When you sign up for one of my classes, I ask you to complete an enrolment form. One of the sections on the form is all about your goals. I recently wrote about how to write SMART goals so thought I’d write about one of the most common answers that people give is that they want improve the look of their core. It’s closely followed by the desired to lose weight, tone their belly fat, get a visible six-pack.
I need to emphasise that Pilates isn’t primarily about how your body looks. It’s about how it feels. You’ll be strengthening deep muscles, building strength and endurance and also improving your flexibility.
Your abdominals are the key muscles that support your spine, pelvis, and all the other bones and joints in your body – they’re a really important part of your body to look after!
So, how do we do that and will we end up with a six-pack? Let’s explore that further!
What Is Your ‘Core’?
Your ‘core’ is made up of a large group of muscles, many more than those that make up the visible 6-pack, and includes all the muscles that support your spine and pelvis:
- rectus abdominis – the classic ‘six-pack’
- internal obliques – involved with your diaphragm for breathing and support lateral movement
- external obliques – support lateral movement
- transversus abdominis – the deepest layer of abdominal muscle that starts next to the spine and wraps around the body like a corset
- multifidus – thin muscles that support your spine
- quadratus lumborum – the muscular connection between the pelvis and spine
- erector spinae – muscles that run the full length of your spine, along either side
You can think of them like a corset around your mid section. If you want a diagram just pop over to this fabulous website Physiopedia.
It’s important to say that I can’t accept people into my classes who are pregnant or have had a baby within the last six months. This is because your abdominal muscles will be relaxing and focusing on your baby! I highly recommend you find a specialist instructor who offers pregnancy or postpartum classes
How Do I Know If I Have A Weak Core?
There are a few simple ways to identify whether your core is weak. With a weak core you will likely:
- experience lower back pain regularly
- arch outwards with your bottom while your belly protrudes forwards
- struggle with balance issues
- have poor posture
- experience digestive issues
Strengthening Your Core With Pilates Exercises
It’s important to remember that abdominal strength isn’t built in a day! You need to commit to regular and repeated work to develop and hone deep abdominal strength.
The key movements that activate and challenge your abdominal muscles are any movements that involve bringing the upper body forwards into a curl or movements that see your legs and/or pelvis up towards your head. And any activity that involves rotational movement, such as obliques. Your oblique muscles are key to maintaining an upright posture, so it’s important to work them!
Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph Pilates’ students created the ‘Series of Five’ exercises to help her students to strengthen their core muscles. Also known as the Pilates Ab Series (otherwise called the series of 5), they are still key exercises today:
- Single-Leg Stretch
- Double-Leg Stretch
- Single Straight Leg Stretch
- Double Straight Leg Stretch
- Criss Cross
Can I Get A Six-Pack Through Core Work In Pilates?
Despite what you might see on Instagram, a six-pack is not the epitome of good health and excellent fitness! Genetics plays a huge role in your physical appearance when it comes to features such as belly fat, cellulite and flexibility.
Our abdominals lie underneath a layer of subcutaneous fat, which is not easily got rid of. However, it’s not abdominal fat but visceral fat, deep inside your abdomen that we should focus on. Reducing the amount of visceral fat in our bodies will significantly lower our risk of conditions such as diabetes and chronic heart disease. And improving your core with Pilates focuses on that by strengthening all your muscles and making them more effective at burning fat.
If you do Pilates for an hour a day, every day for months, you’ll tone your abdominals. But they still might not be visible if you have any body fat.
It’s important to note that even elite athletes often only have visible abs when they’re in full-time training because the percentage of body fat has to be incredibly low to get visible abdominals – approximately 14 to 20% for women and 6 to 13% for men.
So for most people who come to my classes, it’s unlikely that you’ll be seeing a six-pack. You won’t be seeing mine cos my love of cake is too great 🙂
It’s All About Balance
Pilates is fully focused on helping you to create a better mind-body connection. When you have this, you develop a better understanding of how your body moves and feels and you become more mindful in your exercise practices.
It’s important to remember that Joseph Pilates was a strong advocate of developing the whole body, rather than prioritising one area over another:
