The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body--Without Machines
by Brooke Siler
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brooke SilerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-01-04
ISBN: 076790396X
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
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Book Reviews of The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body--Without Machines
Book Review: Get Your Body Moving from Your Powerhouse!
Summary: 5 Stars
Everyone has heard the old adage, "If you don't use it, you lose it." Well, this book helps you use your body in ways that will help keep it spry and supple as your age advances with absolutely none of the jolt of high impact exercise. Firstly, I would recommend at least five sessions with a registered Pilates instructor. Although it is possible to understand the body allignment necessary to perform these exercises optimally by reading the 'Key Elements to Mastering the Mat' chapter of the book, the process is expedited by someone who can 'show' as well as 'tell'. If instruction is impossible, I would recommend Jennifer Kries instructional tape "The Method:Precision Toning"; actually seeing the exercises in sequence with Ms. Kries gentle encouragement helps to assimilate the photos in the book into the reality of the motion. Note: the tape does not cover all the positions, but provides enough for a worthy introduction.
The book helps the exerciser to understand just what each movement is meant to feel like. It uses photographs that simulate each progression of movement and written copy that details the procedure step-by-step. In addition to this, tips regarding how best to engage and hence strengthen the muscles in your powerhouse (abdominals, hips, lower back and buttocks)are provided in bullet fashion. Most importantly, there are little sketches which help you to visualize the feeling the exercise is meant to arouse within the body. All exercises are presented in sequence so that they flow from one to another; each exercise is labeled 'beginner', 'intermediate' or 'advanced' and features a corresponding model which helps you to delineate based on current level. Sides series leg exercises follow the basic mat technique and extras using light weights complete the program. The author, Brooke Siler, cleverly includes a state-by-state list of registered Pilates instructors so that you can learn the basics from a pro.
I have used this book for over two years; I have found that the 15 to 30 to 45 minutes I spend on performing these exercises each morning---the time differences reflect wheither I do side series or weights---has enabled me to participate in more rigorous athletic activities without so much as blinking an eye. Recently I did a mountain bike ride--22 miles--an activity I have not participated in for quite a while----and felt absolutely no pain the next morning. You will find you use the techniques used to engage the powerhouse all the time, even when just walking down the block. The Pilates breathing becomes second nature as does all movement from the core. I will warn you that Pilates is not easy. If you have not participated in some form of body toning for a while, you will definitely feel pain in your abdominals even if you perform just the very basic routine. Don't let this discourage you--I have a C-section pouch that certainly does not help to ease any of the motions---the pain quickly passes and the developing strength provides a good base for all your other activities. Each movement incorporates toning with stretching--you will actually feel your muscles stretching from the powerhouse and reaching out in ways that traditional stretching never quite realizes. After performing just the basics for a week, you will immediately understand why professional dancers have used these techniques for over 50 years and why you should, too.
Siler's book is the best book on the subject, one that you will consult regularly as you make Pilates one of your exercise mainstays. Highly recommended.
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Summary of The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body--Without Machines
The Pilates® method may be today's hottest exercise, but it has been endorsed by physicians for almost a century. Originally developed by Joseph H. Pilates to help strengthen and condition muscles, Pilates is the ultimate mind-body exercise for anyone who wants to tone, streamline, and realign their body without the bulked-up results of more conventional workout methods.Now, in The Pilates® Body, author Brooke Siler--one of the most sought-after personal trainers in the country and owner of New York's top studio for Pilates training, re:AB--provides a complete, easy-to follow program of Pilates exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime, and without machines.
With step-by-step instructions, Siler guides the reader through the complete circuit of mat exercises, each of which is clearly illustrated by photographs, line drawings, and unique visualization exercises. With Pilates you will not only streamline your figure--you will dramatically improve your posture, flexibility, and balance, and enhance your physical and emotional well-being. The Pilates Body shows you how.
Thin-but-fit supermodels like Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow and actresses like Ally McBeal's Courtney Thorne-Smith and Liv Tyler swear by Pilates workouts to keep their figures toned and flexible. The Pilates Body is the latest in a string of books dedicated to this fitness program, which is now soaring in popularity nearly 100 years after it was first developed by Joseph Pilates in Germany in the early 1900s. While today's Pilates studios take advantage of patented and intimidating-looking equipment that costs thousands of dollars (and therefore charge accordingly for private sessions), each exercise in The Pilates Body can be performed with just an exercise mat. While all parts of the body are used in the exercises, the focus is on the abdominals, or "powerhouse," which support the back; this makes Pilates an ideal exercise for those with back problems--or those hoping to prevent them.
Author Brooke Siler, who trained with Romana Kryzanowska, the oldest living protégé of Joseph Pilates, organizes her book impeccably. After discussing proper alignment and ways to modify the exercises for those with neck, knee, or lower back pain, she jumps right into the 60-plus exercises, which are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. What differentiates Siler's book from the other Pilates titles is that she includes a disclaimer about the models: "The models in this book have been training in the Pilates method for years. Although their bodies may seem to represent an unrealistic ideal for many, they have worked hard to achieve their fitness goals. I hope in earnest that they do not intimidate but inspire." Also, each exercise is given a two-page spread of its own, and is accompanied by clear photographs and helpful graphics. For example, for the "inner-thigh lifts," there's an illustration suggesting that you imagine a stack of books on the lifting leg to help you increase resistance. Each exercise also includes what Siler calls "The Inside Scoop," or tips she's learned from training hundreds of clients. These include the main goal of the exercise; simple modifications for beginners; important keys to remember while doing the move; and no-nos to prevent injury. While it's important to concentrate and get the technique of each exercise down, Siler's book is perfect for anyone looking for a simple exercise program that promises results, requires a minimum of time, and can be done at home or while traveling. --Erica Jorgensen
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