The new teachers who have completed the Centerworks Pilates Teacher-Training Program, occasionally will ask questions, like the ones in this post, as they are faced with the challenge of creating quality Pilates programs.  I am always happy to share my perspective and insights with them, to help develop good teachers with great critical thinking skills.

They, in turn, have been kind enough to allow me to post some of their questions and my replies, so that other Pilates teachers and trainers  might benefit from hearing my thoughts on working with different clients and issues, and perhaps also practice developing  great critical thinking skills to create the best Pilates workout programs possible.

I hope you find my thoughts and information below helpful to continue developing your skills as a well-qualified Pilates professional!

Programming Questions from a Pilates Teacher:

“I have a new client who has a left hip that is higher and therefore a shorter leg so to speak.”

“Also, her left side does very little of the work and the right side compensates for everything.”

“What would you work with her on to help engage and strengthen that left side?”

“We moved from the Short Box to the Ladder Barrel and that seemed to help some.

We worked on some teaser on the chair and we did Going Up Front to engage both sides of the body and work on strengthening that left leg.  We worked on the Springboard with the roll down bar, two handed roll downs, one handed roll downs, side oblique’s…”

“She is strong and knows when that left side gives up…”

“Any advice would be mucho, mucho appreciated.”  ~ K

My Thoughts and Advice on Developing a Pilates Workout Program for this Client:

1. If she is new to Pilates, I would be working on her basic reformer and mat skills! Just like anybody else. Just striving to work evenly on these exercises will begin to lengthen the short side and strengthen the weak one.
2. From there I would probably do some of the side lying work over the spine corrector to stretch the torso & hips, then face down on the spine corrector to strengthen the legs with a longer waist.
3. Leg springs on the Cadillac (lying on her back), and work into the side leg series in Mat.
4. The leg series over the arc barrel would be a good choice too.
5. The standing chair exercises are good – but I would choose to get some of the alignment issues addressed in a non-weight bearing position (with exercises on the Reformer & Cadillac) so she can find different muscles to use and support her body. In a seated & standing position right now, she will probably tend to initiate and work mostly with that dominant side. Plus it is more challenging to make corrections for alignment on the chair. Flat on her back – she’ll be able to notice if the weight is even on both hips & shoulders, and with the overhead poles on the Cadillac it will be easy to tell if the legs are uneven on leg springs.
6. Before running – you might consider going to 2 springs and doing some one leg exercises. (1. on toe – push out and return, 2. push out and stay on a straight leg to lift and lower the heel, 3. Combo – push out, lift & lower the heel, then bend & return.) Start on the weaker leg & do weaker, stronger, weaker. (do this for 1, then, 2, then 3) over time work to doing 1,2,3 on one leg, then the other.
7. Eve’s lunge might be a good exercise too.
8. Fundamental hip hikes, circles, and figure 8’s.

You have so many choices!!!

But most important is to see her working evenly with good alignment on her Basic Reformer & Mat exercises. I would focus on this first – knowing that the changes you are looking for will begin to happen by cueing even hips, shoulders, arms, and legs.

You’re job to help change her body will be much easier with less effort – if you take this path to get there, and toss in only a few exercises that you feel are most relevant to the additional stretch, or strength she may need to even things up!

Remember, open the joint space 1st, then the muscles have a chance to fire to move the bones correctly! ~ Aliesa George

More Client Info from the Pilates Teacher:

“She is visiting from another city and has been working with a private trainer.  I left that part out.  Intermediate mat and reformer is her “level.”

“Except with the hip/left side issue, I see the need for more basic exercises like you suggest to get her stronger.”

“Thanks so much!” ~ K

More Thoughts and Advice on Helping Encourage an “Intermediate-level” student to Get Back to Basics:

So you might explain to her, that while she’s progressed with Pilates to an intermediate level and learned lots of exercises, the alignment issue and muscle imbalance have not been completely taken care of along the way.

IF that is something that she would like to focus on as a goal with her program, you would recommend going back to the basics to focus on tweaking her form and alignment to become more aware of how to be both longer and stronger.

Sometimes a shorter leg really is a shorter leg.  But if you can tell that the hip is hiked AND the leg is shorter – there is a good chance that by striving to work in balance and evening up the muscle use – the shorter leg may not really be short!

