Check out our Pilates Move of the Week: The Superman. It’s a fantastic exercise and focuses on core activation with hip stability as well as balance and is even great on the reformer that adds spring resistance to the glutes.
Pilates Move of the week
Starting position:
Start in a four point kneeling position, with your shoulders over your hands and hips over knees. Shoulders back and down.
Exercise Execution:
Engage your abdominals by lifting your belly button up to support your spine.
Start with a basic kick back on one leg, holding the upper body still and strong. Extend the leg back to straight whilst aiming to keep the core activated and hips stabilised.
When you’ve got that down, add the upper body into the mix by extending the opposite arm long in unison with the leg. Try to counter balance the body going into the full exercise.
Hold the extension for 1-2 seconds and then return the arm / leg back down.
Repeat on other arm / leg.
Note: Hip stability is the aim of the game here so keep both hips still and stable the whole time.
Pilates Move Of The Week: The SupermanPilates Move: The SupermanBreathing:
Inhale to prepare. Exhale to extend the hand / leg. Inhale to return. Really use your out breath to hold the contraction in the core strong.
Reps:
Start out with 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions each side and increase if desired.
Advancements:
Hold for 2-4 secs each time to really squeeze and activate through the glutes.
Put a small toning ball at the base of the spine. This is a fantastic cue through out the exercise to keep the ball in the same spot.
Aaron Smith is The Carousel’s resident pilates expert and Founder/Owner of Australia’s first high performance pilates group, KX Pilates. In 2009 he returned from living abroad with a vision to bring a new way of fitness training to Australia. “I loved the style and concept behind dynamic pilates, but I could see some areas for improvement, where I could add my own touch. I returned to Australia in 2009 and opened my first studio, in Melbourne, in 2010″, Smith said. Smith is now an award winning entrepreneur and franchisor, with 17 KX studios across Melbourne and Sydney, re-branding as the ‘KX Group’ and expanding the service offer to include; high performance pilates, assisted yoga, barre and international fitness retreats.
Smith holds a Bachelor of Science (double major in exercise physiology/pharmacology), trained in advanced STOTT reformer pilates and is a KX Pilates Master Trainer.
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