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Callanetics: 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours
The astonishing deep-muscle exercise technique that offers results in hours, and which was a 540,000-copy bestseller in hardcover, is now in paperback.
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First published October 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2023
Callan Pinckney is one of my most admired women. She was born into a wealthy Southern family, would not conform to how they wanted her to live her life and left the country literally out of her bedroom window, hopping a freight to Europe and backpacking around the world for ten years. These adventures took its toll on her body and particularly her back. On her return to America, she developed her own exercise program that people with bad backs, those who are out of shape for just about any reason can do, known as Callanetics. It uses triple slow motion movements so that its virtually impossible to injure yourself and the toning can be seen in a short time (3 workouts in my experience). You can also feel your flexibility increasing. It is a good feeling to do a work out that gives you the feeling of progress, it helps to motivate you to keep at it.
December 19, 2014
If you were around during the 1980's, Callanetics may ring a bell. The author, Callan Pinckney, developed this exercise method to help people with bad backs (Pinckney, herself, had scoliosis, lordosis and club feet; she also spent her youth backpacking around the world, and the heavy backpack further wrecked her back. Despite all that, she is classically trained in ballet.) The exercises are largely based on ballet. They are sort of a cross between ballet, yoga and calisthenics. They are completely non-impact and non-aerobic. They are gentle and she emphasizes doing them in "triple slow motion." No jerking allowed! The movements are tiny (1/16" to 1/2" max) and deceptively simple-looking, alternating between targeted muscle contractions and stretches. The best thing is, you only have to do it 2-3 times a week to get full benefits. My time is limited, so this greatly appeals to me. That, and the fact that gentleness is always emphasized.
As background, I'm in my late 40's and overweight and really out of shape. I have neck and hip issues that I go to a chiropractor for. I've feared that if I don't do something about my physical condition, I'm going to end up a very decrepit, immobile old woman. Four months ago I adapted a WFPB diet and have lost 37 pounds so far, without exercise (I was unable to exercise during this time because I was also doing spinal decompression on my neck-- the one time I tried to do some aerobics and toning, I hurt my neck again, so I backed off and just focused on diet. But now my neck is doing much better, so it's time to add some exercise back in.) With all the recent weight loss, I noticed my arms are very flabby-- like old lady arms! My belly has plenty of flabby loose skin, too, and for the first time my neck is looking like droopy chicken skin! I remembered my mom had a Callanetics video in the 80's, which I tried out in my 20's, and so I knew something about the method and what it could do. Something kept telling me to try it again. The fact that it's gentle enough for people with bad backs is what compelled me to try it-- afterall, I don't want to hurt myself. So far I've done 4 sessions (i.e. 4 hours) of beginning level Callanetics. While it may be too soon to praise, I am already feeling small rock-hard muscles developing under the flab that definitely were not there before! Progress with Callanetics is measured in mere hours, rather than months or years! I can tell you that I am not a limber person at all and have resisted doing yoga for this reason. But I'm doing ok with these exercises. Pinckney has a calm and encouraging voice. The exercises are not easy for me to do (I got pretty sweaty the first couple times, and my muscles were pretty twitchy for awhile afterwards!) but despite all that, I do find them very calming and relaxing. These are good to do before bedtime and won't wind you up.
Pinckney states, "An hour of these exercises equals approximately seven hours of conventional exercise and twenty hours of aerobic dancing, as far as firming the body and pulling it up is concerned." She claims your body will look "10 years younger in 10 hours." She warns that you can gain up to 7 pounds initially while doing Callanetics (muscle weighs more than fat), but that you'll lose 2-3 dress sizes at the same time. She says for every pound you do lose, it looks as if you've lost two because of how the exercises pull and lift. There are many before and after photos in the book (some on the original DVD, too) and the results are astonishing. These people look like they've had plastic surgery to lift and firm, but all they've done is these exercises. I love anything that keeps me from going under the knife!
The book makes a nice supplement for the DVDs. There are b&w photos as well as written instructions for how to do each exercise. Although the book came out before any of the videos, I don't know if I could have done the exercises with the book alone. The DVDs show proper positioning really well (and the beginning DVD offers modified versions of some of the exercises for the really out-of-shape like me!) Once learned, the book's explanations and instructions make much more sense. The book has more exercises that aren't found on the original or beginning DVDs (perhaps they are on the advanced DVD, Super Callanetics?) Apart from the main workout, the book has additional chapters for those with bad backs, a 15-minute maintenance program (for those who have mastered the main program and reached their goals), a chapter for the elderly, and an advanced program. So I consider it worth having this book with the DVDs, for the additional material and explanations. Plus the biographical info about the author is quite interesting.
I'll check back in from time to time with my progress and provide an update on how well these exercises deal with my flab...
