Yoga, Dance, and Pilates Plus Combination Review Part 2

Pilates Plus' is a revolutionary new workout, a fresh new combination of Eastern yoga principles, Pilates, dance techniques, and strength training... This unique program starts from and focuses on the abdominals-creating core strength-and in one hour gives you a total body workout from head to toe.

Customer Review: Best Pilates Book on the Market

When Pilates became the craze a few years ago, I immediately elected to apportion it a critical segment of my allotted exercise time... Using Amazon.com as an information springboard, I chanced upon Jennifer Kries and her set of Method sessions on VHS and DVD, purchased "The Method Precision Toning" and have been strengthening my abdominal powerhouse ever since... "Precision Toning" moves fast for a duration of what seems like an hour, despite the 20 minutes cited on the jacket.

As any Pilates advocate knows, each position follows a rigorous sequence where doing the exercise correctly matters much more than doing it with infinite repetition... Ms. Kries' instructions, although impeccable, however can become a little overwhelming on both an envisioned and executional level, especially when attempting to pull the navel to the floor, raise the shoulders so they crest off the floor, squeeze the inner thighs, relax the shoulders, breath properly and then actually facilitate the physical movement of each position.

The perfect solution to understanding and performing each exercise to the best of your ability comes in the form of Ms. Kries' 280+ page paperback book, "Pilates Method Plus: the Unique Combination of Yoga, Dance, and Pilates," complete with enough photos, illustrations, step-by-step instruction, motivational quotations and helpful imaginative `insight' sidebars to provide just the right mind-body connection to ensure positional perfection.

As stated in the title of the book, the Method, however, is not just about Pilates... Ms, Kries, as a trained ballet dancer, knows the importance of stamina, endurance and determination to achieve that ultimate purely athletic moment in space... As a seeker of that unique mind and body integration where the mind and body become one, Ms Kries extols the value of detachment, anatomical awareness and balance taught by the discipline of yoga.

Her comments with regard to the various types of yogic breathing allow this ancient art to aid you into moving into territories of your body that you have never before explored... 'Pilates Method Plus' provides the insight necessary to utilize a triangle of activity that will enhance your range of motion while developing strength/injury protection that will allow a free flow of energy to flood into your everyday life.

Book follows a simple format... First four chapters are dedicated to explaining the interface between the three disciplines, the nine essentials elements needed to attain heightened physical and emotional power (complete with instructions and exercises to help understand each of them) and a series of all important pre exercises that will provide a base for the more complicated series that follow.

The bulk of the book, Chapter 5, contains the actual exercises which Kries divides into three progressive stand-alone routines, lasting from 30 to 45 minutes each... With the help of a full-page chart where each position is labeled either 1, 2 or 3 Kries stresses that eventually the entire sequence of positions will be performed once all the exercises have been mastered... Two pages which include step-by-step analysis and photographs of Ms Kries in time-sequenced action are dedicated to each position.

Take my word for it, this extensive explanation utilized as an adjunct with one of Ms Kries many exercise DVDs will provide more than adequate fodder to integrate brain with muscles to achieve exercise nirvana.

The book's last chapter, what Kries' calls "On the Fly" Sports Specifics and Time-savers' presents a platform for individual sports cross-training in the areas of golf, tennis, skiing, skating, cycling, running, walking, basketball, swimming, and climbing... Each contains a full listing of those exercises necessary to help prevent injury while broadening range of motion with added strength, energy and confidence.

Compare this comprehensive list of activities with those found in Brooke Siler's 'Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge', there is no comparison; Siler's book covers only a bare minimum... To finish up, two 'on the fly' workouts provide a Beginners or Intermediate and Advanced routine sequence for those who are short on time.

Bottom line: This is my favorite exercise how-to book... Kries' exuberant personality and love of what she does prevails throughout the text and are epitomized in the bright smile she wears in all her photos... While I don't recommend using the book as a stand alone unless you have been trained in Pilates or in any of the other disciplines beforehand, I do recommend it as an accessory to any Pilates-based DVD, Method or otherwise... Brava Ms, Kries on a well-spent $17.95 permanent addition to my exercise library. More Information