[.ca] Bodywisdom Media: Pilates Comp: For Everyone

From Amazon.com:
Pilates Complete for Everyone is a bargain: about four hours of Pilates instruction and practice, from beginning to advanced levels, more than 35 workouts all on one DVD. The workouts are divided first by level (basic, beginning, intermediate, challenging, advanced), then into individual 5- to 25-minute workout chunks so that you can fit your Pilates into the busiest day. The 10- to 20-minute introductory segments for each level have the most instruction. Certified Pilates instructor and former professional dancer Karen Garcia has an impressively lean, supple, and strong body--a testament to her Pilates practice. The instruction is done by voice-over; Garcia's moving body doesn't talk or smile. Although Pilates is best learned from an instructor who can give you personalized instruction and correct your form, this DVD is the next best thing to having your own trainer, and there's enough variety that you'll never get bored. --Joan Price

could be better, but still good:
This dvd is different than any of the other pilates workouts i have & took some getting used to. it took awhile to get used to watching a prim & proper women demonstrate the moves while another voice tells you to breathe & counts in the background (both of which i find rather annoyting). i got this dvd b/cause it had beginner, intermediate, & advanced pilates all in one; however each section uses the same moves just w/no modifications in the so called advanced section. i would have liked there to have been different moves in each section but do find the dvd to still be effective. i do like the fact that each section has 10, 15, or 20 minute sections & that the intermediate & advanced ones utilize weights.

Great Workout & Modifications:
I had been looking for a good Pilates DVD, and after trying a couple of titles, I tried this one and cannot recommend it enough. There are many levels (I am still at the basic/beginner levels, and trying the intermediate levels sometimes) and times of the routines so I am able to choose different things on different days. The best part for me is that the lessons and workouts are seperate. Other DVDs I have tried had too much chatter in the workouts. Here you watch a lesson/introduction for each level and the instructor introduces new poses and modifications for different poses so you know what to expect. If you do not watch the introductions for each level, then you will miss out on instruction and how do do the exercises. You really need to watch them before trying things, the modifications for the routines are in there and not in the routines themselves. Also as you increase in levels there are more options and routines to work with. So as you start there not be as quite of a range of selection as later on. There are 5 levels and the first 2 levels have about 6 -7 routines in total, but later on each level has about 8 routines or so. But even the lower levels has more than the other DVDs I have tried. As others have noted she may not smile during workouts, instead she is giving me valuable lessons and she does have alot of energy as she guides you through the workouts. If you prefer the tapes with more "filler" and "fluff" then you may not like this. If you want to learn and get a good workout, then this is for you.

A disgrace to the Pilates System:
I was appalled by this product. I am a certified pilates teacher and the exercises performed in this dvd are demonstrated with serious mistakes that could harm anyone trying to follow the lead of Karen Garcia. She not only leaves out the one most important aspect of pilates ('The Pilates Breath - in through the nose out through the mouth which helps to control the work through the abdominals) but performs the exercises with a blatant lack of control. Example: In a roll up the feet and legs should not pop off the floor and the arms should not be used to hoist oneself up. In Rolling like a ball the back should be in a C curve and Karen's back remains straight as she rolls. This is indicative of someone who is NOT using there abdominals properly or does not have the strength to perform this exercise. I was cringing throughout this dvd and felt really sorry for her back....please do not buy this product. It is an absolute disgrace to the efficiency and grace of pilates.

Very good - and lots of choices:
Love the choices with this DVD - keeps me from getting board. There's a very slight pause between exercizes, but there are multiple levels to choose from, and multiple different times and routines to choose within each level. Good bang for your buck, but I don't give out "5"'s very easily!

Good instructional information:
If you watch Garcia's introductions to the exercises, you gain a lot more than if you dive right in to doing them. She goes through the actual exercises fairly rapidly and without any instruction or tips. There are a large variety of workouts to pick from both in fitness levels (3) and multipe time lengths. If I have 25 minutes, I can do the long one; when I'm pressed for time I do the 8 minute one. My only reason for not rating this a 5 is that she is totally without emotion or enthusiasm for Pilates. You have to be intrigued by Pilates before you do this workout or you might get dismayed by her lack of energy! Jennifer Kries (The Method) has combined her workouts with yoga, which changes the flavor of Pilates, but she has a smiling, happy approach, which I enjoy.