I’ve been practicing Pilates for a while now, and even after years of CrossFit and yoga, I’m still amazed at how much my core strength and stability have improved.
Personally, I feel that Pilates has helped me transform my core from the inside out, improving my posture and overall quality of movement. With that in mind, I was getting restless between classes and wanted to try something at home, so I turned to Bojana, a Pilates instructor who teaches at Strong Pilates.
Watch: Pilates Abs in 4 Movements
I love the core-focused workouts of Pilates, and this is exactly that. Four slow, controlled movements that deliver a direct burn to your midsection muscles. Watch instructor Bojana demonstrate each movement in action.
When you’re ready, read this article to find out what happened when you tried it and what you can expect.
Remember that good form is essential. If you’re not sure what it means to engage your core during a workout, we highly recommend this easy 5-minute strength routine. This will help you switch on the muscles that are so important to protect your back.
I tried the 4-move Pilates ab workout, what happened
This short routine certainly knows how to pack a punch, so let’s jump right into the exercises you’re about to do.
- hip dips: Train the abdominal oblique muscles that run along the lower back through rotational exercises. As you controllably lower your hips to one side, twist your torso slightly to keep your hips from sagging and focus on tightening your stomach. Focus on moving through as wide a range of motion as possible.
- reverse crunch: The second exercise is a reverse crunch, where you extend your legs away from you, then pull your legs toward you and into the air, lifting them gently through your tailbone while pushing your legs toward the ceiling. Bojana keeps his legs straight, but you can bend your knees if your hamstrings are tight or the exercise is too difficult. Hold on to something behind you or place your hands on the ground at your sides.
- plank tuck: No, you don’t need a renovated bed. A towel or dish towel can also be used as a carriage, unless you are exercising on a carpet. Focus on pulling your knees toward your hands and returning your legs to a high plank position. Does your wrist hurt? Lower your elbows instead.
- V crunch: Finally, sit tight and do a V-crunch. Focus on moving your arms and legs away from your body as you sit down on your mat or reformer bed, using your core to hold your body upright and balancing on your sit bones as you bend your knees toward your chest and extend your hands toward your feet.
I decided to work for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, and do four rounds of the 16-minute routine. To say my abs were on fire would be an understatement.
This routine keeps various core muscles under tension, including your glutes, hips, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, and shoulders. A position like plank activates most parts of your body and allows you to maintain a strong posture without falling to the ground.
Remember that your abs are just part of your core and act like a 360-degree corset of muscles around your torso. It is important to distinguish between the abdominal muscles and the core muscles, as the abdominal muscles are only responsible for specific movements such as forward bending and extension. However, these are still important muscles to work with, along with the deep stabilizing muscles such as the internal obliques and erector spinae, which support the spine.
You also need stability in your hips and shoulders when doing plank tucks and hip dips. This means keeping your upper body active throughout each movement.
To say my abs were on fire would be an understatement.
Even though the time limit was short, I had a hard time with this routine. My abs were on fire for just 20 seconds of each movement, and I was staring at the timer on my phone with extra concentration in preparation for a tough work deadline.
Despite this, I felt like my core was activated after the treatment, and I realized that I had trained multiple muscle groups, not just my abdominal muscles. Hip dips are one of my favorite Pilates movements. Because you can feel your hips rotating in a way you can’t with sit-ups or crunches.
If your routine feels like it’s working your entire body, it’s likely working in different planes of movement, which are important for overall muscular balance and stability. For example, when one muscle group is overworked, another muscle group becomes weak or tense.
If you are new to Pilates workouts, we recommend that you ask your instructor for advice before you begin, especially if you have an injury or health condition. If you want to lower the intensity, you can also shorten the working sets to 20 or 30 seconds and increase the rest time accordingly.
I also encourage you to think about your breathing. Pilates encourages you to breathe in through your nose, not through your chest, and exhale through pursed lips. This trains deep muscle groups that help control movement, strengthens the diaphragm, and stabilizes the spine.
Instructors sometimes refer to this as “lateral breathing” in class, but this simply means spreading your ribs apart to ensure safety, so it’s worth focusing on this and the quality of your reps more than anything else.
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