Intermediate - Advanced Pilates Exercises
Pilates Level 2 Strength and Stretch Series
If you have been practicing Pilates, and you are ready for an intermediate level challenge, this ten exercise Pilates mat routine will provide a good over-all workout. This set of exercise instructions includes abdominal exercises for core strength, and exercises for the legs, hips, and back as well. Part of the free Pilates exercises online at...
How to Do Pilates Scissors Exercise
Scissors is an advanced Pilates exercise that calls for tremendous core strength, shoulder stability, pelvic stability and hip flexibility.
Advanced Pilates Exercises
Here is a reference list with photos and basic instructions for advanced Pilates mat exercises.
The Pilates Teaser Exercise
Pilates teaser instructions. This article shows you how build a perfect teaser.
20 Core Minutes of Pilates
This Pilates workout is designed to strengthen your core stability muscles: the deep abdominal, back, and pelvic floor muscles. It includes optional work with the exercise ball.
Back Support
Back support is an intermediate pilates exercise that strengthens the shoulders, and teaches openness and stability in the hips.
Bicycle - Pilates Style
We all love an exercise that works a lot of areas at once. Bicycle, done the Pilates way, will work your legs, your butt, your abs, shoulders and arms. Bicycle is part of the free Pilates exercises series online at about.com.
Boomerang
Boomerang is an advanced mat exercise from the classical Pilates mat sequence.
Control Balance
Get free Pilates exercise instructions for control balance. This is an advanced Pilates mat exercise that builds on skills learned in the roll over, jack knife, and scissors exercises.
Pilates Side Kicks - Side Scissors
Staying stable on your side is a challenge for your ab and back stabilizing muscles in side scissors.
Crab - advanced rolling exercise
The crab, a rolling exercise, requires total control from the core, giving you a great abdominal workout.
Corkscrew
A classical Pilates mat exercise, the corkscrew offers a great challenge for shoulder stability and abdominal work. It is an especially good exercise for the oblique muscles.
Criss Cross - Pilates Mat Exercise
Criss Cross is a popular Pilates mat exercise for targeting the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. Working an upper body rotation against a stable pelvis is an excellent workout for all of the abs., but the rotation involved requires extra work from the obliques. Working the obliques supports posture, the ability to flex and rotate the torso, and is a waist whittler!
Double Leg Kick
Double leg kick is a powerful, intermediate level, back extension exercise. It targets the back extensors and the hamstrings, but you will find it requires support from the whole body as well.
Double Leg Stretch
Double Leg Stretch is really a powerful abdominal strengthening workout. In this exercise, everything moves from center, working the abs for strength and endurance.
Double Straight Leg Lowers - Pilates Mat Exercise
This Pilates mat exercise is a very effective abdominal workout, working both the upper and lower abdominals. Provided that you learn to do it correctly this is an ideal core strength builder. Follow these step by step instructions and learn to protect your back as you get a great abdominal challenge.
Flat Abdominals Series
One of the benefits of Pilates is that doing the exercises correctly produces not just great core strength, but flat abs. too.. Include this series of free Pilates abdominal exercises in your workout routine and find out how to work you lower abdominals, develop core strength, and get the abdominal muscles to flatten out.
Jack Knife
Jack Knife is one of the classical Pilates exercises. It is a strong intermediate level Pilates exercise that builds on skills learned in the roll over. if you have neck problems, skip jack knife.
Kneeling Side Kick - Before and After
Learn to use oppositional stretch for better form in Pilates exercises. Compare before and after pictures of the Pilates exercise, kneeling side kick.
Kneeling Side Kick Front/Back
is a strong intermediate level exercise. Kneeling adds a new level of difficulty to side kick front/back, making at a real core stability exercise.
Leg Pull Front
Like plank/front support, leg pull front engages every part of the body. Leg pull front takes plank/front support a step further. By lifting one leg off the floor, the instability that is introduced challenges the abdominals and shoulders to keep the trunk and pelvis stable as you move.
Neck Pull
An advanced exercise, neck pull works the abdominal muscles as well as the back extensors. Neck pull builds on skills developed in the roll up.
Pilates push-up is an advanced move. It offers a new approach to a popular exercise. Start working on it now - just know that is takes a while to build up the core strength, arm strength, and stability it takes to fully do this exercise.
