Ellie Herman's Pilates Workbook on the Ball: Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide (Dirty Everyday Slang)

This is the third book I have bought from Ulysses Press, and it is just as good as the other two ("Weight-bearing workouts for women", and "Weights on the Ball workbook" - which is particularly good, and I highly recommend). This book has the Ulysses Press trade-mark 'lay-flat binding' - so useful during exercise, and is well-organized, well-illustrated, very informative, with great exercises and a very nice work-out sequence. Ellie Herman has taken the original Pilates matwork sequence and has adapted it to the exercise ball, with a few additional Pilates exercises thrown in. This is a natural progression from the regular Pilates matwork routine, you can easily and quickly transfer to this program if you are already familiar with the original Pilates matwork. This book is easy to follow, well illustrated, and gives all the usual information associated with Pilates, as well as with using the fitness ball, including important safe-guards. I highly recommend this book. My next Ulysses Press purchase is going to be Ellie Herman's Pilates Props matwork book - based on how good this book is, I know that one is going to be a winner as well.

As a pilates instructor I am always looking to grow and evolve my methods. Apparatus can enhance a work session and add support for injured or physically limited populations. The Ball is a great tool for this. Ellie Hermann is a leader in the pilates field and I respect her knowledge but do find this book to be a little loose in explaining some of the exercises. It also fails to address some of the dangers and challenges of ball work; for example, when showing jumping on the ball it is not addressed that the ball can move out from under you and cause back or tailbone injuries and therefore does not discuss how to use proper physical adjustments to prevent this occurrence. However, many exercises are useful and Although I will not purchase copies for my friends, I will keep this in my library for occasional reference.

A few months ago I started adding a few of her form roller moves at the beginning/warmup in my Pilates classes. Many of my students are office workers with long commutes who show up with necks and upper backs as tight as piano wires. My students loved them. They were more loose and able to focus when we progressed to the Pilates moves. I've been doing the shoulder series from the book to assist in my rehab from a nagging martial arts injury. I was in Brooklyn a few weeks ago for her myofacial release on the roller. She was a joy to work with. If you can't study with Ellie this book is great plan B. Note: Buy the paper book not the Kindle to get the full advantage of the pictures.

I've been doing pilates for about 10 years and this book is a fun variation on the everyday mat exercises! The writing and pictures in the book are really great for those who already know the basics of pilates. I'm really not a good judge on if somebody who has never done pilates could take this book and learn it without some instruction since its been so long ago that I started pilates. Some of the exercises, they have been broken down into beginner, intermediate and advanced variations and the pictures are really helpful in getting you body placement on the ball. You will get a good workout using this book!

Best exercise book for the ball. Of all the book I have on the exercise ball. I find myself using this one the most. Has lost of good core exercises and they are easy to do. You can start with the beginner moves and progress up from there. Has a nice warm up to get you ready to workout on the ball that most exercise books don't have.

Good alternative to make a mat lass more interesting. Can recommend to anybody at any level. Some exercises done more effectively without ball though.

Easy to learn moves, shows beginner to advanced moves. Definitely worth the money. I like that I can take it everywhere with me.

The exercises are great! Elle has her own spin on things. But the quality of the book- the pages and the black and white photos are not anything to brag about. But, for the exercises- the book is most definitely a buy!

Great for people who already understand the basics of Pilates and don’t know what to do with a ball. It’s important to understand which muscles you are trying to use and which ones you should not be straining. The exercises are well laid out and good but the trouble I had was getting halfway through an exercise and having to get off the ball in order to find out what I was trying to do next. Once you know the exercise, it’s fine.

Clear instructions make the movements easy to follow and fun to execute. I would recommend this book for home use.

My fault as I ordered a book that was a little to involved.

Very useful, helps keep me in tip top condition.

Very clear and easy to follow with different levels and workouts shown with pictures. It would have bneen nicer to have had cloloured pictures.