If I like (love!) Ellen Barrett, would I like Kari Anderson?

Terri1222 · 03-04-12, 09:28 AM

I'm a huge Ellen Barrett fan, have all of her DVDs, and I was wondering what Kari Anderson workouts are like - if they're similar, etc.

Any advice most welcome!

Terri

topfitmama · 03-04-12, 10:10 AM

I have Center Floor and Sweat Express II. Center Floor can be compared in intensity and to an extent in exercise style to Ellen's Studio workouts without weights. I think Fusion Flow may be the closest, but they have a different approach and feel. I like both. Kari is more serious, serene, and talks less. Her cuing is excellent and her form is beautiful.

I think Center Floor is best compared to Bernadette Giorgi's Attitude workout (first one), But Center Floor's floor work has some yoga influence that Attitude doesn't have. It's pure Pilates.

desertMermaid · 03-04-12, 10:43 AM

From Kari I have tried Reach, ALC I, ALCII, Sweat Express II and Center Floor. From Ellen.... too many to list.

I don't really like Reach, but many here do. Sweat Express II is a dance workout very different from the others listed here. Angles, Lines Curves I and II are older workouts (c. 2002). Center floor was released last year about the same time as SEII.

Kari does low intensity fusion like Ellen. I feel like Kari challenges balance a lot more than Ellen, and that Kari's foundation is more ballet based where as Ellen's is more pilates based. But Kari borrows from pilates as Ellen borrows from ballet. Center Floor has a cardio element to it where as I didn't really find that with the ALC workouts. I really like Kari and I really like Ellen. I think Ellen and Kari compliment each other wonderfully. They have similarities but definitely are not the same.

cherimac · 03-04-12, 04:08 PM

I

Ellen and have yet to connect w/a single Kari workout. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on it.

moonbeam31 · 03-04-12, 04:13 PM

Ellen is my #1 Favorite instructor known to man. I have ALL of her workouts and love them all. I do have Kari's SEII and Center Floor and really like them. They are lovely workouts. I had Reach a few times-but got rid of it and had her beginner step workout, but I do not step anymore. I think her best ones are her two newst workouts-SWII and Center Floor-they are keepers for me for sure!. Reach is good, though-but just did not love it enough to keep it. Hope this helps.

Joni O · 03-04-12, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherimac

I

Ellen and have yet to connect w/a single Kari workout. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on it.

Ditto !

Hej · 03-04-12, 05:07 PM

I really like Ellen and I really like Kari. I like ALC I and Centre Floor very much and ALC II less, though it's still a good workout. Reach fries me and I love it. You really have to focus on Kari's instructions to get that effect, though.

As others have said, Ellen is more Pilates based, while Kari's background is ballet. Ellen is my go to girl when I want to feel a lot better during and after the workout-- especially good when I feel bad or sad or out of sorts for some reason, or I'm aching to high heaven from gym-style weights.

With Kari I really work, and doesn't always feel nice exactly. But somehow I feel more accomplished somehow.

Another workout I like in the same vein is Petra Kolber's Elegant Strength. It is also a dance, yoga, pilates fusion and feels very much like a spa workout. Lots of balance and another go-to workout when I'm aching or sad. People say it's like V-Core, but with a much more calming, restorative vibe.

Terri1222 · 03-05-12, 06:40 AM

Thank you all so much for your thoughts - I'm definitely more a "pilates-based" exerciser than a ballet one, but I'll keep an open mind.

And if Kari's workout is anything like Bernadette Giorgi's Attitude Tu, I'm sorry to say but it will be "Joni-O-ed" pretty quickly!

But again, I promise to keep an open mind....

Also, thank you Hej for that Petra Kolber recommendation - definitely going to check into that one!

Terri

fuzzie · 03-05-12, 07:52 AM

I love Ellen and Kari, and I have all their workouts. I think Kari's cardio DVDs are completely different from Ellen's workouts, but her "fusion" ones (ALC 1 and 2, Reach, Center Floor) have more in common with Ellen's.

I completely agree with deserMermaid that Kari's workouts are more ballet-based and balance-challenging. I find that the first half of Reach and Center Floor (i.e., the standing work) is especially ballet-inspired but I don't think they are similar to Attitude much (did not like that one either). To me, the closest thing to Center Floor is Jennifer Galardi's Ballet Body. I find that ALC 1 and 2 have less of a ballet influence; they have more pilates- and yoga-inspired floor work.

Jewels5 · 03-05-12, 10:23 PM

I love Ellen's workouts, but I couldn't click with Grace and Gusto towards the end. Maybe because that's when it became more balance challenging for me, like Kari's are? I have tried Reach and Center Floor didn't click with either one of them. I felt really uncoordinated doing Center Floor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzie

To me, the closest thing to Center Floor is Jennifer Galardi's Ballet Body.

I thought the same thing. I just tried Ballet Body the other day and

'd it. I'm not sure why I clicked instantly with this one and not so with Center Floor?

