Hub Upper Body Lower Body

Pilates Core — Stability & Control

~25 min core stability session. Breath-powered, control-focused. Transverse abdominis, anti-extension, spinal articulation.

Pilates Warm-Up + Breath ~4 min

Pilates breathing: Inhale through the nose to expand the RIBCAGE (not belly), exhale through the mouth to draw the navel to spine. This "lateral breathing" engages the transverse abdominis — your deepest core stabilizer. Every exercise here uses this breath pattern.
1
The Hundred
100 arm pumps (10 cycles)
THE signature Pilates warm-up. Combines isometric core hold with rhythmic breathing to activate the deep core and warm the entire body. The 45-degree leg hold is pure anti-extension — exactly the pattern you need to strengthen against APT.
  1. Lie on back. Curl chin to chest, shoulder blades off floor. Legs extended at 45 degrees.
  2. Arms straight by your sides, hovering 6 inches off floor.
  3. Pump arms up and down rapidly: inhale for 5 pumps, exhale for 5 pumps. That's 1 cycle.
  4. 10 cycles = 100 pumps. Keep lower back pressed to floor the entire time.
Breath cue: "Sniff-sniff-sniff-sniff-sniff, blow-blow-blow-blow-blow." Rhythmic staccato breathing drives the tempo.
Should feel: Deep core burn, slight shake in the abs by cycle 7. Arms are secondary — the work is in the leg hold and curl-up.
If neck strains: keep head down on the floor. The core work is in the pumping and leg hold — the curl-up is optional intensity.
2
Roll-Up
8 reps
Tests and builds spinal articulation — peeling up one vertebra at a time. Requires deep core control, not momentum. Exposes any segments of the spine that don't move independently.
  1. Lie flat, arms overhead on the floor, legs straight.
  2. Inhale: float arms up to ceiling.
  3. Exhale: curl chin, then chest, then ribs — roll up one vertebra at a time. Reach for toes at the top.
  4. Inhale at the top. Exhale: roll back down, placing each vertebra down sequentially. Arms return overhead.
Breath cue: "Exhale to roll up, inhale at top, exhale to roll down." The exhale powers the movement — navel draws in to initiate.
Should feel: Each vertebra articulating individually. Smooth, not jerky. A "peeling" sensation off the floor.
If you can't roll up smoothly: use arms for momentum or bend knees slightly. Smoothness beats range — partial clean reps over full ugly ones.

Core Series ~10 min

3
Single Leg Stretch
20 reps (10 per side)
Anti-extension core work with a built-in hip flexor stretch on the extended leg. The hand placement (outside hand on ankle, inside hand on knee) creates a precise alignment cue. Unilateral loading challenges rotational stability.
  1. Curl up (head and shoulders off floor). Pull RIGHT knee to chest.
  2. LEFT hand on right ankle, RIGHT hand on right knee. LEFT leg extends at 45 degrees.
  3. Exhale: switch legs. Pull LEFT knee in, extend RIGHT leg.
  4. 20 total switches. Lower back stays glued to floor. If it lifts, raise the extended leg higher.
Breath cue: "Exhale on each switch." Outside hand on ankle, inside hand on knee — this self-corrects knee alignment.
Should feel: Deep lower abs working to keep pelvis stable while legs switch. Hip flexor stretch on each extended leg.
4
Double Leg Stretch
10 reps
Massive anti-extension demand. Everything extends at once — arms overhead, legs to 45 degrees — then returns. The moment of full extension is where your lower back wants to arch. Fighting that arch IS the exercise. Directly trains the pattern you need for APT correction.
  1. Curl up. Hug both knees to chest.
  2. Inhale: extend everything — arms reach overhead by ears, legs extend to 45 degrees. Body forms a long line.
  3. Exhale: sweep arms around in a circle and hug knees back to chest.
  4. 10 reps. The exhale-and-hug is the "reset" — use it to re-flatten your lower back before the next extension.
Breath cue: "Inhale to reach long, exhale to hug in." If lower back lifts off floor during extension, raise legs higher toward vertical.
Lower back lifting = legs too low. Raise legs toward ceiling until you can maintain back contact. Progress by lowering legs over weeks.
5
Criss-Cross
20 reps (10 per side)
Oblique rotation + anti-extension. The twist must come from the thoracic spine, not the elbows — real trunk rotation under load. Addresses kyphosis by training thoracic rotation through range. Also hits the oblique sling pattern used in walking and running.
  1. Curl up, hands behind head, elbows wide.
  2. Exhale: twist to bring RIGHT elbow toward LEFT knee. RIGHT leg extends at 45 degrees.
  3. Exhale: switch — LEFT elbow toward RIGHT knee, LEFT leg extends.
  4. 20 total. Hold each twist for a beat — don't just flick back and forth. The pause is where the rotation happens.
Breath cue: "Exhale into the twist, hold a beat." The rotation comes from the ribcage, not yanking the head. Lift the shoulder blade off the floor toward the opposite knee.
Should feel: Obliques firing hard on the twisting side. Thoracic rotation — not neck strain.
If you feel it in the neck: you're pulling with your hands. Hands are just resting behind the head. Drive the twist from the ribcage.
6
The Swimmer
30 seconds
Posterior chain activation — the one prone exercise in the series. Lower back endurance + contralateral coordination (opposite arm/leg). Balances out the flexion-dominant work of the previous exercises. Trains the extensors without spinal compression.
  1. Lie face down. Arms extended overhead, legs straight.
  2. Lift chest and thighs slightly off floor.
  3. Alternate rapidly: lift RIGHT arm + LEFT leg, then LEFT arm + RIGHT leg. "Swimming" motion.
  4. 30 seconds continuous. Breathe steadily — inhale for 5 beats, exhale for 5 beats (like the Hundred, but prone).
Breath cue: "Inhale 5 beats, exhale 5 beats — keep swimming through the breath." Head stays neutral — look at the floor, not forward.
Should feel: Lower back muscles and glutes working. A "spreading warmth" across the posterior chain.
If lower back cramps: you're lifting too high. Keep the range small — 2-3 inches of alternation is enough.

