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Power Pilates Series: Intermediate Workout
(NOTE: This is, in effect, the second in a two-part series of Pilates reviews. While the plot won't overwhelm you if you jump in now, Part 1 is available here.)
It's been two weeks since I first started using Power Pilates: Beginner Workout. That should not be nearly enough time to move up to Power Pilates: Intermediate Workout but hey – I've got a deadline. So, once again, we go minute-by-minute:
5:00 p.m.: Dana Leigh takes over as the instructor for the intermediate pilates workout, as Carrie Clark takes her place on the mat instead. I discover that I have a weakness for fitness instructors.
5:01 p.m.: We start, once again, with the hundred, and it's no different than on the last disc. Dana is a little less orgasmic about getting through the exercise than Carrie was, though.
5:02 p.m.: No time to rest – straight to "Footwork," the first new exercise in the workout. Head off the mat, powerhouse tense, legs go out and in without touching the mat. I'm still okay, but if this is the pace of the full workout…
5:03 p.m.: "Roll Up," followed by "One Leg Circles," "Rolling Like A Ball," "Single Leg Stretch," Double Leg Stretch," "Scissors" and "Lower Lift." All are familiar exercises from the first disc. But what isn't familiar is the pace. There's no slowing down to explain here, there's no pauses in between exercises, and the collective momentum of the routine is killing me at this point. But Dana's mellow delivery is growing on me too (or I'm looking for an excuse to give her a pass).
5:08 p.m.: At "Criss/Cross" I let my stomach relax for the first time. It's time for me to join Erin in the "modified" routine on the front mat. I feel emasculated to have to back down in front of Dana, until I remember that she can't see me.
5:09 p.m.: "Spine Stretch Forward" is the first stretch-only exercise we've done since the start. Flexibility is my weak point, but any break from the pounding my powerhouse has taken is welcome at this point.
5:10 p.m.: "Open Leg Rocker" is another new exercise, and one that is nearly impossible for me. Hold your legs shoulder-width apart, grab the ankles and rock backwards. Then, if you're me, call an ambulance.
5:11 p.m. "Corkscrew" and "Saw" cap off the "Daily Workout." On the beginner disc I went on to the "Additional Workout" for a full sweat, but here I'm just about spent.
The biggest differences between the workouts on the discs come in two areas. The intermediate disc has a much quicker pace, spending less time explaining exercises (we're not beginners anymore, after all) and filling that formerly wasted time with more repetitions. Also, the intermediate workout is less about flexibility and more about power and endurance. It assumes a certain flexibility level in some ways.
The DVD
Video and Audio:
Much like its predecessor in the series, Power Pilates: Intermediate Workout is very sharp in the technical departments. There aren't any digital flaws in the transfer and the instructors are easy to understand.
Extras:
Again, there are different workouts for different needs here. There's the everyday and additional workouts, the workout with pilates tools and the back workout, which focuses on areas of the lower and upper back that can cause recurring problems. These are all available from the menu individually, or in certain sequences on a sub-menu.
The same glossary is back, along with the "Private Instruction" menu. The latter is a more effective teaching tool than the former.
Final Thoughts:
As always, consult a physician first before beginning a new workout program.
That being said, the Power Pilates: Intermediate Workout is a major step up from the beginner disc. But if you've advanced to this level, it is an excellent resource for your daily workout routine.
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