Customer Reviews

Pilates - 3 Dimensional Toning

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I've been doing Pilates & Yoga for quite a while now and I was really disappointed when I rented this video. I felt like I was in an aerobics class. It was pure cardio. That's fine if that's what you're into but if the title says Pilates, you shouldn't be bouncing all over the place. Supposedly she's a very superior Pilates instructor but if she was offering free lessons, I'd pass.

This is a great tape! I especially like the first workout. (I actually just wore my VHS out and came on here to buy a new DVD.) This tape is perfect for those who are dance or yoga inclined, as I am (a former dancer). It gives you a good cardio workout and it really works your muscles, but yet you don't feel exhausted doing it. You do flowing movements and stretches, and you will especially feel it in your legs. This is the first video I have found that I really like, and the 30 minute segments are a perfect length. I can easily work it into my schedule. Highly recommended if you like dance-based workouts.

"Our bodies move in every conceivable plane of motion, in varying ranges of expression. Most traditional exercise formats are comprised of linear one-dimensional or at best two-dimensional movements and are geared towards enhancing or changing appearance, rather than improving the body's efficiency or level of functionality. With this three-dimensional fusion of Pilates, Yoga and Dance, you will feel better, stronger, more flexible." ~Jennifer Kries

You might be surprised by Jennifer Kries' sassy red top and short hairstyle. Her personality shines in this beautiful workout filled with sapphire yoga mats, marble style floor and open-air temple in Athens feel. The workout is an invigorating dance and yoga experience that will test your creativity, balance and coordination.

Workout 1 - Pilates Based workout that will give you a lean, straight, limber new figure. This is a standing/dance style workout that I would call intermediate to advanced because this workout builds on the knowledge you have gained from previous Jennifer Kries exercise videos. This workout involves a lot of leg work, balancing, bending over, stretching hands to the ceiling, dance positions, stretching legs, lunges, side stretches and some very creative new moves/poses I had never tried before. If you enjoy ballet workouts, this one will be very interesting to you. I found the balancing exercises to be a wonderful challenge and when I did them without falling over, I was so proud of myself. In this workout, there are four other instructors/workout partners. Table is still the ultimate challenge for me. I'll be working on that pose for years.

Workout 2 - Core Conditioning for buns, abs, sculpted legs and thighs. You don't need high impact aerobics to see wonderful results. Jennifer Kries has one of the most beautiful bodies in the world and when you do her exercises, your body starts to improve at a rapid pace. In this section, Jennifer works out on a purple mat, same outfit. I love the individual instruction, all the helpful tips and the pace of the second workout. This is almost a reward for working out in "Workout 1." You are flat on your back to start and then you will start to recognize yoga and Pilates based exercises. She starts with breathing exercises, roll-ups and leg stretches. Leg circles will be familiar to you if you have been doing Pilates workouts. I love the rolling like a ball and stomach exercises. Jennifer takes you through all the basic poses and concentrates on precision. I like the way you can actually hear Jennifer breathing in various exercises, it reminds you to breathe! She ends with a teaser and a deep breath and then magically disappears. I'd like to see a nice relaxation/stretching section added to her workouts.

Jennifer Kries is definitely the Pilates goddess of the workout video/DVD world. Not only does she create challenging workouts, she gives precise instruction and teaches you to respect your body in a new way. I love her new workouts and I see fast results in all-over body toning. In fact, your skin will be softer and radiant and your entire body starts to become smooth and sculpted. Of course, I still have a way to go!

If you have the choice between a Video and a DVD, go for the DVD. Isn't rewinding a video the bane of the workout existence? It is so eternally slow.

This is truly an exciting new workout from Jennifer Kries. I always look forward to trying all her new workouts. Also look for: Perfect Mix and Precision Pilates. These three workouts can be used together to add variety to your workout routine and will help to get you into shape fast.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

P.S. If you are noticing a problem with the sound, try buying a pair of RCA headphones. I think the problem might be with an "older" TV that can't handle the sound on this video. I have noticed that a few movies and workout DVDs that are newer are not working (sound quality is iffy and muffly) on my older TV. I first noticed this with a STING DVD and now with Workouts DVDs. It might be time to buy a new TV. If your TV was not originally set up for DVD, then you might want to consider that aspect when determining sound quality on a variety of new items appearing on the market. If you have the choice between DVD and VHS, I'd go with the DVD. This video sounds amazing on the RCA cordless headphones, so I figured out that it was my TV, not the quality of the video.

This video consists of two separate workouts. The first, which is described as "Pilates based," was not Pilates at all: rather, it was a light, non-weight toning routine which blended ballet and yoga moves. It began with an 8-minute warm-up followed by 10 minutes of standing ballet-type work. Next was a 10-minute yoga segment which consisted of sun salutations and other standing yoga poses. Finally, the workout ended with 2 minutes of yoga-type stretches.

