This DVD has three workouts:

1 = 30 minutes, upper body & core focus including some back strengthening.
2 = 30 minutes, core mostly & some lower body (no upper body).
3 = 12 minutes, bonus - I only watched this & it looked like mostly lower body with some moves similar to Winsor Buns & Thighs - looks very good.

This moved along at a good pace for me (not slow like Stott or Polestar and not fast like Fit Chic)...more like Hilary Burnett's Intermediate. Not the same-old same-old moves traditional pilates sequence - great combos of pilates & yoga, such as boat pose variations and corkscrew-type moves. And not wimpy, either...I felt that I got a thorough & challenging workout. Really, for me, some of my favorite yoga & pilates moves are in this DVD and to have them combined in different ways was great!

I loved that the moves were different, varied, & challenging...I had upper body DOMS as there is chattarunga (sp?) and plank work in #1 and I really enjoyed the core work in #2. I like that poses weren't held long...you usually just keep moving (but not too fast). I like power yoga but I often am not in the mood for holding poses and want to keep moving like in this workout. The time flew by!

The instructor (Kristen McGee sp?) was terrific...competent, smiling, & not annoying in any way. If you are new to pilates, she doesnt' give the basics for instruction but she does give other good reminders (so this would not be a good first pilates tape - but probably fine for your second!). Background exercisers give three levels of difficulty. I got the entire MTV set & am loking forward to trying the rest of the DVDs (yoga & pilates) - I think I got the set at DDD or DVD Universe a couple of months ago and getting the set is a good value.

For comparison, I've been doing pilates for about 3 years & my favorite pilates workouts are Hilary's Intermediate (and Advanced & Zen Stretch), Method Precision Toning (long, though), All the Right Moves, and most power yoga (including Turbo Flow). I love Minna's Strength & Grace, ALC, and Yogilates but they are not very challenging so I rarely do them.

lucia