Element: Pilates Weight Loss For Beginners [DVD]

I haven't done any exercise for over 8 months and was recommended to try Pilates for lower back ache. I am 5'10" and slim but jeez are my muscles tight.I started off by having two 1-2-1 sessions with a lovely Pilates instructor who came to my home. For me, the 1-2-1 sessions were an essential part for continuing Pilates on my own. If you are unable to do this, I would recommend you try one of the back to basics DVDs first.I absolutely fell in love with Pilates on my very first session and I went a bit crazy and bought loads of books and DVDs. For me, the Brooke Siler book and DVD are by far the best. It is basically a proper 50 minutes Pilates class in my living room. There is no stopping between the routines and even though I have not yet built up my powerhouse, I try my best to do all the routines and my goal is to follow Brooke's 50 minute work out from start to finish. As a result this DVD is going to last me for quite some time.Please don't let the "weight loss" in the title put you off - it should simply say a great Pilates work out for when you can't get to a Pilates studio. Highly recommended!

For beginners? Hmmm. It's quite fast going, I use the pause button alot. I feel I really need to warm up before doing some exercises as she goes into some stretches so fast at the beginning that I have pulled something! There are some exercises on here that I don't really like but I'll continue to do the others.

After attending an eight week pilates class I decided I wanted a routine I could continue at home and this is ideal, particularly as the only item of equipment you need is a mat.This DVD is divided into 2 workouts just under 30mins each so you can just do one when in a rush or both when you have more time. I have found the routines easy to understand and to follow, and time seems to fly and it doesn't feel a chore. I can highly recommend this for people who have little experience of pilates although it is easier if you have attended a few classes first so you have had hands-on guidance with some of the techniques (including breathing technique!).Once I have perfected this routine I will look for something more dynamic//challenging..

This dvd has two sections - a cardio section and a prep and mat work section. The cardio section is a sequence of standing leg and ab work that increases cardio by lifting the arms above the head. The prep and mat work is challenging but each exercise is repeated only a few times so it doesn't become frustrating.I would say that the instruction is generally quite good. The only thing I noticed is a reference to 'lats' that wasn't explained. So if you don't know what your lats are, maybe it would help to find out before you start :)I would say that this workout, while short at 50 minutes, would be very effective if done 2 or 3 times a week.4 stars because its a bit short...

I bought this DVD as a beginner having recently begun gym Pilates classes. I'm still using it 6 months later. The instructions are clear and there is an introduction to breathing and muscle awareness. It's dynamic for a Pilates workout and it actually makes me sweat, which was exactly what I was looking for. There are still portions of it I find challenging which spurs me on to do it more frequently and keep practicing. Great way to start the day! Highly recommended.

So just to be clear: the dvd itself is probably 5 stars for beginners who are new to pilates AND exercise. Anyone with a more remarkable core strength will find this boring and unchallanging. I have been regularly exercising for many many years (boxing, kickboxing, krav maga) and i decided to take a different direction once or twice a week to improve core stability, balance and flexibility. I ordered this beginner dvd because I have never done pilates in my life but many of the reviewers here say it's very challanging. I am sure this is challanging for someone who has done virtually no exercise in their lives (this is where this dvd is 5 stars), but even if it's only the gym you hit twice a week, you will be fit enough to skip this and choose something more advanced.I did also order a power yoga dvd (won't name it here) which I expected to be less hardcore than this one. It turns out that the power yoga dvd demonstrated by this innocent looking lady with a very very soft voice is actually a true challenge. I will stick with that and probably bin this one.On the objective side of things, this dvd really only has two sections: a cardio pilates thingy which i guess is supposed to be a dynamic warmup session and a matwork section for..well, matwork. That's it. I would expect a dvd like this to have at least 5 routines that we can choose from.

This is NOT beginners!! So much mat work which is hard when you're not that fit and have some back pain. My neck hurts after doing this so much because clearly It doesn't go over the basics of movement enough. Wouldn't recommend for beginners. Put me off Pilates completely!

I had another beginner pilates dvd and found it much easier than this one. I bought this one when a friend recommended it. After doing professional pilates classes I realised that some of the exercises in this DVD are of a higher level than beginner. However, I for my own personal fitness level I found it was perfect for me and always feel really good after it. Would definitely recommend.

A great workout video, that strengthens, elongates the body and leaves you satisfied. The DVD is divided in two, the first part is cardio and the second is Mat workout. It's challenging, i can't perform it all right away, so i have to modify it a little, but i can already see my body changing. There is less tension, my back doesn't hurt any more, and i feel a lot more relaxed.I highly recommend it.

Arrivato in ottime condizioni, all'interno di una scatola rivestito, è in inglese ma si capisce benissimo tutto. Sono soddisfatta dell'acquisto.

