Pilates Complete - Sculpt & Tone

Pilates Complete Sculpt and Tone is an offering from Body Wisdom Media which makes full use of DVD technology to provide a wide variety of workout options. Here, shorter Pilates segments are mixed and matched to form complete routines of varying lengths, from just under 10 minutes to 30 minutes or more. Workouts can also be selected based on body part (eg, abs, arms & legs) or use of various equipment, including weights, a fitness ring (aka Pilates circle), a stability ball, and a small weighted ball (medicine ball). Instructor Meghan White does an excellent job of breaking down the exercises and providing tips on forms, and she frequently shows modification options.

The Main Menu and submenus are each listed and described in detail below (please note that these are quite different in appearance than what appears on the back cover of the DVD case).

MAIN MENU

*About this DVD and How to Use It (onscreen text instructions)

*Introduction & Lesson (6.5-minute overview of the 6 main Pilates principles)

*Lesson: Props (brief review of props used)

*Under 15 Minute Routines

*Over 15 Minute Routines

*Other Products (covers and descriptions of other Body Wisdom workouts)

*Contact Us

The submenus for both the Under 15 Minute Routines and the Over 15 Minute Routines are listed below. I have provided alternate times where my own viewing did not match the times listed on the menus. I've also included overviews of the exercises included in each segment.

Under 15 Minute Routines

*Mat: Pilates Flow (13 minutes)- 11-minute flow with hundred, roll-ups, leg cirlces, single leg stretch, leg lowers, spine stretch forward, back extensions, single leg kicks, side kick series, teaser, plank

*Mat: Modified Pilates Flow (11 minutes)- a slower (13m) version of the above with modified postures

*Mat: Legs & Arms (10 minutes)- 5.5-minute leg segment includes side kick series; 4.5-minute arms segment with the hundred, table, triceps work, plank, push-ups

*Mat: Abs & Glutes (10 minutes)- 6-minute abs segment with the hundred, double leg stretch, criss-cross, leg lowers, knee crunches plus a 5-minute glutes segment with pelvic lifts, leg lifts on stomach, swimming, leg lifts on all 4s

*Mat & Weights: Arms (8 minutes)- the mat arms segment from above (4.5m) plus a 4-minute Pilates weighted arms series (starting with the hundred)

*Mat & Weights: Legs (11 minutes)- the side kick series from above (5.5m) plus a 5.5-minute weighted sequence of squats w/side leg lifts, roll-up, saw, double leg kicks

*Mat & Weights: Abs (9 minutes)- the mat abs series from above (6m) plus a 4-minute weighted series with reverse curl, teaser, twisting teaser, roll backs, spinal twist

*Mat & Weights: Glutes (8 minutes)- combo of the glute mat work (5m) and weighted series (3m)

*Mat & Weights: Back (9 minutes)- a 4.5-minute matwork routine with spine stretch forward, work on all 4s, and back extensions plus 4.5-minutes of weighted work with the spine stretch, seated arm work, and back extensions

More Routines Under 15 Minutes

*Weights: Legs & Arms (10 minutes)- combo of the weighted leg series (5.5m) and the weighted arms work (4m)

*Weights: Abs & Glutes (11 minutes)- combo of the weighted abs work from above (4m) and a 3-minute weighted glutes section which includes squats, squats w/rear extensions, and rear leg lifts

*Ring: Legs & Arms (9 minutes)- 5.5-minute leg work with ring includes pelvic lifts, squeezes, scissors, single leg stretch, and side kick series plus 4-minute arms with ring offering spine stretch with shoulder squeeze, triceps work, and ring pull apart

*Ring: Abs & Glutes (8 minutes)- 4.5-minute abs work with ring includes leg lowers, a hand-to-feet pass, and modified teaser plus 3.5-minutes of glutes with ring involving squats, pelvic tucks, squeezes, double leg kicks

*Large Ball: Legs & Arms (8 minutes)- with stability ball, 6.5-minute leg work includes feet on ball for single leg cirle, roll-ins, and side kicks; 3.5-minute arms includes push-ups on ball, lifting/lowering, and plank push/ups

*Large Ball: Abs & Glutes (11 minutes)- with stability ball, 4-minute abs work includes the hundred and single leg stretch with feet on ball, elbow planks, and roll-ups lying on ball; 6-minute glute work inovles pelvic lifts, kneeling side kicks, and single/double leg lifts

*Weighted Ball: Legs & Arms (8 minutes)- using small weighted ball, 5-minute leg work includes side kick series and double leg kicks; 3.5-minute arms work involves push-ups, shoulder pulses, tricep extensions

*Weighted Ball: Abs & Glutes (8 minutes)- using small weighted ball, 6-minute abs work with the hundred, leg lowers, knee drops, side plank; 2.5-minute glutes work has all 4s work, leg kicks

Over 15 Minute Routines (note that each of the below routines include ALL of the segments from above for either that type of equipment or for that particular body part). Some of the segments below include a 6-minute cool-down consisting of reclined stretches for the hamstrings and seated stretches for the shoulders and triceps.

