(Terra Entertainment)
2002
What is it?
A 20-minute Pilates workout followed by an extended instruction section on each of the exercises performed.
Who is it for?
Advanced beginning to intermediate level Pilates exercisers. Newer exercisers, however, should be aware that they will not be able to do the moves anywhere near as fast or as well as the instructor performs them in the 20-minute workout! (At least not for a good, long while.)
What to expect:
Niedra Gabriel takes a different route from most Pilates instructors — she shows you the whole workout first, and then offers detailed explanations of all the exercises afterwards. There are a lot of benefits to this approach: 1) separating practice from instruction keeps the workout at the pace that a real Pilates session would go; 2) there's a lot of time to really get into the particulars of each exercise; Gabriel isn't pressured into going onto the next exercise as soon as possible; 3) modifications are offered without breaking up the routine; 4) since the instructions are after the workout, you won't need to skip through them once you know the moves; and 5) the workout, which is actually quite challenging, even though it's just 20 minutes long, is inspiring — the day you complete all the repetitions all the way through along with Gabriel, you'll feel you've really accomplished something! While this is not a terribly advanced routine, the moves are done nonstop at a speed that isn't found in the majority of Pilates DVDs. (One notable aspect of the workout — while the routine itself contains no verbal instructions, the music changes with each move, cueing you into the new exercise so that you don't have to look at the television constantly.) Although Gabriel's instruction is great, it's not really a workout for Pilates newbies. Those who already have at least some experience with Pilates workouts will get the most out of this — they will appreciate the instructions and understand the nuances that Gabriel mentions. This instructor really knows her stuff, and she performs the routine in a beautifully precise manner. Those who take an exacting view of their Pilates practice and enjoy a bit of a challenge will get a lot out of this workout.