicely. This is a great book for those looking for a solid overall exercise program, and for those who, like me, have neither the time nor the money to go to health clubs featuring expensive Pilates instruction and machines. The pictures of Denise Austin--a forty-five year old mother of two, looking like a college girl in her early twenties--are instructive for getting the exercises right, and the instructions are easy to understand and complete. This is a book and program I can recommend highly--I've had a lot of experience in exercise programs, and this is one of the best, well worth the money, time, and effort--and then some. Whether purists of the Pilates method would approve or not, I don't know. I do know this is highly effective as well as fun and (positively) challenging! Go for it!
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by Denise Austin
DVD ~ Denise Austin
