Pilates Bootcamp Workouts

If you find yourself thinking Pilates is too "light" a workout, think again. This routine will have you torching some serious calories while working up a sweat like never before. Plus, Pilates promotes a strong mind-body connection, perfect if you enjoy yoga but need to change up your core exercises.

Let's get going. Amy Jordan's boot-camp class pushes primal movements (the way humans are designed to move for optimal performance), and this workout is true to that theme. Grab a chair and a pair of 1- to 5-pound dumbbells and get ready to work your body from top to bottom.

You'll need a chair or counter for a supportive surface and dumbbells for this class. Start with a squat hold with dumbbells and progress into archetypal posture squats, a flat-back series with dumbbells followed by a lunge to plié. Change up to a donkey kick series, bridges closed and parallel, a roll down articulation, side-lying leg sweeps, and plank on forearms. Finish off with clock sweeps, supine roll-ups with one dumbbell, clock sweeps and cool down with modified pigeon stretch, and a butterfly stretch.