Pilates only adds; never subtracts
“Developing minor muscles naturally helps to strengthen major muscles.” ~ Joseph Pilates
In the classical Pilates world, there is an order, a sequence, to follow when you’re working out on your mat or on the reformer. You’re teaching autonomy. And you’re teaching functional exercises that apply to daily life, other activities or sports, or post rehab. That’s why Pilates has something for everybody. And here’s another reason – by watching and listening to the body on the mat or the reformer, then you take that body on another piece (or several pieces) of apparatus where they need more assistance in making connections in their body. What needs to be strengthened? What needs more opening/stretch/flexibility? What connections can we teach to prevent further imbalances, or even injuries? What challenges can we give? What were they not able to do on the mat or reformer that we can try on another piece of apparatus?
The title of this blog is something I’ve realized about Pilates as I practiced more mat (and the original order of the mat sequence) during covid and lockdown/quarantine. Each exercise builds upon the last exercise. The intermediate and advanced exercises build upon several previous exercises while adding a new element. Examples like changing the angle or tilt of the body, adding a balance element, moving limbs further away from the body, adding a factor of depth or height, or a combination of any or all of these. There’s a thread that connects these exercises together to support the body and build structure. It reminds me of connective tissue or fascia in the body that supports and holds everything in place, and provides internal structure.
I wrote a blog about how everything comes from the Hundred.
Let’s dissect the “ab series” from the mat sequence. Also known as the “sweet 5”.
- Single Leg Stretch
- Double Leg Stretch
- Single Straight Leg Stretch
- Double Straight Leg Stretch
- Criss Cross
First and foremost, the foundation of all of these exercises is the Hundred. Do you see that shape? So you must learn how to flex your spine/round it properly so you can lift your head and shoulders off the mat without any stress to your neck. If your neck hurts during the ab series, then you need to go back to the Hundred. Why? Because the ab series challenges your Hundred by adding movement of the legs – one leg or both legs. Then there’s the challenge of twisting your torso when you get to Criss Cross.
Next, let’s see how these exercises build on each other. You start with your Hundred shape, and we add movement of one leg at a time with the Single Leg Stretch where you straighten and reach one leg out while actively pulling the other leg bent into your chest, and switch. You must maintain your Hundred shape through the switch.
Next we add both legs for Double Leg Stretch. Now you must maintain your Hundred shape with both legs together, straight, and reaching away from your center, while both arms also reach away from your center, circle around, and pull bent legs back in.
Next we go back to one leg at a time for Single Straight Leg Stretch. You guessed it! We’re adding straight legs to challenge your Hundred shape. But one at a time so each straight leg is reaching in different directions – one up, and one away.
And then we add both straight legs for Double Straight Leg Stretch. Oh, it’s so hard with both legs reaching away! But can you still keep your Hundred shape especially as both legs lower together? Or does your upper body dip back/down to the mat?
And now the ab series ends with Criss Cross. The legs go back to the way they worked in Single Leg Stretch, and now we take our Hundred shape in the upper body, and add a twist to one bent leg, then twist to the other bent leg. The pop quiz here is can you keep the Hundred shape as you twist from side to side? Again, does your upper body dip back/down to the mat in that transition from one side to the other side?
Do you see how Pilates adds, and never subtracts? Do you see how each exercise teaches you something either for the exercise that follows? Or how it shows up in future exercises in the mat order? A method (to the madness) of Joe’s mind.
Let’s take it to the very last exercise in the mat order – the push-ups! As you know, push-ups are a whole body exercise. Can’t do push-ups, then hold a plank or a forearm plank. Another whole body exercise. By the time you get to the end of your mat order/sequence, you have engaged every minor and major muscle in the body, and warmed it up properly, to perform push-ups or planks.
Try it the next time you hit your mat!