Bridge + Leg Series ~6 min

7
Pilates Bridge Lift
10 per side
Single-leg bridge with extended leg — glute + hamstring under asymmetric load. The extended leg adds anti-rotation demand: your hips want to drop on the unsupported side. Builds the single-leg stability that transfers to pistol squat and running.
  1. Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat. Bridge up — squeeze glutes at the top.
  2. Extend RIGHT leg straight to ceiling.
  3. Exhale: lower hips toward floor (don't touch). Inhale: drive hips back up through the LEFT heel.
  4. 10 reps. Switch legs. Hips stay LEVEL — don't let the unsupported side drop.
Breath cue: "Exhale to lower, inhale to drive up." Drive through the heel, not the toes — this targets glutes over quads.
Should feel: Working glute and hamstring burning. The top of the rep should feel like a hard glute squeeze.
8
Side Leg Series
Each side: 10 circles + 10 lifts
Glute med endurance — the muscle that stabilizes your pelvis during single-leg stance. Supports your corrective protocol work. The circles add a rotational component that static lifts miss, hitting more of the glute med's fiber directions.
  1. Lie on LEFT side. Bottom leg slightly bent for stability. Top (RIGHT) leg straight, slightly forward of hip.
  2. Circles: lift top leg to hip height and draw 10 small controlled circles. Exhale on the forward arc.
  3. Lifts: 10 controlled lifts — up to 45 degrees, lower with control. Exhale to lift.
  4. Switch sides. Repeat both exercises on the LEFT leg.
Breath cue: "Exhale to engage on the effort phase." Lead with the heel on lifts — this targets glute med over TFL.
Should feel: Outer hip burn by rep 6-7 on each exercise. The circles fatigue differently than the lifts — together they're comprehensive.
9
Leg Pull Front (Plank March)
10 per side
Anti-extension plank with hip extension under load. Lifting a foot in plank removes one point of contact, forcing the core to resist rotation AND extension simultaneously. Core stability under asymmetric load — the most functional core pattern.
  1. High plank position — hands under shoulders, body in a straight line.
  2. Exhale: lift RIGHT foot 6 inches off floor. Hold 3 seconds.
  3. Inhale: set it down. Exhale: lift LEFT foot. Hold 3 seconds.
  4. 10 per side. Hips stay level and still — no rocking, no rotating.
Breath cue: "Exhale to lift, hold and breathe, inhale to set down." The 3-second hold is where the anti-rotation challenge lives.
Should feel: Entire core bracing, especially the side opposite the lifted leg. Glute of the lifted leg engaging.
If hips rock side to side: narrow your stance slightly. The goal is stillness in the trunk while the leg moves.

Cool-Down ~4 min

10
Spine Stretch Forward
30 seconds
Spinal mobilization + hamstring stretch. After all that core work, the spine needs to articulate through flexion in a low-load position. The seated position also stretches the hamstrings, which are often tight from the bridge work.
  1. Sit tall, legs extended wide (wider than shoulders), feet flexed.
  2. Inhale: grow tall through the crown of the head.
  3. Exhale: round forward from the head — chin to chest, then upper back, then mid back. Reach arms forward between your legs.
  4. Articulate back up on the inhale. 3-4 slow rounds in 30 seconds.
Breath cue: "Exhale to round forward, inhale to stack back up." Each vertebra moves individually — like a wheel rolling forward.
11
Mermaid Stretch
30 seconds per side
Deep lateral line stretch — opens the waist, rib cage, and intercostals. After all the core compression from the series, this creates space. The lateral breathing from the warm-up should be fully accessible now.
  1. Sit with legs folded to the LEFT side (Z-sit or side-sit).
  2. RIGHT arm reaches overhead. Inhale: grow tall.
  3. Exhale: side-bend to the LEFT, reaching right arm long. Left hand walks out on the floor for support.
  4. Hold and breathe — 3 deep lateral breaths. Feel the ribs expand on the stretched side. Switch sides.
Breath cue: "Inhale into the stretched side — feel the ribs expand laterally." This is where lateral breathing pays off most.
Should feel: Deep opening along the entire side body — from hip to armpit. The intercostals (between ribs) should feel like they're getting space.
12
Rest Position
30 seconds
Spinal decompression. Child's pose lets the spine return to neutral after all the flexion, extension, and rotation work. The final exhale of the session.
  1. Kneel. Sit back on your heels. Fold forward, arms extended or by your sides.
  2. Forehead on the floor. Let the spine lengthen and decompress.
  3. 30 seconds. Breathe into the lower back — feel it expand on each inhale.
Breath cue: "Inhale into the lower back, exhale and let go." Nothing left to do. Just breathe.
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