Kathy Smith is known for her ability to stay on top of trends, and this workout is no exception. It is her second Pilates workout. Her first, Pilates For Abs has already been reviewed so I’ll confine my comments to this one. However both workouts can be purchased together as a set entitled Ultimate Pilates.

The format of this workout is almost identical to Pilates for Abs. It uses the same set, which looks like a patio outside a suburban home, with a stone wall in the background.

Kathy and her background exerciser Lija Fisher are on thick mats on the floor. Both wear pastel colored unitards, but the colors in this workout differ from those in the abs one. Kathy does the intermediate moves, while Lija does more advanced modifications.

In the introduction, Kathy explains that she will not be doing the exercises in the traditional order, and that she has selected specific ones to target the lower body.
She also gives a detailed description of Pilates form, stressing the neutral spine, controlling the pelvic floor, etc.

She does use one term that irritated me. It is the “bikini butt” by which she means keeping a slight tension in the hamstring-glute area. She places quite a bit of emphasis on this, much more than I’ve seen in any other Pilates workout. Perhaps she feels it will aide in toning the muscles of the lower body, but all these form pointers might overwhelm a beginner, and I think correct the correct spinal and pelvic positions are much more important.

Included exercises:

The Hundred
Roll Ups
Single Leg Circles
Double Leg Circles
Shoulder Bridge with a kick up on each leg
Knee Squeezes (not a Pilates exercise, you simply squeeze the knees together while holding a bridge position)
Side Kick Series (several variations, this is the strength of the workout)
Grasshopper
Swimming
The Mermaid

Most of the exercises are intermediate in intensity except for the shoulder bridge with a kick up, which is quite advanced. Many beginners will not be able to do it (I couldn’t). However it does seriously work the hamstrings and helps the workout to live up to its name.

All in all it’s a very good workout that will help tone and tighten the core and the lower body, but I prefer a more traditional Pilates routine. I tried to program a complete Pilates routine from this DVD and her abs one, but are only five chapters on each DVD, and the body of the workout is only one chapter which restricts the programming versatility.

Instructor Comments:
Kathy was certified by the Stott organization and it shows in her precise attention to detail. Fortunately, the hyperactive, shrill Kathy of the Timesaver Series is not present here. She is totally professional in this one.

Jane P