| | |  | Pilates DVDs | | Home » » | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | PETER FIASCA, founder of Classical Pilates Inc., is from Southern California and began the Pilates method during 1988 in New York City. He continued training with 1st generation master Pilates instructor Romana Kryzanowska and was certified by Romana in 1998. Over the years, Peter has continued to study with 1st generation master Pilates teachers Jay Grimes and Kathy Grant, as well as other notable instructors in the field. In addition to producing the well respected award-winning Classical Pilates Technique series of six DVD titles, Peter is a guest Pilates instructor at training centers all around the U.S. and internationally. Peter demonstrated Pilates, and periodically was a guest co-host on QVC cable television from 1997-2002. In 2001 Peter demonstrated a Pilates Mat workout taught by Romana Kryzanowska on her first commercial DVD project. During the 1980s & 1990s Peter earned two masters degrees as well as a Ph.D. degree in psychology, and worked at well respected health centers in New York City and the Philadelphia area until 2001. Since then Peter has devoted his full attention to helping preserve Mr. Pilates' original method of body conditioning. | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Peter Fiasca | | Director:
| Peter Fiasca | | Format:
| Color, Digital Sound, Dolby, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Classical Pilates, Inc. | | Run Time:
| 75 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| June 19, 2002 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 231 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 best pilates dvd on the marketAug 17, 2008
For those of us who are looking for a pure, excellent, and VERY rigorous pilates workout, this is the best video on the market. It is totally devoid of the fluff that fills most other pilates videos that I have tried. Granted, it is a very bare-bones video -- but what it lacks in style, it makes up for in challenge and technique. Excellent for even advanced skills.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Exactly what I was looking forAug 07, 2008
I am currently taking Pilates classes once a week, so I am very familiar with the moves. I would like to take lessons several times a week, but cost prevents me. I have been searching for a DVD I can use to assist me in-between my lessons. This DVD is a very good example of a pure Pilates mat class. The sections are short because the moves are done one right after the other. That is the ultimate goal.
What I like best is that advanced moves are demonstrated. What better motivator than to see what is possible?
If you are interested in Pilates, working with a certified instructor is essential. There are so many nuances to the movements, no DVD will be able to substitute for hands-on assistance. I purchased this one to remind me of the order and to give me a visual guide to show me if feet are flexed, arms are by my side, etc.
By working out on my own, I am able to progress with my instructor that much faster, which makes me very happy. Pilates practiced faithfully will guarantee you a very flat and very firm stomach. If you think it is too easy, just wait. It gets harder as you progress. The rewards are worth every minute.
If you are looking for PURE Pilates, and not a modern interpretation/twist/mutation, than this DVD is for you. The price is less than one mat class at most studios!!!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 THIS IS NOT FOR A BEGINNERJul 16, 2008
I have been practicing beginner pilates 3-4 times a week for 2 months. I purchased this dvd to get more out of the classical pilates techniques. The workouts are short! This not for a beginner, it is very fast paced.
I found this on a site, and I couldn't state it better myself, it tells you exactly what this dvd is about, it is by Christian Perring, PHD:
Classical Pilates Technique is a 75 minute DVD. It has a 2-minute introduction, and there is a 17-minute discussion of the benefits of Pilates with 3 people, Bob Liekens, Alycea Ungaro and Peter Fiasca. The rest of the DVD is divided up into five sections introducing different levels of Pilates Mat Workouts. These are
Modified Basic (6 minutes)
Basic (4 minutes)
Intermediate (13 minutes)
Advanced (21 minutes)
Super Advanced (4 minutes)
The mat used is not just the regular Pilates mat (which is thicker than a yoga mat) but rather a T-shaped mat with a couple of extra features. This mat is available from Grantz-Pilates online, where they call it the "low mat." Other equipment that gets used includes a short pole just to keep the hands parallel when doing sit ups, and a foot loop attached to the top of the mat for doing sit ups. However, it is possible to do these exercises using a couple of yoga mats, one on top of another, and improvising a way to hold your feet still when doing the sit ups -- such as putting your feet under your bed.
The workouts are demonstrated by Peter Fiasca, Junghee Kallander, and Jamie Trout. The DVD has very simple production, with a mat on a wooden floor with a curtain in the background. The camera shows the instructor from a couple of angles, tending to hold the shot for about half a minute before switching to the other angle. Bob Liekens gives instructions about how to do the exercises in a voice over. For each different exercise, the name of the exercise appears on the screen, along with the number of repetitions that should be used. So it is a very plain and static production. There are no special DVD features used, except dividing the different parts into chapters so it is possible to select which chapter you want to view.
This is not a particularly easy DVD to use if you are looking to start out with Pilates. The pace is fast, and the switches between one exercise and the next is rapid. If you want to watch carefully and get the movements exactly right -- and in Classical Pilates there's great emphasis on being precisely right in the movement -- then you will need to use the pause button on your DVD remote quite often, and you will need to watch the exercises carefully first. It might be more suited to people who have gone to a few Pilates classes already and need a reminder about how to do the exercises and what order to do them in.
The individual workouts are short: even the advanced one is only 21 minutes, and the most elementary one is just 6 minutes. The exercises will be challenging for people who are not used to them and who are not already strong and flexible, and they are probably very beneficial so long as they are done carefully so as to avoid injury. However, most people who go to a Pilates class will be used to a longer workout -- 30 or 45 minutes is quite standard. It is not very clear how to use this DVD to provide such a workout.
So overall, some people may find this a useful DVD if they want what it provides, but for those who are looking for a more general guide to doing Pilates, they would be better off looking elsewhere.
An excellent beginner classic pilates dvd to start with is by Alan Menezes, it may be older, but everything is so clearly and fully explained
from the B-Line, right down to proper breathing, you couldn't ask for a better, beginning, intermediate, or advanced pilates workouts. He is fantastic. You will get proper and complete training and it cost me a mere dollar. Get one and see if it is not the most thorough dvd on pilates you have come across. Another great one is, Heart of Pilates, put out by PBS, it is fantastic, it comes in a 3 dvd set as well, bit more, but fabulous. If you want complete, nothing left out, proper breathing and alignment, these two are fantastic. Try Ebay for the Heart of Pilates, they have it for a very good price.
Good luck!
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Too fast for me!May 25, 2008
The exercises are the same that Ana Caban's video has, but she goes slower and that is good for me. I couldn't keep up with this program...one needs to be young and vigorous.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Glad I read the reviews!Apr 07, 2008
All the glowing reviews made my decision to buy this DVD, and boy, am I glad! The only other experience I've had with Pilates is the Winsor, but was very frustrated at how long and drawn out her workout was. Not this one! When I finish my -short- workout from this DVD, I feel the results without wasting an extra 30 minutes. Of course, since I had done the Winsor DVD, and she explains slowly and carefully, I already had a basic grasp on doing the poses. But once you have the hang of it, you don't really feel like listening to the explanations, you just want to work out!
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