Pilates For The Super Advanced Student

Now that you are a super advanced student in Pilates, you should be moving from routine to routine at a brisk pace and there should be minimal down time between each exercise.  These exercises are sure to give you a run for your money.  Let’s begin!   If you want to have great looking abs, it will happen if you can do the exercises correctly.  You have to properly pull in the abs and not let the muscles move forward or bunch up.  To ensure that you are getting the very best kind of balanced development in addition to core strength, the flat AB exercise focuses on the deep scoop of the abs that is balanced in perfect tune with the length and breadth of the spine.   Let’s begin with the crab.  Here is how to do this super advanced exercise:   1.  Sit on you exercise mat with your legs straight out in front of you and make sure they are together.   2.  Your spine should be rounded and your chin tucked in to your chest.  Now bring your knees up to your chin.  At this point, you should look sort of like an elongated ball.   3.  Now you want to rock backwards from your buttocks to your neck so that your head is on the floor and your hands are grasping your feet.   4. Continue in a backwards summersault motion until your head and knees are perpendicular with the floor.  You hands should remain grasping your feet.   5.  Return to your normal starting position as in No. 1 and repeat this exercise 5 times.   The Rocking   1.  Lie face down on your exercise mat with your body in straight alignment.  Your arms should be down by you sides.   2.  With legs and feet together, bring your feet to where they almost touch your buttocks.  Grasp your feet with your hands.   3.  Arch your back so that your legs and chest are up off the mat.   4.  Now you can do the Rocking.  Rock forward toward your chin and then back toward your knees.  Rock about 5 times.  Remember your breathing techniques.   5.  Return to your starting position as in No. 1 and repeat this exercise 3 to 5 times.   Swimming   !.  Lie face down on your exercise mat with arms down by your sides and feet together.   2.  Raise your head upward and backward as far as it can go.  Your chest should be raised up off the floor and your knees should be in a locked position.   3.  Raise your legs up off the floor and start to flutter kick as if you were swimming.  You should also be moving your arms up and down as if you were swimming in a pool.   4.  Do this exercise for a total number of 10 times, five on each side.   Continue to switch pairs until you have a light splashing or swimming motion in effect.  Remember to inhale for five counts and exhale for five counts.   You left leg and right arms should be raised as high as possible in an upward movement.  Keep the rest of your body rigid.  Move only your arms and legs.   In the swimming exercise, the movement is at the shoulder joints and the hip joints only.  You should protect your lower back by hollowing and zipping.  You should also clench your buttocks and anchor your shoulder blades.   There are a range of DVD's on sale at www.pilatesorstretchforbackpain.com which have been recommended by a leading British Osteopath/Physiotherapist. Please visit my blog at www.stretchorpilatesforbackpain.com