What is Classical Pilates?

 

Classical Pilates is an exercise method developed by Joseph Pilates nearly a century ago.

A brief history of Joe

From Germany, Joe grew up as a sickly child, but through hard work and determination, he became skilled in boxing, diving, skiing, and gymnastics. In 1912, he moved to England to pursue a career in boxing and found employment there as a circus performer. By 1914 he had become a performer as a Roman Gladiator and went on tour with his brother, Frederick Pilates.

In 1914, after WWI broke out, he was interned along with other German nationals in a “camp” for enemy aliens in Lancaster. There he taught wrestling and self-defense, boasting that his students would emerge stronger than they were before the war. It was here that he began refining and teaching his series of mat exercises that he later called “Contrology.”

He was subsequently transferred to another camp on The Isle of Man where his interests in health led him to help out in the sickbay. Acting as a nursing aid he worked with many people suffering from illness and incarceration and began to help them in the infirmary with exercise. As most patients were confined to bed rest, Joe devised a system by rigging bed springs to the bedposts, and the prototype for “Trap Table”, later known as “The Cadillac”, was born.

When the 1918 flu epidemic swept the world and killed millions, Joe was boastful that none of his patients succumbed.  Following the war, Joseph moved to New York City where he and his wife Clara opened up a studio.  They began by training men only, but soon were persuaded to also work with women, specifically members of the New York City Ballet.  Over the decades, until his death in 1967, his method survived and it has improved over time, but still maintains the original ideals and principals created by Joseph.

Recently, there has been an increase in the popularity of Pilates due to media exposure from celebrities, performers, and professional athletes.   The term “Pilates” has spread to the mainstream as it is proven to reshape and tone the body without causing stress and imbalance.  The movement is rhythmic, fluid, and focused on building greater strength, flexibility, and endurance.  It is layered and structured as a system that requires progressive learning and mastery. What makes Classical Pilates different from Contemporary Methods? Currently, there are various interpretations of Joseph Pilates’ work and some contemporary formats of the method lose sight of the original format and technique. Joseph and his wife Clara originally taught his program informally to his “apprentices” that involved years of observing and practicing what Joe did. As Pilates as an exercise method increases in popularity, some training programs deviate from the original method and can be considered  “Pilates-based exercise”. Staying true to the original principles created by Joe is referred to as teaching Classical or Pure Pilates.  This is what we teach at The Pilates Body.

Defining Characteristics of Classical Pilates

• Teaches Pilates in its original form, with minor changes that reflect the advancement of scientific understanding of the human body. Systematic, sequential order of exercises that focus on flow, which develops endurance and stamina.
• Exercises are taught with a unique and dynamic rhythm and progression occurs as mastery of the exercises can be done with control and precision.
• Pilates is ideally taught in private lessons, or in classes with very small groups. The instructors teach by verbal cues and instruction only, never by doing the class with the students.
• Teachers must complete a rigorous training program consisting of at least 600 hours of classwork, observation, and personal practice to become Comprehensively Certified. Continuing education is required to maintain certification.

Centering – Physically bringing your focus to the center of your body, or powerhouse, which is the area between the neck and hips. Movement in Pilates initiates from your center.

Concentration – Bringing your attention to each exercise and doing it with full commitment so that maximum value can be obtained from each movement.

Control – Doing every Pilates exercise with complete muscular control while keeping your entire body engaged from head to toe.

Precision– Maintaining awareness that there is placement and alignment for each body part through the trajectory of every movement.

Breath – Always using full breath to pump air in and out of your body.  Coordinating your breathing is an integral part of most Pilates exercises.

Flow – Continuous movement through each exercise with fluidity and grace without wasted or unintentional placement of your body.  Transitioning smoothly from one exercise to the next will build stamina and endurance.

Neutral Pelvis- Maintain the lower spine’s natural curvature by keeping your two front hip bones level with your pubic bone. Don’t flatten out or over-arch the curve in the lower back by tilting the pelvis.

Abdominal Scoop- Hollowing out your abdominals using your exhale and your deep abdominal muscles. It is a feeling of pulling your abs “in” and then “up” under your ribcage.   This does not mean flattening your low back or “tucking your pelvis”.

