Rapid Rehab LA Pilates Based Physical Therapy Brentwood California

Pilates is known for its intense core strengthening proponents. Some women, even celebrities like Madonna, have been used as Pilates poster children for the six-pack that one can acquire from rigorous core training.

However, some people may have misconceptions of what is means to “pull in” the abdominals. Words like “powerhouse” and “pelvic floor” can be lost on some Pilates students, because “sucking in” and “pulling in” are two completely different forms of muscle integration.

Engaging the core is not easily done because it requires the innate knowledge of body mechanics. Put simply it requires prior “core” muscle memory. To know the difference between using their core and destabilizing their body by holding in their breath, you have had to feel the difference.

There is one misconception about core training that often gets caught up in the “sales” aspect of Pilates, and it is connected to this abdominal powerhouse concept. The six-pack abs that are visibly and verbally advertised throughout Pilates studios as a by-product, aren’t necessarily the target muscles that Pilates hopes to train.

The deep muscle training that you will find in Pilates core work, goes way beyond the traditional ideology of crunches or sit ups. The rectus abdominis, which is the Hollywood star of abdominal muscles, make up the surface of the belly, when the core is engaged the abdominal muscles that are not visible, the transverse and pelvic floor muscles are used.

Why this is important can mean the difference between working the surface muscles and the deeper core muscles. The deeper core muscles are not as easy to “work”, because they are not familiar muscles to our “exercise” brain. If we cannot see a muscle pumping, such as the biceps or triceps, our minds have a hard time understanding if we are correctly and effectively exerting the muscles energy.

This is where Pilates makes finding and defining the underlying stomach muscles easier to identify and incorporate. Such visible instruction in Pilates like, “pull your belly button to your spine”, and “pretend you got punched in the stomach”, or “pull the muscles down towards the hip girdle” are helpful, but not comprehensive in direction.

A better description, would be to focus on the lower abs, and pulling them back as if you were trying to push the deeper muscles into the back of your spine. Continue this “pulling” all the way up through the lower abdominals, into the middle, and up into the upper. A rolling effect of core muscles will effectively allow you to put each muscle of the trunk into action.

Pulling in your abdominals is simply a way to develop a foundation for efficient movement. The powerhouse muscles are what will increase your stamina, protect the other muscles in the body and give you the highest intensity out of your Pilates workout. Once you can strengthen the underlying muscles beneath the surface six-pack, it will only be a matter of time before you develop both.