I’m reviewing this workout after doing it once in its entirety.

General workout breakdown: This Pilates DVD contains two sections: a segment mixing standing Pilates moves with more common strength moves incorporating Pilates principles and a Pilates matwork routine, for a total of 47.5 minutes of workout.

*Pilates-conscious cardio (18.5 min.) isn’t just or even mainly cardio; it contains both standing Pilates moves and more standard strength moves that might get your heartrate up some. I haven’t seen this method of introducing or reviewing Pilates principles in action elsewhere; those who learn best by doing or by being shown will find this particularly helpful. It begins standing with Pilates breathing, shoulder rolls, arm circles, side (upper body) bends, windmill, twist w/ hands behind head, standing saw, standing sweeps (a dynamic forward bend), (plie) squat series (with a few arm & tempo variations), (plie) squat – windmill (2 variations), (plie) squat – twist w/ arms wide, (static) lunges (2 variations), active long low lunge – half split / hamstring active stretch series, Pilates push-ups (knees bent, elbows narrow), star (side plank variation, bottom knee to floor), elephant press (an elbow plank – push-up series; cf. dolphin push-ups in yoga), swan dive prep, and counterstretch (aka shell stretch or little piece of heaven or child’s pose).
This would be a nice post-work practice, since it has some great stretches, especially for the shoulders and legs, plus some invigorating exercises. Or it could serve as a good warm-up to a workout session or pick-me-up in the morning. Well, any time of the day, really.

*Pilates prep & matwork (29 min.) is a fairly standard classical-style Pilates matwork sequence. It begins seated with (half) roll backs, pelvic lift, head lift (what Stott calls “ab prep”; this is a crunch-like motion focusing on coming up w/o tensing the neck), modified roll-up (knees bent), hundred, roll-up, hamsting stretch, single leg circles (bottom knee bent), rolling like a ball, single leg stretch, double leg stretch, single straight leg stretch (sometimes called scissor), double straight leg stretch, criss cross (modified), spine stretch forward, corkscrew, saw, single leg kicks, side kicks (up & down, small circles, hot potato), heel beats & hamstring curls (as a transition between sides), teaser preps (2 variations), seal (first w/o clapping, then w/), full Pilates push-ups (elbows narrow), and ending with standing forward bend.

The emphasis is on quality over quantity; exercises are repeated 3-8 times. The pace is deliberate and just slow enough to allow focus on form, so there’s never a feeling of being rushed. That said, the pace isn’t too slow, and there’s little down time between poses or hang time as you wait for Brooke to finish explaining how to do something, which as Renee pointed out is a refreshing change from many “beginner” Pilates videos.

Level: I’d recommend this to experienced exercisers; while this is suitable for those new to Pilates, I think it would be too much for someone who’s never exercised before or at least in a long time. Those without much Pilates experience may find it helpful to supplement this video with Brooke’s The Pilates Body, which explains the exercises in more detail, and/or also consult Alycea Ungaro’s Pilates Body in Motion, although taking a well taught live class would as always be ideal, too.
That said, I completely agree with Renee that this video is definitely not just for beginners. The matwork segment is fairly standard for those at the beginner / intermediate level, and those at the intermediate level, if they execute the full moves rather than the modifications, will find this at the perfect level for them. I’ve been practicing Pilates since 2002 and currently consider myself at the intermediate / advanced level. I still found this video, particularly the full practice, provided me with a decent challenge, since the pace allowed me to focus carefully on form. That’s one of the great – and, yes, sometimes frustrating – things about Pilates: just when you think you’ve mastered a pose, you can always take it to the next level by correcting your form, doing the full pose or a more challenging variation, etc.

Class: Brooke alone, with instruction via voiceover.

Music: upbeat instrumental (pleasant, but on the elevatorish side of exercise video music). I’ve heard a few tunes in other videos, including some by Shape.

Set: platform in the middle of a manicured lawn and landscaped garden, with a pool and a view of the ocean. It’s a bright sunny day.

Production: clear picture and sound, with Brooke’s voice clearly audible over the music. The camera angles are helpful, showing all of Brooke almost all of the time.

Equipment: mat (or equivalent). Brooke is barefoot.

Space Requirements: enough space to lie down with arms and legs extended.

DVD Notes: The main menu offers you these options: Play Pilates-conscious cardio section, Play Pilates prep & matwork section, and Play complete program. While the two segments are chaptered separately, there are no chapters within the segments themselves.

Comments: Other than a few comments like involving more muscles burns more calories, the weight loss theme isn’t a major part of the workout itself.

If you like Brooke, you may also like Ana Caban, another one out of the Romana K school, or perhaps also Hilary Burnett, who also uses imagery in her instruction.

If you like the cardio portion, you may want to check out Brooke’s Your Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge book, which discusses how to bring Pilates principles and awareness to other activities. Like Renee, however, I wasn’t as fond of that book as I am of Brooke’s The Pilates Body and this DVD.

Instructor Comments:
Brooke has a very pleasant, positive personality and is so natural sounding you almost forget she’s doing voiceover instead of live instruction. Brooke manages to balance cuing, introducing / reviewing Pilates concepts, introducing / reviewing form, and motivating. Some of her most helpful form tips come via imagery, such as telling you to imagine there’s a $100 bill between your upper thighs to help you focus on engaging your inner thighs. Brooke mirror cues (that is, when she says “right,” she means the viewer’s right).

KathAL79