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If you’ve been doing Pilates exercises or attending Pilates classes for a while, then you know that no Pilates class is complete without the classic Pilates exercise, “The Hundred”. This mat pilates move is the real secret to flat abs, targeting all four layers of the abdominal muscles and increasing abdominal strength and endurance. The Hundred is a key element of any Pilates workout and any Pilates DVD.
Two of the most common questions about Pilates exercises that we receive at our New York studio, Pilates on Fifth, are “How do I know if I’m doing Pilates correctly?”, and, more specifically, “How do I know if I’m doing ‘The Hundred’ correctly? First and foremost you want to make sure that, in your mat Pilates or your Pilates reformer class, you are pulling in your abs the entire time. You don’t want to press your abs outward toward your skin, as this will cause you to completely miss out on targeting the deepest abdominal muscle, the transversus abdominis. This muscle is your body’s natural corset and is instrumental not only in increasing core strength, but also in protecting the lower back and flattening the abs. You will know you are doing Pilates correctly when you can keep your abs pulled in and flat as you perform Pilates exercises like The Hundred, whether in mat Pilates classes or on the Pilates reformer.
Many Pilates and yoga practitioners enjoy Pilates classes and doing pilates dvds at home. With hundreds of Pilates dvds on the market, it’s hard for the Pilates enthusiast to know which one to try. We recommend asking your Pilates instructor about a Pilates dvd that they suggest, or try UltimatePilatesWorkouts.com which hosts over one hundred Pilates dvds online. Choose from mat pilates, pilates reformer workouts, and more!
