Pilates on Fifth Video Podcast A free weekly Pilates online video program to train your core muscles!

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Watchdog Leg Lifts 2 is a variation of “Watchdog” which builds on themes in classical Pilates to strengthen the deep muscles of the spine and increase flexibility of the spine. ; In Watchdog Leg Lifts 2, the erector spinae work to extend the spine evenly with the support of the abdominal muscles. You’ll tone the buttocks, the backs of the legs, the back and the arms!

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Butterfly 2 is a variation and combination of the original Pilates exercises “Roll Over” and “Teaser.” This exercise is very challenging to balance, core stability and abdominal strength as well as flexibility – so be sure you have mastered Butterfly 1 and your Teaser exercises before attempting! Performing this exercise with control with as little momentum as possible is the key to increasing abdominal and core strength!

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Star is a variation of the original Pilates reformer exercise of the same name. Practicing the Star on the mat is a great way to increase core stability and arm strength so that your balance and control are solid by the time you get to the reformer! This total body exercise specifically targets the muscles of the arms, the shoulder girdle stabilizers and the deep core musculature.

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Hovering Watchdog is an addition to the original Pilates repertoire that targets the deep stabilizers of the spine and torso — and the shoulder girdle stabilizers too! ; Because the knees are hovering over the ground, this exercise is far more challenging than the regular watchdog and it increases core strength and improves balance. You’ll flatten your abs and tone the muscles of the arms and legs!

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Swimming Freestyle is a variation of the original Pilates exercise “Swimming.” This version adds slight thoracic rotation to the exercise as the combined movement of extension and rotation is the least represented of spinal movements in Pilates. Yet combined extension and rotation is the most vulnerable position for the spine and can cause injury when done improperly without core strength or abdominal support. Strengthening the spine with Swimming Freestyle targets the deep muscles around the spine and increases the flexibility of the spine safely and effectively. You’ll also sculpt and tone the backs of your legs and your buttocks!

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Watchdog Leg Lifts 1 is a great exercise for toning the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus while practicing supporting the lower back with the abdominal muscles. ; Ideally, this exercise involves pure hip extension without spinal extension, but keep in mind that every body type is different, and the development of the gluteus maximus may give the illusion of an extended spine! You’ll lift your buttocks and sculpt long lean legs!

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Elbow Scoop Bicycles is a variation of the original Pilates exercise “Bicycles in the Air.” ; Because this variation is not inverted like the original version, you can learn the proper movement for Bicycles in the Air without strain on the neck! You’ll tone the abdominal muscles, sculpt long, lean legs and increase flexibility.

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Want a fun exercise that Pilates yoga enthusiasts will welcome in any Pilates class? Then Dizzy Cat is for you! Perfect for a Pilates beginner, the Dizzy Cat is a variation of the spinal flexibility exercise “Cat Stretch” and uses the abdominal muscles to effect flexion, lateral flexion and extension of the spine. Pilates yoga classes require flexibility and strength of the spine in all shapes of the spine, so Dizzy cat is the perfect exercise for a Pilates beginner to start including in his/her Pilates class from the start. Because the exercise is conducted in an “all fours” position, the spine is never subjected to external pressure. You control the movement with your abdominal muscles, so if you approach this exercise with precision and control, you’ll start to increase flexibility of the spine safely. If a Pilates beginner really learns how the abdominal muscles control and support the spine, then any exercise in a Pilates yoga class will be manageable. Finally, any Pilates class can easily turn into an hour of flexing the spine (like crunches!) Although one may feel their abdominal muscles more this way, balancing movements of the spine is essential to total spinal health and longevity. Thus, Dizzy Cat is a perfect choice for Pilates yoga enthusiasts to include in their Pilates class because all spinal motions are practiced.

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Small balls of all shapes and sizes have become popular items in almost every Pilates studio. Advanced Pilates practitioners, then, will enjoy this twist on the original Pilates exercise “Push Up.” With a medicine ball (easier) or small inflated ball (harder) under one hand, Pilates gym goers will strengthen their cores while targeting the abdominal muscles and muscles of the shoulder girdle as well. The instability created by the ball under one hand triggers the deep stabilizing muscles of the spine and torso to fire and provide extra support. This instability mimics the instability created in a Pilates studio by the equipment such as a Pilates chair. Pilates gym enthusiasts have long known that unstable surfaces are the best way to strengthen deep, inner joint muscles, so this version of the push up is the best way for advanced Pilates students to kick their Pilates workouts up a notch! When performing this Pilates exercise, it is important to keep your shoulders and hips level to the floor and NOT let the ball under one hand affect your alignment. This is where strength is developed! Pilates studios have many ways to challenge alignment, for it is only in challenging alignment that the postural muscles get stronger. On that note, Pilates gym attendees – namely the gym rats – should pay attention to alignment in every exercise! Ask any advanced Pilates practitioner and they will tell you that the key to a healthy spine and body is in the alignment. By challenging your alignment in exercises such as these, you will strengthen your spine, shoulders, abdominals and core!

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Pilates gym workouts merge with this variation on a classical Pilates exercise! Great for golfers, this Pilates exercise focuses on rotation of the rib cage on the pelvis, and any PIlates beginner should incorporate the Spine Twist into his/her Pilates workout. The addition of the mini body bar kicks this Pilates exercise up a notch by adding weight to the rotation, much like a golfer would experience when swinging a club. Pilates gym workouts should integrate weighted rotation into exercises carefully, as unsupported rotation can be a vulnerable position for the spine. A Pilates beginner should make sure they have mastered Pilates exercises such as Spine Twist and Saw before adding weight to rotation. When performing this Pilates exercise, concentrate on using your oblique abdominal muscles to rotate the spine and torso instead of the momentum swinging the arms creates. Using weight during rotation in Pilates gym workouts can be dangerous if you use momentum, but highly effective if you use the abdominal muscles to control the rotation of the spine. Every Pilates beginner is tempted (we know!) to attempt the harder version of an easy Pilates exercise before mastering the original version. Don’t let this be you! The Pilates technique is what makes Pilates workouts so effective, so take the time to master the original series before adding weight.