5 Pilates Exercises for a Sculpted Upper Body

Even though it is winter in Australia (or a mild spring in Brisbane!) and our arms may be draped in long sleeves we still need to work on our upper body! As annoying as the phrase 'summer bodies are made in winter' is, its damn true! Here are 5 upper body exercises you can do at home to get your upper body strong and toned! 

1. Swimming 

Setup: lie on the stomach, slight tuck of the pubic bone up towards the ribs. Neutral spine, lift the abdominals up and in from the floor. Shoulders and shoulder blades gliding down the back, arms extended out long in front of the body, arms parallel. Legs extended hip distance apart, glutes squeezed and back of the legs active, lifting up towards the ceiling.

Exercise: Breathe naturally to lift one arm off the floor whilst simultaneously lifting the opposite leg. As the arm and leg lowers down to the mat the other arm and leg lift. Continue to reciprocally swap the arm and opposite leg. Reach the thigh and the arm as high off the mat as can maintain the straight long limbs, the neutral spine and the shoulders down and back. 'Swim' for 30 seconds, 3 times. 

2. Tricep Circles

Setup: Four-point kneeling position, hands directly under the shoulders, fingers spread, soft elbows, knees directly under the hips, neutral spine, shoulders gliding down and back, chin gently tucked, back of neck long. Lift the navel up towards the spine whilst squeezing and lifting the pelvic floor.

Exercise: 

Inhale: lean the body weight backwards slightly, then bend the elbows to almost touch the ground, keeping the neutral spine.

Exhale: take the nose towards the ground and past the hands, leaning the torso as far forwards as possible without arching the lower back, then straighten the arms returning to the start position. Repeat 10 times, 3 sets. 

3. Pilates Plank 

Level 1: Elbows bent directly under the shoulders, knees bent at 45 degrees, legs squeezed together, feet flat on the floor. Slight tuck of the pubic bone up towards the breastbone, neutral spine. Engage the core.

Level 2: Elbows bent directly under the shoulders, extend the legs into a full plank position, knees off the floor, legs squeezed together. Slight tuck of the pubic bone up towards the breastbone, neutral spine. Engage the core.  

Exercise: 

On every exhale draw the navel up towards the spine and melt the ribs down towards the hips a little more.

With every inhale lengthen the body further. Hold for 30 seconds, 3 times. Work up to 45 seconds and then 60 seconds. 

4. Chest Pushups

Setup:  
Level 1: Four Point Kneeling Position, hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart. 

Level 2: legs extended behind the hips at a 45-degree angle, hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Level 3: extend the legs into a full plank position (above photo). Slight tuck of the pubic bone up towards the navel. 

For all levels: neutral spine and wrap the abdominals against the ribcage to prepare. 

Exercise:

 Inhale: as the elbows bend out to the side the body lowers towards the floor in one straight line for three counts,

 Exhale: press through the palms to lift the body back to the start position for one count.

5. Tricep Pushups 

Setup: same levels and breathing as Chest Pushups. Hands shoulder distance apart, elbows point back towards the legs, elbows tucked in by the sides. Inhale to lower into the pushup for 3 counts, elbows graze the side of the body to bend, exhale to lift up, straightening the arms. 10 reps, 3 sets. 

Lots of exercises like these and many more on our 10 Week Online Pilates Series! Click HERE to learn more!  

x Premium Pilates and Fitness 

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

I have been making these homemade tortillas about once a week since late last year - I love them so much! I remember making 60 for New Years last year to go with Pulled Pork: it took freaking hours but it was worth it! Whilst this is a little more work than just buying your own tortillas, it makes six very big tortillas (I can only eat one!) in which you can stuff heaps of ingredients into (chicken, beef, refried beans, coleslaw, etc). 

As you may be able to tell I have a deep love for tortillas, however whenever I buy them at the shops I know that there is a ton of crap that goes into them - lots of salt and preservatives to keep those wraps sellable for months! I also tend to feel quite heavy and fatigued after eating the store bought ones. I started making my own that just happen to be gluten and dairy-free which makes me feel so much better after consuming them! This recipe has been adapted numerous times but did start as a Lola Berry recipe. You can adjust the ingredients however you like; add more spices, change the flour, the milk, whatever! Note: you can buy tapioca flour at Woolworths and Coles or any health food store. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (175g) tapioca flour (arrowroot flour) 
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 eggs, beaten, preferably free-range
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• rice bran oil 

Cooking

1. Combine the flours, oregano and sea salt & pepper in a large bowl and stir. Make a well in the middle and add the beaten eggs and milk. Whisk well until all combined (warning: the tapioca flour likes to stick to the bottom! 

2. Heat a medium fry pan over low heat and swirl 1 teaspoon rice bran oil to coat. Pour 1/2 a cup of the tortilla mixture into the pan. Flip the tortilla after about 2-3 minutes or when it is firm, then cook on the other side for around 2 minutes. Repeat with the mixture until it is all gone; it should make 6 big tortillas! You may be able to get away with not having to reapply the oil too much too! 

Makes / 6 big tortillas 

Total Prep and Cooking time / around 30 minutes 

JENNIFER HAWKINS WORKS UP A SWEAT ON THE REFORMER

Jennifer Hawkins won her Miss Universe title over a decade ago, however the model still follows a rigorous workout routine. The 33-year-old recently posted a boomerang video of herself workout out on the Pilates reformer, captioned 'Weekend workout!'. 

The business woman is a massive fan of Pilates and raves about how it has improved her body. "Pilates is great because I can target the areas of my body that I want to work on....I use the cadillac, that's a special piece of Pilates equipment, also known as a trapeze table - plus another machine called a reformer, and I do mat work." 

Hawkins knows that mixing up her workouts is the key, as she is dedicated to other fitness routines besides her equipment and floor Pilates. "On average I do cardio five times a week, either walking or running, and I love Pilates so I do that twice a week, too".

Want to mix up your fitness regime but don't know what to try? At Premium Pilates and Fitness we have a whole range of exercise routines for you to try, including Personal Trainer, Pilates Floor, Pilates Barre, Boxilates, Equipment and Stretch classes. Visit us online at premiumpilates.com.au, email us at hi@premiumpilates.com.au or call us on 0402 680 724. 

Images by http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4568494/Jennifer-Hawkins-works-sweat-pilates-machine.html#ixzz4jr1Oec6c