Element Pilates Weight Loss for Beginners

Pilates can transform your body in a way no gym equipment can match. Filmed on a breathtaking location overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this dynamic beginner’s workout is designed to maximize calorie burn while teaching you the basics of Pilates. With a combination of Pilates-conscious cardio and mat Pilates, this sequence uses the principles of control, concentration, precision, center, breath, and fluidity to help you sculpt a new shape. The gentle, low impact exercises will strengthen and tone your whole body to develop a slimmer, leaner body line.

About the Instructor:

Brooke Siler is a second generation Pilates teacher, trained directly under Joseph Pilates’ own protégée for 12 years.  She is the celebrated author of the New York Times best-selling series of books The Pilates Body and Your Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge.  As owner of re: AB® Pilates Studio in New York City (www.reabnyc.com) and founder of the re: AB Pilates Teacher Certification program, Brooke has trained countless celebrity clients including Kirsten Dunst, Lauren Hutton and Madonna.

“Never done a roll up? Brooke Siler who’s trained Rachael Weisz easily you through a mat and cardio routine.” – The Best Workout DVDS US Weekly; January 12 2009 ed.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great workout!
I scoffed at the initial sequence of this (having not done Pilates before), and thought, “Oh what a waste!” Boy was I wrong! 10 minutes into the video, Brooke has you doing the mat workout; I felt the burn for the entire next day! I haven’t been using it long enough to say anything about long term results, but it definitely is a good workout, and guides beginners (like me) through the moves well.

5 Stars The Perfect Pilates Workout
I highly recommend this DVD. I have been a fan of Brooke Siler’s since I purchased her first book, The Pilates Body, back in 1999, and went on to purchase her CD kit (The Pilates Body Kit), and second book, The Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge. I recently purchased a copy of this DVD and highly recommend it to beginner-intermediate students. It features a well-rounded classical mat workout (and second “cardio” workout that is more about putting Pilates principles into practice while performing standing conditioning exercises). The workouts are the perfect pace (not too fast to perform the exercises with control and attention to precision; but not too slow and overly instructional) And Brooke provides great instruction utilizing both clear anatomical cues and imagery. I will recommend this to all of my students looking for an at-home Pilates workout.

5 Stars Great cardio/Pilates dvd
Since Siler helped to bring Pilates into the mainstream almost a decade ago, people have been waiting to see her “in action” on a DVD. This is a great release and proves yet again that Pilates can be both a challenging strength and flexibility workout while still being vigorous to raise your heart rate.

Be warned: this workout doesn’t move nearly as quickly Hilary Burnett’s Advanced Pilates or “reimagines” Pilates the way a lot of Ellen Barrett’s releases do to achieve an increased heart rate. Instead, Siler gets the job done by moving through a series of precise, well-cued movements at a pace that allows you to both pay attention to your form and get a cardio effect. While most of the movements focus on the legs, the upper body is also working to maintain stability.

The matwork that follows is a solid intermediate workout, including variations and modifications for such classics as the Teaser, Side Kicks and Pushups as well as more basic exercises such as the Roll Down. As in other form-focused releases, she proves again that “basic” doesn’t mean “beginners only”. If you do even the simplest moves properly, your muscles should burn.

As vigorous as the workout is, it could be done every day- or less. At the end, you should feel “worked out” and relaxed.

5 Stars love it!
i absolutely love this video. it’s pretty easy to keep up with her and the workout is tough enough that i dont get sick of it. i absolutely would recommend this to anyone.

5 Stars Good buy
This is a good all-around choice. Brooke is very easy to follow and she regularly reminds you about your posture, engaging specific muscles, breathing, etc. This can be a good work out if you fully engage the required muscles and breathe correctly. Not too difficult at all.

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The Biggest Loser Workout Vol 1

Six workout routines designed for weight loss that are used in the television reality program \”"The biggest loser\”".
Genre: Exercise/Fitness
Rating: NR
Release Date: 20-DEC-2005
Media Type: DVD

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars excellent for everyone
This is possibly the best exercise DVD I’ve ever used. It is very customizable. Also, BOB shows you other ways to do the more high impact exercises so you don’t do more than you can. He really makes a point of keeping your heart rate up and lets you know how you should be feeling at any given time so you can amp it up or cut back if needed. If you are only buying one exercise DVD, this is the one you should get, you’ll get everything you need from it.