You also need to inquire as to her daily habits that may be continuing to aggravate the issues. Does she sit on one hip instead of two, does she sit with her legs crossed (and which one is usually on top?) When she stands is she always on one leg.  Becoming aware of these posture habits and consciously changing them – will only help reinforce what you’re doing with your Pilates workouts. ~ Aliesa George

Pilates Workout Plan Ideas from a Pilates Teacher

“Okay, so here is what I’ve come up with from your suggestions.  I only have one more time to work with her, so I want to leave her with some things to take home.” ~ K

30 minutes

• Start with Fundamentals – hip hikes, figure 8
• spine corrector – side, prone, legs over
• legs in springs cadillac
• one leg work on reformer
• eve’s lunge

30 minutes

• Basic mat work

“Thanks so much, Aliesa.  You ROCK as always!  I love helping people!” ~ K

Pilates Workout Plan Feedback from Aliesa George

Now…What you need to do is format these exercises into one well -planned workout – to be sure that you are working the Pilates system.  Spine flexion, extension, side bending rotation, leg work, arm work, strength, and flexibility should all be included in every Pilates workout.

If you do 30 minutes and just to the exercises you’ve listed in the order on your list – you’re doing:  Hips & Back, Hips & legs, Hips & legs, Hips & legs, Hips & legs,… (and this does not a well-balanced Pilates session make!)

Do you have time to think through a sequence & flow for incorporating your Reformer, Mat, Cadillac, & Barrel exercises into the best order that will hit all bases on target?

I’d love to see your plan! ~ Aliesa George

Pilates Workout Outline from a Pilates Teacher:

“This is my area of weakness.  But I’m thinking I’ll start her warming up on the spine corrector with paint a rainbow and roll backs.  Then move into legs – prone and side-lying.”

“Then I thought we’d do some fundamentals of the hip hikes, figure 8 and hip circles.”

“Then we’d start with some Basic mat exercises:

• 100
• roll up
• one leg circles
• rolling like a ball
• series of five
• spine stretch
• open leg rocker
• corkscrew
• saw
• swan
• neck pull

then move over to the Cadillac for legs in the springs

then teaser and seal

then one leg work on the reformer and eve’s lunge

if we have time push ups.” ~ K

Pilates Workout Outline – Feedback from Aliesa

Nice Job!  I can see the thought process in the order you have selected.  You have learned well “grasshopper!”  I’m not sure that there is too much I would chose to do differently if these were the exercises I had selected for a session.

Can you see how you have now taken the exercises that you had on your list of 30 Minutes of these, and 30 Minutes of Matwork, and organized them to flow that is consistent with the Pilates system?

Here are my thoughts and suggestions for a few things you might consider doing with some of the exercises you have selected:

• 100 – Use the leg springs on the Cadillac, so she has support and the spring to open to assist with lengthening both legs and keeping them active throughout the exercise.
• One Leg Circle – Again, use 1 leg spring on the Cadillac to assist with the strength, and having something to press against to work the leg against the spring, and support the leg as it completes the circle.
• Series of 5 – Place the legs on a Fit Ball, so the quads can release, backs of the legs work more, and she’ll have more support for lengthening the back, reaching through the legs, and keeping the pelvis even and supported against the mat.
• Corkscrew – if you’re doing a small circle, go for it!  If you’re planning to lift the hips off the floor – You might break this down and do Knee Drops, and the first part of the Roll Over, then build into the more int.-adv. Corkscrew.
• Leg Springs on the Cadillac – Since she’s an intermediate level student, I’m going to make the assumption that she is familiar with the leg spring series.  If the answer to that is YES, then you might consider adding the small arc barrel to this series so she can work into a larger range of motion against the spring.
• After 1 – Leg Work on the Reformer be sure to do Running, so you can integrate what you’ve done back into a whole-body moving exercise.
• Be sure to have time for Push-Ups! With this workout program, that is your main upper-body exercise for the day.  It is also an important centering exercise, since you would have just finished Eve’s Lunge (one leg at a time.)

Once you get to working with her, you can always make a choice to switch the order of things, or change an exercise based on what direction the session takes, or how the client feels for the day.

This looks great! I think you are well-prepared for your next session.

