Oh, my aching muscles. A challenging five segment workout.

I am still sore from doing this workout so bear with me if I add "ow" and "ooh!" here and there. Not really, but I will preface this review by saying that this is a challenging workout that will target your muscles and have you feeling it the next day as I am.

The Set:

The set is a typical hard word floored, bare bones one with a circular rug and a mat. Nothing fancy. The entire workout is bare bones as far as frills go but when you work as hard as you will when you do these segments, you don't need, and wouldn't notice, the little extras that some workout videos and DVDs throw in.

The Instructor:

Certified Pilates instructor Lara Hudson is the only person you will see in this video. There are no “background” workers or modifiers. I have never personally seen Lara Hudson on any other Pilates workouts but she knows her stuff and is quite good at reminding you about form and instructing how each move should be performed.

About Lara Hudson: Certified by ACSM. Pilates certified by Physical Consciousness Studios. Trained in yoga at Earth's Power Yoga Teacher Training Workshop. Pilates certified by Physical Consciousness Studio.

The Workout:

This DVD is broken up into five 10-minute segments. You can mix and match which segments you want to do, or do all five for a 50-minute super challenge (which is what I did and why I am sore, I suppose).

Anyone familiar with Pilates will be familiar with most of the moves on this DVD. Most are classic, tried and true Pilates postures that look graceful and easy but are really very tough and target specific muscles while always using your core (area around your abs and back) muscles to stabilize you.

The five 10-minute workouts are: Abs, Buns and Thighs, Flexibility, Sculpting (which is really arms and chest with light weights), and Pilates Burn.

There are no warm up or cool down segments as you can mix and match these but each has a very, very short stretch after. I recommend that you do some light stretching before doing any of the workouts and especially if you plan to do the entire DVD. It’s hard work and you need to prepare your muscles for it. Afterwards, take some time to cool down and stretch your muscles beyond the short few stretches Lara does at the end of the segments. It will help ward off soreness and stiffness the next day.

The Breakdown:

Abs
This is all very standard Pilates work which includes the famous “Pilates 100.” You work your abs in a variety of ways, all on the floor on a mat. Several of the exercises may be too tough for beginners and there are no modifications shown. I suggest doing what you can and not trying to do everything perfectly at first. If your abs are weak, this will be a most challenging 10-minute workout even if you only get through half of it at first.

Buns and Thighs:
Again, more classic Pilates moves. This segment is done on a mat as well, using leg circles, inner thigh lifts, leg raises, and more. Be sure you have plenty of room because you will be on the mat and swinging your legs from side to side sweeping the room. You will also do several postures on your stomach, stretched out, so prepare to have room all around. That caused a problem for me as I have limited space.

Flexibility:
This was the toughest segment for me but that could be because it was my last one and I was tired. This is a series of moves designed to elongate the muscles and give you enhanced flexibility. Some of the moves are downright impossible at first try. Again, these exercises are mat based.

Sculpting:
You need a set of light weights for this segment. Lara wisely advises using two to three pounds weights. I used five. As a result, my form was not as good as it should have been and my shoulders took a hit. I will be buying three pound weights to use during this segment until I am able to do all the exercises without struggling. Heed her advice and don’t go over three pounds. You want to sculpt, not build, muscle in this segment.

This is all done standing. You will hold the weights in your hands and alternate arms with very little resting time. Prepare for a challenge if you are not used to a lot of biceps, triceps, and shoulder work. There are a few moves designed for the chest as well. Lara does a good job reminding you to let your arms, not your shoulders, do the work in this segment. I can say from experience, if you feel like your shoulders are taking the brunt of the stress, you’re lifting too much weight for these exercises.

Burn:
This is a fast paced 10 minutes Pilates aerobic routine. It’s done mostly on the mat and can be tricky as it moves very quickly. You may want to watch the segment the first time before diving into it. You definitely do feel the burn and your heart rate will accelerate as you move from posture to posture. For this reason, I suggest you choose this work out first rather than later on. Once you get your heart rate up and are all warmed up, the rest will flow better, in my opinion.

Extras:

You can custom build your workout by choosing which segments you want to do and in what order. I like that feature. Some days I may want to do three segments in a certain order, other days I may want to switch around. Even if you’re doing the entire 50-minute workout, you can still choose in what order you will do the segments which can add variety and allow you to decide how you spend the 50 minutes you will be working out.

Info About The DVD
This comes from www.collagevideo.com

Each 10-minute segment captures the essence of classic Pilates - control, breathing and core conditioning. For maximum efficiency, they all incorporate only the most effective and challenging moves for each section. The first three routines focus on a specific muscle group: abs, buns/thighs, arms/upper-body. A flowing, fast-paced total-body segment and a deep stretch/flexibility section follow that. Lara Hudson's one-on-one cuing is clear and precise (with lots of helpful reminders about the little things that can make a big difference in results). Requires 2 to 3 lb. dumbbells. ©2004. (57 min.).

But Do I Recommend It?

If you enjoy Pilates, you will like this DVD. 10 minutes isn’t much time to target your problem areas but Pilates is very effective. The versatility the DVD provides is most welcome to anyone with a busy schedule who may only have 10 or 20 minutes to squeeze in a workout.

The postures are challenging, the pace is fast, and there is very little in the way of “fun” on the DVD but it is meant to quickly and efficiently target areas and get you into shape fast. I believe adding this DVD to your workout collection would be a great move.

This is good for beginners and intermediate exercisers. Those more advanced probably will find that 10 minutes doesn’t do much for them but could still come in handy for “light days”.

For those who don’t like Pilates but like the concept of 10 minute targeted segments, Anchor Bay Entertainment also offers two other DVDs with the same premise using traditional toning techniques instead of Pilates based workouts to target muscles.