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03-04-12, 09:28 AM
Terri1222 VF Supporter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Florida	If I like (love!) Ellen Barrett, would I like Kari Anderson? I'm a huge Ellen Barrett fan, have all of her DVDs, and I was wondering what Kari Anderson workouts are like - if they're similar, etc. Any advice most welcome! Terri __________________ Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Crap happens in bunches - Beth Just 'cuz I want to be a hermit doesn't mean I don't get lonely - DonnaB What the head makes cloudy, the heart makes very clear - Eagles

03-04-12, 10:10 AM
topfitmama Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Germany	I have Center Floor and Sweat Express II. Center Floor can be compared in intensity and to an extent in exercise style to Ellen's Studio workouts without weights. I think Fusion Flow may be the closest, but they have a different approach and feel. I like both. Kari is more serious, serene, and talks less. Her cuing is excellent and her form is beautiful. I think Center Floor is best compared to Bernadette Giorgi's Attitude workout (first one), But Center Floor's floor work has some yoga influence that Attitude doesn't have. It's pure Pilates.

03-04-12, 10:43 AM
desertMermaid Join Date: May 2009 Location: Grand Canyon State	From Kari I have tried Reach, ALC I, ALCII, Sweat Express II and Center Floor. From Ellen.... too many to list. I don't really like Reach, but many here do. Sweat Express II is a dance workout very different from the others listed here. Angles, Lines Curves I and II are older workouts (c. 2002). Center floor was released last year about the same time as SEII. Kari does low intensity fusion like Ellen. I feel like Kari challenges balance a lot more than Ellen, and that Kari's foundation is more ballet based where as Ellen's is more pilates based. But Kari borrows from pilates as Ellen borrows from ballet. Center Floor has a cardio element to it where as I didn't really find that with the ALC workouts. I really like Kari and I really like Ellen. I think Ellen and Kari compliment each other wonderfully. They have similarities but definitely are not the same.

03-04-12, 04:08 PM
cherimac Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Georgia	I Ellen and have yet to connect w/a single Kari workout. I cannot for the life of me put my finger on it. __________________ Cheri

03-04-12, 04:13 PM
moonbeam31 Join Date: Jan 2005	Ellen is my #1 Favorite instructor known to man. I have ALL of her workouts and love them all. I do have Kari's SEII and Center Floor and really like them. They are lovely workouts. I had Reach a few times-but got rid of it and had her beginner step workout, but I do not step anymore. I think her best ones are her two newst workouts-SWII and Center Floor-they are keepers for me for sure!. Reach is good, though-but just did not love it enough to keep it. Hope this helps.

03-04-12, 05:07 PM
Hej Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Lund, Sweden	I really like Ellen and I really like Kari. I like ALC I and Centre Floor very much and ALC II less, though it's still a good workout. Reach fries me and I love it. You really have to focus on Kari's instructions to get that effect, though. As others have said, Ellen is more Pilates based, while Kari's background is ballet. Ellen is my go to girl when I want to feel a lot better during and after the workout-- especially good when I feel bad or sad or out of sorts for some reason, or I'm aching to high heaven from gym-style weights. With Kari I really work, and doesn't always feel nice exactly. But somehow I feel more accomplished somehow. Another workout I like in the same vein is Petra Kolber's Elegant Strength. It is also a dance, yoga, pilates fusion and feels very much like a spa workout. Lots of balance and another go-to workout when I'm aching or sad. People say it's like V-Core, but with a much more calming, restorative vibe.

03-05-12, 06:40 AM
Terri1222 VF Supporter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Florida	Thank you all so much for your thoughts - I'm definitely more a "pilates-based" exerciser than a ballet one, but I'll keep an open mind. And if Kari's workout is anything like Bernadette Giorgi's Attitude Tu, I'm sorry to say but it will be "Joni-O-ed" pretty quickly! But again, I promise to keep an open mind.... Also, thank you Hej for that Petra Kolber recommendation - definitely going to check into that one! Terri __________________ Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Crap happens in bunches - Beth Just 'cuz I want to be a hermit doesn't mean I don't get lonely - DonnaB What the head makes cloudy, the heart makes very clear - Eagles

03-05-12, 07:52 AM
fuzzie VF Supporter Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Montreal, Quebec	I love Ellen and Kari, and I have all their workouts. I think Kari's cardio DVDs are completely different from Ellen's workouts, but her "fusion" ones (ALC 1 and 2, Reach, Center Floor) have more in common with Ellen's. I completely agree with deserMermaid that Kari's workouts are more ballet-based and balance-challenging. I find that the first half of Reach and Center Floor (i.e., the standing work) is especially ballet-inspired but I don't think they are similar to Attitude much (did not like that one either). To me, the closest thing to Center Floor is Jennifer Galardi's Ballet Body. I find that ALC 1 and 2 have less of a ballet influence; they have more pilates- and yoga-inspired floor work.