Billy Blanks, longtime trainer, inventor of the Tae Bo craze,  and sometime actor, has a new workout system just in time for the January fitness season. And it’s not a Tae Bo workout. It’s called Billy Blanks PT 24/7 and is for sale at BillyBlanksPT247.com. The website promises you’ll feel results in just 24 hours, and you’ll see results in 7 days – hence 24/7 right? It’s not clear if you have to workout every day (the site says “30 minutes a day”) on this program. Here’s the man himself looking pleased alongside his new product, ready to punch anyone that says it doesn’t deliver the goods.

The value may be pretty good. The Billy Blanks PT 24/7 comes with 7 DVDs, resistance band and weighted gloves and costs $59.97. Shipping is extra. They offer a 30 day money back guarantee, however be careful as some infomercials won’t refund your shipping charges.

Over the years Billy Blanks workouts have gained a huge number of fans – the majority from his Tae Bo systems which have been around for years and continue to be sold today. It will be interesting to see if Billy Blanks can recapture the magic with PT 24/7.

I have not ordered one yet from BillyBlanksPT247.com but admit to being somewhat intrigued especially if it incorporates new kick boxing moves. Anyone tried this? What do you think of Billy Blanks PT 24/7? Please share your review below.

I mentioned in an earlier post that, even though I’ve been enjoying Mari Winsor’s Slimming Pilates, I’m ready for some variety. I spent some time browsing the web and talking to friends and came across two new products that have gotten positive press (see coverage from Times Union and Washington Post). At first glance they sounded pretty similar to me (maybe because they have almost exactly the same name) so I did some research to find the differences and thought I would share that information with you all. SPRI is selling a new product for gyms and personal trainers called the Step360 PRO. But there is still ANOTHER Step 360 from Step360.com which is As Seen On TV product just like Mari Winsor, and like Mari Winsor, it is produced by the same fitness company, Gaiam.

Let’s take a closer look at both Step 360’s. Here are photos from the websites:

Step360 PRO from SPRI	Step 360 As Seen On TV

UPDATE: The Step 360 facebook page wrote this in response to a fan question about the two units:

“Hi Susan they are indeed different sizes: The Step360 platform is 20.5″ across and approximately 25″ at the base of the air chambers. The Step360 PRO platform is 23″ across and approximately 27″ at the base. Hope this helps!”

October 28, 2010, source: Step360 Facebook page

There are plenty of important details to help the two Step 360’s beyond visual appearance.

Step360 PRO

While both products are “balance training devices”, the Step360 PRO is slightly larger, colored slightly differently, and includes two 18 minute train-the-trainer DVD’s. The Step 360 Pro is obviously aimed at fitness professionals and gyms which is clear from the information found at SPRI.com. The pro package runs $150.

Step360 As Seen On TV

Jessie Pavelka, Step 360 spokesman

The Step 360 sold at step360.com is a bit of a different animal. The Step 360 platform here looks quite similar to the Step360 PRO, but if you’re like me (attracted to handsome, physically fit men with killer smiles and tight… um, I think I’ll stop there) then one important difference between Step 360 and Step360 Pro is the presence of celebrity trainer Jessie Pavelka. The Step 360 package also includes 1 hour and 40 minutes of exercise programs to workout at home without a trainer, a resistance cord and printed material with meal plans, a workout calendar, etc. and some other goodies.

Recommendation

Which one to get?

If Jessie Pavelka (right) doesn’t sway you immediately toward the Step 360, then the 1 hour and 40 minute exercise program definitely should. First, workout equipment isn’t going to do you any good unless you know how to use it and second, a workout program isn’t going to keep your interest without some variety. While both systems come with instructions, only the Step 360 also includes enough supplementary material to keep your workout exciting over the duration (After all, it’s only 9 months until swimsuit season rears its ugly head again). There is, however, one thing that might tip the scales towards the Step360 PRO.  It is likely (still to be confirmed) a little larger and possibly more sturdy that the Step360 so it might be better suited to males, intense workouts involving heavier weights, and users of either gender who may tip the scales well above 200 pounds.

But overall, I think the Step 360 package with Jessie Pavelka offers the better overall value for workout-at-home types.

Read more:

• Step360 workout at home system
  
• SPRI personal trainer step

Has anyone used either of these Step 360 products yet? Please share your thoughts!

You’ve probably noticed I’ve posted a lot about Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates from WinsorSlim.com lately. Well I bit the bullet and purchased the product right after the holidays! I’ve now worked out with Mari for 3 weeks. I figured it was time for me to talk about my own personal experiences with it.

If you’re a regular visitor to this site, you know I like saving money. Not just because it’s nice to get things at a discount, but also because my husband and I just don’t have that much money to spend. I’ve been doing Pilates for a while now and thought it would be great to be able to do some workouts at home. Well, that idea evaporated the second I saw the prices for a new Reformer or Cadillac…$1000…$1500…$3000? It was while searching for an alternative that I found Mari Winsor Pilates and the Slimming Pilates system.

WHAT IS MARI WINSOR SLIMMING PILATES?