I really like this DVD, it is a must have. The visual demonstrations are very clear and precise, and the detailed verbal instructions are given by the instructor in a narrating, voice-over fashion. The moves are well explained with a lot of cues when to breath in and out. She is really inspiring to look at, so graceful. The scenery is great too, I like that it is filmed outside and not in a big beige carpeted room.This DVD is broken up into 2 parts: "pilates concious cardio" (20min), and "pilates prep & mat work" (30min). I found the "cardio" section relatively easy: my heart rate elevated a little, but not as much as in a real cardio workout; I started sweating and could definitely feel my muscles working hard. The second part is really working the core hard. The only complaint I have is that as a beginner, I am not strong enough to raise myself from lying on the floor to sitting, using abs in a smooth roll-up movement, and this DVD has a lot of that. I wish there were alternatives to slowly strenghten the muscles to accomplish those roll-ups. I wish it was a bit slower too, so I could really concentrate on my breathing at the right moment, with longer breaks to keep the breathing on track. There is no breaks, you switch exercises constantly, some easy, some so hard that I needed to pause for a break. All the muscles are worked, and you can feel the burn the day after.I will keep working, and soon enough I will be able to complete the whole DVD.

I've tried a few Pilates DVD's over the years, and just could never get into it. I'm such a fan of some of the other DVD's from Element though that I decided to give this a try. I am very glad I did because I've found that with the right instructor I really like Pilates.This DVD is broken up into 2 parts: "pilates concious cardio" (20min), and "pilates prep & mat work" (30min). It should be noted that the "cardio" section is not really cardio. Though your heart rate will elevate somewhat it's not to a level that I would call "cardio". Despite that I love the exercises involved in this section, which range from very easy to very physically demanding (especially the last 5 minutes or so). The mat work section focuses mostly on your abdominal muscles, but there's also some leg/hip exercises. Again, it ranges from easy to physically demanding.As an instructor Brooke Siler is excellent. No faux encouragement, and she uses imagery to help you perfect your form, which I found extremely helpful. Though this is supposed to be a "weight loss" workout I don't think Brooke even mentions that; at any rate she doesn't harp on about it, which is quite nice. You also will not need any special equipment, and only enough space in which to stretch out completely.The reasons I love this DVD is because it uses controlled motion to build strength, which is excellent for me because I'm a total klutz. It's not glacially slow like some beginners Pilates DVD's are, but you are never left trying to frantically keep pace either. Secondly it pairs strengthening exercises with stretching, and even though I'm usually sweaty at the end of this workout I always feel great because of that combination. I must say in the few weeks I've been using this DVD my strength and flexibility have definitely increased. I do workout using other DVD's and being active by hiking, but since putting this in my rotation 3x a week I've noticed my arms are stronger, my pants are looser, my hips are slimming, and my abs are getting some definition.While I do think this is an excellent beginners Pilates workout, I'm not sure if it would be a good workout for someone who isn't at least a little physically fit. If you were truly an out of shape beginner I would treat it with caution; maybe skip some of the harder exercises until you build up a little muscle strength and don't push your body beyond it's limits because you can hurt yourself. It's not such a hard workout though that's it's intimidating, but it definitely gives you a goal to work towards.

インストラクターのBrooke Silerさんは日本での知名度はあまりありませんがJoseph Pilates氏の門下で最高指導責任者のRomana Kryzanowska氏の元で指導を受け国際資格を取得NYにスタジオを持ち、マドンナやキルスティン・ダンストにも教えていた有名な方のようです。内容的にはカーディオセクションが約20分マットワークアウトが約30分の計50分のプログラムです。必要なものはマットのみで他の道具は必要ありません。リージョンは「0」で国内のDVDプレーヤーでそのまま再生可能です。カーディオセクションは、有酸素と言いつつもストレッチが多めでゆっくりした動きなのでよっぽど運動不足ではない限り、心拍数が激しく上がるようなことはないと思います。ゆっくりしたスクワットやランジが中心の立ったままのワークアウトです。マットワークアウトはハンドレッドやロールアップ、クリスクロスなど基本的な動きをゆっくりとやっていきます。こちらも合間にストレッチが入り、苦しいワークアウトというより気持ちよく全身がほぐれる感じです。呼吸もその都度指示してくれるのでピラティス独特の呼吸を忘れがちな私には助かります。全体的に動きがゆっくりでRepsも少ないので、ワークアウト初心者にもやりやすいと思います。ただし、そのため強度が低めなので日常的に運動している方には物足りない可能性があります。これだけで体重が減るかどうかどうかと言われればちょっと疑問が残ります。ちょっと辛口な意見も書きましたが、個人的には体を隅々まで動かしてほぐせるのでとても気に入りました。Brooke Silerさんの基本に忠実な落ち着いた感じがとても良かったので、他のDVDもやってみたいです。