I swear, I thought I did a review on this. Well - I'll do one now. (actually, people have been asking me to put them in the database. I'll think about it. I'm kinda shy. YOU guys know me. hee. And used to the way I speak, talk, think - or well, hopefully).
Just a little disclaimer - I may be biased because JustBMethod is only one of two pilates that I do, period. (The other is Ultimate Pilates Workouts). And that I love Bernadette clearly in a non-stalking way just for what she's done for my body in both barre and pilates. I'll be doing a Daisy On on all 3 dvds that I have (as Pilates Power Ball Sculpt has died a very sad death) as well as all 6 of her Podclasses.
Let me tell you how much I do this dvd. It's as much as I do Brook's Butts & Guts to the point where I can quote the dvd verbatim. Yeah.
Attitude: Ballet & Pilates Fusion. There's nothing really fusion-y about this. it's about 20 minutes of standing ballet work, and then 20ish minutes of pilates. I guess the fusion comes into the part that Bernadette always uses the "prop" (easy dumbell, softball, band, whatever - in this case, ball), to do a light resistance.
You pop in the DVD and you hear the piano music. (it's very lovely). It's not super polished (the menu or anything) but it's very simple, broken down into Introduction, Form Pointers, Workout I, Workout II, Premixes and Credits.
Introduction is your basic: Hi, this is Me (Bernadette Giorgi), this is my dvd, this is what we'll do. (rec: 3 days a week 12 weeks, and then move to Attitude II). And then she has this awesome quote, which I really need to write down and put on my wall or something.
Premixes: You can do several things. one option is doing all the mat work + the warm up, the other is doing all the toning work (with the ball), and the third is doing all the ballet work (no ball). My go to, is doing the Advanced class which is doing both sets of ballet, both toning, both sets of pilates and the stretch. {yes. I'm nuts}.
Workout One:
Let me just put it out there: You are doing a LOT of piles. Like. a million of them. Your warm up is plies, plies with arm circles, piles with a reach (feels lovely), plies, and more plies.
then you start the workout, in. well guess what! Plies!
You do plies in first second, fourth, fifth, (change legs, fourth and fifth again), and a set of releves in between. after this, you do two grand piles in 2nd position.
Then you do piles & tendus (front, side back), 2 grand piles
Then you just tendu (front side, back) 2 grand piles
Then you sweep your leg front and back for a stretch, 2 grand plies
Then you do rond de jambes (10 front, 10 back), 2 grand plies (by this time, if you were never aware of your inner thighs before - you would be now - and you'll be sweating).
Floor work (with a ball - I use a dumbbell).
2nd position plies with a front raise, left arm raise, front raise, right arm raise.
Bicep in a plie into a reach
Then a bicep squat and reach
Lunges with a french dip (tricep), and reach. Hamstring Stretch
Warrior (your balance challenge)
Hamstring stretch
Mat Work
Hundred (feet on mat)
Pilates Pike (with weight)
Double Crunch (with weight)
Criss Cross (Bernadette's Criss Cross is evil. I swear).
One Leg Crunch (straight legs)
Scissor Walk
Leg Circles (both directions)
See Saw
Roll Downs
Workout Two:
Plies in 1st 2nd, 4th, 5th, 4th, 5th position, and then you go on relve and press your knees back to target your inner thighs (as if they aren't awake already).
Plie & Tendus (alternating legs, front side and back), 2 grand plies (if I haven't mentioned the 2 grand piles come in between each set)
Rond de Jambes (5 on ground, 5 in air, both front & back both legs), 2 grand plies
Grand plies with tendus (hello butt). (cat stretch).
Develope with a Breeze (sorry - my french is all horrble). (cat stretch)
Floor Work
(again, I use a dumbell. might try to grow up and use my 5lb kb)
Plies (heh you don't escape them) this is an elbow raise with right/left raises
Then you have a slight balance challenge. butt squeeze into a little lunge with a bicep curl
Plies (3 pulse with a 3 pump for your bicep)
Hamstring stretch
Airplane (literally that's what i call it. you balance on one leg and then you tilt to the side).
Mat Work
Hundred (legs up in 90 degree position)
Pilates pike with legs open (so you crunch into your legs, and your legs are like V
Double Crunch with extended legs
Levers (with weights)
Criss Cross (legs in 90 degree position)
One leg crunch (straight leg, other leg in 90 degree position)
Lowering Legs with 5th position "swishes" (like flutter kicks)
Double Pulse See Saw
Roll downs
Pilates pike (but legs are down, so you are up and then over your straight legs up, and roll down)
Cooldown/Stretch
(which I do, do because she does Mermaid, and I love doing Mermaid).
So it's Mermaid, a hamstring stretch, cross legs over, then a heel stretch, then a groin stretch, and you finish off with (what else) 4 2nd position grand piles. Then you curtsy and you're finished.
Instructor: Bernadette's first dvd is exactly that. It's her first dvd, so sometimes the lighting goes bright to a little dark (not distracting), the transition/set up movement isn't as crisp as Attitude Tu. But she''s soft spoken, not overly chatty, and she uses specific wording. She does say some very cute things (which can irk people) ie: you are burning off that chocolate chip cookie! (during your grand plies), and "our legs are going to look great this summer" Bernadette has this soft spoken voice. Sometimes depending on the words you can hear her accent. (NJ ish I reckon
Music: I love it. it's soft and piano like. It doesn't border on "Muzak". There is no music off/voice over
Set: it's the old set that looks like they are working in a a barn.
Problem Areas: I don't find none. I have a wonky knee, and all the piles don't bug me. I do wobble with some of the balance but I know the more I do the more I get better.
Overall thoughts - you really work hard in this. I was really surprised (in the beginning) how hard you work, and that I was drenched in sweat, just doing piles, and stuff (but you do). You DO get doms the next day - I've done classical stretch right after, and it doesn't matter, your legs get worked, and get worked HARD. You also really work your behind (I thought to add some Ballet Beautiful glute work to this, and my bum was like, eh. i think not).
The more you do this, is the stronger you get. I'd avoid it if you seriously have a knee issue, and doing any kind of plie bugs - but even then maybe even try it and see - like I said I have a knee problem sometimes and this workout hasn't ever aggravated it for me. But if you enjoy Ellen Barret's work especially, I would get this. The music is more calming, but the work (cardio, toning, peacefulness, and feeling graceful) is there.
I give this Daisy Seal of Approval for all Barre-istas, Pilates Junkies or those wanting to stick a toe into the genre, and award this a
buy rating (or the very least try to trade for it).