This DVD, prepared in conjunction with Shape Magazine and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, includes a 31 minute Pilates routine led by Lizbeth and a 12 minute Bonus Total Body Blitz led by Tracy, along with chapters such as Liz’s bio and information on Shape and the BCRF. A portion of all sales proceeds goes to the BCRF but I wonder how long that will last as the DVD gets older and reaches discount marketers.

PILATES: This routine was love at first try and I enjoy it more with each use. In a nutshell, Lizbeth has taken traditional Pilates moves and made them more dynamic with the addition of sweeping arm movements, build-ons and a super-setting theme, incorporating one exercise with another for several sets. The workout is non-stop, flows at a good clip but not so fast that you lose proper form in an effort to keep up, and it gives a mild cardio benefit in the bargain. This routine has some advanced moves but on the whole, is doable for anyone with a enough Pilates experience to “jump right in.” There is a modifier, who is always visible, but I don’t recall much reference to modifications other than at the beginning.

Both workouts are filmed on a living room set, cozy and relaxing. Production quality is good and there is basic chaptering between anatomical focus sections. The Pilates routine features good lighting, some shadowy effects, and the background music has a strong but not overbearing beat to which the exercises flow like a dance. Lizabeth and her two backups move in graceful unison.

Breakdown: Begin seated with a series of spine tilts, knees bent, performing semi-rolldowns with arms progressing from holding behind the thighs to sweeping and circling around, and rollback with twists. Transition into rolling down for full Rollups with arm circles.

Next, while on the back the legs come to table top for hip rolling side to side, progressing to a single leg extension in the extreme position on each side, then flow into toe tapping. Single leg circles are next, beginning with “slide and lift,” the foot sliding forward and up in a bicycling movement, culminating with bicycles supersetted with leg circles. Rolling up into bridge while the arms circle follows, then “power glute lift,” bringing the torso straight up into bridge without the vertebral rolling. The power glute lifts progress into bridging with knee lifts.

“Reverse curls” with ankles crossed, rolling partially back into a reverse crunch follows. This progresses into reverse curls with a leg split, recross and roll down with the cross of legs reversed (reminiscent of Boomerang), and then ultimately progresses to a superset of reverse curls and the previous power glute lifts remaining in the extreme position while a single straightened leg lowers and lifts.

Lizbeth next moves on to upper body with a set of ab preps, arms behind head. Single leg stretch flows into bicycle with long lever arms, right into scissors with arm reaches and ends with a quick back stretch. Then you move to hands and knees for opposing arm and leg reaches, to which a simultaneous hamstring and bicep curl are added. You then lie forward on the mat to reach same side arm and leg up and then back into a semi-bow position with flowing repetitions.

Kneeling back up for a cat stretch, you elevate the rear upward so you’re on your toes, knees hover above mat as one leg pulls in toward the nose then stretches backward, then flow forward onto the mat for breast stroke, arms circling backward to touch the toes as they simultaneously bend toward the body, then back on the toes/hands to repeat the series for the other side.

Spine twists series follows, seated with legs out straight and arms straight upward – twist once to each side, then in a pulsing rhythm, then pulsing to each side with a crisp downward arms slice, then a final set of twisting, pulsing, arms slice and diagonally forward into saw. Legs come in, draw the body in preparatory position for rolling like a ball, which is performed several times with hands clasped over shins and then with arms in a “wave,” outward and upward while rolling.

Move on to side leg series which starts with supersets of flutters (like swimming on the side), large scissors with a double pulse and fast single pulse big scissors. This is followed by traditional side kicks, single and with pulses, and side lift kicks, and finally the kick series supersetted together, forward, down and up.

The workout concludes with a Mermaid series. The legs are positioned with right leg bent back and left leg forward, as if for pretzels, but you flow side to side with oblique stretches. These progress to reaching all the way up onto the right knee, return to seated with a twist over the left side, from which Lizbeth leads you right into the set up for kneeling side series – knee pulling in then kicking straight out, then straight leg circling forward and back. Turn right over into a pushup position, where the pushups are performed with alternate legs lifting. The Mermaid series then repeats for the opposite side. The workout concludes with some brief final stretches.

Throughout, Lizbeth coaches well and encourages you to enjoy the movement. I think anyone who enjoys floor work might like this routine. Those who avoid traditional Pilates because of forward flexion might enjoy trying it as well – it’s more like dancing on the floor. And if you already love Pilates, this is a must-have! I am glad that the producers, who put this video out there to support breast cancer awareness and research, chose Lizbeth to choreograph and lead. It is a top notch production.

BONUS TOTAL BODY BLITZ: one of the better “bonus blasts” on a DVD that I’ve tried. In 12 minutes Tracy hits the entire body with a brief warmup, reaching and side stepping, then pick up your weights for a series of squats with bicep curls, to lunges and up to standing leg extensions with hammer curls. A series of bent over compound rows up to shoulder presses follows, then deltoid work featuring a quick variety of side to front arm raises and lateral pulls. Come to the mat for some push ups with leg pulls, roll over and grab your weights for flyes supersetted with skull crushers, drop one dumbbell for weighted abs and with a quick but thorough stretch, you’re done. I jumped up after this and said WHEW. It was a great warm-up for snow shoveling ….. and that’s a workout I don’t care to review :-)

Instructor Comments:
Lizbeth Garcia is one of my favorite Pilates tutors. I enjoy how she cues and offers reminders in a conversational tone. As she instructs, she portrays an emotion of joyfulness in the movement. As she performs the workout, she reminds me of a fish in water – graceful, fluid and at home in the routine.

Tracy York – this was my first experience with Tracy and I found her likeable. She put together a nice little total body burner with weights and cued it well.

Pat58