Denise Austin: Hit the Spot Pilates

so happy with the results. Fantastic

My first exercise video by Denise, back in 1994, was called 'Hips Thighs and Buns'. It was well thought out, paced just right, emphasized form, lasted a challenging 30 minutes and produced results. Warm up was real, the number of reps were just right, transitions from each exercise to the next were just right and there was lots of stretching in between. To this day I still use the techniques I learned from her then. This new stuff she is doing with Pilates does not teach form properly and may result in injury.little warmup, little stretching, few explanations about form. Transitions are too fast from one exercise to the other. The reps are not enough to challenge and because the time is not taken to explain form, I find myself confused from one set to the next and completely dissatisfied at the end. I do 3 segments to try and get a sense of having worked out, and sometimes I stop the tape to work in a decent number of reps for some exercises, which breaks my momentum. I get a sense that Denise was just trying out something new with this series and her heart was not in it. A big letdown for this longtime believer.

I liked Denise Austin's workout routines better back in the days when she was on ESPN and the first couple of years on Lifetime. In those days, she had energy and enthusiasm about fitness and beauty. In the more recent stuff like this series, it's too casual of an attitude with the mindset that one can put on a pair of sweatpants, stretch out for a few minutes, and achieve "fitness". Let me tell you, that is not so. I mean, who is the intended audience here, nursing homes? If that's the case, then she made an appropriate video for them. For the rest of us, to whom fitness means more than "not dead yet", a serious workout requires intensity. No Pain, No Gain!

When I was much younger (grade school) I was a bit overweight and it also weighed on my selfesteem. I discovered Denise Austin one morning, when her tv show came on at 7 a.m. I found her non-intimidating and pleasant so I began working out with her every morning before school. After a few weeks my family noticed that I had dropped a few pounds. After the compliments I confessed that I had been working out every morning. Unfortunately, short after that I moved and was unable to work out in the morning with her. She has been the only one that has shown me results and I'm overjoyed to be able to work out with her again on my own time!

i have wo with denise 4 20 yrs,as always, she is like my best buddy and following a back injury,@ age 40-her yoga and wo on lifetime gained me 2.5 inches n height,docs @ va r amazed,but they recommend her kind of wo,low impact 4 over 40 folks,but she is tough,workin with mr,lalane and gymnastics and has good knees,and looks good 4 age,i misses her on lifetime,thanks itunes,gypsy

She keeps it fast moving and for someone who has done intermediate Pilates classes, it is challenging - unlike so much of what is for sale. This wouldn't be great for a beginner, but if you know the basics of Pilates, it's a great workout - I'll be taking it on my IPOD when I travel to work in some Pilates when I can't go to a class or a gym. Besides all this - for a 52 year old woman - she looks fabulous and has tremendous energy and flexibility. We should all look like this at 52!

don't like to slow , not fun