Customer Rating:  
Summary: THIS IS NOT FOR A BEGINNER
Comment: I have been practicing beginner pilates 3-4 times a week for 2 months. I purchased this dvd to get more out of the classical pilates techniques. The workouts are short! This not for a beginner, it is very fast paced.
I found this on a site, and I couldn't state it better myself, it tells you exactly what this dvd is about, it is by Christian Perring, PHD:
Classical Pilates Technique is a 75 minute DVD. It has a 2-minute introduction, and there is a 17-minute discussion of the benefits of Pilates with 3 people, Bob Liekens, Alycea Ungaro and Peter Fiasca. The rest of the DVD is divided up into five sections introducing different levels of Pilates Mat Workouts. These are
Modified Basic (6 minutes)
Basic (4 minutes)
Intermediate (13 minutes)
Advanced (21 minutes)
Super Advanced (4 minutes)
The mat used is not just the regular Pilates mat (which is thicker than a yoga mat) but rather a T-shaped mat with a couple of extra features. This mat is available from Grantz-Pilates online, where they call it the "low mat." Other equipment that gets used includes a short pole just to keep the hands parallel when doing sit ups, and a foot loop attached to the top of the mat for doing sit ups. However, it is possible to do these exercises using a couple of yoga mats, one on top of another, and improvising a way to hold your feet still when doing the sit ups -- such as putting your feet under your bed.
The workouts are demonstrated by Peter Fiasca, Junghee Kallander, and Jamie Trout. The DVD has very simple production, with a mat on a wooden floor with a curtain in the background. The camera shows the instructor from a couple of angles, tending to hold the shot for about half a minute before switching to the other angle. Bob Liekens gives instructions about how to do the exercises in a voice over. For each different exercise, the name of the exercise appears on the screen, along with the number of repetitions that should be used. So it is a very plain and static production. There are no special DVD features used, except dividing the different parts into chapters so it is possible to select which chapter you want to view.
This is not a particularly easy DVD to use if you are looking to start out with Pilates. The pace is fast, and the switches between one exercise and the next is rapid. If you want to watch carefully and get the movements exactly right -- and in Classical Pilates there's great emphasis on being precisely right in the movement -- then you will need to use the pause button on your DVD remote quite often, and you will need to watch the exercises carefully first. It might be more suited to people who have gone to a few Pilates classes already and need a reminder about how to do the exercises and what order to do them in.
The individual workouts are short: even the advanced one is only 21 minutes, and the most elementary one is just 6 minutes. The exercises will be challenging for people who are not used to them and who are not already strong and flexible, and they are probably very beneficial so long as they are done carefully so as to avoid injury. However, most people who go to a Pilates class will be used to a longer workout -- 30 or 45 minutes is quite standard. It is not very clear how to use this DVD to provide such a workout.
So overall, some people may find this a useful DVD if they want what it provides, but for those who are looking for a more general guide to doing Pilates, they would be better off looking elsewhere.
An excellent beginner classic pilates dvd to start with is by Alan Menezes, it may be older, but everything is so clearly and fully explained
from the B-Line, right down to proper breathing, you couldn't ask for a better, beginning, intermediate, or advanced pilates workouts. He is fantastic. You will get proper and complete training and it cost me a mere dollar. Get one and see if it is not the most thorough dvd on pilates you have come across. Another great one is, Heart of Pilates, put out by PBS, it is fantastic, it comes in a 3 dvd set as well, bit more, but fabulous. If you want complete, nothing left out, proper breathing and alignment, these two are fantastic. Try Ebay for the Heart of Pilates, they have it for a very good price.
Good luck!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Too fast for me!
Comment: The exercises are the same that Ana Caban's video has, but she goes slower and that is good for me. I couldn't keep up with this program...one needs to be young and vigorous.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Glad I read the reviews!
Comment: All the glowing reviews made my decision to buy this DVD, and boy, am I glad! The only other experience I've had with Pilates is the Winsor, but was very frustrated at how long and drawn out her workout was. Not this one! When I finish my -short- workout from this DVD, I feel the results without wasting an extra 30 minutes. Of course, since I had done the Winsor DVD, and she explains slowly and carefully, I already had a basic grasp on doing the poses. But once you have the hang of it, you don't really feel like listening to the explanations, you just want to work out!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Follow the order and this program won't be too fast
Comment: I am not in an area where pilates instruction is offered. I have tried other pilates DVDs and found them to be too difficult. This program, though not 'fancy,' is thorough, well-organized and easy to understand.
I am still only at the basic modified work-out but do not believe the program is too fast. It may seem too fast if you jump in at the more advanced levels without going through the first level at least once.
The voice-over instruction is clear and well-timed with the exercises. I didn't find him hard to understand at all.
If you're interested in a thorough instruction in pilates, this is the DVD for you!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great DVD, but not for first-timers
Comment: I spent 3 years taking a group pilates class, but lost most of my strength and form after 3 pregnancies. Trying to get to the gym with three kids is impossible, so I purchased this DVD to guide me back to my glory days. Had I not had years of experience in which to perfect these exercises, this video would had been a horrible introduction to Classical pilates. However, because I was trained and simply out of shape, it was a great refresher. I do find the pace a bit fast--yes this is part of the challenge--but I prefer to slow down a bit and focus on my form rather than be sloppy and race through it. My advice? If you're a beginner, don't buy this video unless you are in a class or taking other instruction. If you aren't a beginner, but aren't in top form either, watch the video in its entirety several times and determine what level matches your fitness level. Listen to the pointers (which might not be mentioned until repetition 4 of 5), make mental notes, and write down the workout sequence on a piece of paper. With this sheet as a guide, I can slow down when the exercises are tougher for me than they are for the instructor, but still keep the video on for inspiration and guidance. Yes, it's a bit dry. But the focus of classical pilates is your breath and form as you perform these exercises. Music, color, and flashy instructors would only be detractions.
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