It makes you feel darn good!
Written: Feb 08 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Makes you feel great: tall, slim, dancer's body, no bulk
Cons: Probably not worth the money as only one video is really useful
The Bottom Line: Winsor pilates is good, it feels nice, it's fun, it's time effective and it works. However, it's not the only pilates video out there, so shop around.
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| perfectprep's Full Review: Winsor Pilates |
Winsor Pilates is just one member of a ripe new set of exercise infomercials hitting the airways these days. Winsor Pilates' own infomercial could take your breath away. It goes through the many Miss Americas and celebrities that have used Winsor Pilates and displays one improbable body after another. The price on the "system" is $60, or $40 with the special discount you supposedly only get if you call in the next 30 minutes.
The "system" consists of a 20-minute quick workout, a 30-minute Basics video, a 1 hour advanced video and some ancillary materials--a letter from Mari Winsor, a meal plan, a sculpting journal and the Winsor Dozen.
Most of the above is basically useless. What you are paying $40 for is the 20 minute workout video. I, for one, rarely use the other components, but I will give you an idea of what they are.
The Basics video is for newcomers and will teach you the correct method for a couple of the exercises. This video is almost useless. If you recieve the package and want to jump right in to the 20-minute workout, I suggest that you do. It will be easy enough to catch on to the moves, and as long as you aren't too sloppy, you'll probably be fine without watching the Basics first. The Basics video helps a little, but not very much, and the 20 minute workout also provides tips on proper execution, so you don't really need the Basics. The Basics video is the ultimate waste of money, space, packaging etc., as the idea is that you watch it only once. After that it is essentially disposable. What a waste!
Then there is the focal point, the 20-minute workout. This is the one I do 95% of the time. If you are reasonably in shape and are already working out a bit twice a week, you will find this to be a slight challenge but very doable. If you are already good at pilates, dance, yoga or stretching, you will likely find this video incredibly simple. About 10-14 (don't remember exactly) different exercises are performed, but each one is done quickly, almost cursorily. There's only so much you can do for each of 10-14 exercises if you want it to take less than 20 minutes. So, you don't end up doing anything deeply. AT the end of the workout, you won't be thinking, "Whoa! My arms sure burn!" or anything along those lines about a specific body part (except maybe the abs). Speaking of which, there are no exercises designed to target the arms or the upper body. The majority is for the Powerhouse, as they call the abs/core area, with a good amount for the legs, hips, tummy and butt. There's a bit of stretching and a little bit that could be considered aerobic, but most of it is about muscular endurance. Mari Winsor takes you through it--it's very simple to follow with no complicated choreography. Mentally, you'll have no problem. A lot of the exercises are quite fun and relaxing. However, I have come to detest a few of them, namely The Saw. And Mari can be a bit annoying at times, but it's not enough to keep me from doing this video often.
After you complete the 20-minute video you will probably feel taller, looser and more graceful--probably more in shape too, especially the first time. However, it's not the same effect as running a marathon or spending an hour pumping iron at the gym. You won't see more muscles--not with one use, anyway. The pilates idea of it is, after 10 workouts you feel the difference, after 20 workouts you see the difference and after 30 workouts others see the difference.
Regularity is key. It's fine to do pilates sporadically but you won't see the same results as you would doing it on a regular basis. Three times a week (of the basic video) is good.
Then there is the advanced video. I have only done this once but I found it to be very difficult, almost unpleasantly so. The individual exercises are usually easy enough; I think it is the sequence that makes it so tough. After half an hour I started wondering when it would finally be over. But if you're feeling confident, don't hesitate to give this a try--after just one use, I felt immensely thinner and more toned. For days!
Among the various leaflets that are enclosed with the videos is one called the Winsor Dozen. This is a 10-minute pilates workout featuring just 12 exercises. It is fun, effective, portable and great for travel. However, some of the exercise descriptions are nebulous and badly written, making it difficult to follow. It's a little easier if you do the videos first, then you have a sense of what they're talking about. However, this particular piece of paper was, for me, an invaluable component of the kit.
Then there is the Sculpting Journal, which I suppose might be useful for the compulsive. Personally, I did not touch it. It certainly is not a necessary part of the program.
Of course, there was the Win-In-10 Meal Plan. The first part of the booklet actually says some useful things about eating well (including some less obvious information.) I was getting my hopes up for the actual plan but found it to be an extremely confining and altogether useless creation. It dictated EXACTLY what to eat over a period of 10 days, with no viable substitutions offered. I can imagine it would be difficult to follow such a thing. There are no provisions made for vegetarians or those with allergies. It is best to read the beginning of the booklet and disregard the rest unless somehow it is convenient for you to adhere to such militaristic requirements.
I, unfortunately, do not have the luxury of doing the videos regularly. I'd say I do the 20 minute one about once a week, in addition to twice-a-week running and weight lifting. Thus, the results I got are probably less than the results you could get if you did three videos a week, every week. I have noticed that after I do the workout, I feel stronger, slimmer, taller and with better carriage. I do not look anything like the near-anorexic bodies pictured in the infomercial, but I do look better than average with pilates. And I keep it up, which says something. I have now been doing Winsor Pilates for about four months.
My only concern is that you are essentially paying $40 for a single video (because the rest of the material is not often put to use). I am positive that there are other 20-minute pilates videos out there, and I am sure there are some good ones for less than $40. The only reason I have not gone out and tried some is that I spent $40 on the Winsor Pilates system, and I enjoy it well enough, so there's no reason for me to purchase others. But I would encourage you to rent a few titles from your local video store, including Winsor Pilates, and honestly appraise what is right for you.
could beat the price
Recommended:
Yes
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perfectprep
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Reviews written: 81
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