A 45-minute Pilates routine from Denise Austin.

Those who know their way around the basic Pilates moves, have gained a bit of proficiency, and who want a workout that's not too easy.

You either love or hate Denise Austin — her maternal attempts to be supportive ("You can do it! Let me see that straight back!") can be grating. And she's neither a Pilates nor a Yoga instructor. That doesn't mean, however, that this DVD is worthless or bad — it's actually a very effective abdominal workout, especially the first 20-minute, Pilates-based session. Austin starts the whole DVD off well by giving a brief explanation of good form for the hips, back and shoulders. Pilates purists will not be happy with session number one — Austin does not present the exercises in the same way you would find at a regular Pilates class. But if the point is to get an abs workout (as opposed to doing a full-on Pilates session), it definitely works. The second session, which combines Yoga and Pilates, isn't anywhere near as effective, primarily because Austin illustrates a few fairly challenging Yoga poses without giving enough direction. Even worse, they're balance poses and she doesn't offer modifications. Eventually she gets into some Pilates moves, which gives the session a relatively strong finish. Your best bet is to skip the last 20-minute session completely and use the first one only. It makes for a quick and effective core workout.

 

To Order Denise Austin: Mat Workout on DVD

To Order Denise Austin: Mat Workout on Video