Ultimate Pilates Workout

Who doesn’t want a butt that seems to defy gravity and fill out that snazzy pair of jeans? Of all body parts, women AND men care about their derrieres. But a beautiful backside is not all that is obtained by strengthening and toning the gluteus maximus!

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From exercise bands to BoSUs to stability balls, props can add challenges, assistance or variety to a regular Pilates workout. The right prop can make a hard exercise easier and a simple exercise extremely challenging! Targeted use of props can also help spice things up for clients who have been practicing Pilates for years and need a little pizzazz thrown into their workout.

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As we wrote in our last blog, when a client asks to “work their abs,” it is very easy to fall into the trap of delivering an hour of flexion exercises. Hearing our clients squeal “oh I feel my abs” is most gratifying, and as we all know, this result is most quickly achieved when many flexion exercises are performed in succession.

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A myriad of skills are required to be a highly skilled Pilates instructor, and one of the most important is a strong foundation in anatomy and biomechanics. Rock-solid knowledge of anatomy will not only help you excel in your Pilates instructor training program, but also enable you to design more effective workouts, work with minor aches and pains, and address sports specific concerns. With an arsenal of Pilates exercises on hand that target each muscle, you have all you need to serve you and all your clients' needs!

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Now, we’re completely addicted to the pull ups and push ups!! Katherine’s neck pain is gone, and I no longer have to hold the back of my head when I'm enjoying my last sip of my favorite beverage. Kimberly’s rotator cuff pain is gone, too! We make both push ups and pull ups a mandatory part of our ActivCore® workout sessions, and as a result we have happier necks and shoulders!!

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Those of you Pilates enthusiasts who know us or who have watched our Pilates workouts also know that the Teaser, given the fact that we have such tight lower backs, was a real zinger for us to master. While it was possible to accomplish something that looks “Teaser-esque” using sheer momentum, that is hardly Pilates’ version of the Teaser. A “perfect” Teaser should be executed with control, finesse, methodical in nature every time.

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At our Pilates Studio, we hear people complain often about being sick and tired of their workout regime. There is actually a really easy remedy to this problem: quit your typical workout regime for a week or two, and try new things!! With the beautiful weather comes the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, so why not take a walk, ride a bike, etc? Better yet, why not try something you’ve never tried before?

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The season of shorts, short skirts and bathing suits begs one question: How do we get buns that defy gravity? Or, better yet, how do we get a well-toned butt quickly? We’ve listed our favorite Pilates exercises for beautiful backsides. Read on…

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We have been pleasantly surprised with another benefit of ActivCore: not only does it improve posture, but ActivCore improves posture fast!!! ActivCore features many exercises for better posture that are fun, challenging, and, of course, core strengthening as well! We noticed better posture on ourselves after one week, but we largely dismissed it because as Pilates instructors, we work out all the time. However, after working with our own clients and talking to dozens and dozens of clients at our Pilates studio, (www.pilatesonfifth.com), the results are unanimous: with ActivCore, posture improves after just one session!!!!

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Ultimate Pilates Workouts is today's leading internet resource for instructional Pilates exercises and full-length workouts. The website was designed to promote cost-effective Pilates with convenience. Ultimate Pilates Workouts offers an ever-growing library of full-length, well-rounded workouts accessible to a variety of levels of Pilates lovers. Since membership accounts exist online, users can login from any computer and pick the perfect workout for their day. Enjoy professional Pilates instruction from the convenience of your own laptop or desktop computer! Or, better yet... enjoy Ultimate Pilates Workouts on your own television screen!

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We had a glimpse of warm summer weather just ten days ago, and shorts, shorter skirts, and even bathing suits suddenly popped out of storage and onto people’s unsuspecting bodies. Were your legs ready??? Here are some tried and true classical Pilates exercises, as well as a few new Pilates exercise variations to get your legs ready to meet summer head on.

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So we’ve talked so far about shaping your arms, your abs and waistline for summer, but the main ingredient to this Shape Up for Summer Recipe is CARDIO!!!! Despite the hours you may put in toning your body and sculpting your muscles, if you do not burn the fat that might surround them, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL MUSCLES!!!!

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We discovered Metromint this past summer, and instantly fell in love. We really don’t want to sound like a commercial, but Metromint water is refreshing, fun and satisfying and contains all the pizzazz we need to brighten our day. We love having SIX different flavors to choose from, so we can select the flavor that goes best with our respective moods. Let’s face it: we don’t only drink to quench our thirst, we drink to be satisfied on an emotional level as well. SO, having a means of enjoying different tastes without calories or all the chemicals in diet soda is a real thrill.

