Customer Reviews for
Am & Pm Pilates
A.M. Pilates review
A.M. portion of this DVD is a bit more challenging than P.M. but nice if one can only do no-impact exercise!Am & Pm Pilates
Three nice Pilates programs geared to a variety of different levels
This DVD contains three workouts, AM Pilates, PM Pilates, and Energy Boost Pilates. I've given descriptions of each of the individual programs below.
AM Pilates is sort of an odd blend. On the one hand, instructor Jillian Hessell spends a lot of time focused on the breath, which would be very helpful to Pilates beginners. Furthermore, she provides a rather abbreviated mat sequence--for example performing "50s" instead of the tradional hundred exercise and doing only two quick side series exercises. On the other hand, she does not give much detailed instruction about form, shows no modifications, and performs a few of the exercises at a very quick pace, including the criss-cross and swan dive, which would make this workout more ideally suited to advanced beginners or lower intermediates (most likely on a light day). The DVD breaks the workout into three segments, Breathing, Matwork, and Centering. The Breathing segment, about 4.5 minutes long, is performed seated in a chair, and it includes both breathing instruction and a few simple stretches. The 16.5 minute Matwork sequence begins with a controlled sit-down and roll-back. A band is used to modify the roll-up and single leg cirlces, and few repetitions are performed for the exercises. Finally, the workout concludes with a 3-minute Centering section, which involves additional breathing instruction, basic stretches, and a tiptoe balance, all in a standing position. This 26-minute workout would probably be best suited to Pilates beginners who have some prior familiarity with the Pilates exercises and are looking for a relatively basic workout.
Ana Caban's PM Pilates is designed as an evening Pilates routine to help you wind down and de-stress at the end of the day. It's perfect for this purpose (although a bit too strenuous to be used right before bedtime), but it would also serve well as an energizing routine in the a.m. or almost any time. Ana begins the workout in a seated position to perform several neck stretches. She then moves to the floor for a traditional Pilates mat series, starting with the hundred. Although Ana mostly follows classic Pilates sequencing, some of the more difficult moves (e.g., rollover) are left out, and other moves are done in a modified form (i.e., a rolling prep and an open-legged rocker prep instead of the full movements). Despite these modifications, the routine is still challenging: she does a higher number of repetitions than usual (particularly with the series of five, or stomach series), and the workout proceeds along at a steady, moderately quick clip. There is a concentration on abs moves, as Ana skips the side kick series, Pilates push-ups, and other full-body moves; personally, I liked this, but those who prefer a more complete matwork program might not. The mermaid and a standing stretch bring the routine in at 25 minutes. This was my favorite of the three workouts on the DVD, as it is well-suited to my intermediate level.
Energy Boost Pilates, also taught by Ana Caban, is kind of different in that it begins in a standing position with a few aerobic-type moves such as jogs, knee lifts, jumping jacks, and jumping lunges. This segment is very quick--no more than 1-2 minutes--and is designed to warm you up, but you could easily skip it if needed. Ana then proceeds to the floor for some traditional Pilates matwork moves. She leads you quickly through reclined exercises such as the hundred, the roll-up, and part of the stomach series. Moving to a seated position, Ana then performs an additional series of moves, a few of which I had never seen before (and I've done A LOT of Pilates videos). Then it's a quick stretch and you're done, for a total of about 11 minutes. This practice struck me as sort-of a shorter, more fast-moving version of PM Pilates; it's a nice alternative for getting in a full-body Pilates workout in a limited amount of time.
Overall, this DVD contains a nice variety of practices that would be appropriate for experienced beginner to intermediate Pilates practitioners.Am & Pm Pilates
1 ouf 3
This DVD contains three workouts: AM Pilates with Jillian Hessel, PM Pilates with Ana Caban and Energy Boost Pilates (1) with Ana Caban. I really liked Energy Boost Pilates, but 1) the workout was only 12 minutes (or a touch less) and 2) I didn't think it was so good that I could recommend buying it bundled with these other two workouts.