As background, I'm in my late 40's and overweight and really out of shape. I have neck and hip issues that I go to a chiropractor for. I've feared that if I don't do something about my physical condition, I'm going to end up a very decrepit, immobile old woman. Four months ago I adapted a WFPB diet and have lost 37 pounds so far, without exercise (I was unable to exercise during this time because I was also doing spinal decompression on my neck-- the one time I tried to do some aerobics and toning, I hurt my neck again, so I backed off and just focused on diet. But now my neck is doing much better, so it's time to add some exercise back in.) With all the recent weight loss, I noticed my arms are very flabby-- like old lady arms! My belly has plenty of flabby loose skin, too, and for the first time my neck is looking like droopy chicken skin! I remembered my mom had a Callanetics video in the 80's, which I tried out in my 20's, and so I knew something about the method and what it could do. Something kept telling me to try it again. The fact that it's gentle enough for people with bad backs is what compelled me to try it-- afterall, I don't want to hurt myself. So far I've done 4 sessions (i.e. 4 hours) of beginning level Callanetics. While it may be too soon to praise, I am already feeling small rock-hard muscles developing under the flab that definitely were not there before! Progress with Callanetics is measured in mere hours, rather than months or years! I can tell you that I am not a limber person at all and have resisted doing yoga for this reason. But I'm doing ok with these exercises. Pinckney has a calm and encouraging voice. The exercises are not easy for me to do (I got pretty sweaty the first couple times, and my muscles were pretty twitchy for awhile afterwards!) but despite all that, I do find them very calming and relaxing. These are good to do before bedtime and won't wind you up.
Pinckney states, "An hour of these exercises equals approximately seven hours of conventional exercise and twenty hours of aerobic dancing, as far as firming the body and pulling it up is concerned." She claims your body will look "10 years younger in 10 hours." She warns that you can gain up to 7 pounds initially while doing Callanetics (muscle weighs more than fat), but that you'll lose 2-3 dress sizes at the same time. She says for every pound you do lose, it looks as if you've lost two because of how the exercises pull and lift. There are many before and after photos in the book (some on the original DVD, too) and the results are astonishing. These people look like they've had plastic surgery to lift and firm, but all they've done is these exercises. I love anything that keeps me from going under the knife!
The book makes a nice supplement for the DVDs. There are b&w photos as well as written instructions for how to do each exercise. Although the book came out before any of the videos, I don't know if I could have done the exercises with the book alone. The DVDs show proper positioning really well (and the beginning DVD offers modified versions of some of the exercises for the really out-of-shape like me!) Once learned, the book's explanations and instructions make much more sense. The book has more exercises that aren't found on the original or beginning DVDs (perhaps they are on the advanced DVD, Super Callanetics?) Apart from the main workout, the book has additional chapters for those with bad backs, a 15-minute maintenance program (for those who have mastered the main program and reached their goals), a chapter for the elderly, and an advanced program. So I consider it worth having this book with the DVDs, for the additional material and explanations. Plus the biographical info about the author is quite interesting.
I'll check back in from time to time with my progress and provide an update on how well these exercises deal with my flab...
May 23, 2016
This works. Read it, do it, but don't even attempt to explain this ultra quirky exercise system to friends. just don't. lol btw, I love the 80's vibe, and I laugh every time I watch a Youtube video or DVD of these exercises, and Miss Callan coaches us to persevere so we achieve a "perfect round peach" of a behind.
September 20, 2019
I've been doing Callanetics for so long, it's scary, but, bar none, these exercises are the absolute best for people who want to be strong, flexible, and toned. If you also happen to have a horrible back, these are lifesavers.
August 17, 2015
I already owned the Callanetics dvd and found this to be an excellent supplement to the video! It helped me to make sure my posture and/or positioning was correct and offered additional insight into the exercises themselves.
January 19, 2018
I'm going through a massive 80s phase at the moment, so this book was right up my alley.
I did the 1 hour workout for the first time yesterday - it took me two hours reading the instructions closely - I'm sure it will be quicker as I get more familiar. I am REALLY feeling it today!
I did the 1 hour workout for the first time yesterday - it took me two hours reading the instructions closely - I'm sure it will be quicker as I get more familiar. I am REALLY feeling it today!
Read
March 14, 2020I've now read the book once through and done the program. It helped that I'd done Callanetics before with videos, so for some of the exercises I recognized what they were or knew the modification I needed. For others, the book offered a modification I didn't know about. For the belly dancing inspired moves, however, no alternative was presented and so I couldn't do those due to not being able to kneel, which PT couldn't assist with and isn't that important in my day to day life.
