Brilliant Body Pilates

Love this at the front end of a workout to focus on hip mobility, core awareness and strength, plus upper body push and pull mechanics all at once.

TIPS✅
Rows:
- Start with a couple of rows with the lifted leg kneeling on the bench just to establish proper mechanics in the upper body.
- Remember to Plug before you pull it. Meanwhile the arm on the bench should be actively pushing like a plank.
- While doing the Standing Row Dog, try to keep your hips level or slightly “turn your zipper” to your standing leg to maximize the lengthened position of the glutes.

Hip Airplanes:
- Keep them slow and specific… make them smaller than what I showed on video and you’ll probably feel them more! It’s not about making more mobility, it’s about owning the range of motion you have control over.
- Aim to keep the movement coming from the standing leg’s hip, versus the low back or lifted hip. To do this- generate the motion from pushing your foot into the ground, so much that you pivot open and then avoid flopping the hip down, but rather return under control.

Would you find a breakdown of these exercises helpful? Comment Below! And follow for more tips!

Challenge Details ⬇️

Love these as a warm-up or part of a circuit style training, even a stand alone to work the core and upper body strength.

Wide Feet = Easier, Narrow Feet = Harder
Wide Hands = Harder, Narrow Hands = Easier

Progression: Start on all fours to get the coordination down…then try:
Short Plank (knees down, hips pressed forward “plank” formation)
1. )Narrow Hands, Wide Knees (Hip distance or wider)
2.) Wider Hands, Wide Knees
3.) Narrow Hands, Narrow Knees
4.) Wide Hands, Narrow Knees

Full Plank:
1.) Narrow Hands, Wide Feet
2.) Wide Hands, Wide Feet
3.) Narrow Hands, Narrow Feet
4.) Wide Hands, Narrow Feet (This is arguably the hardest)
5.) Opposite Foot and Hand (This coordination wise is the hardest)

Which one did you found the most challenging?

Note: Narrow Hands also meaning Narrow weight placement… not too far away from your center.

Weight Selection: Start light and work heavier over time or if needed. A weight that’s good for a tricep kick back is a good starting point.

In terms of training: the best option might be a slightly easier option than your highest, because you’re more effective at engaging and stabilizing your core. Form for the win!

Line of Pull is Everything!

In order to target a muscle we need to have force go in the same direction as the muscle fibers.

When holding a dumbbell at 90 degrees of elbow flexion you’re preventing yourself from dropping the weight down, thus you’re holding it up, right? Well that’s your bicep’s job… not your rotator cuff. Sure, you’re going to engage the rotator cuff muscles to rotate your upper arm bone back and forth (External and Internal Rotation) but there isn’t as much resistance in that direction, because the main force you’re overcoming is the weight in your hand from getting pulled down to the earth (aka Gravity).

Plus, it’s not uncommon to see people with shoulder disfunction already have an overactive Bicep (long head) has a tendency to pull the front of the shoulder forward creating a rounded shoulder which then puts the rotator cuff in an even less advantageous position to work engage properly.

So why does simple hinging forward at the waist work? It creates a different angle against gravity and thus a different line of pull for the target muscles (for that example: infraspinatus and teres minor)

Bands and Cables can make that easier than dumbbells, but you still can target the 4 muscles of the rotator cuff with dumbbells, you just need to to place gravity in the correct direction for the muscle (maybe I’ll make that post another day ;) )

Want a break down of the resistance band exercises? Full length and quick recap versions are both on my YouTube Channel!

🎈🎈Happy Pilates Day! 🎈🎈

Tighten your core with the Fab Five!

Golf Warm-Up! 🏌🏻‍♀️🏌🏾🏌🏽‍♂️
Strong Core= Low Score⭐️

⛳️Four Before Tee-Off ⛳️
1.) Criss-Cross Abs: 20 reps
2.) Back Body Lifts: 10 reps
3.) Rock the Plank: 30 secs
4.) Windmill Lateral Lunge: 20 reps

Do these slow with control and be sure to breathe! Let these inspire you but whatever you do make sure to activate your core before you start swinging.

March MATness: The Pilates Push- Up! And that’s the grande finale! 🥂💗🌟

Sometimes the best variation is the “easier” option. I’m a big fan of knees down for push-ups! It allows me to use my core to generate movement and by taking the weight off my arms a bit I can increase my range of motion (in a good way) for my shoulders while allowing me to do more reps in good form. Plus, i can really play with pulling myself down, putting on the breaks low and pushing up! Much more fun! 😉