STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

I'm a big fan of the short workouts, because I have a very demanding and irregular work schedule (long hours, lots of travel). As I get further away from my college years, I also find that there's more "trouble areas" developing on my body, so I prefer workouts that hone-in on specific body target zones. This DVD fits the bill. I enjoy the pilates-inspired workouts because they leave me feeling like I get a good workout without working too hard. The thing that makes this DVD so special is that it works my muscles even harder than previous pilates DVDs I've tried: the workouts give me that "good workout soreness" the next day, but do so without exhausting me so much that I can't bring myself to do it again after another long workday. I also like that in addition to focusing on my favorite trouble spots (abs, buns and thighs), this DVD has a 10-minute pilates sculpting workout (get out your light weights, everybody), a 10-minute cardio-toning pilates workout (get that heart rate up, everybody) and, my personal favorite, a 10-minute flexibility workout, which is relaxing--not strenuous--and is the perfect workout nightcap for any exercise routine (I truly mean that, it loosens all the muscles with a great, unique set of stretches). Another great benefit of having this DVD is that it allows you to build the number and order of the 10-minute workouts so that you can play as many or as few as you want, in whatever sequence you like.

To top it all off, Lara Hudson is a fantastic instructor. I didn't realize the importance of a good instructor until I found some folks that I didn't like (for example, Denise Austin's raspy voice gets on my nerves). Lara Hudson, on the other hand, is sweet, motivating, and explains the exercises with just the right amount of dialogue. She's also very attractive without being impossibly in-shape (so she's pleasant to look at and you can actually imagine yourself having a body like hers someday). The scenes are all in a well-lit studio with modern exercise music playing softly in the background. Overall, I have no complaints. The one word of caution I must say though is that I think these exercises are better suited for people who have prior pilates experience or who are at least moderately in-shape, because they are quite challenging and do not offer modifications on the movements. So for those of you who like short, challenging, effective pilates-inspired exercises with variety, a good instructor, and a pleasant ambience, I strongly recommend this DVD.



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