|
| 15 Minute Everyday Pilates (Book and DVD) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alycea Ungaro
Publisher: DK ADULT
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $10.02
You Save: $7.93 (44%)
New (26) Used (7) from $9.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 16622
Media: Paperback
Edition: Pap/DVD
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 96
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.2 x 0.5
ISBN: 0756633575
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.7
EAN: 9780756633578
ASIN: 0756633575
Publication Date: December 3, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20081130225628T
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
No time to exercise? No problem! DK's new 15-Minute Fitness series gives you all the tools you need to squeeze regular exercise into your life. This fantastic new format offers: four detailed gatefolds for easy, step-by-step instruction; a DVD to walk you through each routine; and a fully-illustrated, fully-annotated book to help you perfect your technique. Choose one of four complete mini-workouts each day to target a specific part of the body, and to strengthen, stretch, and build your way to a more toned, more healthy you.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
A Triumph! July 14, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Everything about this book is great. For a start, the presentation is really good - from the smooth cover to the well-designed page layouts and clear photographs demonstrating the exercises. The pages that 'fold out' to show each of the four workouts are also very helpful. Perhaps most importantly, the exercises are all explained in detail and each stage is described in a simple yet effective way. Overall, it just feels like a lot of effort went into every aspect of the book to make it user friendly.
The DVD is the perfect complement to the book. I didn't realise that you could move from one exercise to another so quickly and without the DVD I would have been going at a much slower speed. I was also amazed by the variety of exercises crammed into each of the 4 workouts! The time goes by really quickly because you are never just standing about waiting for the next exercise to start, you are always either doing an exercise or transitioning into the next. I really have to praise the author, Alycea Ungaro, for the wonderful way that she voices over the DVD. Her instructions are simple and her tone of voice is very pleasant and calm. She makes the whole thing a real pleasure to do and makes me feel very motivated.
As a complete Pilates beginnner, I found the workouts quite tough. I was able to follow the moves most of the time, but sometimes I couldn't do all the repetitions or get myself into exactly the right position. But nevermind, this will obviously come with practice! By the end of each of the 15 mins I often have sweat breaking out on my forehead and my muscles feel like they have had a good workout. I like the way you can do just one 15 minute section or combine them. I like to do the 'Day by Day' section followed by one of the other 3 sections (I alternate them each time) for a good 30 minute routine.
Overall, I highly recommend this product. It has a very slick and professional feel and is very efficient in terms of fitting a lot of exercise into a short period of time.
What I was Looking For March 27, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I looked for a basic and easy Pilates exercise system which I could do in a short amount of time and practically anywhere. This book was simple to follow and the exercises are fun. It definately fit the bill. I did not order this item for the Cd so cannot review that part of the product, but-I think the cd would just be an added bonus to the already excellent book. If you have never done pilates I am sure the Cd would be helpful to learn the moves. Great price for an excellent item.
More user-friendly Pilates from Alycea Ungaro February 23, 2008
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
Alycea Ungaro has once again set a new standard for accessible yet authentic Pilates instruction for the home exerciser. As in her last release, The Pilates Promise, she uses smaller workouts to help introduce Pilates to the new (or time-crunched) exerciser). Here, however, she extends the at-a-glance guides into what she calls a "gatefold"- two consecutive pages that open out into a four page spread with the workout. While I had no complaints about the guides she used in her previous books, this is much easier to see and use.
The workouts themselves have a slightly different twist from her previous works: definitely in the Classical Pilates tradition, but with some preparatory additions (though I can be as much of a purist snob as anyone else, I think I've even heard of Romana doing this). However, while the sequencing is traditional, it is definitely slanted toward the beginner or low intermediate exerciser- many movements, such as the Teaser, are modified down, but few are modified up.
From the more advanced exerciser's point of view, Ungaro compensates for that somewhat by including some very rarely seen exercises, either from the Mat, Standing or Reformer-on-Mat sequences. The majority of those show up in the weights series (e.g., the Lunges) or the "functional fitness" workout, (e.g., the Splits). At the very least, they're a great way to incorporate variety into your Pilates routine.
While Ungaro previously used a Magic Circle in her other books and even an optional Pilates bar, here the only pieces of equipment required are a well-cushioned mat and hand weights; in other words, even more accessible for the average home exerciser.
The workouts themselves are: Day by Day, which is a modified version of the classical syllabus most Pilates practioners are familiar with (the Hundred through the Stomach Series, plus some other classics, although, again, movements like the Hundred and the Roll Up are modified); From the Top Down, which uses handweights and has a more immediate upper body emphasis, but also works the lower body if done properly; From the Bottom Up, which includes much of the well-known Side Kicks series as well as the modified Teaser and a few weightless upperbody movements); and Up, Up and Away, the functional fitness workout which includes a differently modified Hundred, some Rowing exercises, some spinal twists, some modified Reformer movements and the rarely seen Footwork and Splits series).
Because I have been doing Pilates for years, I would probably turn to the last workout the most because of the different movements. However, Ungaro also provides sample schedules for people who would like to incorporate all of the workouts into their weeks, with different time constraints- another very useful guide.
As for the DVD, each workout takes the promised fifteen minutes, although experienced practitioners could probably perform them more quickly. Ungaro has a pleasant onscreen delivery in voice over- patient, warm, but to the chase. I think many people who want to get started with Pilates and need an AV guide would find her suitable.
This a great addition to the library of beginning and intermediate Pilates home-practitioners, but advanced students may want to look at Ungaro's older books.
Best Pilates Video I have seen February 14, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I love so many things about this book and dvd. It is very focussed on form. I like how you can read the book and get thorough instructions. The pull out charts are fabulous for when you don't have a place to view the dvd. It is amazing how she walks your through proper form and the link to the page in the book is listed when doing an exercise so that you can look it up if you need to.
It is great that it is broken up into 15 minute segment. I usually only have time to 15 segments. I also like to be able to rotate what part of the body I am going to be working on.
You definately notice the workout the next day and you want to go back and do more.
I have enjoyed this so much taht I want to get the other books/dvd's in the series.
Everything you would expect and more. February 12, 2008
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have been a big fan of Alycea Ungaro, for years I have purchased her books and the Classical Pilates DVD's that she collaborates on. This book/DVD combo is great. Thank you for finally giving us a book that can really open out and show everything step by step.
This is interactive Pilates, between the book and the DVD it is near impossible to not know your exact form and the page references are nice. Even though I have practiced Pilates for years I still found myself pausing and checking the book to make sure I knew what I was suppose to be doing. (Especially with the arm series which had many new exercises for me.)
The first workout is really a Pilates prep or reset. Where you get back to the basics and even into pre-basics.
The second workout is more about upper body w/ light weights.
The third workout focuses on the leg series and lower body.
The forth workout is more of a full body workout that is more intense than the first workout.
Since these are all 15 minute workouts, its easy to fit them into your day. I have been doing 15 mins in the morning after my cardio with a PM session to get the full 30 mins into my daily work week. Then on Saturdays I'll do 30-60 mins depending on how much time I have.
I liked this Book/DVD combo so much I have come back to purchase a copy for my mother.
|
|
|
---- | |