Powerhouse- A term coined by Joseph Pilates himself. The abdominals, back, hip and shoulder girdle muscles all working together. These are the main stabilizing muscles and are very important for preventing injury to the spine. As Joe said, “the engine that drives the movement”.

Pilates Breathing- “Breathing is the first act of life, and the last… above all, learn how to breathe correctly.” Joseph Pilates. In Pilates, we use diaphragmatic breathing as the ribcage expands laterally (side to side) and towards   the back of the ribcage.  Breathing patterns are the focus of many exercises, but of course, it is utilized in all.

Sitz Bones- The sitz bones are the two bones that you “sit on” and are located at the bottom of your pelvis. If you sit on a hard chair you’ll likely feel them poking down. Aiming your sitz bones towards your heels when lying down encourages a neutral spine.

Lengthen Your Legs- Stretch the muscles of your legs without tensing or overly pointing your feet. Keep your hips even. Imagine someone gently pulling your legs by the ankles.

Pilates Stance vs. Parallel Stance- Pilates stance is the formation of a small “V” with your feet by placing your heels together and your toes a “fist distance” apart.  Contrastly, a parallel stance is keeping your feet in parallel alignment with equal weight distribution on all four sides of each foot.

Chin to Chest- As you lengthen the back of your neck, slightly tilt the chin down. The chin shouldn’t actually touch your chest; keep the width of an apple or tennis ball between the two.

Relax Your Shoulders/Slide Your Shoulders Down Your Back- One of the most commonly heard cues! Overusing the upper body muscles and shoulder tension is common in many people. Pilates teaches correct shoulder stabilization and alignment preventing many shoulder injuries.  Avoid letting your shoulders lift to your ears, draw them down and back.

Articulate the Spine- Roll forward or backward through the spine one vertebra at a time. Feel as though you are imprinting each bone into the mat as you roll up or down.

“Engage”  your Abdominals- Use the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize your body before you move, and to initiate the movement.  The “scoop” explained above is utilized here.

Zip your Thighs Together- Squeeze the inner thighs and sitz bones toward each other, actively pressing your legs together.

Tabletop Legs- Lie on your back and raise your legs to a 90-degree angle from your body. Then bend your knees so your calves are at a 90-degree angle to your thighs.

Make a C-curve- Creating a C-shape with your back by looking into your abs and tilting your pelvis anteriorly. All the while not letting your ribs collapse.  (see below)

Lengthen on each side of your waist- Even though your spine is in a curve, do not let your ribs collapse onto your waist. Keep length and space from your bottom ribs to the top of your hips. To avoid collapsing into your ribs, pretend you’re curving over a porcupine.

Work in Opposition- When you sit on the floor, try to lengthen your spine upward. At the same time, push your legs into the floor, and reach through your heels. Or as you reach up, draw your shoulder blades down your back. The effort of lengthening in both directions builds stabilization and makes each movement a whole-body exercise.

Mat classes are often the first experience most people have with Pilates.  Recreation centers, health clubs, and community gyms may offer mat classes to its members.   Mat exercises can be difficult for beginners to do, however, because they do not have the core strength to perform the exercises correctly. This combined with an instructor that may have minimal training and a room full of students, can lead to injuries at worst, or ineffectiveness at best. Consequently, some people come away with the notion that Pilates causes neck pain, or aggravates back issues.   This is a valid concern in the Pilates industry.  A qualified instructor needs to watch and teach by cueing and observing, not by performing and demonstrating to the class in the front of the room.   The watchful eye of a certified, educated, and experienced teacher that can spot poor technique is the best insurance against injurious Pilates training.

The truth of the Classical Pilates Method is based on a full, integrated system of equipment—and mat exercises are just part of the technique (only 25 percent of the Pilates exercise system/repertoire can be performed on a mat).  By adding equipment, or starting out on the equipment, you are able to experience a more authentic, quality experience. The equipment can aid in changing your body faster and more safely because the springs provide support and resistance that help you to engage your core connection in a way that is difficult to do on the Mat alone, especially for beginners. The equipment allows you to shape, tone, lengthen and align quite different than working on the mat alone. But it is important to do both, and there’s nothing quite like a challenging mat class; and the more experience you have in Pilates, the harder the mat classes can be.