Pilates for beginners: video and complex at home

In this article we will talk about the lofty and deep - today we have a topic for everyone and is not for everyone. Today we will look at what Pilates is. And this will be a male perspective on culture.

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I won’t say that I liked physical education. And I won’t hide the fact that exercising in the morning was not only unusual for me, but more often than not, wild. For me, these activities did not carry any meaning. Well, I didn’t perceive them and that’s all. I just didn’t think about it, didn’t pay any attention to it all.

Video lessons “Pilates for beginners”

Previously, my girlfriend studied Pilates. This is a set of exercises developed by Joseph Pilates and named after him. In short, this complex was chosen because it is universal. It is suitable for both old people and young people; it can be practiced both at home and in fitness clubs or other gyms. And since you can’t get me out of the house for such trifles, I decided that we would study at home, and we would do it exclusively together. Since this is no matter how useful for both of us, it is also more economical to do at home, both in terms of time and financially.

And for those who struggle with excess weight, Pilates is very suitable for weight loss. This is another method that you can use in the fight against excess weight.

Pilates videos for beginners are not difficult to find and we got all the knowledge on this system from the Internet. More precisely, not us, but to be honest, I didn’t do this because I thought that this hobby would not last for us and that all this would be abandoned or forgotten in about half a month, a month at most. I even made a bet with my friends and they started betting on how long we would last.

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Today on social networks there is no shortage of collections of video lessons on various sports. At the same time, this content becomes of higher quality every year due to increasing competition. As a rule, many professionals record their lessons and gain audiences around the world. Therefore, even without additional expenses, if you wish, you can work on your body right from the comfort of your home. Pilates will help make the body more flexible, improve joint function, and add stretching.

Pilates exercises for weight loss

Hubert Pilates
In our country, Pilates became popular relatively recently thanks to various celebrities who are interested in this area, and gradually spread among the most diverse sections of society due to its effectiveness. But this system has existed for more than a hundred years.

In 1880, a very weak and sickly child, Joseph, was born in Germany near Düsseldorf.

Hubert Pilates. However, already at the age of fourteen, Pilates became the owner of good health, a beautiful body and a very attractive appearance. It's hard to believe, but thanks to his unique system of exercises, he got rid of asthma, rheumatic fever and several other diseases. In 1926, Pilates moved to America, where his technique began to win more and more followers.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a set of exercises for the whole body, based on the control of spirit, body and mind. The complex is aimed at stretching and strengthening muscles without injury, increasing flexibility and mobility of joints, overall strengthening of the body and developing self-control.

You can do it
at any age to keep your body in good shape, for rehabilitation after spinal injuries; among women, Pilates for weight loss is considered one of the most effective methods. This system is also used by pregnant women to prepare for childbirth and in the postpartum period to quickly restore the body.

The philosophy of the Pilates system and its principles and features

Pilates based its system on the Contrology method - control over the mind, spirit and body. Initially, the system was called that way. Pilates believed that all the energy of the body is located in the abdominal area, and gave the leading role to this part of the body.

The philosophy of this teaching is based on the harmonization of spirit and body, the importance of proper breathing, clarifying consciousness and increasing endurance, strengthening the center of the body. Pilates teaches you to be aware of your body, live and move harmoniously, and instills the ability to concentrate correctly.

The uniqueness of the exercises is that they are all done smoothly, slowly, with concentration, with constant control of breathing.

Muscle mass is reshaped without increasing, unlike training in gyms. Much attention is paid to the so-called “framework of strength” - the supporting muscles, our “bodily center”.

This technique represents a peculiar symbiosis of elements of Eastern teachings and Western forms of gymnastics

When doing Pilates, you need to clearly understand why you are doing it, what the purpose of your training is.

Basic principles of the Pilates system

Each sport or any other method of training the body has certain principles that express the essence of this particular type. Pilates, of course, is no exception, and also has its own principles in building body and spirit. If you are interested in this system, these are important to know and follow. So, what does Pilates stand for?

