Crunch - Burn & Firm Pilates
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Movie Reviews of Crunch - Burn & Firm Pilates
Movie Review: Get those legs in shape!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my third Crunch workout, the second with Ellen Barrett whom I really like. I have been a fulltime living room athlete since about 1988 finding it easier (and safer) to stick with than the jogging I used to do. I have been through Jane Fonda's aerobics (good at the time), the Step workouts (Cher Fitness was the most fun and a great workout, yes with THE Cher herself), and mostly I did all the Firm workouts from Volume 1 (my favorite is still Volume 2 with Janet Jones-Gretzky). I also did Tae Bo for awhile, which I really found boring too quickly. For the past few years I have been doing Leslie Sansome's Walk videos and Zumba workouts, both of which I really like.
I found it this video easy to follow, almost predictable which is a good thing for me (I don't need fancy steps after exhausting mental gymnastics at work)but challenging physically. I have great lower body strength though anyway and though I have not been working out for 8 months or so I was still able to do it. There are many plies and lunges but nothing works your legs and butt better than those two exercises, which is why everyone hates to do them but loves the results. I love the intervals and the light weights and well as the pretty moves of some Pilates moves. After just 3 weeks back on it (every other day) my quads and glutes are already shaping back up--actually I could feel the gluteal muscles I so missed coming back in just a week. This is a full-body weight workout if you don't need heavier than three pounds for upper body--which I don't having an hourglass shape. I like that it is done in 30 minutes or so and then when I have time I do a dance or walk video just to burn more calories and then finish with Ellen's floor work which I love also. Yes, Ellen does keep reminding you to tighten your abs which I find works them really well--but then I'm not going for a 6-pack just strength and tone.
I would like to add this. Through all my years of working out I have never lost weight with it, only gotten strong enough to carry around all the excess weight I have piled on since I got married in 1987 and stopped jogging at my husband's behest. You can get strong and fit with any of these workouts but you will not lose weight. It's not about that.
Movie Review: Others will notice you change too.
Summary: 5 Stars
Get this DVD and stick with it and you will see results! You could get on that stairmaster or treadmill but you wouldn't be toning your entire body (which is key). I have been fitness conscious and physically active since my early 20s. My experience as an aerobic/step instructor from my 20s into my 30s had given me a good base of fitness knowledge. Now approaching 43 and having faced surgery induced menopause I have found it more difficult to stay fit, loose weight and get toned. Always tired due to severe sleep deprivation related to (night sweats), I fell into the pit of believing that ½ hour a day on my treadmill or stairmaster (4 or 5 days a week) would be enough and it just wasn't. What I found is that I began to have sagging upper arms and a larger middle section. One day running with (very fit/ripped and trim) sister-in-law (same age as myself) I discovered that she prefers Pilates over any other workout. An instructor herself she now only teaches or takes Pilates.
I have read many of the reviews written by other people that claim this DVD doesn't make you sweat enough. To that I say work harder. This video is good but you need to put in the effort and trust me you will sweat and elevate your heart rate. If you feel like you are not sweating enough add in the arm movements earlier (once you get to know the video), use heavier weights or step fuller/wider. Or you could mix it up with treadmill/stairmaster or bike by alternating days. Mix it up anyway, so you don't get board.
As for me I have been using this video and others along with some biking and my treadmill. When I choose biking/treadmill/stairmaster over the DVDs, I always include the Ab portion of one of the DVDs. I feel good, I am sleeping better (night sweats - lessening), I AM losing weight and people are noticing. I hope I have inspired you. Good luck and get to it.
Movie Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
About me so you have an idea of my level: I would place myself in the higher beginner/intermediate catagory, I like Jackie Warner, I work out 5 days a week and mix a body specific weight routine every other day with 20 minutes jogging outdoors or 45 minutes jogging pace at level 7 resistance on the eliptical on my cardio days. This just gives you an idea of where I am physically when I give this review (I wish more people would say where they are so I have a better idea of what they believe is easy, moderate or difficult in comparison to their level).
Now on to the video, I loved it, it sailed by and before I knew it it was done. I constantly check time on ANY video I have done and yes I did it with this one as well but by the time I first looked it was almost over... surprise. Yes, I agree with some when they say it is not intense, however, it was refreshing and I felt amazing afterward. I felt so invigorated I went for a 1/2 mile jog with the dog afterward. Not because I felt I needed it but because I felt so energized by the video. It was a refreshing change from feeling wiped after the gym, focusing on nothing more than a shower. I did feel it a bit in my legs the following day. This is a squat intensive video or plies(sp?) which is another nice word for modified squat. Though there were weights for arm work, I had to up the weights to really feel anything as the majority of the focus is on the lower body. I was so surprised that I enjoyed the mat portion which fortunately for me is short, aprox. 10 min. I usually hate mat work but with continued use of this video I can see myself coming to like it (at least her version of mat work). I recommend this video for anyone!!!!!!
Movie Review: excellent adaptation of pilates
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a devoted pilates practicer for over 6 years, and was somewhat sceptical about any kind of workout that tried to turn classic pilates into a more aerobic-type exercise. Still, I had an Ellen Barrett DVD (Self Sleek and Slim) and liked both the workout and instructor (she's extremely personable and has impeccable cueing), so I thought I would give this DVD a go. I'm very happy to report that I love it.
I think Ellen does an excellent job at applying pilates exercises to a standing and mat workout that makes you sweat. I love the feeling of simultaneously stretching & stengthening my body while also burning fat. And even though the routine moves at a relatively slow pace, as other reviewers have pointed out, the use of weights really gets your heart going. I'd rather move at a steady pace and do the moves properly (that's a pilates principle!) than flail around at a frantic speed, as is the case with so many workouts. Many people seem to think that unless it's really fast paced, you're not getting a good workout--and that's totally wrong.
I should add that I've always found weight training boring and have avoided it, so I'm very happy to have found a way to incorporate some into my workout. I also think that people with no pilates background can probably do just fine with this DVD, but you'd probably get more out of it with even some rudimentary instruction in pilates. I would recommend the Stott videos (also all excellent) starting with the beginner Pilates Mat workout.
I work out 4-5 times a week, and have been using this DVD at least 2 times a week for 6 weeks now. I still look forward to it. Highly highly recommended.
Movie Review: An innovative and fun Pilates-hybrid workout
Summary: 5 Stars
This workout is a mix of standing Pilates and body sculpting using light weights and mat Pilates. At nearly 50 minutes in length I especially felt it working the inner thighs with its many plied squats. It provides a light cardio, low impact aerobic workout while simultaneously toning the entire body using resistance, usually all at the same time. For instance, you'll do a standing Pilates or ballet type movement while doing "saws" and "swans" with the arms using the dumbbells. This really helps to elevate the heart rate without requiring a lot of space to travel or jump around. The Pilates mat work follows and although it's quite brief, about 10 minutes long including the final stretch, it's a perfect way to wind down from the standing series.
I really liked the instructor, Ellen Barrett, who comes across as upbeat and personable - and I found her cueing to be on the mark, making the routines fairly easy to follow. She is accompanied by several background exercisers, including one modifier, and the music is a pleasant mix of light techno/upbeat chill.
If you're looking for a traditional Pilates workout, this definitely isn't it, but instead is more like a Pilates/Ballet/Sculpting hybrid. I thought it was very fun and effective, especially for balancing your core stability, and enjoy using it on lighter days when I'm not in the mood for a high impact step aerobic or heavier weighted workout. Highly recommended!
Rating: Excellent