Strengthen, lengthen, and sculpt your muscles with the full range of Pilates exercises. In ''Pilates'', world-renowned Pilates expert Rael Isacowitz shows you the same repertoire that he has used to train 10 Olympians, including U.S. figure skater Sasha Cohen and diver Wendy Williams, as well as an elite group of professional instructors who work with celebrities and athletes around the world. Starting with the foundation for all the exercises, ''Pilates'' presents an in-depth treatment of mat work, including photo illustrations and detailed breathing instruction to help you perform the movements correctly. A unique set of challenging exercise sequences allows the movements to flow in one continuous motion. Following mat work, where most books stop entirely, Pilates just gets going. The same depth of instruction and photo illustrations are applied to the full range of Pilates apparatus, Reformer, Cadillac, Step and ladder barrels, Magic circle, Wunda chair, Ped-a-pul and Arm chair.The complete repertoire includes a customized grouping of exercises in blocks that progress from the fundamental level through the intermediate and advanced levels to challenge you at all stages of Pilates development. With 210 exercises in all, ''Pilates'' is the most comprehensive guide available on the Pilates method. A contemporary approach to the work of Joseph Pilates, this is the one book you need in order to improve posture, muscle tone, core strength, and flexibility.