The site WinsorSlim.com describes the Slimming Pilates system as a new Pilates workout that combines traditional muscle-defining sculpting with figure-slimming cardio. It sounded interesting, but that’s why the marketing guys get paid the big bucks. The real attraction for me at first was the price: $59.90 was a lot more attractive than $1500. Granted with shipping the total jumps to $74.85, but again: that’s a lot more attractive than $1500. Still, my fear was that I would get stuck with some cheap piece of crap that wouldn’t help me do the Pilates exercises I was used to from my classes at the Y. Turns out, I was wrong.

The Winsor Slimming Pilates system arrived in a slim box containing the following items neatly packed:

- The Accelerator system: a short bar, two hand weights, and two clip-on handles with a resistance cord
- A case with 3 DVDs: Superfast Body Blast, ABsession, and a Quick Start weight loss program
- A pamphlet called Mari Winsor’s Rapid Results Weight Loss Plan
- And a tape measure (good for checking how things are progressing)

There were also several bonus items:

- A door attachment for the resistance cord
- A wall chart with information on different workouts that can be done with the door attachment
- Pilates of the Fit & Famous workout DVD
- Mari Winsor’s On-The-Go Eating Guide
- And information on getting a free 30-day trial of the VIP access to Mari Winsor’s Web Club

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The equipment is sturdy and well made, not the cheap crap I feared I would be getting. The short bar and hand weights are durable coated metal wrapped in a foam grip. The diameter is big enough that you can really get a firm grip during a workout and the foam grips are comfortable and easy to hold even with sweaty hands (though I’m curious how they’ll hold up over repeated workouts). The clip-on handles and resistance cord have similarly robust construction with the same foam grips attached by strong fabric straps to metal clips (in the case of the handles) and metal rings (in the case of the resistance cord). In addition, the resistance cord has a really nice fabric covering. There are also four metal caps used to attach the resistance cord to the short bar and hand weights. Finally, the bonus door attachment was made with the same strong fabric straps as the clip-on handles. Overall I was impressed, though it would’ve been nice if they’d included a mat. I recommend using a standard yoga mat – I have several.

FIRST WORKOUT

My abs are how you say? Not good. So for my first workout I decided to try the ABsession DVD. It starts like you’d expect with a basic imprinting routine and then on to some hundreds. After that, we got to the main event and busted out the Accelerator. A few minutes after looping my feet through the handles for the first time and I forgot all about Reformers and Cadillacs. There were also some fun exercises involving the door attachment. The different moves were simple enough, involving different ways of bending your legs to create resistance with the resistance cord, but I was sweating just as much as I do at my classes at the Y. 20 minutes later it was all over and I could barely get off my butt to hit the ‘power’ button on the remote.

I needed a day of rest before my next workout. This time I chose the bonus DVD: Pilates of the Fit & Famous. I figured if it’s good enough for Charlize Theron, it’s good enough for me. (I don’t know if Ms. Theron actually does any Mari Winsor workouts, but she’s been my nemesis since I first saw The Cider House Rules.) You get four different workouts to choose from. Since my abs were still screaming I decided to go with the Cardio workout. The Accelerator is used again, though this time the workout was less focused on the abs and involved more of a full-body routine. There’s plenty of variety to keep things interesting and, to keep the heart-rate up, the progression from one exercise to the next is pretty quick. By the end I was dripping with sweat yet again (and swearing a bit according to my husband). What surprised me most about this workout was how much fun it was. There were three other workouts on the DVD, but I ended up just going through the cardio workout a second time.

THIRD WORKOUT

A few days later I decided to skip the DVDs and just use the door attachment since it was so much fun. This is where the bonus wall chart comes in handy since it shows how to do all the door attachment exercises from the ABsession DVD. Let me start first by saying you should really make sure to follow the instructions when using the door attachment or you might end up sporting a bruise on your shoulder like mine (though apparently the other people in the room will find this entertaining). This wasn’t Mari Winsor’s fault, though, I just forgot to make sure the door was fully closed. The door attachment exercise routines mostly involve lying on your back and pulling against the resistance of the cord with your legs. While I felt like I got an ok workout, it was definitely slower having to check the wall chart before each new routine. I’m sure this process would be faster once I learned all the moves, but I found I missed the DVD workouts. The rest of you may feel differently, though, since being able to quickly check the wall chart may be faster than having to grab the dvd, open the case, find out you’re husband didn’t put the disc back when he sat down to watch Commando for the 500th time, finally find your DVD under the couch, pop it into the player, etc.

OVERALL FEELING ABOUT THE VIDEOS

The workout DVDs are effective and, at first, exhausting! They got easier with my second and third times through and I felt like they went by quicker. Mari Winsor is a great on-screen coach. You can tell she’s been doing this for years and her experience pays off. She is good at explaining the proper position and breathing for each move, but doesn’t chatter on and on or act over-hyped like other video trainers I’ve used. The background music is OK – it keeps the energy level up. The videos themselves are well-made with helpful menus and fit the good quality of the Accelerator and other materials. While I can only hope to look like the models in the videos, they do a great job demonstrating the full routines and the all-important scaled-down versions for beginners.