Relaxation: this is where the lesson begins.
Concentration: we must learn to focus and control our attention, because it is the brain that sends commands to our body. We must understand the essence of movements and the processes occurring in the body. Moreover, attention is directed both to working muscles and to inactive ones. In other words, the body is recognized as a single whole.
Alignment: developing posture. All joints must be positioned correctly.
Effortless muscle control and intuitiveness: in Pilates, exercises are performed using muscle efforts, but their tension must be clearly dosed. This is achieved through smooth, non-holding breathing and body control (without pain or overexertion)
Centering: We focus on improving the “center of strength” - Powerhouses (lower back, abs, buttocks, thighs). One of the basic principles.
Visualization: working with images to involve consciousness in physical activity.
Smoothness of movements: in general, the entire system can be compared to a kind of dance in terms of technique. And it’s not for nothing that dancers were the first to actively use Pilates.
Precision: Every movement has a specific purpose. Inattention to detail affects efficiency. Here, quality is in no way compensated for by quantity!
Breathing: using the costal breathing technique. We breathe deeply with the lower part of the lungs, the stomach and front of the chest do not expand. We inhale air as if into the back. With this method of breathing, the blood and, after it, the muscles are maximally saturated with oxygen.
Regularity: ideally, if you study 3 times a week, the time of day depends on you. The duration of one training session is from 45 to 1 hour.

Pilates programs

The programs of this system consist of exercises on the floor, with equipment and work on special simulators that use ropes, flat surfaces, and movable seats (“Chair”, “Reformer”, “Cadillac”). Exercise machines strengthen and stretch muscles.

Exercises on the floor: perform sitting or lying down. We improve the condition of the spine and posture.
Exercises with equipment: exercises on the floor in combination with dumbbells, expanders, balls. The arms, shoulder girdle, back, pelvis, and legs are strengthened and simultaneously unblocked.
Exercises with exercise machines: many small muscles are included in the work due to the lack of fixed support in the exercise machines. The body, trying to maintain balance, begins to work very actively.

Depending on the needs of the body and the level of preparedness, there are various sets of exercises aimed specifically at solving a specific problem. If you want to start training on your own, then start not with Pilates for weight loss, but with the program for beginners.

There is a classic Pilates program. These are workouts for people with a caloric intake of 1200 - 1500 kcal per day. The program is aimed at overall maintenance of body and spirit in order.

If your calorie intake is above 1600 kcal/day, or you are no longer new to fitness, more dynamic types of weight loss programs will suit you, or it could be pilox - a hybrid of Pilates and martial arts.

There are programs, as mentioned above, designed specifically for pregnant women in preparing them for childbirth and further postpartum rehabilitation.

By the 1990s, many rehabilitation centers and traumatologists were already actively using special Pilates programs for the rehabilitation of patients after injuries.

Basic exercises for weight loss

As you probably already understood, the training will not be active and high-intensity. To spend 200 kcal, a woman will need an hour of floor exercise (with a body weight of approximately 70 kg). And to lose 500 g of fat tissue we need to burn 3500 kcal.

But don't think that Pilates is ineffective in this case. It just works on a completely different principle - with deep layers of muscles, accelerating metabolism. The body will begin to burn more at rest or while doing other activities. You will not need to weigh - you will need to measure volumes. In a month, provided you exercise regularly, you can lose weight in your lower body by one clothing size.

Exercises for weight loss in Pilates can be performed both on the floor and on machines, and you can also use special equipment. Let's look at some of them.

Boat

We sit on the floor (mat, rug), feet hip-width apart, knees bent, thighs clasped with hands, feet in full contact with the floor. Straightening your back, stretch your head up. We lift our feet off the floor and raise our ankles parallel to the floor. Controlling your breathing, we freeze in this position for several seconds. We inhale deeply, exhale with the abdomen drawn in and the spine rounded. Next inhale – straighten your back, repeat the breathing exercise first.

Cancan

We sit down, bend our knees, lean back, rest on our forearms, elbows under our shoulders, legs tightly clenched, toes only lightly touching the floor. We draw in our stomach, inhale deeply, turning our knees to the right. We exhale, simultaneously straightening our legs and raising them diagonally to the body. Inhalation – returning the body to the starting position. Exhale - repeat by analogy to the left side.

