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Intermediate Pilates - Planks

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Dori: Hi I'm Dori and this is intermediate pilates. Right now, I'm going to show you how to do planks. Planks are one of the most beneficial pilates exercises because you are working your entire body, not just your abs, and your core, but your arms your chest, your shoulders, your legs, you are working everything. So, this is one of the best pilates exercises.

So, go ahead and walk the hands forward so you are at the edge of the pilates mat. You are essentially going to get into a full percept position, make sure your toes are on the mat, so that they don't slide off, and get a good grip and hold your body nice and straight. Extend one leg, drop your shoulders you get yourself into position. Make sure your wrist is just below your shoulders, take a big deep breath in and as you exhale, I want you to rotate those absolutely, keeping those hips nice and tight, abs pulled in shoulders dropped and extend both legs up so that you are on your toes, look straight down at the pilates mat. Make sure you have a nice flat back, so if you feel like you are rounded like this or you are sinking and you feel strain in your back, drop back on your toes, rotate those hips under and have a nice, nice long back, inhale and exhale lift the right leg nice and easy to feel it right into your glute, bring it right back to neutral. Inhale and exhale, lift the leg, come right back to neutral, drop to your knees, take it to a childs pose just before we proceed on to one more of this; inhale and exhale.

Bring those hands forward again so those hands are dropped just below the shoulders, legs are extended out, toes tucked under, inhale and exhale, plopping out your shoulders, abs pulled, in draw back and nice straight back, inhale and exhale, lift the right leg, pause and hold it. Abs still nice and tight and switch legs make sure you are looking straight down at the pilates mat to keep your spine in neutral. Drop to the knees, take it back for childs pose stretch, you know what let's just do one more, work those abs nice and hard, inhale and exhale. Bring those hands forward, plop out of your shoulders, legs extend, abs tucked in, legs dropped back. One more, lift the right leg pause and hold it for four, three, two, one and switch, left leg lift nice and easy, abs still stay pulled you got it, release the left leg, drop to your knees to get back to a childs pose stretch and hold it. Inhale and then exhale go ahead and come up and let's go ahead and move on to the pilates exercise, circular crunches.

Expert: Dori Markakos

Email: dori@envdes.com

Dori is an experienced fitness professional whose love of fitness began in grade school with her love of dance and ballet. She’s danced classical ballet since she was 5. As her interest in fitness grew, she began experimenting with all varieties of group fitness and weight lifting. Dori went the practical route to college and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a specialization in Marketing from More »