HappyGrace Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Any of the above that are GOOD and give results is what I need! (If yoga-prefer w/out spiritual stuff, meditation-just the moves would be great!) I guess I'm looking to keep my flexibility, strengthen, lose some weight, gain definition, etc. I am transitioning over from being a runner, so nothing TOO mellow-lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 How about this: http://www.amazon.com/Azizas-Ultimate-Bellydance-Pratice-Companion/dp/B001MLVKUK Or this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 I would love that! But I have a herniated disk (not in acute phase, thankfully) and that kind of motion is the worst thing I can do-lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2boysmom Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Check out Leslie Samsone, yoga, Pilates. I really love her DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I sometimes hesitate to recommend workouts as tastes are so individual. People like different things. Personally, my least favorite DVDs of all time were Leslie Sansone's Yoga and Pilates ones. Could. not. stand. them. But to each her own. I've liked most of her walking DVDs. I just don't think that she really knows much about Pilates or Yoga. Those aren't her areas. Total Fitness DVDs is a great site with video clips, excellent prices, and shipping rates. Use their coupon code: 10off for an extra discount. Collagevideo is another good site. You can do all sorts of searches and watch video clips. I love how you can refine your search on this site - by instructor, level, type of workout, etc. Have fun searching. Videofitness.com is also very good. I like their forums. FAVORITE BALLET-BASED DVDs Dailey Method Offers a DVD (called No Excuses) with 2 routines on it and their attention to form is absolutely scrupulous – great for beginners to barre routines The Dailey Method is one of my favorite barre DVDs, and I think it'd be fantastic for a barre newbie. The reason I love it so much is that Jill Dailey does an amazing job at getting technique and form across - after doing The Dailey Method for a while, you'll probably find you get a lot more out of other barre methods because your body positioning will be so much better. Bar Method If you are new to barre routines, I'd stick to The Bar Method workouts since, not only are they very effective they are also sticklers for form which is very important. Burr Leonard is very good at giving instructions on how to position your body, and she always has someone demonstrating the easier moves for beginners. I have read that the Bar Method offers a few things that many other barre DVDs do not: Good production quality A true adherence to the Lotte Berk method Fantastic cueing Intensity without dread factor (some say that Cathe’s Turbo Barre and Physique 57, for example, have dread factor Great stretching The Fat Free and Designer Sculpting DVDs are the best ones to start with. They’re not available from her site. You can only get them at usually expensive prices on amazon or ebay. Once you become stronger you can move up to the other DVDs. Fabulous glute work in the Designer Sculpting DVD Great instruction and attention to form Change Your Body Accelerated Workout – 1 Hour Bar Method: Super Sculpting I Bar Method: Beginners Workout – 30 Minutes – good workout, but not taught by Burr. The instructor is extremely energetic. Tracey Mallet – The Booty Barre plus Abs and Arms Tracey Mallet – The Booty Barre Total New Body Tracey Mallet Lose the Belly Flab Angles, Lines and Curves II Very graceful and flowing, although it's probably better for a light day Fat Burning Fusion – Ellen Barrett There are others - those are the ones I've seen and tried for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 FAVORITE YOGA DVDs Mark Laham - both his yoga DVDs are my absolute favorites. I feel so energized and my muscles feel so stretched. He's a great instructor and you really get your $'s worth with each DVD - about 3 separate workouts in each DVD. He knows his stuff. Plus, he's not annoying, like some exercise videos can be. You can order his DVDs from his site and, more recently, from Total Fitness DVDs. His DVDs are done in a studio. I have lots of yoga DVDs, and, to me, he, is without a doubt, the absolute best. My former yoga instructor liked him a lot also. And her opinion is one that I obviously respect. The Power Yoga DVD has the following options: Warm Up Only (20 Minutes) - this is a good start to yoga in and of itself and later you can work up to the rest of the DVDs. There are 2 types of Warm Up - Beginner and Intense. Strengthen the Core - 60 Minutes Open the Hips- 65 Minutes The Yin Yoga DVD is one I really love. It has the following, each of which are pretty much an hour. Front Line Sequence Back Line Sequence Hips and Pelvis Iron Yoga Tough and challenging Uses weights Good and clear instruction Rodney Yee: Yoga Burn Rodney Yee: Core Cross Train Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt I liked it. Simple and nice Good and basic yoga workout for those who are cautious of the "weird" stuff. This one's about as mainstream as you can get. FAVORITE PILATES DVDs If you’re just starting out in Pilates, your form and breath is very critical. Learning the proper technique as a beginner is so important. If you can't take a live Pilates class, which would be ideal, I would go with Stott Pilates practices as a beginner. The instructor, Moira, is soft-spoken and might come off as dry as dust, but is the best when it comes to learning the proper technique. I've read of so many beginners to Pilates get injured because they didn't start out with proper instruction. Instruction is so important for someone new to Pilates. The Level 1 in Stott Pilates is thoroughly boring and not needed. Go with the Level 2. It’s faster and she still teaches the correct technique. Level 2 is a keeper. Moira is a good teacher and stresses correct form. It may feel a bit tedious at first, but proper form is REALLY important. After you find you're familiar with the correct form, then proceed on to more "fun" Pilates stuff. I would not start with the 10-Minute Solution series. They are hurriedly put together trying to cram so much into 10 minutes that form is sometimes compromised; especially when the beginner isn't familiar with the correct alignment. Learning the correct form of Pilates is similar to learning the correct form of barre workouts. It's all in the positioning. Side note: I think the 10-Minute Solution series and others are fine for advanced and intermediate exercisers after the learning process is completed, however, and are a great choice for getting in short workouts. Barre work is a great addition to Pilates. If you can do both, you'll get great results and feel great. All of this - my posts - are based on months and months of reading and research. Hope it helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I have two daughters who do Pilates regularly, and these are their favorite DVD's: http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Solution-Lara-Hudson/dp/B0002J58ME/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1334563665&sr=8-8 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005M1XE/ref=oh_o00_s00_i02_details http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067D1D/ref=wms_ohs_product Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Amanda~ Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Lotte berk method might be good too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I love Callanetics Evolution. It is somewhat ballet based, with a lot of stretching. Low impact (no jumping, etc) but deep muscle work. Three different levels are shown. You will definitely get toned. No spiritual stuff...just movement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 My favorite is: Pick Your Level Pilates http://www.amazon.com/Pick-Your-Level-Weight-Pilates/dp/B000GEIRBO I have back trouble and this one is great because I can chose which of the 3 levels I can do. The other program I like is: Physique 57 http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Physique-57-Workout-Exercise/dp/B005H0GLOC This is not a pilates dvd but more barre and mat work. They use a small ball for leg work and also to support the back in ab work. It is tough, but I can pick my level. I do have to modify some of the routines due to my back, but overall, it is a challenging body sculpting workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Thank you so much for these recommendations-I am going to look into all of them and pick some to try. It helped me so much to narrow things down, so thank you! (Negin-thank you for so many great options!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 T-tapp :) http://www.t-tapp.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Lotte berk method might be good too :iagree: They're a bit weird and a bit dry, but I got them super-cheap on amazon and they're very good for beginners. I love Callanetics Evolution. It is somewhat ballet based, with a lot of stretching. Low impact (no jumping, etc) but deep muscle work. Three different levels are shown. You will definitely get toned. No spiritual stuff...just movement. :iagree: I personally really like all the Callanetics stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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