The second workout, "Core Conditioning," consisted of traditional Pilates mat work. It began with several minutes of breathing practice and then moved on to Pilates exercises such as the Hundred, the Roll-Up, etc; many of these exercises were modified from their original form. It also included the Pilates side kick series, but only two exercises were performed on each side. Although this workout was labeled as being 20 minutes, the actual time was about 17 minutes; when you subtract the time spent on breathing instruction, you are left with a disappointing Pilates workout of less than 15 minutes.

I did not particularly like Jennifer Kries as an instructor. First of all, her cuing was inadequate, as she often failed to explain upcoming movements and frequently failed to cue right and left. Furthermore, I found her to be a bit showoff-y at times with her flexibility levels. Finally, although there was some merit to this routine, I definitely feel that there are better choices available (eg, Kari Anderson's "Angles, Lines, and Curves" instead of the first section and various other videos for Pilates mat work).

I first discovered Jennifer through The Method series of videos where I found her style and directions encouraging and energetic and positive. My first purchase was of the Pilates Method DVDs however and I have been sorely dissapointed. Not with Jennifer but with the quality of the DVD version, I have both the Pilates Method: 3-Dimensional as well as the Pilates Method: Perfect Mix. Both DVDs freeze mid frame in usually about the 2nd workout session. When it happened on the first DVD I didn't think much of it, but when I put the 2nd one into the DVD player, immediately after unwrapping the packaging it froze on it's first play, mid point in the second workout. Perhaps the Pilates Method VHS versions are more successful. For now though I will be looking into The Method: series and hopefully their DVD qualities will be better. I emailed Jennifer at her NY location and her staff responded that Jennifer was not directly involved in the production of this particular line. The workout itself is good, but be warned the DVD quality is poor.

This is my favorite workout. Every time I am deciding which DVD to work out to, I always default to this one because it is so much fun. Jennifer Kries has a unique talent for teaching and it transfers well through the video camera. She has a strong, deep voice and an elegant way of moving. The four people who demonstrate with her are from different dance backgrounds -- jazz, modern, and ballet. As a viewer, you can sense this difference in background because they are not uniform, but to me it expresses individuality and uniqueness. This isn't cheerleading!

The first part of the video is dance, and it is this section that makes this my favorite video. It provides a great stretch, but it also works you aerobically (you will be short of breath by the end). It uses some of the fundamental movements of ballet, jazz, and modern dance. This is a workout where each movement flows into the next, so it truly feels like dancing. Unlike the New York City Ballet Workout where ballet is used to create exercises in isolation, this is a more free-form combination of different styles of movement that is very freeing, though still effective. The workout lengthens the body. It lengthens the arms through reaching out and pulling in, much in the style of jazz. It lengthens the legs through plies and battlements from traditional ballet bar exercises. It lengthens your abs, sides and back through contractions, similar to what you experience in modern dance. And, at the center of it all is your core, what keeps you balanced through all of the movement -- so your abs get a great workout, too.

By the end of the first section, the second section is always a letdown. I am always breathing hard and energized after the dance portion, definitely ready for anything. For such an advanced dance section, you would think the yoga section would have a similar pace. Instead, it is a slower workout intended to condition the abs, thighs, and buttocks. There is a very slow progression through a breathing exercise and the salutation sun series which is great for beginners because it breaks some very important basic yoga concepts into manageable parts. In my opinion, this second section could be beefed up to include more challenging conditioning exercises.

This is a unique workout and one I genuinely look forward to. If it was the dance section alone, I would give it 5 stars as an advanced workout.

The title of this video and the description of the workouts on the back are both misleading. There is no mention of ballet, dance or yoga and all three are incorporated into the workout. Also Jennifer Kries doesn't offer any instruction before she begins most of the moves, which is frustrating and could be potentially dangerous.

If you are going to buy this video be aware that she moves very quickly through the exercises without a lot of instruction. It's great once you are used to the tape to not have to hear all the instruction, but the first time you may need to just watch the video without trying the moves. The ballet section caught me offguard at first (I didn't know the difference between 1st and 2nd position), but I'm catching on. Also, she rushes through a lot of the moves in the pilates section, so I always set aside 15 minutes after the video to do more reps of the side series and other leg exercises. This video is a lot of fun; I don't think I will tire of it anytime soon.

I've really liked this DVD. I've been working out every morning now for about 5 weeks. This has been a workout that has kept me going. It's fun, yet challenging, but it's explained well enough that it didn't go too fast for me. I used to be a runner in high school but it's been many years since I've worked out. I also have Total Mix, but I haven't been able to do it yet--I'm really out of shape! I think Total Mix will be more challenging but I'll be able to move to it soon. I also have another of Jennifer Kries' videos that targets abs, hips, etc. It's very similar to 3-Dimensional toning in the exercises she does, but it's more intense. Some of the reviews have noted the fuzziness of the picture and the "80's music", which is true, but it hasn't been a show-stopper for me.

I was very disappointed with this video. It was far too easy and did not seem like pilates at all. I liked Jennifer Kries' Method Precision toning much better, although that one is more of a relaxation tape. I will continue searching for a better pilates video!