Asking For Specific Results With Ellen B.

[herya]

Originally Posted by cherimac

I see it, Joni.

Ellen is for me what CS and yoga are for others. I feel stretched, strengthened, and blissed out. That is worth it's weight in gold!

I agree. I went through my Ellen phase before I got into yoga and I see definite resemblance. With Ellen you won't get dramatic results and some people may find her too mellow but she doesn't cause soreness or fatigue so if you stick to this style in some time you will look back and you'll be amazed at what improvements have creeped up on you. You're likely to be more flexible, balanced, stronger with good attitude towards your diet and everyday activity.

But if you need to achieve something quickly in terms of muscle or weight she may not be a good choice, at least not for your main activity.

[lrb04]

I am new to Ellen & I plan on doing her weekly! I rarely get bored with just about anything so I am not worried that will happen to me. I hate regular Pilates but find Ellen's version fun.

[JackieB]

I really appreciate Ellen. Love the fact that she creates workouts that are non impact and make me feel good. She's so sunny and positive. I'm excited about her new 30 minute workouts; tha'ts a perfect length to add other workouts to.

I have never gotten results or lost weight from workouts....the only time I've seen a change in my body is by focusing on what I put in my mouth.

Jackie

[PhyllisG]

Jackie I agree with everything you posted. I always feel great after I workout with Ellen. At first I was disappointed that the new workouts were only 30 minutes but I have changed my mind. I like walking a couple of miles with Leslie lately and adding on an Ellen Express will be great. I usually do an hour in the a.m so I can combine the new Ellen's with something else. Sounds good to me.

[Lucky Star]

Originally Posted by Joni O

Can everyone else see the Collage success stories? I can't. I only see pictures. When I follow Lucky Star's link, I only see pictures - no story. Same with all the other success stories in the site.

For you, Joni, here's Sandra's story:

About a year ago, an acquaintance asked me to join a gym with her so that she could try to lose some weight. Knowing that I should be making a change, I agreed. We started going a few times a week but I found myself getting bored just walking on the treadmill. I wanted something more fun. I had always enjoyed taking classes but I knew I had a long way to go before I was in any kind of shape to be able to take a class. At 229 lbs., I was far from capable of keeping up in an aerobics class. Instead I decided to pull out some of my old favourite workout DVDs.

I started out with Crunch: Burn & Firm Pilates and The Studio Slim Sculpt. They made me feel great and work hard, but afterwards I always felt refreshed and energized. I love Ellen Barrett's calm demeanor and encouraging words.

After about a month I had lost my first 10 lbs. I decided to reward myself with a new exercise DVD. I was thrilled when I found another Ellen Barrett DVD. From the first time I tried it, I loved Crunch: Fat Burning Pilates.

I started to joke that Ellen Barrett was my personal trainer. But in all seriousness, I never could've done this without her videos. I've never felt stronger or more confident than I do now. In the last 10 months, I've lost 70 lbs. and am only 10 lbs. away from my goal weight. My goal is not skinny, but healthy, and I have loved every minute of getting to this point.

I recommend Ellen's Studio DVDs to anyone just starting out and to anyone who has a lot of weight to lose because they are low impact, easy to follow and they make you feel great. Most of all, I recommend them because they work! I'm living proof!

Wow, losing 70 lbs in 10 months is no joke; good for her!

[Cybersparkle]

And I forgot to mention the music! Altho some find her boring, for me her music keeps me flowing thru the 'second' side. Of all the vids of hers I have, only the Pick Your Spot Pilates has generic typical 'muzak', unreal workout music. This is one of the main reasons I love her workouts - real sounding music somehow makes it less tedious and the time flys by.

I agree with Fuzzie, Ellen is a big dose of sunshine and helps to calm me while other instructors teaching methods can be a bit harsh. She doesnt leave you feeling beat up, physically or mentally/emotionally.

[MomOf2Gremlins]

Originally Posted by sunday

Although I have all of her workouts, they inspire a certain amount of dread in me. I end up watching the clock and can't wait until they're over, even though they're not very difficult.

I do not plan on buying her new ones at this point, though 30 minutes might be easier to take than 45 of her.

Sadly, I have to agree with you, Sunday!
I love Ellen's personality dearly and enjoy her 2 pilates DVDs as add-ons every once in a while but the rest of her Studio and 2 Live workouts are rarely being used!.. I love the flow and how I feel afterwards but somehow it always ends up feeling too repetitve for me and I get bored.. I think the ones I actually pull out more often are Zen Sculpt (& Slo-Robics), which a kind VFer sent me a long time ago! [Now also available on YouTube thanks to our Barb -horsemom- here! ]