Thutts & Squgs
You’ve heard me use those cues. But what does it mean?
Thutts = where your (th)ighs meet your b(utt)
Squgs = (sq)eeze inner thighs and h(ug) your haunches in
For my newsletter subscribers, this blog’s dedicated to each and every one of you. Thank YOU for the inspiration, dedication, and the support. You may have noticed that I sign off my newsletters with “Thutts & Squgs”. My students are very familiar with what muscular engagement I’m cueing for when I say this. From my Pilates heart to yours, I wouldn’t be here without you. I jest, but I’m serious, it would be me talking to myself in my home studio.
If you’re still wondering, or if you’re new to Pilates Bound, let’s break it down.
Can you imagine me saying all those words after the equal sign above as you’re moving through your exercises? It’s a mouthful. And I need this muscular engagement to happen simultaneously, but I cannot speak simultaneously! And that’s how I came up with thutts and squgs, which are portmanteau words. I could talk about this and write about this, but when describing movement, it’s best to feel it for yourself. Let’s get moving!
THUTTS
Grab a Magic Circle, a squishy ball, or a sofa cushion and give this a try before your next Pilates practice.
Place your left heel on top of your prop. Bend the left knee slightly. Lie down on your mat. Place your left hand at your left thutt, where the top of your thigh meets your butt. Thutt – get it? FYI – for me, thutts was inspired by Bennifer 1.0. Who here remembers that time? IYKYK. It’s from this place that your butt and back of leg presses into the prop. You might feel wrinkles in your leggings. Hopefully, you can feel this connection in your thutts, and deep abdominal muscles in the lowest part of your belly. Repeat a few times. Now, try it on the right leg, and repeat a few times.
SQUGS
Grab a Magic Circle, a squishy ball, or a sofa cushion and give this a try before your next Pilates practice.
Sit at the edge of a chair. Place the prop between your inner thighs. Squeeze your prop using your inner thighs and outer hips, or I like to call them your haunches. You’ll notice your legs moving towards each other, even if they don’t touch each other. Look at your inner thighs, and you’ll notice a muscular engagement. You’ll also feel your outer hips/haunches hugging into the body. Squeeze the inner thighs, and hug the outer hips/haunches. Repeat a few times.
Did you notice how you sat taller each time the inner thighs squeezed, and the outer hips/haunches hugged in? And that’s how I came up with squgs.
Thutts & Squgs is how you activate your seat and your legs. By focusing on this muscular engagement through the back line of your body, aka posterior chain, your quads and hip flexors hopefully will be a bit more quiet, and won’t initiate all movement. Do you feel your abs engage as well? This is how you can balance your body (front/back, left/right/, upper/lower) because you’re a three dimensional human being, not a cardboard cutout.
How did it go? Drop me a line, and tell me if you felt the connections in your body. And if you didn’t, I want to hear from you. Let’s work together to get your body connected better.