Body Ring Workout

Ana Caban
Year Released: 2001

Categories: Pilates/Core Strength


This is a full-body Pilates workout which incorporates use of the Pilates fitness circle, or bodyring. Instructor Ana Caban works out with a partner, Tara, in a pleasant setting by a pond. The workout begins with approximately 24 minutes of matwork, starting with a few simple stretches and then moving into traditional Pilates moves such as the hundred, the roll-up, and the single leg stretch. For each move, the bodyring is used to enhance the work, either by holding it in-between your feet or squeezing it with your hands to involve the upper body. The second half of the matwork focuses more on the legs and contains a lot of leg press work very similar to Karen Voight's Total Body Toning. The last 10 minutes of the workout are performed seated in a chair. In this segment, Ana uses the ring more for the upper body, but you will also do some additional inner and outer thigh work. Finally, there are some brief stretches, bringing the total workout time in at just under 34 minutes.

Overall, I liked this workout, which I see as a combination of Voight's Total Body Toning and the Stott Power Fitness Circle workouts. Because Ana does not provide much form instruction, this would not be a good videos for those new to Pilates. However, more experienced Pilates practitioners might find the workout a bit boring at times: although Ana moves briskly from one exercise to the next, the exercises themselves often move rather slowly. Although I would have preferred the video to move a bit more quickly and to have been a bit shorter as a result, I still feel that this is a good choice for those looking to incorporate the bodyring into their Pilates work.

Instructor Comments:
I generally find Ana to be a warm, likeable instructor, although I think her personality gets lost in the voiceover--I prefer her live instruction. Also, Ana focuses less on form here than in her toher videos. Her assistant Tara again joins Ana for the workout, but she does not provide any modifications; also, I noticed with amusement that the credits have updated Tara's title from "Pilates Student" (how it appeared in Ana's original videos) to "Pilates Partner."

Beth C (aka toaster)

04/08/2005