The Hundreds: Pilates Exercises for Abs

The “hundreds” is one of the most common Pilates exercises around the globe. This Pilates exercise primarily focuses on the abdominals.

I don’t usually give these Pilates abdominal exercises, not until I am certain that the person or client is strong enough to do these exercises.

Pilates is classified under body and mind category so for every exercise you do, you have to switch on first the mind then the body and not the other way around.

If you are an instructor and who would like to give these exercises to your class, how are you going to deliver it?

Hundreds is in flexion so usually people tend to over use the rectus abdominis or the “six pack”( the first abdominal muscle) by bulging it out. In Pilates, we don’t usually use this muscle because it is not supporting your back.

Connecting those while doing the pilates exercises is not easy. Expanding or opening and closing the ribs is already an exercise for them.We eventually ignore that movement as we grow up and use the belly or chest
and shoulders when we breath. Even the direction on where to expand your ribs is another thing. How do you control it if you want lateral expansion and not on the anterior part?. People will simply arch their back, letting their thoracic spine out of the natural alignment. It takes a lot of time, practice and a skillful teacher to give sense on this exercise.

This is a very stressful movement and a lot of muscles will take part even though it is not necessary.

These few (control, Isolation, precision, coordination), play an important role of the pilates movement. If you don’t apply this principles then you end up not getting the benefits of the pilates method.

It varies if the majority of the class have a fatigue posture.

Combining the breathing with the movement, connecting the core and addressing the body as one unitis one of the goals to achieve full benefits of the pilates mat work exercises.