*Mat: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (30 minutes)

*Weights: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

*Ring: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

*Large Ball: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (30 minutes)

*Weighted Ball: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

More Over 15 Minute Routines

*Arms: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)

*Legs: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (35 minutes)

*Abs: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (30 minutes)

*Glutes: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)

*Back: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)

These are definitely intermediate level workouts. Although Meghan offers good form pointers as well as modifications, she does not provide the level of instruction needed for those new to Pilates, so some prior familiarity with the exercises is a must. In addition, she often performs a higher number of repetitions than what is usually seen with Pilates, making the exercises more challenging. Furthermore, if you do some of the longer routines (eg, the abs with all the equipment), you will be repeating some exercises (eg, the hundred), so you will definitely feel the moves pretty intensely. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed that Meghan did not include some of the higher-level Pilates exercises such as the rollover and the neck pull; despite the large number of routines, the exercises were fairly similar across modalities. I also thought that the sequencing of moves was a bit odd at times, as Meghan does not follow the traditional Pilates matwork progression. Finally, I would have preferred to have the DVD allow me to do my own mixing and matching rather than to provide me with the premixed options (although I did appreciate that there were an extensive selection of these).

Overall, this DVD is probably best suited to someone who is an advanced beginner to intermediate in Pilates, enjoys working with a variety of Pilates equipment, and is looking for variety of workouts of varying lengths.

With strength work, I am an intermediate exerciser, who doesn't usually want to move up to advanced work. I have really enjoyed getting into workouts on the ball and Pilates as an alternative to traditional strength training. I picked up this DVD at Best Buy because it gives a variety of Pilates workouts using equipment working different body parts. It also gives a lot of flexibility with the length of the workouts, something important to me given the craziness in my schedule this fall.

Meghan White leads the workouts by herself in an open room with a lot of wood (floor, walls). You don't see much of the set. Meghan is pretty matter of fact in her instruction. Although she is perky in the introduction, she is less so in the workouts themselves. She gives form pointers, but you need to know Pilates. This is not an instructional workout. She is precise in her instructions on positioning. She does not mirror cue.

Not all the segments have a warm up, so you may need to do your own. They take shorter workouts and combine them to get the longer workouts. The longer workouts are just combinations of the shorter segments. At the end of at least some of the sessions, she does a cool down.

Below are the options you have on the menu:

Main menu

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> About this DVD and How to Use It (Text on screen telling you to warm up)

> Introduction & Lesson (Meghan on screen introducing Pilates and DVD)

> Lesson: Props (Meghan goes over props in details and tells what weight she uses)

> Under 15 Minute Routines (See below)

> Over 15 Minute Routines (See below)

> Other Products (BodyWisdom Media workouts)

> Contact Us

Under 15 Minute Routines

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> Mat Pilates Flow (13 minutes)

> Mat: Modified Pilates Flow (11 minutes)

> Mat: Legs & Arms (10 minutes)

> Mat: Abs & Glutes (10 minutes)

> Mat & Weights: Arms (8 minutes)

> Mat & Weights: Legs (11 minutes)

> Mat & Weights: Glutes (8 minutes)

> Mat & Weights: Back (9 minutes)

> Weights: Legs & Arms (10 minutes)

> Weights: Abs & Glutes (11 minutes)

> Ring: Legs & Arms (9 minutes)

> Ring: Abs & Glutes (8 minutes)

> Large Ball: Legs & Arms (8 minutes)

> Large Ball: Abs & Glutes (11 minutes)

> Weighted Ball: Legs & Arms (8 minutes)

> Weighted Ball: Abs & Glutes (8 minutes)

Over 15 Minute Routines

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> Mat: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (30 minutes)

> Weights: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

> Ring: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

> Large Ball: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (30 minutes)

> Weighted Ball: Abs, Back, Legs, Glutes, & Arms (25 minutes)

> Arms: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)

> Legs: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (35 minutes)

> Abs: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (30 minutes)

> Glutes: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)

> Back: Mat, Weights, Ring, Large Ball, & Weighted Ball (25 minutes)