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Building Strength with Pilates

Enhance your strength with the dynamic support of a reformer or the versatility of a glider

With all its current buzz, it might seem like Pilates is trending. But this exercise modality, and the reformer specifically, have been around for almost 80 years. Studios are popping up everywhere with rooms full of reformers running high-energy, high-intensity, high-volume group classes to meet the current demand.

This might not be exactly what Joseph Pilates had planned, but for those who are proponents of whatever gets people out enjoying fitness, this trend is working!

Aside from all the excitement, the Pilates reformer provides excellent strength training with a particular focus on form, breath control, body awareness and mindful movement. You could be dripping sweat with muscles shaking, but there is no impact, per say, and resistance is dictated solely by a few springs and your body weight. To execute exercises safely and correctly, attention to spinal alignment and core stability are paramount, so there is a steady challenge throughout. As such, people at all ages and fitness stages find the workouts full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and even rehabilitative.

For variations and modifications, you can add in smaller Pilates props (bands, magic rings, weighted balls, squishy balls) or larger apparatus add-ons like boxes or springboards. But for this workout we are going to stick with the reformer’s basics and replicate the exercise using gliders.

WARM-UP
On all fours, wag your tail, cat/cow (spine extension & flexion), press back into child’s pose. Find some intuitive movements to open things up and awaken the body before getting into these intense Pilates strengthening exercises.

LONG STRETCH
8-12 reps. rest 1 minute, complete up to 3 sets

On the Reformer: Kneel upright on the carriage with hands shoulder-width on the foot bar and feet against the shoulder rest with the toes tucked under, option to lift the knees. Keep a long line from shoulders through the pelvis to the knees. Inhale to push the carriage away by pressing into the foot bar moving from the shoulder joints. Exhale to return to the start position.

On the Gliders: Kneel and place one hand on each glider. Glide your hands forward and back allowing your torso to move with you. Most of us will need to stay on our knees for the mat version of this exercise.

Pro Tip: This exercise strengthens the abdominals isometrically and shoulder muscles by moving through various joints of the shoulder girdle.
Modifications: Stay on knees and/or reduce range-of-motion. Variations include tucking knees in, piking, or single leg options.

REFORMER PLANKS
Time interval of 1 minute, rest 1 minute, complete up to 3 sets

On the Reformer: Place your feet on the platform and forearms under shoulders on the carriage. Using the shoulder rests to stabilize, create a long plank line parallel to the ground, and draw your belly button into your spine. For added challenge, move the forearms forward and back through the shoulder joints, keeping the rest of the body still and stable.

On the Gliders: Place your feet on the gliders and forearms under shoulders on your mat for padding. Create a long plank line parallel to the ground and draw your belly button into your spine. For added challenge, slide the gliders back and forth a few inches, moving through the shoulder joints, keeping the rest of the body still and stable.

Pro Tip: As with all planks, this exercise isometrically works the abdominals (transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques)
as well as deltoids, triceps, traps, chest, biceps, rhomboids.

LUNGES
8 to 12 reps, rest 1 minute, complete up to 3 sets

On the Reformer: There are so many ways to lunge on the reformer! But let’s do the Scooter Lunge for this workout. Place your closest hand on the foot bar, other hand on your hip. Press the closest foot against the closest shoulder rest with the knee off the carriage and the other foot on the ground near the front of the reformer. Bend the front leg to 90 degrees, simultaneously pushing the carriage back with the back leg.

For the ‘scooter’ variation, keep the front knee bent, then bend (inhale) and straighten (exhale) the back leg to push the carriage back and forth.

On the Gliders: Place one foot on the glider. Bend the front leg to 90 degrees, simultaneously pushing the back leg into a lunge.
For the ‘scooter’ variation, keep the front knee bent, then bend (inhale) and straighten (exhale) the back leg to push the glider back and forth.

Pro Tip: All lunges are excellent at strengthening the major muscles groups on the legs and glutes. What’s particularly effective about this ‘scooter’ variation is how much it works the gluteus medius on the moving leg and how challenging the isometric hold is on the front supporting leg. Add in core stabilizing and overall balance and bam!

4 PELVIC LIFT (AKA Bridge) INTO LEG EXTENSIONS
8 to 12 reps, rest 1 minute, and complete up to 3 sets

On the Reformer: Lie supine on the reformer in a neutral pelvis position with knees bent and heels on the foot bar in line with the ASIS (hip bones), arms lengthened beside the torso. Exhale to draw in the abdominal muscles, imprinting, then lifting the lower back vertebra by vertebra off the carriage (spinal articulation). Exhale to straighten the legs keeping the hips up, inhale to bend the legs and return to the bridge position, repeat 3 times. Articulate the spine in the reverse order from the top of the spine, through the lumbar spine to the start position.

On the Gliders: Lie supine with your heels on each glider, in a neutral pelvis position with knees bent in line with the ASIS (hip bones), arms lengthened beside the torso. Exhale to draw in the abdominal muscles, imprinting, then lifting the lower back vertebra by vertebra off the ground (spinal articulation). Exhale to straighten the legs keeping the hips up, inhale to bend the legs and return to the bridge position, repeat 3 times. Articulate the spine in the reverse order from the top of the spine, through the lumbar spine to the start position.

Pro Tip: This upgraded ‘bridge variation’ is terrific for working the muscles of the posterior chain of the lower body: hamstring and glute groups collectively. The erectors and TVA are also engaged throughout to stabilize this challenging exercise.

COOL DOWN
In a supine position, stretch out your hamstrings (single straight legs), glute meds and piriformis (figure four) and hip flexors and quadriceps (mermaid stretch).

Photography by Gregory J Thomson