PM Pilates

Ana Caban
Year Released: 2002

Categories: Pilates/Core Strength



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This workout has already been broken down by other reviews, so I will just add a few comments. I like this workout for getting a good pilates-ab workout done in a short time (about 25 minutes.) It is a tough sequence and Ana does 10 reps on a lot of the ab exercises. She doesn't show any modifications, so you should be familiar with pilates, and modify on your own (as I did on some.) There were no breaks in between the moves, but there is sufficient time to reset your position, and I didn't feel rushed at all. There is no leg kick series, as this is primarily core based. The scenery is beautiful, and the workout ends with a nice rainbow stretch (standing you go from one ankle up an over to the other.)
I did this in the morning (as opposed to the "PM") and it didn't put me to sleep! This is a challenging intermediate pilates workout.

Instructor Comments:
She instructs with a voice over while performing the moves. Her form is excellent and has a pleasant voice while giving instruction and very good form pointers.

Jo

05/03/2006

Ana Caban's P.M. Pilates is designed as an evening Pilates routine to help you wind down and de-stress at the end of the day. It's perfect for this purpose (although a bit too strenuous to be used right before bedtime), but it would also serve well as an energizing routine in the a.m. or almost any time. Ana works out alone against a rocky, oceanside backdrop, and the soundtrack consists of soft, soothing piano music.

Ana begins the workout in a seated position with several simple neck stretches. She then moves to the floor for a traditional Pilates mat series, starting with the hundred. Although Ana mostly follows classic Pilates sequencing, some of the more difficult moves (e.g., rollover) are left out, and other moves are done in a modified form (i.e., a rolling prep and an open-legged rocker prep instead of the full movements). Despite these modifications, the routine is still challenging, and it proceeds along at a moderate but steady clip. The workout concentrates on the stomach series and other abs-focused moves; the side kick series is absent, and there are no Pilates push-ups. The mermaid (performed seated) and a standing stretch complete the routine.

Ana does much less teaching here than in her previous videos, which makes this workout flow more smoothly; although this made the practice perfect for me, a Pilates practitioner in the advanced intermediate range, I don't this would be a good video for Pilates beginners. Finally, at 25 minutes, I think the length is ideal for allowing me to attain a thorough Pilates workout in a relatively short period of time.

Instructor Comments:
Ana is a very good instructor: her form is impeccable, and she is encouraging without being overly chatty. Those who are familiar with her Beginning and Intermediate Matwork videos should note that this video contains voiceover rather than live instruction: although Ana cues well, she is sometimes slightly out of sync with the screen. I think that the voiceover also makes Ana seem a bit less friendly than in her prior vidoes, but I still like her.

Beth C (aka toaster)

10/05/2004

This Pilates video is focused on the core or powerhouse only, which I like. I often find many Pilates videos to be too easy for the lower body, at least out of the ones I've tried so far. When I heard from a friend that this video was just for the abs & back, I thought it would be for me & it was! I found it for just over $7 at CDUniverse.com.

The workout is outside on the island of Maui along a rocky seashore. I would have preferred to hear the waves crashing on the rocks, but I only noticed this while previewing the tape. I didn't mind while actually doing the video. There is soft music that goes well with the PM theme.

Ana starts out by doing the hundred, after a few neck stretches which I really liked. My neck needs this at the end of the day. The following exercises are typical Pilates ab & back exercises. I found the sequencing to be challenging at times. The cover has beginner on it, but I'd say that the workout was a hard intermediate level. There are no form pointers since she moves right along, by voice over instruction. This workout flowed very well with no pauses for instruction for the beginner.

The workout ends with 1 standing stretch, after the mermaid. I liked how both stretches she ended with stretched out my sides and hips. Overall, this is a perfect Pilates video for me. I give it an A+, even though you can't hear the ocean.

Instructor Comments:
I like her voice over in this tape. She moves right along, unlike she did in the first Living Arts Pilates video.

Lorrie

05/28/2002