I have decided to take the plunge and start Pilates. I'm in good shape, but I would like to strengthen my core.

Most people (90%+) will see results in 6 weeks from starting an exercise program. However, a lot of people (70%) can start to see results in two weeks.

I don't want to go overboard, but I want to see results. I'm going to be doing Pilates at home and going to the gym. Honestly, the only the I really do at the gym is the elliptical macine. So how many days a week should I do each? What kind of schedule should I go by?
My #1 goal is to lose weight. I know Pilates isn't meant for that, but I would like to get toned also and it seems like a great way to go about it.

every other day

So I just got started on it yesterday and loved it (bought a couple dvds). I am really sore from it today. Is it okay if I do it everyday for 5 days a week, or should I do it every other day to let my muscles rest? I am not sure what the appropriate schedule is for pilates. Thanks.

i do it 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), giving my body a day in between to rest as well as the weekend. if you do it too frequently, you will hurt a muscle or tear a ligament or cartilage, which is not good at all.

Yoga principally is against Christian religious beliefs so perhaps pilates would be better.

yoga is more stretching the muscles. Pilates is strengthening them. I've done both and yoga can be tough but it's easy going and I like to do it before a jog or something. But Pilates is a workout of it's own and you can be as sore as if you just did some weight training. They are both good for stretching and flexibility

I always go online to find Pilates moves just to use as examples, because for my entrepreneurship class, I'm beginning a (false) Pilates studio, and I don't want to copy Winsor Pilates's moves, since they had modified the moves a bit. I just want some of the original moves. Does anyone have any examples?

Pilates is asian yoga. And it is supposed to b calming a nd stress relieving. A move is laying on your back putting your feet up in the air together and doin a sit-up wit yo legs like that the whole tyme.

Yoga principally is against Christian religious beliefs so perhaps pilates would be better.

yoga is more stretching the muscles. Pilates is strengthening them. I've done both and yoga can be tough but it's easy going and I like to do it before a jog or something. But Pilates is a workout of it's own and you can be as sore as if you just did some weight training. They are both good for stretching and flexibility

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KATRINA FITNESS: Ease Into Pilates
http://www.janson.com/dvd/show_title.php?pid=20235

Pilates, a form of training that focuses on using multiple muscles simultaneously, was first introduced in the early 1900s by Joseph H. Pilates. Today it the latest craze in fitness. A more efficient and balanced workout, Pilates teaches you to use your own body weight for resistance and realize amazing strength benefits.

The choreography is designed with flowing movements and clear, detailed instructions. Using a blend of mostly Pilates exercises, each segment is carefully linked to invigorating, original music specifically designed for this workout. The segments include Warm-up, Strength, Abs/Back, and Relaxation/Cool Down.

Duration : 0:8:14

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a nicely descripted pilates workout for beginners

Duration : 0:3:0

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http://pilatesyourway.com presents an amazing Pilates ab routine. Use this with your regular workout routine to have rock hard abs!

Duration : 0:7:24

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I'm 20, 5'2", 115lbs, 22% body fat. I'm planning on doing 40mins elliptical training and 20mins of jump-roping 5 times a week. My goal is to reach 17% body fat. I was planning on doing an hour of weight training 4 days a week (just for toning up) but I kinda got discouraged 'coz there aren't many home workouts and I really don't have the budget for more equipment. (I have 2lbs dumbells)

I was thinking of skipping weight training altogether and replacing it with an hour of Pilates. What "look" will that achieve? Will it be different than when I'm weight training? And will that affect my metabolism?

Note: I don't really wanna build muscles. Just wanna firm up.

P.S. Or can you guys refer me to a good (cheap) home workout website? I've basically gone to most of them. Thanks!

If you are serious about reaching 17% body fat, you can't skip the weight training….that will be the integral part of reaching your goal. To reach a body fat in the teens, you have to work on building the muscle. If you just do all cardio, you may well lose weight, but it will be very hard to get your body fat percentage below 20% without weight training.

You also need to make sure you are eating plenty of protein, about 110-120g of protein every day spaced out throught the day into 5 smaller meals. So include low fat, high protein foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, lean beef/ham, nuts & seeds, beans & pulses and also you can have soya protein products such as Quorn. I'd also recommend a good protein supplement such as Promax or Creatine.

And don't worry, you can't build more than 1/2lb to 1lb of muscle per month, so it's not like you are suddenly going to look like 'big' in a couple of months.

I think you are going to need slightly heavier dumbells as well, but that and an exercise ball is all you need. I'd recommend Core Secrets.

Good luck : )