The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body--Without Machines [Paperback]

I bought this book over 6 months ago, as I felt I needed more than just a regular workout on an elliptical machine. I wrote a review on it shortly after I started and I wanted to update that as a number of people have emailed me for more information.

Some background. I'm 43, female and 25% overweight, not exactly your svelte exerciser, so I knew I needed a routine that wouldn't hurt but would would get results. I work in an office and nothing is worse than sitting at your desk all day aching from the previous day's exercises.

I started as recommended with Modified beginner exercises, the seven basic exercises and did this for about 3 weeks. No pain but some tightness I could feel in my abdomen. As I became confident, I moved onto the regular beginner exercises. Basically, I used my ability to do the "hundred" as a measure of when I was able to move on. I could see my progress from day to day. It was really neat. I did the exercises at least 5 days/week.

As time went on I added more exercises from the full program. One or two each week depending on if they were similar or really hard to do. Some were, some weren't. Still no pain. I am now doing almost all (over 95%) of all, but the advanced exercises at least 5 days/week along with my elliptical machine routine and some weight lifting for my arms. I don't have time, I make time. In my opinion, this is as important as paying my bills. In someways, this is just what I'm doing.

One question, I have been asked is am I seeing muscle definition. The answer is definitely yes. I am still overweight. I'm working on that too (I've lost 25 pounds through just exercising), so I'm not seeing a washboard stomach, as the fat above the muscles are still obscuring them, but I can see definition of my ribs and hips, along with distinct muscles in between. This is nothing I've ever seen before, even in my skinny high school days.

One interesting measure of how far I've gone is watching my teenage children trying to mock me doing the exercises. Both are slim and in good shape, but neither can dive in and do the intermediate exercises that I'm doing with the same ease I am. In fact they are shocked they can't do more than a couple repetitions. Not because it hurts so much, but because they have not build up the strength.

That is another thing that I mentioned in my previous review, these exercises provide the feedback you need to continue on. You see it in each day in each exercise as they become easier. Also you see it in your day to day tasks.

For me, it was an excellent investment.

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I read article after article until I finally purchased Sean P. Gallagher's book on Pilates.

I was so disappointed.

There was so much to concentrate on for each exercise, and so many to go through. And no matter what I did it meant purchasing expensive equipment within a few weeks (thousands of dollars worth...) I tried for a few days and then gave up in disgust.

Then I read a review for "The Pilates Body." What can I say, everything that has been said is true!

Siler recommends taking all the time you need to learn the movements, she provides modified exercises for beginners to build up to the actual exercises and she gives a much more indepth account of Pilates system than I've ever seen before.

The information on visualization and the mental aspect of a workout is not present in any other materials I have seen.

There is no strict program provided (a plus or bonus depending on how you look at it...) instead the reader is encouraged to progress at their own pace, not moving on until they have the previous movements down. Finally, instead of trying to sell the expensive equipment, Siler is the ONLY Pilates trainer I've EVER seen who says that the original system never had equipment, and that the matwork alone can give a complete workout.

I now have confidence in my ability to perform the exercises properly and effectively (though it'll take a long time, I think it will be worth it)

This has become one of my favorite books, it is so well written and effective, and most of all Warm and friendly.

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