Crunch Fat Burning Pilates

Ellen Barrett
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Pilates/Core Strength


I was looking for low-impact cardio, no more than 30 minutes, to provide some variety in my mornings, and my review is only about the cardio section. Unfortunately, this is not the workout for me. Probably my biggest issue is that it is a Crunch video. This did not manifest as whooping, and I did like the music/drummer, but I had a hard time getting past the background exercisers. It is not just the unflatteringly low pants, but also their lack of good Pilates form, while Ellen is stressing the importance of good posture and a strong powerhouse. Which brings me to my next nit to pick. Although Ellen does tell us to use good Pilates form, she doesn't really elaborate what this means during the cardio portion (maybe she does in the mat-work section, I didn't get that far). This leaves the cardio a little bit neither fish nor fowl (not very intense, but not very much of a workout for the core either). WWWendy predicted in her preview at the forum that this would be a workout that people either loved or hated. I think she is right, and there certainly seem to be many people who enjoy this as a fusion workout with a little spin on the usual Pilates approach. I feel lucky that I was able to rent this and discover that I should save my money for some other workout.

mel VF

01/06/2005