One of the very first things I noticed as a beginning Pilates student (way back in the day) was a newfound integrity in motion.
I am not a runner, but I’m spritely and often I’ll break into a sprint just to get somewhere faster. If I could cartwheel there I just might…
One day – just a few months of Pilates under my belt – I broke into a run and felt my whole body hang together with a strength that was new. And different. And that had an ease of motion.
Fast Forward…
Last Sunday during a group workout at Vintage Pilates, Jay gave me a (seemingly) tiny correction.
Single Leg Circles on the Mat: Jay suggested that as my right leg circles I should strive to keep my left heel constantly pressing into the mat.
Simple enough, right?
Amazingly challenging for me to do. It at least tripled my effort in the exercise. Left side = lazy side for me.
Surprised, I had to ask:
“Why is that so hard?”
Jay’s response spoke to the premise of our beloved Pilates Method.
“Now you’ve got everything working.”
Of course. Nothing working too hard and nothing getting a free ride. Balance in the body.
A full body workout.
A New Obsession
I’m happy to share 3 of my favorite ways to coax ourselves (and our clients!) into experiencing the Pilates Full Body Workout.
1. The Pilates 2×4
May I present to you the humble Pilates 2×4: one of the best ways to entice the body to find strength in standing positions.
It’s amazing the amount of feedback this little Pilates treasure will give you. Use it regularly to connect the lower body into your center and it will infiltrate and work its magic when you are bereft of apparatus.
Bereft of apparatus = the Pilates Mat exercises
Trying to figure out how to use your butt when you are upside-down in the Control Balance?
The 2×4 has got your back. Literally.
Read more about this little gem in these posts:
- Fix your Feet, Fix your Powerhouse: The Pilates 2×4 Exercises
- Anatomy of a Pilates Session: “This is for you.”
- Pilates Mat Exercises #15: The Swan and the 2-way Stretch
- “Pre-Pilates” Exercises: What are they and who does them?
- Pilates Projects: The Holy Shit Edition
2. The Magic Circle
One magical Magic Circle moment I dearly love can be found in an exercise we teach every day.
The Magic Circle not only makes the exercise better, integrating the whole body, but it also confronts the student with a glimmer of ‘there’s clearly more to be had here with this whole Pilates thing…’
The exercise is the arm spring series done lying down on the Cadillac.
People love these exercises – they want to strengthen their upper body, tone the back of the arms, etc… And yes, that’s all happening, but gosh darn it, I want MORE!!!!
Plus you’re working hard, yet lying down and beautifully supported by the Cadillac. So comfy.
Let’s insert a little magic here and the transformation to full body workout will be complete.
Let me be clear: this is not a new exercise.
I am not creating a way to incorporate the Magic Circle into the Arm Spring exercises.
It’s not to kick your ass.
I am using the Magic Circle for a reason: as a teaching tool.
Using it for a few moments, gently squeezing the circle and pressing into the feet as though you were standing will enliven the entire lower body all the way up into the center and the upper stomach.
You’ll get all the bigger muscles engaged to help out with the exercises.
Everything working.
The Full Body Workout!
That’s what I’m after.
And you’ll know who might benefit from this help. You’ll get a sense that your student knows what to do, they just need a bit of resistance to get it all going.
Once they get the feeling, take away the circle and just have the legs in the same position but together. Now they will remember the connection with the circle and fully engage all of the body in these exercises.
This is not simply a series of arm exercises. This is full body integration, friends.
All brought to you courtesy of the Magic Circle.
It’s done all your work for you 🙂
I like to call this phenomenon a scrubbing bubbles exercise.
Curious? More deets in these posts:
3. The Order of the Universe
You already know of my love for the Order of the Exercises. Find more intel on Joe Pilates’ order of exercises and how it benefits your workout in these posts:
The order of the exercises thoroughly prepares you for what’s to come in your workout on the Reformer and the Mat. Learning a skill in one exercise with the help and support of the apparatus may assist you in a subsequent exercise when the support goes away.
My favorite example of this (and there are MANY) is the help you get from the Swan – done on the Ladder Barrel or the Reformer – to get a full body workout in the Pulling Straps and T exercises.
Who doesn’t want help with those? Grrr…they used to be decidedly some of my least favorite exercises.
Now with the help of the Swan (and my butt!) I find them to be a welcome challenge.
The Swan
In the Swan the lower body is connected to the Reformer. You can use your feet to get support and engagement from the entire lower body.
Let’s take this ‘lower body Swan feeling’ to the Pulling Straps and the T, where the lower body is not connected to the apparatus and the feet are free.
Pulling Straps and T
Now you can get the big muscles of the stomach and seat (SEAT!!!) to give you greater integrated strength.
Brilliant!
Read more about cultivating the lower body:
The Pilates Exercises and the Lower Body: Strength for Life!
Try out these tips yourself in your next Pilates workout.
Be on the lookout for the part of the body that appears to just be sitting or lying down – the unflashy part of the exercises.
It is these parts “in repose” that ultimately must do the heavy lifting.
8 Responses
I LOVE your articles Andrea and look forward to them !!!
Thank you so much Marie!!! Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts here – and I miss you – hope to see you soon at a Pilates extravaganza in the future 😉
“Trying to figure out how to use your butt when you are upside-down in the Control Balance?” YES!! How to engage this BUTT more. always. Proof that I’m not: Semi Circle on the Wunda…could.not.walk.for.two.days. If that doesn’t show my a** is “in repose” – must wake up reposed bum asap – ! Calibrated the Long Necks…much better. Thanks! And…this “in the bubble” vision…I’m into it 😉 Super post! Thanks as always for the tips n tricks!
Ok your comment freakin’ cracked me up! I know, why is it that when one is successful in engaging the seat with consistency (!) in a workout, the next day’s soreness is as if it never works AT ALL? Don’t worry I’m on it – ha ha
Thanks Corrie – looking forward to seeing you on Friday and yeah! I am into the bubble as well… and hey I have a new Wunda Chair morsel for you – can’t wait to share 😉 xox
Hi Andrea,
Amazing post!
I must try Single Leg Circles on the Mat like how Jay suggested. I’m kinda excited to do it myself and feel everything working.
Just so you know, I’ve been in love with the Basic 5 and your amazing blog.
Cheers to you 🙂
-Justine
I thank you so much, you are lovely – you do me great honor 🙂 It does feel so good when things are all working together – there’s an ease – not easy, but lots of things working in tandem – and it feels so good! Give it a try and see what you think.
Great post. I haven’t tried pilates before, it looks really hard with all those stretching. I wonder if my body can handle this kind of work out. I just jog once a week for 30 minutes to an hour. I don’t do it a lot because I tend to get skinny. I’m only 46kg and 5’4″ in height. If I add more routines specially cardio exercise, I will get skinnier than I am right now. I’m just wondering if Pilates will tone my muscles and will help me get more shape?
Hi there – Thanks for reading and sharing your question. YES. Pilates will tone and define your muscles. They will not add bulk, but you will have definition if you practice regularly. I was not really toned at all before Pilates and I was petite in my build. Can’t recommend it enough.