Cross - criss-cross

Lie on your back, bend your legs and raise your ankles parallel to the floor. We spread our elbows to the sides, hold our hands behind our heads. The back is pressed tightly into the floor, we pull in the stomach. Inhale - lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor. Exhale – straighten your right leg at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor, lower back without bending, turn your whole body to the left. Inhale – return, without lowering the shoulder blades, to the starting position. Inhale - everything is the same in the other direction.

Plank

We stand on all fours, leaning on our forearms, knees in line with our hips, elbows under our shoulders. Straighten and move your legs back, placing them on your toes. Feet tightly pressed. Straightening up from the top of your head to your heels, form a straight line. Inhale. Exhale, raising your hips and lowering your head, as if you were a dolphin. Inhale - return to the starting position.

Leg swing

We get down on all fours, straighten our arms and place our wrists under the shoulder joints, legs in line with the hips. Smoothly straightening, we move both legs back onto their toes, one after the other. We rest our toes, feet together. Lower your hips and form a straight line from your heels to the top of your head. Inhale - raise your leg, exhale - lower it. We alternate the exercise by changing legs.

Pike

We lie on our stomachs on the ball and slowly walk forward with our hands, rolling the ball under our ankles. The body is parallel to the floor, and the palms are under the shoulder joints. We tense our abs, exhale deeply and smoothly. Exhaling, we raised our pelvis and rolled the ball to our hands with straight legs. Inhale - repeat the exercise.

Video exercises

Pilates for beginners

Set of exercises

Meals after classes

You should eat after Pilates classes 30 minutes after the end of the training. Heavy food eaten immediately after exercise will add extra weight to you. If you are too unbearable, drink fruit yogurt, kefir, kvass. You can have lean fish and cheese.

You can read other pages of the site VashFitnes.ru
Pilates for home!
Exercises for weight loss on a fitball
Exercise for weight loss - Plank
Yoga will help you lose weight!

Feedback from practitioners

Maria: after two months of calm and harmonious training, I lost 3.5 kg. But this is not the main thing. The body simply began to rebuild itself, somehow tightened up. And most importantly, I now feel harmony with myself, I have become calmer and more collected. Girls, I highly recommend it!

Oxy: initially planned to improve the condition of the spine. As a result, I lost 4 kg, became more flexible, more flexible and balanced my character. My husband is very pleased.

So, having studied all the advantages of the training system (and we simply did not find any disadvantages in Pilates), we can say with complete confidence that Pilates exercises not only restore us physically, but also harmonize us. Try it and be healthy and beautiful!

How to do Pilates for free

So, my girlfriend searched and studied all the Pilates exercises on the Internet. While I was working, she was at home at the computer and practiced exercises by watching video lessons and repeating them. Then, when I came home, or after waking up, depending on my mood, I succumbed to these activities, so to speak. Pilates for beginners will not be so easy to master.

A healthy lifestyle involves sports in a person’s life, but without extremes

What can I say, my beloved has gathered more than enough information, it turned out that the exercises themselves are not complex and intricate.

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And they are remembered when used frequently. And as good people advise, you should do Pilates often, about five times a week. That is, count every day.

How will pilates online classes be held?

For this class you will need a mat, internet access and Zoom software.
Group classes take place on Thursdays. See the schedule.
For a personal format, you choose a convenient time.
The lesson lasts 60 minutes.
You will receive answers to questions that arise after the lesson.

Classes are suitable for:

For intermediate and beginners (there will be easier exercise options) levels.

How to join

Fill out the form (full name, email address)

The cost of 1 group lesson is 230 rubles.

The cost of a subscription for 4 classes is 700.

Once completed, a payment form will be emailed to you.

After payment you will immediately receive an invitation link to the lesson.

Timetable of classes
classes	time	Tue	Wed	Thu	Sat	Sun
hatha yoga	9.00 Moscow time	‌‌‌‌‌‌
pilates	18.00 Moscow time	‌‌‌‌‌‌
hatha yoga + pranayama	9.00 Moscow time	‌‌‌‌‌‌
pilates	18.00 Moscow time	‌‌‌‌‌‌
yoga nidra	18.00 Moscow time	‌‌

Exercises

In all video lessons, everyone starts with a warm-up and that’s right. Pilates lessons will give you an understanding of what to do. This is a mandatory sub-item and you need to start with it (now I understand this too). After all, putting a load on an unheated body can seriously injure yourself. Warm-up is quite simple, sometimes we do slow, smooth movements that involve all muscle groups, and sometimes we even just dance together.

