Day 12: Name that muscle

Most people, when thinking about the amazing abs they’re going to get from Pilates think of this:

But what they really should be thinking about is this:

Yes, it’s time for the science. I am unapologetically nerdy when it comes to anatomy and Pilates. Learning the names of the muscles, their functions, origins and insertions was initially the source of much terror for me (apologies to anyone on the Northern Line who I frightened with my soft incessant chanting of jargon over images of what could only have looked like flayed bodies – I wasn’t planning anything sinister and voodoo-ish for the good people of Tooting, just making use of the delays for a quiet flashcard revision sesh). But once you get it – wow, it all makes so much sense! 

Here’s a crash course in the important core Pilates muscles. Bonus points to anyone who manages to drop one of these into conversation in the next 24 hours.

Abdominals – as indicated by the pictures above, Pilates is not all about your ‘six pack’ muscles – this is your Rectus Abdominis, and actually a pretty superficial muscle that doesn’t do a lot for you in terms of posture. The muscle you want to be targeting with your ab work is the second one, the Transversus Abdominis. This is a deeper muscle, and wraps all the way around you like a corset. By strengthening it you get a lot more reward for the effort – make sure you’re working it by pulling your belly button in towards your spine when exercising the abs. You also have internal and external obliques in this group – you particularly use these for rotational movements.

 

Spine – there are several different muscles that work together to control the flexion, extension and rotation of your spine. These are known collectively as the Erector Spinae group.

 

Other muscle attaching to the pelvis – the abs and some of the spinal muscles attach to the pelvis, pulling it up. The pull of these is balance out by your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals pulling down on your pelvis. For ‘neutral’ alignment and good posture, you need all these to be working together with the right strengths so that your pelvis isn’t tipped forwards or backwards. The gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps are all actually groups of muscles too, not single muscles.

And while we’re talking about the pelvis – there is of course the pelvic floor – more of which later in the month, but for now, it’s the muscle that you squeeze to stop the flow of urine. In men, the sensation is apparently like that of ‘stepping into cold water’…

So if you’re going to work on strengthening one group of muscle (e.g. your abs of steel), it’s important to also exercise the opposing muscle, to stay balanced. Pilates is great for this, especially if you’re doing a lot of training for a specific sport (such as cycling, running, weightlifting) where you are always focussing on the same muscles, and using them repeatedly in the same way. By getting more balanced muscle strength you not only improve your posture, but also minimise the risk of injury.

Right, that’s the anatomy lesson over for now – go forth and tell everyone how your iliocostalis is feeling today…

Day 11: The glutes

So yesterday you iron-ified your abs. But Pilates is all about balancing your muscles for good posture and alignment, so today we’re going to focus on another group of muscles essential for good alignment – the gluteals. 

The ‘glutes’ or ‘bum muscles’ (as they are technically known) are the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. The first two are in the side of your hip, and are used to pull your leg out to the side (‘abductors’). The best exercise for these is the Side Leg Lift series, which I covered on Day 5 (Pilates for Runners) – take a look. 

The gluteus maximus is the big muscle in the cheek of your bottom. Apologies if this image is a little much so early in the morning. 

Great exercises for strengthening this muscles are the shoulder bridge (also Day 5), and any exercise where you lie on your front and lift your arms and legs off the mat. You should always squeeze with the glutes when you’re in this position, as it helps protect your lower back by stopping you over-arching through the bottom few vertebra. Try the breaststoke (see Day 6) with a focus on the glutes. 

The other exercise that’s great for the glutes is affectionately known as the ‘J-Lo Butt exercise’ (or Heel Squeeze Prone if you’re being all technical) – lie on your front with your hands under your head. Bring your knees slightly apart, lift your feet off the mat and squeeze your heels together. Concentrate on squeezing with your glutes, and pushing your pubic bone down into the mat. Hold for 5 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times. 

Tomorrow is going to be a proper anatomy lesson to explain the importance of strengthening various muscle groups, but for now, let’s just take a moment to look at pelvic alignment. The abs and the glutes both attach to the pelvis, so have an impact on how it is positioned. 