Pilates Neck Pull - Tips from the Masters
Get tips on how to do Pilates exercise neck pull from the great Pilates instructors Romana Kryzanowska, Jay Grimes and Kathy Grant as shared by Alisa Wyatt.
Open Leg Rocker - Pilates Mat Exercise
Open Leg Rocker is a Pilates mat exercise. It is a rolling exercise that develops core strength as it challenges the strength and control of the abdominal muscles. Open Leg Rocker stimulates the spine and encourages full breathing. These instructions are part of a series of free sample Pilates mat exercises at pilates.about.com.
Pilates Quick Workout 1
Use this series of free Pilates mat exercises anytime you want a quick workout. It includes a warm up, exercises that tone the abdominals, back, arms, legs and butt, as well as some stretching.
Plank - Front Support - Pilates Mat Exercise
While Plank really targets the abdominal muscles and shoulder stability, you will find that plank is an excellent way to get a full body challenge. It is often modified to help build core stability for beginners and those with physical challenges.
Tips for Doing Pilates Exercise, the Roll Over
Pilates exercise, the roll over, is full of potential as a stretch for the back and hamstrings, a full abdominal workout, and a way to practice your Pilates principles.
Rocking
Rocking is an advanced Pilates exercise that is unique in its extreme back extension and use of the breath for movement. Get instructions for Pilates rocking.
Roll Over with Exercise Ball
Adding the fitness ball to Pilates' roll over exercise increases the challenge and helps work the inner thigh.
Roll Over
Roll over is a classic Pilates exercise at the intermediate level. It is all about control, breath and flow.
Roll Up: A Classic Pilates Exercise
The roll up is a classic Pilates mat exercise. It is one of the best for differentiating between using your abs and using your hip flexors.
Rolling Like a Ball - Standing Pilates
This standing Pilates exercise is based on the Pilates mat exercise, rolling like a ball. Free Pilates exercise instructions for standing Pilates work the abs and legs, and help develop balance and flexibility.
Seal - Pilates Mat Exercise
Seal is a fun and challenging pilates mat exercise. Seal is quite an abdominal workout in that it is a rolling exercise that requires a lot of core strength in order to control the movement. This is part of the free pilates exercise series at About.com.
Side Kick Series - Pilates Mat Exercises
The Pilates Side Kick exercises strengthen and tone the hips and legs, as well as develop core strength by challenging the abdominals to stabilize the movement. Here is a set of exercise instructions for the Side Kicks that will help you use these exercises to their fullest potential. This series is part of the free Pilates mat exercise series...
Side Bend and Stretch
Side stretch is one of the classical Pilates exercises. This side bending exercise makes you work your arms, shoulders, core and inner thighs as well.
Swan Dive
Swan dive is a Pilates exercise that works the back, abdominals, glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs. It is an intermediate to advanced move that builds on Pilates swan.
Single Leg Kick
This Pilates exercise focuses on the hamstrings, but it is also a great way to practice working your powerhouse by keeping your abdominals lifted throughout. You will also be practicing torso stabilization.
Single Straight Leg Stretch - Pilates Mat Exercise
This Pilates mat exercise really works the endurance of the abdominals, and gives a great stretch to the hamstrings. It can be modified for different levels. Single Straight Leg Stretch is part of the free Pilates mat exercise series.
Spine Twist - Pilates Mat Exercise
Spine twist helps increase the range of motion in the upper body. It trains the trunk to spiral on the central vertical axis while maintaining the support of a stable pelvis. Spine twist works the oblique abdominals and the back extensors.
Teaser with One Leg
Teaser is a fabulous core strength builder. It requires strength, stamina, control, balance, breath and fluidity - all the things we admire in a Pilates exercise. Teaser with One Leg is a modified version.
Swan with Neck Roll
Adding a neck roll to Pilates Swan exercise will allow you to practice the easy freedom of movement one can experience when the head and neck are well supported by a strong core and stable upper body. Swan stretches the abdominals and hip flexors, even as it strengthens the abdominals, back and shoulders.
Instructions for Pilates Exercise - Hip Twist
Pilates teachers have posted their exercise instructions for Pilates hip twist. Get lots of great photos and cues for this advanced Pilates exercise.See submissions