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Whether or not you plan on baring your midriff this summer, you can never go wrong with exercises to flatten your abs and strengthen your core. But don’t just start doing crunches! The secret to flat abs lies in the proper activation of all the abdominal muscles, not just the vanity muscles on the surface. Here are some tips to get you flat abs fast, just in time for summer!

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As the weather gets warmer, sleeves get shorter and shorter, then sleeveless, spaghetti straps and strapless fashions prevail! Are your arms ready for the summer? Here are some tips and exercises for lean, shapely arms this summer – fast!

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On Friday, we discussed the Q Angle and how it affects womens fitness. The Q Angle can be the culprit of many knee injuries for active women. However, infusing a regime of conditioning exercises that target to strengthen the muscles around the knee can reduce the chance of injury. Pilates offers an array of such exercises that are not only low impact, but increase knee muscular strength and stability. We have incoporated a list of these preventative exercises below. Before we go into the list, there are a couple of things we would like to note

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Have you ever wondered why some people can run marathon after marathon without knee pain, while others attempt to begin an exercise fitness program of running which inevitably sidelines them for weeks, even months with a knee injury? Well, the culprit may very well be a large Q angle, or, very simply, the angle at which the femur (the thigh bone) meets the tibia (the shin bone).

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If you're a Pilates instructor or an avid Pilates practitioner, you most likely think you have a really strong core. We certainly did! So we searched the internet for a "core strength test" to prove our power. What an eye-opener! The test explained below and the video link provided shows you what we found.

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In addition to maintaining the three natural curves of the spine, head placement is important for ideal posture. Because we as a population spend most of our time leaning over a desk, driving or propped up on pillows in bed watching TV, a common postural flaw in this country is forward head posture.

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Good posture conveys self confidence, poise, leadership and many other positive attributes. But posture is important not only for aesthetics, but also -- and most importantly -- for proper biomechanics, alignment and weight distribution throughout the body.

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To complete our series of articles outlining the ideal set-up for the golf swing, we will discuss the importance of shoulder placement. As with all aspects of alignment, Pilates can help build body awareness and bring attention to bad habits!

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Adding on to our week long investigation of the set-up of the golf swing and common problems to avoid, we’ll highlight another common problem and show you how Pilates can help. PGA certified golf instructor and certified Pilates instructor Rick Nielsen cites “sitting in the set-up” as another habit that essentially kills all hope for a good swing!

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Pilates and ActivCore target both types of skeletal muscles, Type I fibers and Type II fibers. The percentage of Type I fibers and Type II fibers in muscles is genetically determined.

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Yesterday we showed you “ideal” alignment in the set-up of the golf swing. Today, we’ll discuss one of the most common errors that negatively impact the success of the swing: rounding the shoulders and the spine.

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Pilates offers many benefits to the golfer looking for effective cross-training by focusing on alignment, proper biomechanics and symmetry of movement. Good posture is key to achieving a good set-up position for the golf swing, so this week, we’ll focus on proper posture in the set-up along with some common errors. We’ll also recommend some exercises for building body awareness and strengthening appropriate muscle groups.

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Now it's time to work the abs more and stretch at the same time!

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Though Pilates was designed to re-align the body and re-balance muscle groups, many people -- namely women -- use Pilates for vanity! From sculpted arms to toned abs to tighter hips and buttocks, Pilates definitely helps prepare the body for bikini weather!

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As Pilates instructors, addressing a client's questions regarding a sensation they are feeling in their body presents a challenge -- and a dilemma. Sometimes, a muscle is working, which is "good pain," but other times, pain is not at all good. So how do we answer?

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Now, as Pilates instructors, we all get in the habit of cueing the Transversus Abdominis, Obliques and Pelvic Floor Muscles in lieu of the Rectus Abdominis, Gluteus Maximus and other musculature because oftentimes our clients are often overusing those muscles anyway. They simply don't need to be cued.... that doesn't mean they are not needed to perform the exercise! Take the core challenge test, which we featured in our first, Key to the Core Blog (put date here), and try to use ONLY your Transversus Abdominis and Pelvic Floor Muscles.... IMPOSSIBLE!!

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Yesterday we looked at the muscles responsible for breathing. Today we will discuss how the Pilates technique encourages one to breathe.