WINSOR PILATES SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Well, as you can probably tell I really love Mari Winsor’s Slimming Pilates. Not only does the Accelerator bar let me get the same great workout I’m used to from my classes at the Y, but also some amazing cardio workouts that I was surprised to find in pilates exercises. I know this is going to have me looking forward to putting on a swimsuit for a change. The Accelerator is compact enough that I can bring it with me on vacation or on our trips back home for the holidays. And the best part is it all costs over $1000 less than any other Pilates equipment on the market. Once you see the workouts, you’ll realize as I did that this is real pilates with the bonus of added cardio.

I have to say the Winsor Pilates Slimming System is one of the select products I’m really excited to recommend. It is working for me and is a good exercise solution for experienced pilates fans and newcomers alike looking to lose weight and get fit this year. Highly recommended!

Winsor Slimming Pilates is sold exclusively at WinsorSlim.com.

p.s. Photos coming soon!
p.p.s. Questions about Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates? I’ll try to answer it if I can just post below.

Pilates expert Mari Winsor just revealed a new full-body Pilates fitness system called Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates (WinsorSlim.com).

If you’re lucky – or just up way too late at night like me! – you can catch Mari Windsor and co-star celebrity Marisa Tomei hawking this system together in a TV infomercial. Like many infomercial products, Slimming Pilates is available at this time only from WinsorSlim.com.

Winsor Pilates is not new but Mari’s new system claims to add quick and effective weight loss and strength benefits to standard pilates core, toning & sculpting routines.

Slimming Pilates features an interesting fitness gadget that Mari calls The Accelerator. It’s a clever combination of resistance bands, a weighted bar, additional add-on weights, hands weights, handles and a door attachment. That’s a lot of parts! This approach allows all sorts of configurations and a wide range of exercises (or “moves” as they say in pilates). One thing that’s special about The Accelerator according to WinsorSlim.com is that it can duplicate the benefits of the well-known – but extremely expensive – Pilates Reformer and similar pilates equipment. Pilates fans know that Reformers cost anywhere from $200 to well above $2,000.  Reformers have the downside of being heavy and requiring a large amount of space.

For a limited time WinsorSlim.com is selling Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates for 2 payments of $29.95 (normally 3 payments).

Learn More Here »  Mari Winsor Slimming Pilates from WinsorSlim.com

This new Winsor Pilates system includes:

• All-new The Accelerator all-in-one personal gym
• Superfast Body Blast DVD
• ABsession DVD
• Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss DVD
• Rapid Results Weight Loss Plan
• Tape Measure
• Pilates of the Fit & Famous DVD – FREE
• Learn the Moves Wall Chart – FREE
• On-The-Go Eating Guide – FREE
• FREE 30 Days access to online articles & advice from Mari Winsor

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mari Winsor?

Mari Winsor is America’s top Pilates coach and trainer. Mari has promoted – and in fact expanded – the many fitness benefits of Pilates for almost 20 years.  She helps A-list Hollywood celebrities stay in top shape and her workout at home products have helped millions of regular folks tone,  sculpt and strengthen their core at home.

Is Winsor Pilates too Difficult for Me?
Mari has designed the Slimming Pilates system to be accessible for first-timers but still challenging for experienced Pilates fans. The workouts on the included DVDs feature on-screen trainers who execute simplified – and easier! – versions of each move that Mari Winsor is teaching. This allows newcomers to follow an easier routine and in time graduate to the full workout when they are ready.

How Much Weight is Required in these Exercises?
A total of 3 lbs is included with The Accelerator. The amount of weight is  configurable. By using the 1 pound bar alone you can do many exercises with just 1 pound of weight. The 1 pound hand weights can be added to the bar for a total of 3 pounds. The hand weights can be used individually also. Additional weights are sold separately.

While not a weight so to speak, the included resistance cord offers the same benefits as the weights and could be considered “additional weight” to help build strength when used in pilates moves.

How many exercises are included?
I don’t know! WinsorSlim.com description lists over 2 hours of exercises of different types. Assuming there’s a variety included there, it should be more than enough to get started toward better fitness.

What is Pilates?
Pilates was invented nearly 100 years ago and has steadily grown in popularity world-wide. According to Wikipedia [entry], Pilates is enjoyed by over 11 million people and there are over 14,000 instructors in the United States alone. Pilates has many facets. Pilates regimines focus on precise streamlined and efficient movements of the body, concentration and an emphasis on breathing to improve blood circulation. Winsor Pilates combines these and adds some new twists developer by Mari.

To our knowledge Winsor Slimming Pilates is the first complete system she has developed that focuses on maximizing the weight loss potential of traditional pilates movements.

Does Winsor Pilates Work?
Mari Winsor has been maybe the most prominent and successful US pilates advocate for nearly 20 years. She isn’t one of those celebrities who made a big splash with a trendy idea and faded away just as quickly. You don’t have to look far to find praise from her customers either (including my wife who has used several of her systems over the years, when she couldn’t get to a pilates studio on a regular basis). There’s a lot of praise for Mari and her technique. The Slimming system is an unknown since it’s so new, but Mari Winsor’s track record has been excellent.

Have you used the Slimming Pilates System?
Others would love to hear from you. Please share your impressions in the comments section below.