Can anyone request a good pilates tape?

trprwife

Cathlete
I have been seeing so much out there lately about pilates. I would like to incorporate this into my current workouts, but I would like to see if anyone out there can recommend a particular instructor. I hate to buy a tape/DVD and then hate it. I am in particular looking for a great ab workout. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, has anyone had success in using pilates with Cathe's weight tapes. I have MIS, Body Max and Power Hour.

Thanks,

Kim
 
Kim, do you mean suggest rather than request a pilates workout?

It really depends on your personality & taste in workouts. I have workouts by Jennifer Kries (The Method), Ana Caban, Karen Voight, Suzanne Deason (balance ball), & Moira Stott. Stott workouts are my favorites because her instruction is very detailed which is why she comes across a little dry. Many don't like her.

I've read "Pilates for Dummies" & Denise Austin's tape are good intros to Pilates. Voight is peppy but her workouts are fast paced Pilates/yoga inspired. Kries doesn't seem to provide enough beginner modifications. I've only done Caban's workout once if that tells you anything.

Winsor Pilates is quite popular but I think it's just heavy marketing. It looks like basic mat work to me which might make it a good choice.

Just to give Stott a plug, I've been doing matwork classes for several years. All of my instructors have recommended Stott's tapes & have taken workshops from her. My Stott tapes are as close as I've gotten to a live instructor.

Many people try Pilates & don't like it. I can understand not liking the workout because it's hard work with little action. But if they say it doesn't do anything for them physically, I know it's because the instruction is inadequate. Pilates never gets easy because you can just keep raising the level.

Pilates works on core strength primarily so it's a compliment to weight training not usually a substitute. I prefer to do it on cardio days. If I do Pilates on weight training days, I skip Cathe's ab work & do the Pilates after strength work because it's a muscle lengthening process.

Debra
 
Thanks for your reply Debra. I was wondering about the Windsor Pilates tapes. I was worried that they may be alot of hipe for advertising purposes. You are the first person I think I have heard recommend...or even talk about the Stott tapes. I am always looking for a tape that is as close to an instructor as I can get...that is why I like Cathe so much. I saw that College Video has some Stott tapes for sale. I will have to check them out.

Thanks again,

Kim
 
Hi Kim,
I have Suzanne Deason balance ball, The Method and Winsor. If you are just starting I have heard that Denise Austin has an excellent pilates tape for beginniers. Can you rent from your local library before you buy? Target also has them pretty cheap.
Dawn
 
Just so I don't enrage any Winsor Pilates fans, I want to clarify. It's not that I don't think they're effective Pilates workouts (I haven't done them) but that they seem like traditional Pilates matwork from reviews I've read & the infomercials I've seen.

Kim, there are lots of Pilates fans over at Videofitness. You might get some ideas there but it really comes down to what instructor suits you.

Debra
 
RE: suzanne deason ball workouts

DawnW & DebraL,
What do you think of your Suzanne Deason balance ball workouts? I've been considering getting the DVD. Have you done any other ball workouts?
 
RE: suzanne deason ball workouts

I have Deason's ab video & the compilation of her 3 Balance Ball workouts. I enjoy them but it's very gentle except for the ab work, it's primarily a bit of balance & some stretching. I think you already need to be familiar with basic Pilates matwork to get the most from Deason's ab work but it is challenging. Hope that makes sense.

I've just ordered Stott's Core Balance workouts (I & II) after reading reviews at Video Fitness. I kept waiting for the DVD's but ran out of patience. I'll report in once they arrive.

I do have Voights ball workout - it's collecting dust.

Debra
 
RE: suzanne deason ball workouts

Debra:

I mostly do Pilates as add-ons to my Cathe workouts and therefore prefer these two workouts: "Method Target Specifics" (Jennifer Kries), which has four fifteen minute workouts emphasizing differents body parts (I only do "core"), and "Pilates for Dummies" which is a great beginner tape with excellent instruction but also includes a 20 minute intermediate workout. For five extra minutes, this one is more thorough. I also have Stott, but find it a bit too long for my purposes.
 
Hi Julie,
Debra is absolutely right about Suzanne Deason. I have 2 of her balance ball DVD's. The total body compilation and the beginner. It's very relaxing, I think it's perfect to do right before bed. I use it as stress relief. Initially the abs are kind of tricky, but fairly easy to get. Suzanne Deason has a very quiet, soothing voice. More yoga-like in my opinion. I would rate Deason as beginner.
I like Jennifer Kries, she has sort of a no-nonsense kind of personality though. She is much more challenging than Suzanne Deason, and I would rate her as intermediate to advanced, based on the tape.
 
RE: suzanne deason ball workouts

Susan, you must have confused posts. I've been doing Pilates work for several years.
 

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