It’s fun to think through all of your Pilates exercise choices and be creative!  We have too many choices to ever be able to do everything we’d like to accomplish in a one-hour session.  And in my opinion, (especially for newer Pilates teachers) thinking through this on paper, before you ever get to your client’s training session, will have you well-prepared to provide excellent service and a Pilates workout program that will help your clients reach their wellness goals!

As long as you’ve taken the time to think through things and have exercises in your workout plan that move the spine in all directions, as well as exercises for the arms & legs, AND know the reason behind your exercise choices, you will hit your target and have a happy well-satisfied customer.

Thanks for letting me share this process of our discussion on my blog!  I hope that it will help other newer teachers as they are working through a similar process with developing their own client programs! ~ Aliesa George

The Pilates program outlined here was designed by an Apprentice Teacher and is being used as an example for a critique on designing effective Pilates programs.

This blog posting is meant to assist Pilates teachers, and especially new Pilates trainers with assistance in thoughtful and safe exercise selection to design safe and effective workout programs. I do not recommend that you precisely follow this program, but analyze the program and my comments and suggestions – then use this information to help develop your critical thinking skills, make good exercise choices, and design great Pilates programs for your clients.

As a more-experienced teacher, I enjoy helping the students in my teacher-training program develop their critical thinking skills. It thought there may be other new teachers out there who would find this information useful.

Below is an example of a beginner’s Pilates Workout Program with the consideration of no neck flexion that I recently reviewed for an apprentice teacher. The exercises that were chosen for this program are not right or wrong… Any exercise can be a good choice if done correctly.

Apprentice Program Design: Beginner Student – No Neck Flexion

***Please consult with a Pilates professional, and your Health Care Provider, before following this, or any other fitness program.

Comments and Suggestions for Tweaking and Improving this Pilates Workout Program:

Since I don’t know the reason for this individuals need to avoid neck flexion, I have to ask if it’s because of an injury, Doctor’s request, or just because it’s uncomfortable and creates pain to curl up into exercises like the 100 (due to weakness, muscle imbalance, or lack of body awareness to be mechanically efficient with the movement.)

In my experience – while we play it safe and typically choose exercises that keep the neck in a more neutral position, it’s important to watch closely to see if client’s are “gripping” with their neck and upper traps to hold the head steady. Too many exercises laying on their back, or side lying and you can exacerbate their problems….even when you’re choosing to stay flat!

With neck issues, I tend to do 2-3 exercises laying down (see if they are more or less comfortable with a pillow), and then change to doing 2-3 exercises seated or standing. This will help reduce strain as the head and neck can sit in its normal balanced position on the torso, plus you won’t have clients snoozing after a whole hour in a reclining position!

In The Pilates Program Example above – Here Are the Things I Might Do Differently:

• I would choose to NOT do #3 Shoulder Elevation and Depression. But start from a resting position and cue “diamond down”, then arms hang down lower. The elevation of the shoulders will create more neck tension, but they need to learn how to better utilize lower traps to release shoulder tension. By doing this seated or standing, gravity is assisting the release of neck and shoulder tension.
• 100: I might choose to start with the legs in the straps, and no resistance (straps) in the arms. Or feet on the bar, No Straps. Head down – legs up, and straps could aggravate the neck, especially if the legs are lower.

Here’s where knowing WHY you’re avoiding neck flexion is important…

If a client just has a tense personality and needs to understand how to relax their neck and shoulders…doing Flexion exercises INTO gravity will help you over time progress into safe, strong, well-supported flexion working against gravity. If the head is going along with the rest of the spine in a relaxed state – this might be beneficial.

If a client has experienced an injury, accident, surgery…or other issue that has a medical limitation to avoid neck flexion – the exercise choices may be altogether different! (This limitation may be prescribed by a doctor forever, or for a limited period of time suitable for recovery. This information is vital to a Pilates professional making appropriate exercise choices.