2 Stars the biggest loser
while this is a good excercise, it is very hard on old knees. I had to quit after 6 days as my knees were so sore that they wolud barely bend.

5 Stars The Biggest Loser The Workout-The Best!
This is the one of the best workouts I have done in a long time. I use to do Billy Banks-Taebo when I used to work out regularly. He is good but so fast paced. Now that I have gained some weight and want to work out again this is an excellent choice. Bob Harper is so motivational and seems to really care about keeping up with the work out. If you haven’t work out in a while and what to do something that works and is fun, I recommend this DVD!

4 Stars Gets you going
I was pleasantly surprised. I am no stranger to workout videos, as this is my preferred method of keeping in shape. I’m a busy mom of 2 (1 infant) and a full time student.

I’m kind of new to the high intensity cardio moves in this dvd. I’ve been doing Pilates (Denise Austin & 10 minute Solutions), walking (Leslie Sansone videos), and rollerblading for the last several years. I have always maintained a beautiful figure with Pilates. I’m 27 and just had my second child about 2 months ago. After my 1st child, the weight melted off of me in no time at all with just walking. 6 years later, I popped in my Pilates dvds with doctor’s ok to resume exercising but just didn’t see the results as I did before. I borrowed this DVD from a friend and started with the boot camp segment. I was NOT prepared for ALL THE JUMPING! I must say, though, after the initial shock and realization that I had a long way to go, I came to look forward to my progress: if I could keep up with the jumping, I knew I was moving in the right direction.

I’m not fat by any stretch- 5’4″ & 128 lbs (formerly 132 prior to starting the Biggest Loser regime) I got rid of about 4 lbs in 2 weeks – Not bad. I’m still working out every day with it. I feel MUCH STRONGER. The first to shape up were my buns & thighs, which was very motivating. I can button my pre-pregnancy size 2 jeans.

The benefits of this workout for me are that I feel stronger, and I have more energy- a big plus for a mom of 2. I am getting toned in no time at all. I am now on par with the subculture of people who are maintaining physical fitness, and it feels great!

I enjoy the customizing aspect: warm up, high intensity cardio, sculpting, & cool down.

My other favorite combo is warm up, bootcamp, cool down.

The workouts are very challenging to me. I am not a “sweater” even while rollerblading on the hottest of New Orleans summer days, so I know that when I have sweat rolling down my face I am busting my butt. I’ve never seen the show and had just heard of this in passing. Now I am going to buy my own dvd!

BONUS: There is an intro to trainer & cast segment that I watch occasionally for motivation. I just love to hear the stories of the others and to see their before and after. I love the real people on the videos huffin’ & puffin.’ Bob is also very encouraging.

3 Stars NOT for everyone
I have degenerative and weight-related knee problems and was unable to use this video due to the excessive amount of side-to-side work. I had, wrongly, figured that a Biggest Loser workout would be adapted for plus-size people and their associated limitations.

If you do not have joint problems this would be a good beginner to intermediate workout.

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Results Fitness 10 Days to Get a Better Body

YES, YOU CAN SEE CHANGES IN YOUR BODY IN JUST 10 DAYS!  This DVD and Meal Plan are your shortcut to a better body.  The DVD features two 30-minute workouts that alternate short bursts of fat blasting cardio with intervals of muscle conditioning.  The first workout will give you leaner legs, a tighter tush, and a flatter belly.  The second workout will sculpt your entire upper body and tone your abs.  These interval training workouts are the secret to changing your body in the shortest amount of time.  Combine them with the Better Body Meal Plan and get ready to celebrate the new you: stronger, slimmer, and totally sexy.

Better Body meal Plan: Get ready to eat to lose! Use this meal plan to lose weight and stay satisfied with 10 days of meals and snacks that fight fat.

About the Trainer: Cindy Whitmarsh (www.cindywhitmarshfitness.com) is a NASN and ACE Certified, has a BA in Corporate & Community fitness/nutrition, and has over 18 years experience in fitness and nutrition.  Her passion is helping others to make dramatic health and body changes for life!

