MANILA, Philippines - Everybody dreams of having the perfect body but few are willing to put in the time and energy to get it. So the quest for a three-week routine that can give one the ?guns and abs? of an FHM-worthy centerspread is ongoing and leads many astray in their search for fast and easy solutions.

One route that is quickly gaining ground among Olympians, professional athletes and sports enthusiasts is pilates, with its promise of better breathing, core strengthening, total body stretching, solid balance and proper posture. An exercise system developed in the 1920s by physical trainer Joseph H. Pilates, it consists of over 500 exercises that engage both the mind and the body. The exercises are low-impact and may be performed on specifically designed exercise apparatus and supervised by extensively trained teachers, making the routine very safe for the joints, and especially the back. Pilates focuses more on the quality of the movements rather than the quantity, with exercises ranging from three to 10 repetitions only. With machines called the Reformer, the Cadillac and the Guillotine, pilates offers workout buffs their choice of torture route.

Another pilates-based equipment to consider is the V2 Max Plus. This fitness machine works on a multi-tasking retractable rope pulley system. The rope and pulleys reinforce muscle memory so you can execute common movements (squat or lunge) while increasing all-over strength and balance. It?s sports specific and good for rehab as well. If that doesn?t do it for you, there are other options like the Exo Chair, a type of balanced body pilates chair; Gravity (EFI Sports Medicine) Mat and Reformer Combo, a machine that uses body weight on an inclined glide board as constant resistive force against gravity; and the OPTP Pro Roller, a high-quality textured, closed-cell foam ideal for stretching, strengthening, relieving tension, restoring posture/alignment and the development of neurological awareness of musco-skeletal system.

A machine popular with hardcore gym rats is the elliptical machine, which can be used as an alternative workout to the treadmill and the bike. It works the same muscle group, but with less impact on the body. Athletes, trainers and coaches now have a low-impact alternative to distance running, Hoping to reduce the stress of high-mileage training, popular US brand Precor created the EFX Elliptical Fitness CrosstrainerTM, which allows runners to maintain a specific stride rate and length. Stride rate and length are key factors in the prevention of running injuries.

Online, the home or professional fitness machine selection can baffle even the most die-hard gym aficionado. There is, for instance, a wide range of rowing machines, from the Spartan Full Motor Rower which goes for US$77, to the pricier DKN-V Power Fitness Machine which works on revolutionary vibrations, at US$1, 470. The list is endless and what?s worth your hard earned cash boils down to price range, home gym space and your specific body need.

The best advice we can offer when choosing your home gym machines is to try it in a real life gym or get one that offers a 100 percent money back guarantee. There is nothing so ugly and sad as rusty gym equipment in one?s living room, especially if it takes up the space of your favorite La-Z Boy chair.

SIM interviewed US-certified pilates instructors Andrea Mercado-Miguel, Linzi Arellano Co and Marilen Concepcion on working out while expecting, the benefits of pilates and how to maximize those really cool machines.

Andrea Mercado-Miguel

Currently eight and a half months pregnant, Andrea still practices pilates. However, she recommends it ?for expecting women, only if they have been taking pilates already. They can continue, provided they have their doctor?s permission.?

She explains: ?It is a great way to keep up your core strength so that you experience minimal or no back pains during your pregnancy. It?s a good overall workout without putting too much stress on your muscles and joints. I would strongly suggest though that one takes private sessions with a certified instructor while they are pregnant. An instructor will be able to modify the exercises so that one still benefits from each session, no matter how modified the exercises.?

The best fitness tool she recommends for pregnant women is the small barrel or the spine corrector. ?When my mat work was getting increasingly more difficult because of the size of my tummy, I would use the small barrel or spine corrector so that I would not have to lie flat on my back during the workout. It keeps me in a semi-reclined position, which is much more comfortable. Using this also helped me ?feel? my core/abdominals more despite the growing baby. It was easier for me to do some exercises while `pulling in behind the baby? to make sure I was working the right muscle.?

Linzi Arellano-Co

The Romana-certified pilates instructor also owns the Pure Pilates studio, opened in 2002 (www.purepilates.multiply.com), which offers one-on-one or duet Classes on Machines or small Group Mat Classes for a maximum of seven people.

Aside from the Reformer and the Cadillac, Linzi also uses the smaller apparatus, such as the High Chair, Wunda Chair, Arm Chair, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector, Small Barrel, Pedi-pole and the Guilllotine.

?The Reformer is the machine that you use the most in pilates,? she explains. ?It is basically a bed with a moving carriage. The carriage is on rollers, and is anchored to the frame by springs, which is what provides resistance to your muscles when you?re performing the various movements. It also has leather straps with handles; you can either pull them with your arms, or hook them through the feet. It is actually a very versatile machine, and works on your entire body, and not just one part! You can perform way over 50 exercises on this machine. So if you had to choose only one pilates machine, the Reformer is best.?

Linzi adds that she only works with Gratz machines, since the manufacturer made the equipment "based on the specifications and dimensions of Joseph Pilates? apparatus, as he himself designed it.?

She cautions against buying what she calls ?those portable, fold-under-the-bed home Reformers offered by home shopping networks.? The machine might be only one-fourth the price, but will likely end up gathering dust under your bed. ?As it should,? she emphasizes.

She recommends pilates for everyone ?as it can be a deep and challenging workout for the very advanced athlete, and a good rehabilitation program for the very weak and injured.?

A direct quote from Joseph Pilates himself: ?In 10 sessions you will feel the difference. In 20 sessions you will feel the difference. And in 30 sessions you will have a brand new body.?

Additionally, she caters to a wide range of clients: ?a twentysomething ex-gymnast, a 75-year-old female, quite a few men and women in their sixties, lots of women with osteoporosis, ex-gym rats who have now sworn off the gym and just do Pilates thrice a week, ex-dancers and ballerinas, quite a lot of ballroom dancers, golfers, newscasters, directors?? You get the idea.

Marilen Concepcion

A certified Stott Pilates instructor, Marilen has been teaching Pilates for the past four years in b+b studio, which opened seven years ago at the Bonifacio Technology Center at the Fort.

The studio has recently added rehabilitation machines and the V2 Max, whicih address the needs of a special population, which includes individuals recovering from post-operative procedures and injuries, the elderly, and elite athletes.

Marilen advises that choosing the right machine or equipment depends on the objective and the focus of the workout. ?I enjoy the Bosu because it challenges my sense of balance,? she adds. ?At the same time, it allows me to engage muscles not usually used standing on the floor.?

For personal home use, she recommends getting a Stability Ball and a pair of toning balls. ?The Stability Ball is used for many exercises, giving more challenge to the core; the toning balls add resistance to exercises.?