Continuing on with things I would consider changing for this program…

• Ex: Stomach Massage Round – The head should be in a good posture position over the shoulders. The primary flexion is through the pelvis and low ab scoop, with a focus change down and forward, but not the head sheered forward off the neck. There’s a chance this might be safe and appropriate – but if in doubt, better to start with the 2^nd exercise (hands back)
• Ex: Elephant – Round. If the spine is in a properly flexed position, the head and neck are relaxed and handing forward. Gravity is assisting in stretching the neck for someday being able to do flexion and lift the head off the floor. (Same concept for Kneeling Knees Round)
• Arm Springs lying down on the Cadillac may have a tendency to create more neck tension, so watch for this and be prepared to find alternate exercises. Leg Springs – (when you brace the arms on the poles) are strengthening your lower traps if you cue “diamond down” and remind them to keep the shoulders & neck relaxed. Or – you can do with arms by the sides. But long-term you want to work to that overhead arm position, and understanding how to use the arms and shoulders without creating any problems for the head and neck.
• I might choose to do the Standing Cadillac Arm exercises right after the Reformer for a moment of standing, and reinforcement of “Diamond Down,” good posture, and a lengthened, relaxed neck and shoulders. Then would do Parakeet, some of the Matwork, then consider the Arm Springs lying down.
• I would NEVER choose to do Double Straight Leg in Matwork with the head down. Esp. for a beginner with neck problems. The modified one leg at a time version will be safer for their whole body! Until someone can curl up safely – I would personally opt for this one-leg modification.
• I would probably add Alternate 1 Arm Reach (Climb a Rope) as a modified Criss-Cross to cue the Oblique Abdominals, and work on coming from under the shoulder, around the ribcage to a diagonal scoop of the torso.

The STRONGER a client’s core muscles are, the less they will use their upper traps and shoulders for body support. When the core is working, the neck and shoulders will begin to relax – you then focus on transfering this feeling to every exercise, daily life activity, and movement.

• Corkscrew will be a challenge to keep no tension in the neck and a good position. I might consider doing Knee Drops or Can-Can. (This is the 8^th exercise in a row that they’ve done lying down, perhaps a seated exercise would be a nice choice – even though this is not a classical order.)
• If you’re doing a hinging Saw it means that spine rotation is not contra-indicated. I might suggest that you add a Seated Twist to your reformer. This will warm up rotation in a vertical position (if it’s appropriate for them to twist) Rotation improves muscle length for flexion and extension. Seated Twist will help your Swan, and as appropriate progression into gravity assisted flexion, and finally working against gravity.
• There is a chance you’ll need to alternate sides for EACH exercise in the Side Leg Series. Look at neck placement and tension and switch sides before they feel anything in their neck. Ask how they feel while working – and change sides as often as needed – or do the series in a standing position.
• Because you’ve chosen the SEAL, I’m assuming that spine flexion is OK, but neck flexion against gravity is not. If you needed to avoid spine flexion altogether – I would do Dead Bug here instead.
• Because you’ve chosen the SEAL – I would definitely have done Stomach Massage Round, and probably Elephant and Kneeling Knees Round. Stomach Massage round will be warming up the correct body placement and support. It might also indicate that over time – the Roll Down on the Wall and 100 on the Wall would be good progressions.
• It also make more sense to finish your Matwork with the Seal or Dead Bug (a centering exercise,) and then move on to something else. By my re-arrangement of the Arm exercises, this happens automatically, and you finish mat and proceed to your ending stretches.

Other GREAT Exercises to consider for this program:

Chair – Footwork, Going Up Front, Spine Stretch forward, Swan on top, Pump 1-leg Demi-pointe

If gravity assisted flexion is OK – add “Washer Woman” to your safe list.

Spine Corrector – Breathing Over the Barrel, Swan, Hamstring Curl, Leg Extension

If there are NO medical limitations for the neck, and flexion into gravity is OK… I would also incorporate some gentle neck and chest stretching.

Wall – Clock Stretches, Standing W

Gentle Neck Stretch: Ear-to-Shoulder, Nose-to –Shoulder, Forehead-to-Shoulder, Chin- to-Chest, Center head.

• Ballet Stretches on the Ladder Barrel involve Forward Flexion and articulation of the spine & neck through flexion to recover to center. AGAIN – this may be OK, useful, and beneficial for your client. IF I had to play it safe – I would either stretch with the Magic Circle lying down, OR do the Split portion of the Ballet Stretches on the Cadillac with the Trapeze.

Now that you’ve had time to read and review this beginner Pilates Program… What choices would YOU make, and how would you progress your client if avoiding Neck Flexion was something you had to take into consideration when choosing exercises to develop a safe and effective Pilates workout program?

I’d love to hear comments on this! Is this example useful to your thought process for Pilates program design?