Classical Pilates Technique - The Complete Mat Workout Series English & Spanish (Modified Basic / Basic / Intermediate / Advanced / Super Advanced)

As an apprentice, I wonder why so many other videos change Joseph Pilates' method. Specifically, why do so many videos slow the exercises down to a point where people lose the necessary mental concentration and physical energy required to achieve a good workout? I of course agree that providing basic instruction is important. Yet when videos change Joseph Pilates' method through overmodification of exercises, creation of new exercises, and alteration of rhythms, I feel strongly that these videos misrepresent the method.

Other Pilates videos have something to offer, yet they neglect to demonstrate the energy, rhythm, and exciting dynamics that Classical Pilates faithfully depicts.

Some reviewers have said, too, that the master instructor on this DVD does not count repititions of exercises. First, the number of repititions for each exercise are on screen. Second, we know from history books, newspaper articles, old film footage of Joseph Pilates teaching students, and speaking to people who actually studied with Joseph Pilates, it is clear that he did not count every repitition. He focused upon the articulation of movement, the individual's strengths and weaknesses, and the overall flow of his student's workout.

If you want to see Joseph Pilates' clear vision of his complete mat workout series, and if you want to really learn his original method, get this DVD.


Fast Pilates!   November 4, 2002
Heather Walton (Chico, CA)
372 out of 374 found this review helpful

I have been doing Pilates for a month now. I had to set this DVD aside for 3 weeks before I could try this workout. It is FAST! On my other tapes there is a lot of instruction and the exercises are performed slowly.

On this one the BASIC workout has 10 exercises and is 7 minutes long. The instruction is given, as the moves are being performed, not before. It is great, but it will take you time to really know the exercises through and through before you are able to follow along.

The Intermediate workout has 15 xercises and is 12 minutes long. On my other DVD's, 15 xercises amounts to at least 45 minutes. I do agree with this DVD, but like I said it will take you time to really know the exercises before you can follow along at this fast pace- A pace like in no other Pilates tape I know of. The exercises themselves are classic Pilates and are done very well and gracefully.

The advanced workout has 25 exercises and is 20 minutes long. This one is good and the man doing the exercises actually sweats a lot, something I have yet to see in any other Pilates film. This is a really challenging workout!

The quality of this DVD is outstanding. You are sure to get a classic Piliates workout of the highest caliper. I do wish there was a one minute pause between exercises so you have time to get out of one exercise and into the next one. It will take you a lot of practice before you can follow along with the people in this workout, but the rewards will be superior to the other tapes. I find it really nice to have so many workouts one one DVD. An amazing value for such quality. I suggest you buy Brooke Silar's book The Pilates Body as well. This book has all the exercies of this DVD, but it also explains them in fine detail that is missing in this DVD.


Forget the much-hyped Winsor Pilates   January 6, 2005
S. Romeo
102 out of 104 found this review helpful

Now I know I haven't taken any classes in Pilates and I've only tried one other 'method' on DVD, but it was during my third week on Winsor Pilates that I realized I wasn't satisfied. In checking reviews from the more experienced consumers, I learned that the breathing technique Mari instructs us to follow (in through the nose and out through the nose) was wrong. That may seem like nothing to most people, but breathing is a key aspect in Pilates. And also in exercise in general. After searching through many many reviews (because I prefer to know what I'm buying before I waste my money), it seemed like this DVD was my best bet for a good workout with Pilates in its most original, unadulterated form.

Keep in mind that by the time the DVD had arrived, I had been using Winsor Pilates for four weeks (Sunday is my only day of rest) and the results were still disappointing to me. Well, I popped in this DVD and watched all the way up to the advanced workout (to try to figure out where I would fit in) and watched a good portion of the discussion (which was informative though slightly boring at times). I was able to start with the intermediate workout. For the most part it was easy, but there were exercises which were new to me (which I was glad to see). I'm still struggling a little two weeks later to perfect these exercises, but it has been worth it to me. Not only are these routines brisk, but they don't take much time at all. The intermediate is about 15 minutes long and it leaves me feeling relaxed and pain free (including relief from headaches and back aches which I tend to get a lot). In fact, my back was very weak for most of my life. I had a hard time keeping my posture straight, bending was very painful, and sometimes, like much older people, I wouldn't be able to stand up straight after bending over for a short time. Now my back is very strong and sturdy and my posture is improving all on its own.

One thing that impressed me was that I felt sore the day after switching from Winsor to Classical Pilates. Not too sore to move, but sore enough that I could tell I was getting a better workout.

Now I do have one problem with the DVD. The voice overs are done by someone with a foreign accent and it might take a while to get used to it. It all depends on the person. For me, it took a few days of exercise. This is not a big problem and it's not something you can't get past so I won't remove any stars for that.

The setting is very bland, but I think that's a very good thing. It keeps distractions to a minimum. You're watching one person doing the exercises and receiving instructions to help you follow along. Each exercise smoothly flows into the next. Pilates has gone from just exercise to beautiful art for me and I couldn't stop now even if I wanted to. Best of all, I can see the improvements in my body and I feel better about myself.

If you're looking for a Pilates DVD, I would definitely recommend this one.


Finally, A Pilates Video to Believe In   February 21, 2003
Jenny (Los Angeles, CA)
98 out of 102 found this review helpful

Just last year I was a basic level student who had never tried Pilates. I was so thrilled about the Pilates method that I wanted to become a certified instructor! The question was where to do my training and which certification program was best. As in any business, you have to ask a lot of questions and use your instincs.

When I asked several professionals about training programs, as well as asking about supplemental material such as books and videos, several people recommend Classical Pilates. So I purchased their DVD Complete Mat Workout Series and DVD Complete Universal Reformer Series. Unbelievably amazing!

I had no idea that Pilates movement vocabulary was so extensive! And I learned what Joseph Pilates really wanted from his students. He was a tough guy who also wanted his work to show some style. Whoa! The Classical Pilates' intermediate and advanced levels are clean, strong, and smooth! All I have to say is Joseph Pilates' method is challenging (when done the right way) even in the most basic exercises, which Classical Pilates demonstrates in its "Modified Basic" workout. The mind-body benefits are awesome! Thank heaven that Classical Pilates does NOT try to reinvent the wheel the way so many other videos and teachers do by adding new exercises or changing Joseph Pilates time-honored workouts.

Thank you Classical Pilates! I hope you film ALL of Joseph Pilates equipment, like the Wunda Chair, Cadillac, and so on!


A Collection Unsurpassed   January 19, 2004
Nutmeagen (Broadway)
84 out of 96 found this review helpful

Although the Classical Pilates Technique DVDs were not shot in an exotic location or on a luxurious set, these are the finest Pilates DVDs on the market. They exhibit the high standards of instruction required of all who were trained in the tradition of Romana Kryzanowska.

I have read in other reviews that the instruction does not focus enough on the Breath and must offer my opinion. Joseph Pilates himself said: "Above all, learn to breathe properly." By that, Mr. Pilates meant to take full inhalations and complete exhalations. He believed in a deep lateral breath. My beginning students are always concerned with when to inhale and exhale and I tell them to be more concerned with how, not when, to breathe. The body will find its own natural pattern to assist in the movement.

In Ms. Ungaro's directions, I have found a new path to familiar routines and with my own students, I now use many of the powerful images that Mr. Liekens delivers throughout his voiceovers. Two of the DVDs in the collection include discussions, from which much additional information about the Pilates method can be learned. All in all, this collection of Pilates instruction remains unsurpassed.