I was curious about this DVD because the instructor, Jodi Brennan, owns a Pilates studio in Pittsford, NY, close to where I live. As the title states, this is a POWER Pilates workout, meaning that it is performed at a very fast pace, offers the option of using weights, and includes very few of the traditional sequence of matwork exercises taught by Pilates founder Joseph Pilates. However, although many of the moves here don't LOOK like classic Pilates, they do FEEL like Pilates, and you will definitely feel the work in your core, particularly your lower abs.

This DVD contains three total workouts: a Studio Workout (44 minutes), a Beginning Garden Workout (10 minutes), and an Advanced Garden Workout (12 minutes). In the Studio Workout, Brennan walks around leading a large group class setting. Some of the participants use weights, some do not; a selection of wrist weights, ankle weights, and dumbbells are shown. Much like Pilates instructor Mari Winsor, Brennan rapidly cues one move after another without pausing. The first 10 minutes of the class consists entirely of matwork lying on your back, but the only move I recognized from classic Pilates was the hundred (which was performed AFTER warming up with several other moves first). This non-stop segment completely exhausts the abs; although I consider myself to be at an intermediate level in Pilates, I had to stop repeatedly to rest. The following 10 minutes involves seated arms work using weights. Next, there is about 5 minutes of work in a prone position and then another 5 minutes in a lying face up position, including a teaser sequence. The final 10 minutes of this workout includes Pilates side kicks, kneeling arms work, and some brief exercises in an all fours position; Brennan then concludes with a few minutes of stretching.

Both Garden workouts are filmed in an outdoor setting, with Brennan performing the moves alone and instructing via voiceover. The two workouts start similar to the studio workout floor segment in that there are several warm-up exercises for the abs before moving into the hundred exercise. Weights are an option for these workouts as well, but Brennan does not use them. I found the "Beginner" workout to be nearly as challenging as the Advanced; the main difference that I noticed was that in the Beginner Garden workout, Brennan takes more frequent breaks to do a low back stretch. However, the Beginner workout still moves quickly and still contains challenging exercises such as the rollover; the Advanced workout includes a short teaser sequence. One other important thing to note: for some reason, the Beginner workout stops abruptly with Brennan being right in the middle of both an exercise and a sentence!

In case you haven't already guessed from my description above, this DVD is NOT for those new to Pilates. Brennan provides no information about Pilates principles, no breakdown of the exercises, no information on proper form, etc. Furthermore, the "Beginner" workout would likely be too intense for most beginning Pilates students. Rather, I would say that this is more akin to power yoga--i.e., a more intense, physical version of the traditional Pilates system. Therefore, this DVD would be best suited to those looking for a Pilates practice that is going to give them a real workout; it would probably also be good for those who enjoy attending fast-moving Pilates classes and would like to replicate this experience at home.

Instructor Comments:
I thought Jodi was fine overall, although as mentioned above, she doesn't break down moves or offer form pointers. She isn't quite as drill sergeant-like as Mari Winsor--she's a bit more soft-spoken--but she's no-nonsense and moves quite quickly.

Beth C (aka toaster)