Muffin-tops be gone with these two Pilates exercises to slim down your sides! Double Leg Lift & Side Bend target and isolate the waist like no other exercises can! Have a read through the instructions for both exercises and watch the video to make sure that your movements look similar and that your technique is spot-on. These exercises must be performed at least once a week or three to four times a week for best results. Enjoy this complimentary Premium Pilates Home Workout!
1. Double Leg Lift
Setup:
Lying on one side, bottom arm and legs outstretched and in one long straight line, hips stacked one on top of each other, ear rests on bottom bicep. Neutral spine, legs squeezed together, toes pointed, top hand rests lightly on ground in front of chest or rests on your top thigh to challenge your stability. Try to have a small gap or the illusion of a small gap between the underneath side of your waist and the mat by lengthening your side and thinking of drawing your hip bones towards each other.
The Move:
Inhale through the nose to prepare, drawing in the deep abs. Exhale through the mouth, squeezing the bottom rib on the top side of the waist towards the top hip and lifting the legs off the floor, losing the gap we spoke about above. Only lift the legs as high as you can without rolling the top hip backwards. Inhale to lower the legs with control. To make harder, lift your head as you lift the legs, keeping the chin tucked in. Either keep the front hand on the ground or reach it down your top thigh for an extra challenge.
How many: 20 reps
Focus on:
- Using the top side of the waist and the deep abs to lift the legs, instead of using the legs or lower back
- Really squeezing the legs together; imagine that they are glued together (like a mermaid!)
- Keeping the shoulders and the neck relaxed and not working
Challenge:
1. After 20 reps hold the legs in the air and keep the squeeze on the waist as you lift and lower the top leg 15 times, keeping the height of the bottom leg and the hips still.
2. After completing challenge number 1, squeeze both legs together in the air and lower and lift the bottom leg 15 times, keeping the height of the top leg and the hips still.
3. After completing challenge number 2, squeeze both legs together in the air and use the top side of the waist to pulse both legs up and down 15 times. Try to pulse at the top range and do not let the legs touch the floor.
2. Side Bend
Setup:
Sit on one hip, placing one hand two hands distance away from this hip. Bottom knee is bent just shy of 90 degrees and the knee is slightly in front of the body. Top leg is also bent just shy of 90 degrees and the top foot rests in front of the bottom ankle. Top knee points up to the ceiling, hips point straight ahead, shoulders down & back, neck relaxed, chin tucked. Think of lifting up the underneath side of the waist, lifting up and out of the wrist and hand on the ground. Other arm reaches out in front of the bottom hip.
The Move:
Inhale through the nose to prepare, drawing in the deep abs. Exhale through the mouth, squeezing the underneath side of the waist and pressing into the top foot to extend the legs and lift up into the side bend, reaching the arm up to the ceiling or over your head (like in the 2nd photo below) for a challenge. Inhale to slowly lower back into the start position with control.
How many: 10 reps
Focus on:
- Using the top side of the waist and the deep abs to lift the body into the bend
- Lifting up the underneath side of the waist before you side bend every time. Think of lifting up and out of the wrist and hand on the ground.
- Really squeezing the legs together as you extend the legs
- Keeping the shoulders and the neck relaxed
Challenge:
1. Do not lower the hip back down to the ground between side bends; instead hover the bottom hip just slightly above the ground each time.
2. After you have completed 10 side bends hold up in the side bend and 'Thread the Needle'; reach the top arm up the ceiling, reaching through the fingers. Inhale to 'thread' this arm underneath the waist, arm bends. Exhale to reach the arm back up towards the ceiling, fingers long and arm straight. Try to keep the hips as still as you can.
Remember that all things are difficult before they are easy...so stick with these side exercises and they will get easier every time you do them! Let us know how you go!
x the PPS team
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