“Cindy Whitmarsh leads two complementary interval workouts: one upper-body and one lower-body. The workouts are fast-paced with lots of variety and no slowing down between segments. Each interval lasts just one minute. The cardio segments feature athletic-style moves at varying intensities, including higher-impact jogs, jacks and jumps. Toning sections use body-sculpting classics such as squats, lunges, push-ups and planks. Requires two sets of dumbbells.” – USA Today

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Got for my wife.. she loves it
Got this video for my wife (yes, I am that guy, but she keeps telling me she wants to get in shape since we just had our first child). Anyways, after her first go with the video, she was in some serious pain, which essentially means it works good. She was very psyched and was looking forward to round 2. So thumbs up from me.

5 Stars Good start although is at an intermediate level…..
I got this video for my wife who gave birth recently. Since she was pregnant she is complaining about being fat so I was happy to find this DVD.

The exercise intervals are 1 minute long and come in 2 types: low impact and high impact. Although if you didn’t worked out recently or after surgery/pregnancy might be dificult to get into it, sticking to the low impact version and making some modification as another reviewer noted will help you through it.

Since we are taking it easy, I cannot comment on the number of days to see the result but I will re-write the review after we get a better idea.

For this price, the DVD is a steal !!!

4 Stars Jumpstart Your Fitness Routine
The Dvd comes with two 30 minute workouts, one for your upper body and one for your lower. The workout principle features interval training that switches back and forth from cardio exercises to muscle training with hand weights. Interval training is suppose to provide you with the most results in the least amount of time. It is recommended that you alternate between the lower body and upper body so that you can workout everyday while still giving your muscles a rest.

The Dvd comes with a booklet that includes some nutritional advice and a 10-day meal plan that provides 1200-1300 calories a day. The video advertises that you can lose up to 8 pds in 10 days and that is possible if you follow the workout routine and the low-calorie meal plan.

I enjoyed the video itself. It features trainer Cindy Whitmarsh, she performs the exercises alone so it doesn’t get distracting with lots of people on stage. She is easy to follow and her voice is not annoying like some can be.

3 -10 pd hand weights are recommended for the workouts, which I really enjoy using weights.

The best thing that I enjoyed was that the workouts were easy to follow and not too complicated.

Recommend for anyone who wants to get a jump start on their fitness routine but I do recommend doing your own stretching and warm-up before doing the video. The fitness routines in the video have a very short warm-up that was more like regular exercise than warm-up to me.

4 Stars I want this woman’s abs, did it for 10 days, not sure if the bods better, but I like it
The instructor has awesome abs. But let’s move past that, she’s good, clear directions good energy,not annoying. The video has an intro and is divide into an upper body and ower body workout. The segments use weights and aerobic-cardio activity. Each segment is a little over 30 minutes. You can do both segments together, or you can alternate days, alternating days is probable the best option.

You will need two sets of weights a light set 3 or 5 pounds and a heavier set 8 or 10.

I like the upper body workout, I hate working out my legs. The notes from the instructor and the notes from the nutritionist in the insert booklet encourage you to do another form of cardio as well – like walking. The booklet has a 10 day meal plan with a 1200 to 1300 calorie diet, for men add an additional 300 calories. The calorie menus give you a good idea of what you should be eating, I did not go that low on the calories, but I followed the workout program for 10 days, I enjoyed the video, I don’t know if my body is better or not, but my self confidence is good and I like the video and so I will use them again.

5 Stars Results 10 days better body
Easy to follow and it is a great work-out. Each 35 minute session leaves you glowing.

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Dancing with the Stars Latin Cardio Dance

ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” continues to dazzle audiences as well as trim waistlines with the power of dance. Join pro dancers Cheryl and Mksim and dance yourself slim with four sizzling and sexy Latin dance routines that feature some of the best fat-burning moves from the show. And because these hot latin dances share many signature steps, you will find it easier to follow along. You’ll also get a specialized toning workout that dancers use to sculpt and lengthen their muscles. So get dancing and get in the best shape of your life! No partner need!

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars dance video
It goes a little too fast for me, I am a total beginner. It seems like once I get the hang of it the work out will be good.

4 Stars good dance workout
My husband loves this workout. It serves 2 purposes: 1 aerobic and 2 learning latin dance basic steps and rhythm.

