Please note that I wrote this review about 4 years ago; I've copied and pasted it as originally written. At the time of the review I had done the video about half a dozen times.

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General workout breakdown: Mari takes you through the 100, roll up (first slow, then faster), rolling like a ball, the “astronaut” (a new one for me: Stott would call this a half roll back with rotation), single leg stretch (first slow, then faster), double leg stretch, single straight leg stretch (i.e. scissors; first slow, then faster), double straight leg stretch, criss cross (first slow, then faster), saw, neck pull, one-legged teaser prep, and teasers 1, 2, & 3, shell stretch (i.e. child’s pose), and cobra in 19 minutes. Mari includes a decent number of repetitions, between 4-10 for each exercise, although she just has you do one teaser #3. The pace of the moves is appropriate and controlled, even the faster reps. There are some pauses between exercises, and Mari sometimes leaves you hanging (literally) as she finishes setting up each move.
As the title suggests, the focus is on the abdominals, with a little work intended for the lower part of the muscle and more work for the obliques. There aren’t any exercises intended for the upper body, lower body, or even back.

Level: I’d recommend this to someone making the transition between beginner and intermediate to a low intermediate Pilates practitioner. Anyone at a lower level will have trouble with some moves, particularly the double times. Mari includes a decent amount of instruction, but it might be too little for true beginners (especially regarding breathing) and too much for intermediates.
I consider myself a low intermediate. I have about two years of Pilates experience but still have limited strength and flexibility. I found this workout appropriately challenging when I first got it, when I was trying to make the transition between the two levels; it’s now slightly easy except for a couple of moves--neck pull and teaser variations--usually included in solidly intermediate to advanced Pilates workouts.

Class: 4 women and 1 man do the exercises. One demonstrates teaser modifications. Another woman is slightly larger: still fit, but more “normal” in appearance. Unfortunately, she struggles with some exercises. I would have been inspired if someone built more like me could do them as beautifully as the fitness models, but as it is she would have been better served providing modifications for all exercises.

Music / Set / Other Production Notes: The instrumental music is upbeat but repetitive. The five participants are on raised platforms in a bright indoor studio with plants around the back and windows that appear to have an ocean view (although the waves never move, if you watch closely). The overall sound and picture quality are good.

Equipment: mat (or equivalent). All participants are barefoot.

Comments: You don’t need much space for this workout. You should be able to lie down with your arms and legs extended.
Mari’s the only Pilates instructor I can think of off the top of my head who has you breathe out through your nose, but I probably only noticed that because I learned Pilates from Stott, who has you exhale through your mouth.
Will you have incredible results like all those people on the infomercial just by using this tape? I think you know the answer to that. . .

DVD Notes: This comes in a cardboard case that’s smaller than your average DVD case. There are warnings and a Winsor introduction you can’t skip; these last just over a minute. The menu lets you choose Mari’s intro, the workout, the description (or just read the back cover), or special offers from Winsor Pilates. There are no chapters in the workout.

Conclusion: Eh, I’m lukewarm on this one. I found it a challenging abs workout when I first got it. But I have other workouts with less dead time and other instructors I personally like better. So this goes on my trade list.

Instructor Comments:
Mari walks around instructing. She’s not “hands on” here. She comes across as encouraging, although her on screen persona is not as approachable as some other instructors’. (I can see the comparisons to a drill sergeant, although she’s gentler than that.) For such a petite woman she has a strong voice which is kind of shrill. She has some silly phrases, like “Tweeze your buttocks” and “Squeeze your tushie.” Her form pointers and cueing are good, although she doesn’t cue every move and her breathing instruction mainly consists of “Don’t forget to breathe!”

KathAL79