Quick Pilates for Strength and Endurance
The 34 mat Pilates exercises from Joseph Pilates book Return to Life with Contrology are great for building strength, improving posture, core stability and overall fitness. But even just a handful of the 34 series can be incredibly effective for all your health and fitness goals.
The 6 moves featured in my quick pilates for strength and posture video are some of my favorites that I teach in sessions and classes. They provide all the benefits of a great Pilates session and can be combined with cardio, metabolic training, functional strength training and dynamic stretching for a well rounded workout.
Pilates was going on 60 when he demonstrated the full Pilates routine (featured in video above) exemplifying his famous quote “you are only as young as your spine is flexible ''. Truth is you are never too young/old fit/unfit healthy/unhealthy strong/weak to incorporate some Pilates moves into your routine. Get started with the options below.
Quick Pilates for Strength & Posture + Metabolic Hybrid Fitness
It was not easy deciding which of the 34 exercises to feature in this video but I do know that keeping it short and simple is key for so many of my busy clients and followers so I focused on 6 moves that make the biggest impact on strength and posture, wellness, performance AND that would work well with more hybrid functional training that we do in sessions.
Quick Pilates Circuit
Pilates circuit instructions: Perform 6-8 repetitions of each exercise at a slow controlled pace with excellent technique. Just one round is all you need. Pilates could not emphasize this enough which is why he is often quoted on this “A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion.”
Pilates push up - Plank walk out press
Kneeling side leg circles - Modified side plank hip rotation
Shoulder bridge - Supine hip extension with leg extension
Rolling like a ball - Spinal rock flexion
Leg pull front - Push Up plank hip extension
Double leg kick - Back extension with leg flexion
BTW the Pilates name of the movement is followed by the fitness name of the movement so you can see that Pilates, like all other forms of fitness, is based on the same 7 primal movement patterns I teach to all my clients and in all my plans. Movement is simple, methods, systems, techniques, protocols are what create different types of fitness.
How To Combine Pilates with Your Other Fitness Routines
Fat Loss Metabolic Focus - Start with 4 minutes of cardio intervals of your choice. This can be bodyweight or machine or outdoors cardio. Any intervals will work 30/30 or 20/10 or 60/90. There are so many others to try but those are the most basic. After your 4 minutes do some mobility work then one round of the Pilates routine then finish up with 4 more minutes of cardio intervals.
Strength Gains Focus - Start with 5-7 minutes of cardio warmup then 5 minutes of mobility work then do your functional strength training work (example in video here) then finish up with 1 round of the Pilates circuit then cool down with more mobility work or easy cardio for 5-10 minutes.
Flexibility Improvement Focus - Start with 10-15 minutes of mobility work with bands, foam roller, trx or any other gear. You can also do a 20 minute yoga flow in place of mobility. After your mobility work do 1 round of the Pilates circuit then finish up with dynamic stretch or static yoga poses that benefit your unique body.
Cardio Endurance Focus - Start with 10 minutes of calisthenics warmup including jumping jacks, running in place, skaters, squat jumps, lunge hops, skiers, jump rope, kettlebell swings, medicine ball toss, dumbbell renegade rows. Basically do all the total body exercises that get your heart rate going for 10 minutes straight then cool down with easy cardio or mobility work for 5 minutes then finish up with one round of the Pilates circuit and after that some stretches.
Archival Footage of Joe Pilates Exercises
Sometimes clients ask me how I come up with all the crazy moves we do in sessions. I can honestly say I’ve never invented any of it. What I program into clients workouts is based. on a lifetime of study of ALL types of movement methods, pracrtices, techniques, systems as well. anatomy and physiology too. What’s the strangest Pilates exercise I’ve ever made you do? Post in comments if you dare ;)