AM Pilates was about 25 minutes long and had a little bit of something for every body part- abs, back, legs and arms. I also liked the breathing exercises and the rolldown prep at the beginning. If you follow her breathing instructions, your lower abdominals will burn from the get go. I also liked the ending sequence which tested balance and integration. However, when I was done I was left scratching my head, not sure if I had really "worked out" or not. I like to feel a little bit sweaty when I'm done with a Pilates workout, but if you want more stretch, then you'll probably like this.
No problem with the sweat for PM Pilates, but I really couldn't stand this. One of the things I love about Pilates is that you can work every part of your body in a reasonably short amount of time. Of course, there are lots of releases out now that focus on one body part, but that wasn't advertised in this title. This workout is all abs- not mostly abs with a little bit of back and/or legs, but all abs. Caban includes a lot of repetitions for the Stomach Series (another thing that annoys me, because I believe in the original Pilates philosophy of doing a few reps of many exercises) as well as some tough exercises, like the Teaser 2 and 3. Instead of stretching out the abs by including some back exercises, she focuses solely on "counterstretching" by using rolling exercises and some twists. I didn't think this was the best approach. Finally, I was very annoyed that the voiceover instructions were out of sequence with the movements. I can understand getting caught up when you're "live", but it seems inexcusable when you're speaking over pre-existing footage.
Happily, Energy Boost Pilates perked me up a bit. It was a combination of old-fashioned calisthenics (that I've got to wonder whether Pilates used them with his original clients), mat movements and reformer-on-the-mat movements. Some reformer movements I haven't seen on too many other releases were the short box series and the hinging back. I felt this quite a bit in my upper abs. Again, at only 12 minutes, this would be pretty easy to squeeze in during the day.
I'd like to note that even though I wasn't a fan of this DVD, Energy Boost can be purchased separately.Am & Pm Pilates
Three Great Work Outs on 1 DVD
The AM Session with Jillian Hessel is a good way to ease into Pilates. It's an all-over work out.
Although some people said it was not a good beginner's work out, this was only my second exposure to Pilates and I found it very easy to follow and learn from.
The first few times through start with the Breathing section. Once you get breathing down, you can begin from the Matt Workout. It's around 25 minutes and was filmed in Hawaii with the Ocean waves in the background! A nice way to begin your day or take a mid afternoon refresher!
There's also a 12 minute Pilates Energy Boost in the Special Features by Ana Cabán. This is GREAT way to get started doing Pilates yoga. It's actually the first Pilates experience I had and is a good introduction, warm up, cool down, or energy boost any time of the day. Warning: The Breathing 100's ARE challenging but a good way to tell when you're improving.
Do NOT attempt the PM Work Out until you're comfortable with the AM Work Out. It's designed to remove stress and toxins from your body and is MUCH more challenging than either of the other two work-outs. If you do use the PM Work Out, don't be afraid to rest your head down on the matt during exercises to avoid neck strain. Remember, this is to make you feel GOOD, not painful.
The three varying levels of work-outs offer a great variety on a single DVD. I like that it also features two different instructors because your learn different things from each of them.
Am & Pm Pilates
I LOVE Ana Caban!
I am so totally in love with Ana Caban-she's motivating, fun and serious at the same time. I have done alot of her workouts, and wanted to give this a try. Her P.M. workout, at first, I'll admit, had me screaming at her, saying, "Ana you are crazy! This is a P.M. workout!!! This is not soothing at all! However, over the next few weeks, I developed a real love for it. Like everybody else, I strive to do this workout as well. Having practiced for 6 months (since March), I was able to do almost all of the moves. I'm still working on it, though.
I have to be honest about the A.M. workout-I liked it, but it was blah, boring to me. I would consider doing this workout when I'm too tired and want something quick, but not overtaxing. Breathing is important in Pilates, but she talks about breathing too much.Am & Pm Pilates
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