Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Pilates”
Years before I became a Pilates teacher, I found myself in fitness classes that claimed Pilates to be the bedrock of its workouts but was nothing more than creative takes of dance routines with a few core exercises sprinkled in. Pulsing, crunching, and bopping around to “feel the burn” is not Pilates, though I enjoyed the novelty of it all. …
Make no mistake…the Pilates abdominal series is a real core burner. No matter how strong those abdominals get, these five exercises seem to always cause a few groans whenever I teach them. Unlike your basic ab crunch or sit-up, the Pilates ab series of five can do a lot more than just give you a nice six-pack. They offer up …
There are three things in this world that I like to binge on: Netflix’s Narcos (all seasons, thankyouverymuch) Almond butter Podcasts The third one in particular, is where I get to geek out on a variety of topics, so I was honored when my good friend Steph Gaudreau (formerly of Stupid Easy Paleo), brought me in to speak on her podcast …
I remember looking in the mirror trying to figure out how to change the shape of my thighs. I didn’t necessarily want them small (I have thick Brazilian legs), but I wanted them longer and leaner. Friends told me to try barre classes. Others suggested I run marathons. Popular magazines confirmed Pilates was the secret sauce. I had no idea …
To explore Pilates is to piece together a never-ending puzzle that heightens the awareness of your body and mind. When I began my Pilates practice at 24-years-old, all I felt and understood was how deeply connected I was to my core (a.k.a. “The Powerhouse) – a small but important piece of a much bigger puzzle I had yet to discover. Years …
There’s a lot that can go wrong when you have poor posture, and I’m not just talking about looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame. If you’re a meathead like me, crappy posture makes lifting a heck of a lot harder by creating: Neck pain brought on by excessive forward head position Back pain due to poor spinal mobility Stiff, …
If there’s one thing Pilates is well-known for is for its ability to develop core strength unlike anything else you may do at the gym. For us meatheads, “core strength” can mean a lot of different things, from six-pack abs to a rock hard stomach able to withstand the hundreds of pounds we put on our backs during a lift. …
When it comes to improving hip mobility you’ve probably tried every stretch under the sun. All the hip flexor stretches, all the yoga; all the foam rolling and band things. Yet, you may still find yourself stiff a day later. What’s the deal? First off, stretching the hip flexor over and over is a complete waste of time, especially if …
When it comes to building a strong, resilient back, are you training for: A) strength B) mobility C) stability D) all the above The answer is: D train them all. The prevalent amount of back injuries seen in strength sports like CrossFit, powerlifting, and weightlifting should be enough to get you to start thinking about strength, mobility and stability of …
Do you ever stop to think about how efficient your breathing is? I’ll place my bets on “probably not”. Yet breath is the subject of many scientific studies and research, including the basis of the The Postural Restoration Institute (PRI)’s work. I’m not in any way affiliated with PRI but I remember they exploded into the fitness and strength coaching …