Overall I think rating this book is awkward since it's more an in depth guide than anything else, but I will say I enjoy that Pinckney is very upbeat and positive throughout, that this is about how you do with your body, listening to your body, doing what your body can do and knowing it will become "lovelier" over time, which was just the best choice of words. I also appreciate that the pictures show people relatively new to the class, which is something I've found the videos I'd watched also included though not as well. (Those had beginners and advance students and I don't need those advanced people showing up with their skill and strength.)
Do I wish some of the pictures were clearer and the text more straightforward, so I could follow it while doing the move? Yes. Do I think it's still doing its best as a book so this is why the video augments it? Also yes.
It feels like the first go through took hecka long, which I expected, so we'll see as it goes along how much faster I get at completing this without worrying if I'm doing things right. Also for some reason this book includes a lot of pictures of which make sense in context but when you just flip through the book, .
Overall I think rating this book is awkward since it's more an in depth guide than anything else, but I will say I enjoy that Pinckney is very upbeat and positive throughout, that this is about how you do with your body, listening to your body, doing what your body can do and knowing it will become "lovelier" over time, which was just the best choice of words. I also appreciate that the pictures show people relatively new to the class, which is something I've found the videos I'd watched also included though not as well. (Those had beginners and advance students and I don't need those advanced people showing up with their skill and strength.)
Do I wish some of the pictures were clearer and the text more straightforward, so I could follow it while doing the move? Yes. Do I think it's still doing its best as a book so this is why the video augments it? Also yes.
It feels like the first go through took hecka long, which I expected, so we'll see as it goes along how much faster I get at completing this without worrying if I'm doing things right. Also for some reason this book includes a lot of pictures of which make sense in context but when you just flip through the book, .
August 20, 2011
I remember the Callanetics craze with pleasure. First I had the book, and several friends would meet with me at lunchtimes to excercise. I would instruct them how, from my reading fromt he book. Then we got the video and discovered that my instructions had been all wrong!
March 22, 2024
The best and most overlooked programs for getting in shape, staying fit and flexible at age. It may be an older volume and seem unrealistic or too simple to see real results.
If you're in that camp of thinking, I challenge you to try it for a week. Hell, try it once. It looks easy but it gets deep in your core and branches strong from there to produce a body that's flexible in a method and timeframe that's feasible and with results you can measure and see.
They also have a website, app, other books in the series and a series of DVD workouts-though you can catch those on the app (which gives a free trial). If I was forced to simplify the description I'd say it's a form of exercise that meets somewhere between Ballet and Pilates.
If you ever wondered where the term "pulse" came from in regards to working out - it started here. That's what you do sets of in certain count. It's a gentle yet firm movement that strengthens, stretches and works the muscles via isometrics.
According to Callahan, the Creator Callanetics will do the following:
"After one hour of Callanetics you will feel the effects; after a few hours of the program you should start to see the difference. By following the simple 60 minute Callanetics workout three to four times a week, the body you always dreamed of may be yours!"
I can't speak to this practice on its own in the way of results because I incorporate it into my overall routine which houses a few different disciplines and methods of working out but I will say after giving it a go, my yoga practice is easier and my overall strength and stability have improved. I did lose some quick inches at the start as well.
Highly recommend!
They even have an edition for those with back pain and there's also a workout that's Callanetics FOR MEN!
Try it. It's addicting, I warn you.
If you're in that camp of thinking, I challenge you to try it for a week. Hell, try it once. It looks easy but it gets deep in your core and branches strong from there to produce a body that's flexible in a method and timeframe that's feasible and with results you can measure and see.
They also have a website, app, other books in the series and a series of DVD workouts-though you can catch those on the app (which gives a free trial). If I was forced to simplify the description I'd say it's a form of exercise that meets somewhere between Ballet and Pilates.
If you ever wondered where the term "pulse" came from in regards to working out - it started here. That's what you do sets of in certain count. It's a gentle yet firm movement that strengthens, stretches and works the muscles via isometrics.
According to Callahan, the Creator Callanetics will do the following:
"After one hour of Callanetics you will feel the effects; after a few hours of the program you should start to see the difference. By following the simple 60 minute Callanetics workout three to four times a week, the body you always dreamed of may be yours!"
I can't speak to this practice on its own in the way of results because I incorporate it into my overall routine which houses a few different disciplines and methods of working out but I will say after giving it a go, my yoga practice is easier and my overall strength and stability have improved. I did lose some quick inches at the start as well.
Highly recommend!
They even have an edition for those with back pain and there's also a workout that's Callanetics FOR MEN!
Try it. It's addicting, I warn you.
December 7, 2009
Going to rent the DVD and try out the program!
June 27, 2011
Home workout possible here since are non-impact exercises to help reshape and tone all major muscle groups
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews