Denise Austin Mat Workout Based on the Work of J H Pilates

First you need to know who is writing this review. I am a non-athlete and have never done calisthenics regularly. In the warmer months, I can run/walk around our local park, but I wanted a quick, easy way to work out indoors during the winter months. I wanted something that was available on Amazon instant video, since I have no easy way to play DVDs, and I wanted something affordable. This Denise Austin workout fit the bill on all counts. I purchased it and an exercise mat from Amazon. After I purchased the video, it did not immediately show up on Amazon instant video, perhaps because my husband and I have two different accounts. We fiddled around with it for a while, and I'm not sure what we did to make it appear, but a day later, there it was. The video contains two workouts, each twenty minutes long. They do not appear challenging because they are not "high-intensity" (lots of jumping around), but for a non-athlete like me, they are perfect. They work muscle groups I don't usually work (especially the abs). There are a few moves on them that I cannot do, and for some others, I can't do as many reps as Denise does. But by doing what I can, then resting until she moves on to the next exercise, I can work out for the entire video. I am happy that I can't do all the moves, as this means there is room for me to get stronger if I work out to the video regularly. Denise occasionally (about once per workout) adds an alternate move for those who are just starting out. Denise has a soft, soothing voice and a very cheerful manner. She keeps up a steady stream of instruction and encouragement throughout. Once you have become familiar with the workouts, you could mute this if it bothers you. The video includes a few minutes of basic principles at the beginning, such as how to keep your spine in a "neutral" position, how to breathe, and so on. The first workout shows Denise leading a roomful of very fit women in the routine. The second one shows her all by herself, sometimes in a studio and sometimes doing the moves on top of some rocks in what appears to be Zion or Arches National Park. Read more

This workout is timeless. I bought this due to You Tube putting in commercials every few minutes. Read more

I wanted to dislike this video. I was unfamiliar with Denise Austin when I bought it, but the minute she opened her mouth I felt an immediate, "Oh god, I've gotta listen to THAT for the next forty minutes!!" Her baby voice grates on me, I feel she's talking down to her audience, and I hate how she addresses the camera like she can see thru your TV screen ("Let me see those straight shoulders! Beautiful!") Nevermind all that, though. I gotta hand it to the lady, her first workout on this tape kicks .... Or, more appropriately, kicks ABS! It's why I gave this tape five stars, even though the second workout is [bad]. That's how good it is! Some reviewers indicate the first segment wasn't challenging enough. I suspect this is because they were not using their core so much as they were using momentum & their hip flexors to do the bulk of the work. Pilates is unique in that the more proficient you become at controlling your core, the harder you will work. I know this from experience, not just from all the pilates stuff I read. When I first started this tape, I'd had a few years of yoga under my belt and got a "three-star" workout from the first segment. Since then, I've mixed things up with running & lifting & cycling, too... I come back to this tape every few weeks, and it's amazing how much stronger my abs have become. *NEVER* have I ever done this workout without feeling it -- intensely!-- the next day. I've never been able to say that about a workout tape. Now, this progress didn't happen overnight and I'm pretty sure crosstraining has a lot to do with my strength gains, as well, but still -- this is one killer ab workout, when executed correctly. Best of all, it's also calming & gentle & even relaxing, in some ways. And, it's only 20 minutes long. Dammit, Denise, you done good. The second half of the tape, though, well, that's awful. No flow to the poses, underwhelming instruction, weird cuts to her demo'ing some postures on a rock, for some reason... blech. Stick w/ the first 20 minutes and this tape is still a value. Exercise fads may come & go but strong transverse abdominals will keep your frame supported for a lifetime! Read more

I give this DVD 4 stars because I am seeing a difference in my lower abs after using this DVD 4-5 times a week for 3 weeks. Through out my life until now, I have been slender, with a "poochy" lower abdomen. I focus more on workout one, which targets the lower abs. I practice workout 2 when I can't get to the gym, where I do the treadmill and free weights. I cannot stress more that this workout is a MAT WORKOUT BASED ON THE WORK OF JH PILATES. This is not not true Pilates, nor does it state anywhere on the DVD/Video that it is true Pilates. I knock off a star because Denise Austin does use some amusing lines over and over "...your spine is your lifeline... lengthen your legs... beautiful... etc..." which is a little bit cheesy, but tolerable. The workouts flow, and like in any exercise video, remember to do the exercises at your pace. Take the time to review the moves in the first segment that introduces you to some terms. A good idea is to watch the video too (I fast forwarded search on my DVD) to see what is expected of you. For the first time in my life (I'm 33 years old), I may be wearing a bikini this summer... in public! Read more