NYC Ballet Workout: Fifty Stretches And Exercises Anyone Can Do For A Strong, Graceful, And Sculpted Body

The aspects of this so called workout book is; it really is one long advertisement for the NYC Ballet. There is some work out but it seems like a "heavy" pitch to show case and advertise NYC Ballet.A work out book? NOT SO MUCH! This book should not be "billed" as a work out instruction book. It's many other things but not work out. After pages and pages of this self-absorption, cameo shots of the NYC dancers, indeed half the book,they finally get around to the reason I bought this workout book; the actual workout!The workout itself is poorly arranged, poorly written, unclear in directions and desired outcome, and once again with the "half-naked" men stuff. I get the drift they aren't targeting the women who frequent Amazon to buy work-out books.There are certainly some "pretty boy" portraits in this book. If you are of THAT persuasion, then this is a wonderful book.For me (and many others)I like traditional ballet, and ballet work outs. This publication pretty much advances what some might call "avante guard"agenda, but I think with the plethora of pretty boys, you can make up your own mind about who their target audience is. Certainly not middle American women.Of course they strike the pose of someone who is also impressed with themselves SO MUCH and they are naturally "curing cancer".......Nothing could be more important than what they do, is how this comes across.I find this book self absorbed, and narcissistic. Glad to notbe in the world of dance anymore, but where oh where does one find a good balletic workout that actually does what it says it will do?I have a favorite work out book/program; look up Mary Helen in the search box on Amazon. She's a traditional ballerina sort that has taken balletic work out to the next level in a new and wonderful way, and is doing a phenomenal job in how she conveys and portrays her workout instruction! She's not narcissistic or self absorbed. and her beauty shines through even though she's not "beating her own drum". If you want a serious workout, I would NOT buy this.............just one person's opinion!!! This book is NOT for a serious workout, unless you call pouring over half naked guys a work out-then by all means, yes, go for it! yuk. (Freedom of speech and all that!)

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer but was unable to take lessons. When I opened my amazon.com shipment and took out this book, many (MANY!) decades later, I actually got a lump in my throat, feeling that at last I can participate in a personal way, in that awesome world of the dance. The book is beautiful, informative, and challenging. It presents enough exercises to keep me busy for years, and best of all, it is written with a true sense of what a body is capable of doing. I go to the health club and do aerobics and weight training, but this book takes working out to a much higher level, a level where we work toward grace, balance, and elegance in movement. We are reminded to pay attention to the "quality of movement," and to "move like a dancer," which is very good advice, especially for women. Not that these are easy exercises, by any means. You can pace yourself, work as hard as you wish, and know that every erg of energy you expend will bring you closer to having a beautiful body. Motivating! (Do NOT look for me onstage at the NYC Ballet, however. Alas.)

I find this a great reference for working out, especially with the NYC Ballet workout on DVD.My biggest complaint is that it's designed more like a "coffee-table book" than an exercise manual. A spiral binding would have made all the difference, as the pages would be able to lie flat. I *do* enjoy the commentary at the beginning, and the photography is simply luscious.Because the book doesn't lie open on it's own, I have a little trouble following the whole "long" routine directly from the book. However, the shorter routines in the back are easier to do, as I can usually remember all the movements (or only need to reference one or two).I read a suggestion, somewhere, that you make an audio recording of each movement (reading out the text description) and the number of reps counted out, and then play it back while working out. This would be instead of fumbling with the book. I'm working on doing that, myself, and I hope it will aid me in doing the whole long routine.I think the pictures in this book are clear and detailed enough to even teach someone who doesn't have a ballet background "how" to do the movements, but, I coudn't say that for sure, as I had 8 years of lessons.Gwen

Tired of the jarring and sore joints of the typical American workout, I bought this book. What is more beautiful and fit than a ballet dancer's body? I am not disappointed! Trying the exercises on the first day I had it, I broke a sweat in no time at all, and was sore in places I didn't know I had, but it wasn't like soreness I've had with weight work or other routines where I could barely move the next day. This works!! Already, after 2 weeks, I have some amazing definition in my thighs, which are not bulking but actually slimming down (Yay for that - I hated bulging thighs - leave those for the muscleistas) My goal was to be long and lean, and this is DEFINITELY the workout for that. It is specific about extending the muscles/body parts being worked on, rather than just achieving a static stretch, which gives the exercises a range that isn't available in other workouts. My next purchase will be the DVD, as there are some vague areas in the book. Beautiful, beautiful!! Thanks, Peter Martins and the wonderful dancers of NYC Ballet Co!!! One suggestion: buy a good diet-for-dancers book to use with this if you are sincere about having a dancer's bod and energy!!

Excellent photos. Good instructions, but the print is very tiny and hard to read, especially if you are doing the exercises at the same time!

This is the book I was looking forward to the most, and am disappointed to find that it is dismally poor. Half the book shows photos of ballet dances sitting or standing and smiling at you in their sunglasses. How lovely, but what about the stretches and exercises I paid for ??? There are a few exercises in the middle, though they are very basic, like sit-ups and lunges, but no real stretching whatsoever. The rest of the book shows basic ballet positions like Demi-Plie.Where are the great ballet excercises and stretches ??? The only one worth looking at in this book is the one on the cover.

Love this book. It won't turn you in to a ballerina but it great workout.This is my second copy (as I left it at my parents )but I tried to do the whole book and believe me it look easy! definitely a good workout.

My only experience of dance of any kind is modern dancing classes in Grade 1 and 2, so I was slightly hesitant about ordering this book. The worries were unnecessary, as the exercises contained in this book are suitable for everyone, even those with no experience of ballet whatsoever. I was actually quite impressed that the NYC ballet managed to compile so many exercises that ordinary people could do. There are typical ballet exercises, of course, like plies and tendus, and it takes a little time to keep your balance, but after a couple of weeks I found myself doing the whole routine without the aid of a wall or chair. The exercises themselves are not excessively difficult (if you can't raise you leg chest high, just raise it knee or waist high, you will still see a wonderful effect) and the book includes step by step illustrations which are fantastic. And there are LOADS of exercises, so you'll never be bored, and you can mix and match as much as you like, depending on how much time you have or how energetic you're feeling. You'll also find a wealth of really wonderful stretches that will benefit you no matter which sport discipline you are involved in. I didn't see much improvement in my upper body after using this book for a few weeks, but I did see a considerable difference in the shape of my legs and behind, I was so impressed that the "droopy effect" had disappeared after about a month of using this book regularly :)Don't be discouraged if it takes really long to do all the exercises in the book the first few times - it took me over an hour to do a sequence of exercises which were suggested as a 30 minute workout! It's just a matter of learning the technique and what to actually do with your body parts; after a week or so I didn't need to glance down at the book in the middle of an exercise to see what to do next, and the time it took me to do it in was greatly reduced.A while after buying this book, I also bought the NYC ballet workout DVD. I was glad to see that the exercises on the DVD were done just as I had been doing with the instructions of the book, so I think the book explains the movements really clearly, and you'll be ok working out with the book even if you don't have the DVD. Also the book contains more exercises than the DVD does, so if you feel you haven't done enough with the DVD, you can add something extra from the book.Overall, a very pleasant workout for dancers and non-dancers, and though I like doing many different workout books and DVDs because I get bored easily, I always return to the NYC ballet workout with pleasure.

Very interesting and helpful book

Easy to understand, easy to use and easy to do. It will help your overall condition, and the looks of your body, but not immediately: perseverance will do the trick. Doing the exercises from this book will rarely overwork you, but give you a stronger spine and abdomenal area.