Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Workout

(This w/o is from the Super Sculpting series.)

This 20 min. (approx.) workout is faster paced then the original infomercial set. It is similar to the 20 minute in the original set except it has less side leg series and adds the teaser series, the jackknife, the overhead (?) and a couple of exercises on your stomach that I can't remember the names of. I haven't done it much because I am not really ready to do the exercises that take your legs over your head. There are only three exercisers and none of them are modifiers. Unlike the original series, Mari does not have you pull up from lying to sitting (like a full sit up) instead she has you turn on your side and bring your self up to sitting. I do like the pacing better than the original set, because there is less waiting for the explanation.

Pilates, to me, is like brussels sprouts. You know they are good for you, but they "taste" too horrible to bear. At least that is what pilates is to me. I have tried many, many tapes to see if there is a pilates tape out there that will work for me, and I think I came closest in the Winsor Pilates 20 minute workout. I picked the original series up in a discount store as a last, pilates resort and a way to get me out of hours of balance exercises at the physiotherapists office while recovering from a car accident last spring that left me with some stability issues and whiplash.

I would like to credit this tape with getting me through that difficult time. It probably saved me hundreds of dollars by training the muscles at home.

I still am not a big fan of pilates, but this tape made them bearable for me and, for that reason, I will keep it in my collection. I may not use it often, but it's nice to know it's there.

Although I've been doing Pilates for some time now, this was my first experience with Winsor Pilates. Instructor Mari Winsor leads a class of approximately 10 students through a classic Pilates matwork sequence. She provides just enough instruction prior to the start of each move to make this workout accessible to beginners without being boring to those already familiar to Pilates. One student shows modifications of the traditional Pilates moves, including The Hundred, Single and Double Leg Stretch, Rolling Like a Ball, and the Side Kick series. I enjoyed the quick-moving pace of this workout and loved the fact that it clocked in at only 22 minutes. This is definitely a great video for fitting Pilates matwork into your regular rotation.

The Winsor Pilates 20 Minute Workout begins with Mari quickly explaining the basic pilates concepts of the powerhouse, frame of the body/body alignment and breathing. Mari instructs/narrates through the workout while 5 background exercisers perform the moves; one showing modifications.
The 20 Minute Workout (I timed it to be 25 minutes) consists of the following 13 moves:

-The Hundred
-The Roll-up
-Single Leg Circle
-Rolling Like a Ball
-Single Leg Stretch
-Double Leg Stretch
-Single Straight Leg
-Double Straight Leg
-Criss-cross (some slow and then some up to tempo)
-Spine stretch
-The Saw
-Leg Kick series (side kicks, bicycles, leg lifts and big scissors)
-Seal

Mari explains quite extensively (very similar to as in the Basics Step by Step video but not *quite as much*) and it is perfect for someone wanting a short quick pilates session with detailed explanation. I at times wanted to be fast forwarding through as she talked because I felt it was redundant from the first video but nevertheless still a good workout for beginners and for those who don't mind a lot of explanation. I found myself wanting to start the moves while she talked because I wanted to keep the flow of movement going. It's a great video but just one to learn with. It will help you progree but then I think you will be wanting more!