Takes pilates to a whole new level and it's not just for girls! (Pilates Power Gym)

Member Name: sakura8

Product:	Pilates Power Gym
Date:	13/02/09 (401 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very easy to use, tones your whole body

Disadvantages: You need space to use/store it

My fiancé and I bought the Pilates Power Gym (PPG) from Ideal World in March 2008 and we were won over by the promise of a transformed body. We liked the fact that it was whole gym-full of equipment in one compact machine. Although the initial cost of £200 seemed quite high, we agreed that it was better than wasting money on a gym membership that we'd never use.

Of course there are lots of free exercise activities we could do, like running, but there's always an excuse not to go (it's too cold/it's raining). But there's no excuse not to use the PPG when it's in the comfort of your own home, so getting the motivation to exercise is made a lot easier.

<<< What Is It? >>>
I'd describe the PPG as a pimped-up rowing machine, as it has a sliding board (known as the glide board), which you either sit upright or lie down on.
At one end of the machine is the foot-bars and the 4 power cords, which you change so that you have a multitude of resistance levels.

At the other end of the board are the shoulder rests, which you put your head between when lying down and attached to the rests are the arm handles. These are attached to thinner retractable cords and when you pull on them you are working against the tension in the power cords and also your own body weight to move the glide board.

There are lots of different positions to do on the PPG and here are a few examples:
* When you lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet resting on the foot-bars you will do legs exercises like squats and the classic Pilates exercise 'the 100'.
* When you sit upright facing the shoulder rests you can do exercises like bicep curls using the arm handles.
* When you sit sideways and push against the foot-bars or pull on the arm handles you will stretch your oblique muscles.
* When you stand up and push against the glide board with your foot, you do moves like the 'scooter', which is like getting ready to jump into a toboggan.

The machine allows you to effectively work your arms, chest, shoulders, abs, back and legs. There are 95 resistance levels that you can control by using a different combination of the 4 power cords and changing the incline for 'Resistance Training'. There are also 5 height elevations so that you can give yourself a really challenging workout!

<<< Specifications >>>
* The machine measures 140 x 45 x 33 cm so you will need a decent space to use and store it. We're lucky enough to have a spare room, which we have turned into a home gym.
* It can be stored under the bed or in a cupboard, but it must be stored horizontally and not vertically.
* It weighs 32kg
* It comes fully assembled so you can use it straight out of the box.
* The maximum weight of the user is 125kg.

<<< Materials >>>
* Welded carbon steel frame with a minimum tensile strength of 36,000 pounds per square inch.
* Coated and braided wire aircraft cables.
* Plies made of durable nylon with ball bearings - not cheap bushings.
* Long lasting and comfortable foam pads

The PPG is very well made and the glide board is very comfortable. The machine feels very sturdy, even when the glide board is raised on the incline.

<<< What you get >>>
* An Owner's Manual, which has 3 sections:
1) General use instructions for the PPG.

2) A Workout Guide and Exercises for Strength Training with instructions of the different exercises with pictures.

3) An "Eat Smart" Nutritional Guide which is a 12 day diet plan that you should follow for six-weeks. I've never followed this guide as I think I have a pretty balanced diet already, but it would be helpful for someone who wanted to change their diet as the food they suggest is sensible and realistic - no Gillian McKeith mung beans here!

* My fiancé likes to use the Workout Guide in the manual, as there are certain exercises that he wants to concentrate on. However, I prefer to use the Workout DVD that you also get with the PPG, as it's much easier to follow and you get a more flowing 40-minute workout. The workout section of the DVD is a specially developed series of Pilates moves designed for maximum fat loss, core strengthening, flexibility and long lean muscles. There are exercises on the DVD that aren't in the manual and vice versa, so there is plenty to keep you going.
The DVD image quality is pretty poor, but the content is very good. The girl instructor is a qualified Physical Therapist and Pilates Instructor and unlike many workout instructors she isn't like an annoying kid's TV presenter who's had too much Red Bull.

Her instructions are very clear and she tells you about breathing, alignment, safety and how to get the maximum benefit from the exercise by having the correct technique. With each exercise she tells you what muscles you are using and also how to make the exercise easier or harder.
She tells you how many power cords to use for the different exercises, but you should just use this as a guide and use the resistance that you feel comfortable with. It is very easy to change the resistance by adding or subtracting the number of power cords, however you need to do this carefully as the tension in the cords is very strong.

You might think that doing Pilates can't possibly make you work up a sweat, but using the PPG will get the heart pumping and is excellent cardio, especially when you do the 'super sets'. These are a combination of 3 different repeated exercises, such as a high row, a bicep curl and then a low row, which is great for toning your arms and back.

The Strength Training section of the DVD is designed to build muscle and is geared more towards men. This section is presented by a male Personal Trainer (he's more like an annoying kid's TV presenter) and he instructs another male Personal Trainer who demonstrates the moves - this guy is an American football player and he's built like a body-builder, which is something for the men to aspire to! I've never used this section of the DVD as the Workout section is more than enough for me!

<<< Results >>>
Both my fiancé and I have found the PPG very easy to use and very effective. You can do all the exercises that you would do down your local gym on this one piece of equipment. Our muscles are more toned and well defined and best of all the machine is a pleasure to use. The movement of the glide board is very smooth so that you don't feel that you're putting too much strain on your body.

I really like the PPG because the philosophy behind Pilates is slow, controlled movements and building up your core muscles. You should always keep this in mind when using the PPG as this will make the workout more effective and reduces the risk of injury.

You can buy the PPG from TV shopping channels when it's available or you can buy it direct from Thane.

Summary: A whole gym in one piece of equipment