Five years ago I had an inclination to try a Pilates class. The lengthening and stretching kept me entertained; the planks and leg lifts challenged. Yet while I shook uncontrollably from bracing my abs… I didn’t feel like I was necessarily getting in a workout. This wasn’t cycling followed by kettlebells, ya know? For me, losing weight and getting toned was synonymous with breaking a sweat. And I don’t think I left that first pilates class with more than a few hairs out of place.
Nonetheless, I added pilates to my routine, and continued to go every Monday and Wednesday for the rest of the winter. Within a few classes I noticed my flexibility had dramatically increased, and that my core felt stronger & more sturdy.. but it was the definition of my abs that locked me in as a pilates-regular.
Now my pilates routine has become a bit more fancy – I’m normally on a reformer or jumpboard, taking stretching and lengthening to new heights. But no matter how complicated the apparatus, the original 5 moves I fell in love with a half a decade ago still find themselves into nearly every class. Why? because they work.
Here are the Fab 5, or Stomach Series. Repeat these exercised 4-5 times/week and increase repetition whenever they start to get easy. Couple this with eating clean and a bit of cardio and you’ll have the sculpted abs you’ve always dreamed of in no time!
