Search - 20-Minute Pilates Abs & Waist on DVD

Great workout; mediocre dvd

Joanna | 08/11/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I almost want to give this product four stars because I do really enjoy the workout itself. The dvd menu has three options: an instructional overview, a beginner workout, and an intermediate workout. This is somewhat deceptive, as the two workouts are essentially the same as the overview, but with slightly different video clips that don't match the voice-over. I find this annoying, so I follow the intermediate exercises on the instructional overview. (After using this dvd for a couple of months, I also find the instructor a little bit annoying in some places where her ultra-perky tone seems a better match for an aerobics class.)

Initially I had a hard time doing the exercises without straining my neck muscles, even with my hands behind my head. But after a couple of weeks of almost daily use, my abdominals were doing most of the work and I wasn't straining my neck. It didn't take long to work up to the intermediate workout, and after five weeks, I find myself wishing there was an advanced workout. I'm not terribly athletic, though, and I think I will continue to find utility in this workout for a long time to come.

I do want to try the Kathy Smith: Tummy Trimmers dvd; I have her Kathy Smith: Yoga Sculpt series, which I love."