How to Do the Hundred on the Pilates Reformer

Doing the hundred on the Pilates Reformer correctly produces definite core strength with flat abs while also strengthening the back muscles. The Hundred Pilates exercise can be done by anyone with the proper guideance by following these steps on a Pilates Reformer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Pull your shoulders a little bit away from the shoulder's rest to create room to work.

2. Grab the hand straps and bring your arms straight up to the ceiling.

3. Activate the abdominal muscles and bring the legs into a table top position. Make sure the knees are aligned with the hips, so you energize and engage the lower belly muscles.

4. Breathe in air to prepare for your movements and bring your arms, still holding the straps, down to your sides exhaling at the same time.

5. Breathe in air again and raise your arms back to the original position.

6. Repeat this movement several times always slowly and breathing in when you raise the arms and exhale when you lower the arms.

7. Relax the legs back down on the bar when you are finished with doing several movements on the reformer.

Tips & Warnings

• Every time you exhale you are activating the lower abdominals and strengthening those muscles all the way through to the back muscles as well.
• This is a wonderful exercise to strengthen your arm muscles, but is used to strengthen mainly the abdominal muscles all the way through to the back muscles.
• Make sure you breathe in and slowly resist the movement as you bring the arms up.

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[patinaz]

on 10/20/2009 A classic Pilates instructor would be surprised by these instructions. This is not how the hundred was taught by Joseph Pilates and it's not how it's done in classic Pilates. Pilates lost its trademark "fight" so be careful - anyone can call themselves a Pilates instructor and anyone can call their exercises Pilates.