Customer Reviews
Superficial funky look betrays unsafe guidance - By: billylilly, 10 Aug 2008 
I have been a fan of Kristen's yoga videos for some time, owning both of the MTV Yoga DVDs presented by her, but I was hugely disappointed by this edition to the range. There is no doubt that Kristen is inspiring & freshin her approach, but I felt that there was little explanation to the philosophies of Pilates - 'zipping' the pelvic floor, visualisation of subtle yet precise movements, breathing etc - & therefore could pose a risk to those unaccustomed to the practise.
I have been practising Pilates for a number of years on & off, & have come from a dance background so have more than average awareness of posture, alignment & core stability, but nevertheless I felt there was little or no attention to the possible pitfalls of exercises. I would liked to have seen more instruction on how to avoid neck-crunching or hyper-extension for example; & more concentration on the fluidity & exactness of the movements. Though the DVD is fast & you do work up a sweat, this was often to the detriment of performance & I had to remind myself of the 'steady & slow' approach to really work my muscles correctly & safely. Likewise there are beginner versions that you can follow but unlike the Yoga videos the 'beginners' are hardly everin shot (the movements are so fast anyway!!) & Kristen doesn't seem to focus on the alternatives as much either.
On a lesser note, the 'Mix' really isn't impressive. You have the choice between Routine 1 (upper & core) or Routine 2 (lower & core) & a Bonus 'quick-blast' or Play All. Marketing it as fully customizable is hugely misleading -in my mind that should be a matrix style 'Pick & Mix' facility as seenin the Claire Missingham Yoga video whereby you can literally create your own routine from selecting different chapters.
On the positive, side, the look & sound of the video is great, youthful & innovative. It really does blow the cobwebs off the presumption that Pilates is only for middle-aged, middle-classed housewives & introduces this essential component of fitness to a different audience. As previously mentioned, you really do feel the exertion (I'm not looking forward to tomorrow!) & unlike other Pilates videos you do get rather sweaty (and for possibly the first timein an exercise video, you see the demonstrators sweating too - result!) which is a bonus, but I would suggest always be mindful of taking your own speed & really paying attention to your alignment & keeping things smaller, slower & 'correct' where necessary. And perhaps Kristen should stick to Yoga, where she really excels...
My Favourite Pilates Workout!! - By: Miss K, 09 Mar 2008 
I got this DVD after having used MTV Yoga for a few years. I love Kristin Mcgee as she's got that great way of motivating & inspiring youin a way that I've found only American Instructors can do!!
Maybe it's because I'm so used to Kristin's style of DVD but I picked this up straight away. It is the best pilates workout I've tried; fun, challenging & with a good pace. There are two full-length workouts & a 10 minute bonus routine. I prefer doing Routine 2 with the bones routine togetherin one session as I feel it gives you a full body workout!
If you're new to pilates or if you are just looking for something with a slower pace I would recommend trying MTV Pilates first & if it's not challenging enough then move onto MTV Pilates Mix. A quick not to remember is that as with all of Kristin's DVD's the Pilates Mix does have beginner, intermediate & advanced options for most of the moves so you can follow the different variations according to your ability. This really is a great Pilates DVD & I can't fault it!!
This one wasn't for me - too fast of a pace. - By: Suzannah, 26 Feb 2008 
I got this DVD after reading the reviews about it. I thought it would be a great program. It was too fast paced for me, butin saying that I would have probably liked this dvd when I was younger & had lots of nervous energy. Now that I have two kids & just want to de-stress when I workout, I don't feel the need to work myself to exhaustion just to feel like I did something (like I did when I was younger). I ended up selling my copy as it wasn't my cup of tea. Kristin McGee's presentation is too advanced for me, it is more of 'Power Pilates' kind of like her 'Power Yoga' dvd - very fast paced. It definitely gets your heart rate up! So if you like your program fast - this one is for you, if you want to work yourself into relaxation mode, then try a dvd from Louise Solomon's Yogalates series.
It's a DVD ... but it's hard work keeping up! - By: Myrin Bruno, 23 Nov 2007 This is a truly challenging work out,in a positive way. There are 2 routines which you can do one after the other or split up if you are short on time slots). I would not recommend it for a pilates beginner, not because the exercises are difficult but because there is no time between them to play around with getting it right. It is fantastic for those who already know what it is all about & for those who are getting back into exercising after a break. I very much into sports & exercisingin general but recently had a break after giving birth to my daughter a few months ago & have really been "suffering" throuhg the video! A great purchase!
Not what I would call Pilates - By: Ms. V. Clark, 12 Oct 2007 First of all there is no explanation at the start of the dvd explaining about 'zipping up & holding in', the movements are all VERY quick with little or no explanation, I expected some kind of upbeat music but it was car show room music, & finaly it was just lots of very quick floor work with no emphasis on controled pilates movements. Awful - have sent the thing back!!!
