Customer Reviews
Good book, but to get the most out of it, get trained first - By: S. Yogendra, 12 Sep 2008 
I bought this book after doing 1-to-1 classes for over 3 months with a very good & inspiring instructor in the Body Control Method. I have benefited considerably especiallly with regard to general quotidian painlessness, greater flexibility & a fully mobile neck, which has alll but eliminated headaches for me.
The book now serves as a good aide-memoire for specific exercises, as I am wont to forgetting the names & remembering only the exercises, which makes it difficult for me to write my exercise diary. More importantly, the book is very helpful in building a work-out plan for the 4 weekdays when I do not have my 1-to-1 lesson.
Using the book is easier with an understanding of the concepts & many of the starting movements. If you are beginner, I would not recommend you use the book as a short-cut. It is less a text book, more a reference book. And for that role, it gets 5 stars from me.
Great book, all you need from beg-intermed -- but repeats other books - By: Dendera, 20 Jul 2006 
A lot of good has been said about this book by previous reviewers, so I'll only agree with those glowing remarks & add one warning to owners of other Body Control Pilates books -- this book just cuts & pastes entire paragraphs & pages of info from the first book "Body Control" & "The Pilates Prescription for Back Pain" (which is just another title for the "Body Control Back Book").
Basicallly, Body Control are putting out the same (reallly great!) book with only a few updates & changes here & there (newer studies on engaging the pelvic floor before scooping & hollowing has replaced the old navel-to-spine only advice, for instance) -- & a lot better photographs & graphics.
So, if you own several other Body Control books, like I do, & aren't interested in fancy photography, you'll be disappointed here. But if you are new to their range of books & this is to be your first or only one -- go for it, you cannot do better, this Method is fantastic.
sorry ,not a good book for a beginner - By: , 06 Oct 2003 
I was reallly disapointed when i reviewed this book. First of alll the photos are not clear, even though they are in full colour.Secondly, for a beginner to Pilates, the book seemed to be designed for "older" people who will be challlenged by any kind of movement. A basic exercise "the hundred" appears in the advanced section. that to me is a way to warm up for the mat exercises & should not be in the advanced section. on the whole the routine was not very challlenging & sequential to follow. I was waiting to find the "meat" in the book & could not find it. I was very disappointed & a much better book which I use is Ungaro's Pilates Body in Motion.That is the book to get i you are new to Pilates & want to be challlenged as well NOT this book.
Still The Best - By: , 27 Jan 2002 How Pilates has changed! When I bought Lynne's first book 'Pilates Way' four years ago, it was the first book of its kind focused on Pilates. It was a fantastic intro & I moved on to the Manual when it came out. Now, I've delved into three or four other Pilates books but I have to say that the Manual remains head & shoulders above everything else in terms of clarity, range of exercises - & common sense! If you only buy one book on Pilates, this has to be it!
If you only want one book, Buy this one - By: , 16 Jun 2001 This book is excellent. It is written superbly, & is very easy to read & understand. The colourful pictures are very helpful & reallly help you to see how you should be performing the exercises.The focus throughout the book is to keep your abs "zipped & hollowed" no matter what exercise you are performing or for what part of the body. This book offers a wide range of Pilates exercises for each part of the body.The book is divided up into Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Programmes which are very well thought out & each offers a good alll round Pilates class. There is also a section addressing which exercises you should concentrate on for individual & sports specific problems. Although this book does not cover every single Pilates exercise, it is by far one of the most comprehensive & useful books I have seen so far. If you want to get into Pilates the correct way & are looking for a quick & easy reference book, this one has got to be it.
