The Pilates Powerhouse (ISBN 0738202282)

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

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. A little high on the reps, but still very good. A good addition, but not necessary. The two best are: complete idiot's guide to the pilates method and the pilates body.

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 with a certified instructor in a studio. I am doing both of those and found this helpful, but if one were clueless you might not "get it" just from the book. By the way, one reviewer asked why the exercises aren't listed separately by level of skill required. The answer is that in the Pilates method the sequence of exercises is considered extremely important AND when you are more advanced you continue to do the more basic exercises (sometimes with more difficult positioning of legs, arms or body.)

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. No special equipment is required and you don't have to be a Hollywood star to have good results. My sisters and I ALL use Mari's method and range from size 3 to 5 at over 5'4" each. Before, we ranged from 6 (soft) to 12. Keep in mind, this is a TONING workout. For aerobic activity, you'd want to do Mari's "Fat-Burning Workout," swim, dance, etc.

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. There are entire sections for people with "bad" necks, backs, and asthma in the back of the book-- these exercises are instrumental in preparing you to do the regular exercises. The book has a compassionate note in this respect, and it's helpful to know that Mari brought herself back from not being able to walk (because of an auto accident) using the Pilates in this book AND the beginning exercises in the back of the book. This may be why she is so good at getting people started in small steps. I've looked at other Pilates books, and they all seem to assume that everyone is ready to launch right into the Pilates routine. People who reviewed this book and thought that there were no beginning exercises must have missed the last thirty or so pages of this book (and the table of contents)! For people like me who always feel a bit rushed by the videos, this book works well because I can take my time and re-read the instructions to make sure I'm paying attention to all of the details of the movements.

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. It will make you strong, you don't need a gym, and you can do all the exercises in your living room. Get yourself a lot of self drive and motivation and go for it. You will, however, have to supplement this challenging workout with something aerobic. It will not take off all the inches all by itself. Remember that eating less, burning more is the secret to any weight loss program. This program will burn your calories but not enough to get you to look like Baywatch by June.