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In Pilates, breath is integrated into the movement to bring the mind into focus, aid in relaxation, facilitate proper execution of the exercise and of course, oxygenate the body. Before we delve into the role of the breath in Pilates, we will discuss the muscles involved in respiration.

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We all know cardiovascular exercise is essential for both the health of our hearts and the maintenance of lean body mass. But most of us hate it! Over the years, we have gone back and forth with a love/hate relationship to cardio exercise, sometimes forcing ourselves to do it. Not surprisingly, many of our clients at Pilates on Fifth expressed the same sentiment. Clients say they feel they need to do cardio to lose the “layer of softness” (a nice way of saying fat!) that conceals the beautiful muscles they have toned and sculpted with Pilates, and yet finding a cardio regime that they are motivated to do has proven difficult.

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So far in "Pilates for two" series, we have toned the abdominal muscles with the "Oblique" exercise and sculpted the outer thigh muscles with the "Outer Thigh Toner." Now, the "Air Push Up" strengthens and tones the arms.

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Yes, we know that Souza did not end his famous poem as such, but if we've learned one thing from the filming of our Pilates workouts, it's how to increase the intensity of your . If you don't think Pilates is hard enough, then imagine that you are doing Pilates in an Olympic arena, equipped with a full panel of judges who score you based on proper execution.... WOW!! Take it from us, it's grueling. You can take a "beginner's" workout and turn it into one of the best workout sessions just by focusing on all the little details and fine tuning.

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Earlier this week, we showed you a great exercise to tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles. Today we'll show you an exercise for toning the outer thighs. Even though the men might not be as eager to tone the outer thighs as women, this exercise also challenges and improves balance.

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As the last article in our series about Pilates and weight loss, we will explore cardiovascular conditioning, the most important element in any fitness regime.

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Working out with a partner can be motivating, challenging and FUN!

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This week we have been discussing Pilates, weight loss and the factors that contribute to weight loss. Stress is often cited as a cause of weight gain -- or weight loss -- and Pilates is often cited as a stress-reducing exercise system. So today we will explore the effects stress has on the body and how Pilates can help.

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If you have tried Pilates and hated it, then by all means, give it another try. Maybe you and the teacher just didn't "click." To make this easier for you, we have included some links to some great Pilates studios in the city, all of which teach slightly different styles of Pilates. Of course we'd love to see you at our studio, Pilates on Fifth, but we also know that location and style can be everything, and there are many great Pilates studios here in NYC! Here's the list....and we know all of these owners and can state confidently that they are exceptionally qualified AND kind individuals who are dedicated to their craft.

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In our last article, we discussed many factors that contribute to weight loss. Today, we explain how lack of sleep inhibits successful weight loss. For all those who force themselves to stay up late and get up early, this article is for you!

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Love Pilates but hate cardio? CARDIOLATES® offers all the cardiovascular benefits of rebounding with the alignment benefits of Pilates -- and it's fun too!

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Of all the questions we get asked at our studio, the question "will I lose weight?" tops the charts. The answer is not a simple "yes" or a simple "no," so we'll devote the next few articles to exploring weight loss and Pilates.

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In addition to its personal fitness services, Pilates on Fifth fosters a variety of health and wellness program. One of most of our popular and effective of these programs includes our EnLIGHTen Series. The EnLGHTen Series provides a private session entailing a comprehensive analysis of metabolic rate and body composition. It's fast, easy and confidential! The EnLIGHTen Series sheds light on understanding each individual's metabolism and body composition as a means of effectively pursuing fitness and wellness goals. Analyzing your results and charting your progress allows for healthful self-improvement!

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When push-ups are done correctly (i.e., pulled in abs, strong gluts, energized legs, etc.), they really do tackle every major muscle group. Even if you start with your knees down and progress to more advanced versions, push-ups help strengthen your core. But don't forget, a strong core can help strengthen your push-ups!

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This gem of a Pilates exercise never quite gets the props we think it deserves, and yet no Pilates mat class is complete without it. Sometimes called the Breast Stroke Prep (Stott Pilates(r)), or Cobra (yoga), or Sphinx (GYROTONIC(r)), the Half Swan targets the muscles of the upper back to create better posture and create a counterbalance to the usually over-dominant muscles of the front of the body, namely the pectoralis major and anterior deltoids.

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Manhattan's largest Pilates studio is offering the city's most affordable group classes! That's right! Pilates on Fifth has integrated a series of new Pilates mat and equipment classes at a discounted rate for its valued clientele. Although the cost of enrolling in these classes is nearly (if not entirely) half the cost of its original group class rate, the quality of instruction, facility and customer service remains at an all-time high! Pilates on Fifth proudly introduces "The Streamline Series."