There are two main positions we use in Pilates – ‘neutral’ and ‘imprint’. I’ve used these terms in previous posts, so now it’s time to explain them. 

A neutral pelvic position is the most shock-absorbent position for the body, as the spine is holding its natural curves. This position can be found by lying on your back with your knees bent. Put the heels of your hands on your hip bones, and your fingers towards your pubic bone. Rock your pelvis backwards and forwards until you find a position where your hands are level with the mat – you should be able to balance an imaginary glass of water between your hands without it spilling. There should be a slight arch under your lower back, and it should also be a comfortable position. This is the position you should hold your pelvis in whenever your feet are on the mat. 

An imprinted pelvic position is used when you take your feet off the mat. Having your legs in the air increases the work put through the lower back, and this can be done more safely in imprint. You can stabilise the lower spine by rocking your pelvis towards your belly button, using your abs to decrease the distance between your hip bones and your lower ribs. Your lower back should come down towards the mat, but you’re not jamming it down, just softening it into the mat. 

The rest of the science is coming tomorrow – with pictures of muscles and everything.

 

Day 10: Return of the abs

If you’ve been away for the weekend (and avoiding baby-related posts) then welcome back. Due to the popularity of the previous ‘abs of steel’ post, I thought I’d throw a few more your way today.

Roll up - This is a slo-mo version of the move you pull when you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat after THAT naked-in-the-exam-you-haven’t-revised-for dream. Start by lying on your back, with your arms overhead, tuck your chin in and peel your spine up off the mat, bone by bone. Ground your heels down into the mat for support – you’re trying not jerk up with momentum, but rise up slowly and with control. You want to end sitting up, reaching towards your toes. Roll back down with control, one vertebra at a time, back into the start position. Repeat 5 times. Video tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMg6xYMl8sU

Single leg stretch - starting with an imprinted spine (i.e. lower back stabilised on the mat), chin tucked in and knees at table top (up at right angles), bring your head and shoulders off the mat, and reach your arms forward. Take a moment to check that you’re pulling in with your belly button to make sure you’re flat through the abs. Now extend each leg away from you in turn. Exhale as you shoot the leg away, pointing the toe, straightening the leg. The other knee comes in towards you, and your hands come to this knee. The closer you bring the bent knee to your chest, the easier the exercise is.  Inhale as your knees pass each other. Repeat 10 times on each side, slowly and with control. Bring one hand behind your head if you feel strain in your neck. Video tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5KKgeRoG74

Obliques - this is a modified version of single leg stretch, and your legs are still doing the same thing. This time, bring your fingertips to your ears and rotate your armpit towards the opposite hip, keeping your shoulder blade up off the mat. Stay flat through the abs and concentrate on the twisting of the torso, rather than elbow and knee touching. Repeat 10 times on each side. Video tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4p0B3oRynQ

Scissors – again, lying on your back, chin tucked in, pelvis imprinted, bring your head and shoulders off the mat. Legs come to table top, then straighten to ceiling. Drop one leg down to the floor and draw the other towards you, pulling on your calf or ankles with your hands and exhaling as you do so. Inhale as your knees pass each other when you switch legs. Your belly button should stay pulled in towards spine, and your eyeline should be towards your knees. Toes stay be pointed, legs are actively reaching away, and you should be drawing up on your kneecaps to engage the quads. This can also be done with slightly bent knees if you have tight hamstrings.  Repeat 10 times on each side. Video tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKBn835xVhk

Double leg stretch – this is a great exercise to test your coordination as well as your strength, and also gets some good rotational movement going through your shoulders. Start with your legs in tabletop, with an imprinted spine. Tuck your chin down and lift your head and shoulders off the mat. Exhale as you straighten your legs out together (only as low as you can keep your lower back in contact with the mat), and extend your arms over your head (only as far back as you can keep your head and shoulders up off the mat). Inhale to sweep your arms out the side and bring them back to your shins, as you bring your knees back to the starting position. Repeat 8 times. Video tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLbV00EkL64

That should be plenty for a sunny bank holiday, enjoy!