Boosting Core Strength with 3 Classic Pilates Moves: Surprising Results

Experience and Benefits of Core Workouts

You may have been working out consistently for over five years and always included core exercises in your routine. The primary motivation may have been to develop visible muscle in your core area. However, upon discovering the many functional benefits of a strong core, including better posture and less back pain, your motivation to commit time for core exercises might have grown.

Finding a New Challenge with Classical Pilates

For several years, you have perhaps relied on popular core exercises, such as sit-ups, crunches, and planks, all of which provide that notorious core “burn” while doing them. Adding a core finisher to each of your workouts a few times a week might have given you the confidence of having good strength in your core. However, trying classical Pilates might have made you realize that your core muscles were not as strong as you thought. Minutes into the class, your entire body was shaking, and your core was being challenged in an entirely new way with the requirement of stabilizing your muscles while moving. Since that class, classical Pilates exercises have become a key part of your core workouts, and your core feels stronger than ever.

Understanding Classical Pilates

You’ve probably heard of Pilates by now — it’s one of the most popular workouts around. It’s a low-impact form of exercise that involves bodyweight movements designed to build strength and improve mobility, coordination, and balance. You can also incorporate machines into Pilates workouts, such as the Pilates reformer, the Pilates tower, and the Pilates chair. However, not every Pilates class follows the classical method. “Classical is quite different, because that’s the original format of Pilates,” explains Pilates instructor and owner of classical studio Pilates Works, Sophie Hatton. Pilates was created in the early 20th by a man named Joseph Pilates, who originally designed it to help patients with injuries that prevented them from doing other types of exercise. It was originally termed contrology, and classical Pilates follows the original method developed over one hundred years ago. “In classical Pilates, we have a set sequence of exercises that we always follow,” Hatton explains. In fact, there are just 34 original classical Pilates movements. This means that a lot of the moves in modern Pilates workouts might not have originally been designed as Pilates but are inspired by the method.

The Special Focus of Classical Pilates

The focus during classical Pilates workouts is moving slowly and with control, hence the original name, contrology. “With classical Pilates, you feel intense heat from your body, but you’re not dripping with sweat,” Hatton says, explaining that it can feel very different from a lot of other types of workouts. “It isn’t about Apple stats or how many calories you’ve burnt — it can’t be monitored. It’s about finding that connection through your body,” she adds.

Why Classical Pilates is Exceptional for Core Strengthening

The classical Pilates method targets all areas of the core, not just the abdominal muscles (which are what you might know as the ‘six-pack muscles). “You’re using the deep abdominal muscles, you’re strengthening the back and working the whole body with control,” Hatton says.

You might have noticed a significant difference in your core engagement when doing classical Pilates compared to other ab exercises. Moving slowly and with control through specific ranges of motion required you to use your core muscles in a way you’ve never used them before. “You almost throw yourself up into a sit-up, but you don’t need to do that to engage your core. The movements can be much smaller but also much deeper,” Hatton explains.

Targeting the Deep Core with Classical Pilates

Classical Pilates is often described as targeting the “deep core” muscles, which simply refers to muscles in the core — which comprises all the muscles located in and around the torso — that aren’t usually activated. Hatton refers to this core engagement as the “powerhouse”. “Your powerhouse includes your abdominals, your lower back, your glutes and your inner thighs,” she says.

Recommended Classical Pilates Moves

There are three classical Pilates moves that you might find particularly effective for engaging your core muscles. Doing them at the start of all your workouts might have improved your core strength significantly over the past three months. They’ve also helped you develop a better mind-muscle connection with your core, so you can activate your core muscles during the rest of your workout, improving your form and overall muscle engagement.

1. Roll-up

The roll-up connects your whole body. You are stretching your hamstrings and your spine. By initiating the movement from those deep abdominal muscles, this move is particularly effective for core engagement.

2. Rolling like a ball

This exercise is not only effective in engaging the core but also massages the spinal muscles. “After doing a couple, you automatically feel released in your back,” Hatton says.

3. Saw

The Saw is great for building core strength and also improving flexibility in the legs, making it a perfect warm-up move for leg day.

For more fitness advice and tips, follow Tom’s Guide on Twitter.