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After years of teaching, I know that the idea of "pulling in" and not "pushing out" can be confusing, but learning to pull in will do wonders for your abdominal strength and your lower back, not to mention a flatter stomach and a more defined mid-section!

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True, "fit" individuals may progress faster than others at a new endeavor, but everyone must adopt a beginner's mindset when starting a new activity if they want to see results. Though there are exceptions, people who don't see results, usually didn't take the time to learn the proper way to do it. Every sport or dance style -- or almost every activity, really -- has a technique that should be followed to achieve maximum results. From a golf swing to a quarterback's throw, from a hurdler's leap to a pirouette, some expert in the field has taken the time to document the proper biomechanics that make the ball go further or the hurdler go faster or the dancer turn beautifully.

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Even if you've only taken one Pilates class in your life, your teacher most likely mentioned your pelvis more times than you could count! So why is the pelvis so important? In layman's terms, it connects the upper and lover halves of the body. Tightness in the muscles that connect to the pelvis (which includes the abdominal muscles, hip flexors and hamstrings among others) cause problems in both the upper AND lower extremities. So YES -- it's pretty important!

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Clients new to Pilates often ask, "which is Pilates, the mat or the equipment?" Well the answer is BOTH! And both are excellent ways to strengthen your core, increase strength and flexibility and tone the entire body.

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Whether using balls, BOSUs or balance discs, athletic trainers and personal trainers alike know that instability is the key to training the core.

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Between work, family, the economy, etc., you are under enough stress! Read on to learn to discover some fun — and maybe some flatter abs — with Pilates.

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Because Pilates increases flexibility without sacrificing strength, golfers find they can drive the ball farther according to Power Golf Pilates’ Rick Nielsen. Rick is the only PGA professional in the country who is also a Certified Pilates Instructor.

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Ultimate Pilates Workouts translates the exercise repertoire of the Pilates Academy International and makes it free to view from the convenience of your own at home computer! Free pilates online! And, pilates at home! With New York City's top certifying Pilates instructor trainers! Who could ask for more? How about more personal instruction? Sure! It's important to execute each Pilates exercises with a clear understanding of its anatomical structure and fitness goal. Therefore, it is essential that each exercise be broken down to get the ultimate Pilates workout! To help you break down Ultimate Pilates Workouts for a fuller understanding of each exercise's choreography, breath, shape, goals and modifications we've made The Pilates Academy International student manuals available to our Ultimate Pilates members!

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A lot of fitness studios, gyms and clubs in New York that claim to offer Pilates training really only offer Pilates mat training. While we agree that Pilates mat classes are terrific, and we offer a wealth of them here at our own studio, we also understand that mat classes are only a part of the Pilates system. Pilates equipment sessions, such as Pilates Reformer classes, are an invaluable part of the Pilates experience.

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Ultimate Pilates Workouts is today's leading online Pilates resource! Fostering an online community for Pilates instructors and students alike, the system offers a Customer Support Team ready and able to answer both Pilates and technical inquiries.

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If you're looking for a New York City Pilates certification center, keep in mind such centers vary quite a bit in technique and quality. Some teach only the basics of each exercise and little else. Then they leave it to you to figure out why the Pilates exercises improve the body, and how to pass on the instruction to others. At Pilates on Fifth, however, we emphasize the importance of understanding both the principles of anatomy and the best methods of Pilates instruction. After all, clients who truly appreciate fitness and the benefits of Pilates instruction will want a trainer who deeply respects and feels passionately about this fun and exciting exercise.

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When we meet new people, we often get asked many questions about Pilates…. How many times a week they should do it, what Pilates DVD we recommend, if we know of a good Pilates studio in their home town, etc. People also often share with us that they’ve purchased a QVC Reformer, or Aeropilates Reformer, or Stamina Reformer, and “just aren’t sure what to do with it anymore”.

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At Pilates on Fifth, our fabulous instructors know just how to keep classes fun, interesting, and effective, and now we're delivering the essence of Pilates on Fifth straight to your home computer with a full line of Pilates DVDs... all available online at www.ultimatepilatesworkouts.com! Whether you do Pilates mat DVD's, Pilates Reformer DVD's or Pilates Chair DVD's, you can be sure that your Pilates workout will engage your mind and your sense of fun, as well as the deep, core muscles of your body. One of the ways our instructors keep their mat classes interesting is the use of small equipment and props.

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