Robin

5 Stars Fast shipping!!
I was very pleased with the arrival of my purchase! It was fast shipping and in great shape!

3 Stars Ok but not enough to make me feel like I got a full workout.
This DVD was ok it has a good variety. A few major problems are that if you don’t have any dance experience (I have NONE!) there isn’t much instruction, it never really speeds up enough to feel like I got a good work out and last it seems like everyone on the video is bored.

3 Stars not as good as expected
I have been fan of dancing with the stars, and really liked Cheryl. For me, the instruction was so-so, and the workout wasn’t all too fun and engaging. As far as my background goes, I am a musical/dancer-type who has taken some ballroom although I am by no means a professional. I love ballroom, and was expecting much more from this DVD. Overall, I did get a good core workout, but the instructors were not as enthusiastic as I would have liked. I purchased Fitness with the Pros as well as the DWTS original video. I hope those better meet my expectations. Guess I’ll have to find out!

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The Abs Diet Workout Vol 2

David Zinczenko, Editor in Chief of Men’s Health Magazine, with Ted Spiker reveal how to reshape your body in The Abs Diet Workout 2, as based on the new, best selling book The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit plan. The Abs Diet Workout 2 introduces a new workout system -ABS3- based on simple, highly effective principles to help you lose weight and tone your body.

The Abs Diet Workout 2 is the perfect home fitness program for beginners as well as those experienced with the Abs Diet system. The program provides motivation and demonstrates an excercise regime that anyone can fit into their day, and is designed so that viewers can watch it over and over. The Ads Diet Workout 2 is also incredibly flexible, providing workout programs for 3, 4, 5 or 6 day a week structures, along with excercise options of varying intensity as your fitness level increases.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars My #1 Ab Workout!
I am a big fan of ab workouts on DVD and this is definately my favorite. The intensity on the advanced ab segment is great. He go’s through each exercise for one minute and it is challenging!I haven’t used the remaining workout segments.

5 Stars Short but effective
This is a very versatile DVD. When I’m short on time, I’d pick this one because when I’m done, I’d truly feel that I had a good workout. On cardio day, I’d do the Speed Interval training on my rebounder so it would be easier on my knees and on strength training day, I’d do the Advanced Abs followed by the Muscle Toning routine. I use the warm up portion from this DVD and I just add a little more stretching on my own at the end. The Muscle Toning part where you’d have your arms above your head while doing squats for 90 seconds was VERY challenging. During the first round, I had 5 lb dumbbells on each hand and I almost didn’t finish it so the second time around, I used 3 lb dumbbells and I was breathing hard after 90 seconds. I’d be sore the next day or 2 after doing this routine…Highly recommend this DVD. It’s short but very effective in my opinion.

5 Stars Great workout!
I really like this workout DVD and it’s one of the ones I use consistently. Its offers great all around exercises for the whole body. Even though it’s a little tough, it’s fairly short and sweet.

3 Stars Have introductions/descriptions elsewhere, please

Good workout, with an instructor who cues well. Countdowns for the timed segments. Some beginner modifications.

What I didn’t like:

When you have a separate intro section, and this DVD does, introduce your fellow exercisers there, not in the workout segments. You get tired of hearing the intros each and every time. Same with the workout breakdown/technique explanations/equipment required, do it elsewhere, so that you’re not just standing there wasting time.

Warning to those who don’t like high-impact cardio, this DVD has some, and little in the way of modifications. Wouldn’t be quite so bad if it were done on grass or a mat or carpet. I wish people would remember that “aerobic” doesn’t necessarily have to be rough on the joints.

3.5 stars.

5 Stars Ahead of the class
I have been using this DVD through Netflix and as a person who is lethargic, I am still in the basic set of exercises. However, I have examined a number of workout videos and did not care for them, here’s why:

* In most DVDs, either the camera work, or the instructor leave you guessing as to what you are supposed to be doing. The instructor is excellent about explaining and cuing you to the next move.

* The instructors don’t necessarily explain what benefit you get out of the exercises, but this instructor does. Additionally, he will remind you of points to be concerned in the middle of an exercise so you can improve your workout and form.

* Most DVDs are too slow or too fast. This one lets you hurt yourself at your own pace — if you are not ready, you stick to basic. If you need more of a workout, you do the intermediate which is shown in parallel with the basic.

One minor update: It is good enough that I ordered it, so as not to tie up my Netflix slot any longer!

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