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Chris Freytag demonstrates Pilates 100
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The Pilates 100 exercise uses the pilates method to strengthen the abdominal muscles while teaching your body stability and strengthening your lower back. Pilates is a method of exercise designed to strengthen the core by using gentle, powerful, and controlled movements.

Pilates 100 Instructions

  1. Start lying on your back. Bring both knees into the chest to form a tabletop position.
  2. Bring your head, neck, and shoulder off the mat. Arms are long at the sides.
  3. Extend legs long and lower as far as possible while keeping the abs engaged and back connected to the mat in a slight imprint.
  4. Pump the arms up and down in a quick, controlled manner while taking five short breaths in and five short breaths out (like sniffing in and puffing out).

Tip: Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed and focus on your abdominal muscles doing all the work.

Modifications: If straight legs are too difficult, keep your knees at a bent position the entire time. Alternatively, if your hip flexors are bothering you, place your feet on the floor and keep your knees bent.

Pilates 100 Benefits

Whether you’re a beginner or pilates pro, you will definitely see benefits from the pilates 100! This exercise stregnthens your core and back, flattens your stomach, and balances your body’s strength and flexibility.

Pilates exercises target your transverse abdominals, which wrap around like a belt in front of your hip bones and around the small of your back. Think of these muscles like your own internal corset that holds in your internal organs and helps you sit, stand and walk every day.

Targeting these muscles using the pilates 100 exercise doesn’t doesn’t just give you strong abs— it also strengthens your deep postural muscles that support alignment and encourage you to stay strong, long and walking tall.

Easy Ways to Incorporate Pilates 100 Into Your Workouts

If you’re new to the world of pilates, start with our pilates exercises for beginners! This workout includes six core pilates moves (including the pilates 100), along with everything you need to know about various pilates workouts.

You can also incorporate the pilates 100 using the following workouts:

For more ways to work your abs, give the following a try:

 

About Chris Freytag, CPT

Chris Freytag is an ACE certified personal trainer, TV personality, author and motivational speaker. She has been sharing the message of healthy living for 30 years while teaching fitness classes, writing books, creating workouts and sharing her knowledge in magazines and online.

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