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The next point of the lesson is the Pilates exercises themselves, they are aimed mainly at the back and your flexibility, so these exercises need to be taken very seriously. I will not describe the simplest exercises because it is not so easy to describe them in words, and even more difficult to understand. And to avoid misunderstandings, I suggest watching video lessons. There are a huge number of them on the Internet, both in Russian and in other languages. And I realized that even with my feeble-mindedness in this area, I could master them myself, because everything is explained simply slowly and clearly. Well, if you don’t understand, you can rewind and reconsider. It’s better, of course, even ideal, to do Pilates with an instructor, but it’s not deadly. The instructor will simply teach you these movements and correct you if you are doing something wrong. And most importantly, he will be able to slow you down if you suddenly start to rush. I had such a problem, fortunately my girlfriend was watching me, who was my instructor; from the outside it’s better to see.

Tips for Pilates beginners

How to do Pilates at home?

Breath. Correct and deep breathing is the main guarantee of the effectiveness of Pilates. While doing the exercises, try to breathe as naturally as possible and do not hold your breath. By saturating your body with oxygen as much as possible, you will get the benefits of your workouts faster.
Press tension. Throughout the entire session, the abs should be in a tense state. This removes excess stress from the spine and provides additional muscle tension.
Concentration. Focus on performing each individual movement, imagining the muscles working.
Slow pace. Avoid jerking and do not strive for a fast pace.
Execution accuracy. Proper exercise technique is extremely important. Dedicate several sessions to working through all the movements, not paying attention to the number of repetitions.
Regularity. Beginners should devote 3-4 days a week to training. Otherwise, the progress made is lost very quickly.

Feedback about the classes

Personally, my feedback on this system is very positive. Now I’m quite interested in this and even force my wife to do it. (Yes, quite a bit of time has passed. And thank you for the moral congratulations.)

It is believed that if a person does something for 21 days in a row, it becomes a habit.

We started doing Pilates exercises exclusively in the morning and now, when we get up, we do them together. My wife keeps herself in excellent shape and even says that she has lost a lot of weight. I feel fine throughout the day. Since my work is mostly sedentary, such a morning warm-up for my spine and, in general, the entire skeleton is the best medicine and prevention.

Girls online write equally positive reviews about Pilates. By the way, this surprises me a little: almost all reviews come from a female person. Don't the guys do physical exercise? Or they are simply embarrassed to write and ask about it.

Or, as you might think, they just go to the rocking chair. But that's not all. Sometimes, when there is no time for a rocking chair, simple exercises in the morning will extend the life of your musculoskeletal system for many years. After all, you are men, keep yourself in good shape.

Such exercises are more suitable for women than the gym

For example, I became so carried away by this healthy lifestyle that I stopped drinking completely. Somehow everything went downhill. And you know, I don’t regret one bit that one day my wife suggested that I take up this, at first glance, useless and free business. But no, I still thank her for starting it and for now supporting this tradition of ours, so to speak. And women, force your men, boyfriends, sons to do physical exercise. They will be healthier.

And don’t forget about this matter yourself. For example, I don’t understand the complaints of friends when they say that their wives complain about being overweight. I don’t have such situations, and I don’t even laugh at jokes on this topic. Do you just want a good figure? - Get busy. Do you want a healthy body throughout your life? - Get busy.

The essence of Pilates

This area of fitness is a set of movements aimed at strengthening the muscles of the body, improving posture, as well as training a sense of balance and balance. It is worth talking about the technique of performing exercises separately, as this is an extremely important topic. Positive results can only be obtained if they are performed correctly.

You should pay attention to the fact that in Pilates the main importance is not the number of exercises, but their quality. They are performed within the complex one after another, smoothly replacing each other. At the same time, during training you will not have to sweat, but the tension will be strongly felt in all the muscles involved.

Pilates classes at home

Yes, a Pilates class is free and no one will prosecute you, trying to prove that this system is allegedly protected by copyright. If you have a desire to study, study at home. Learn lessons with videos like we did. And if you want to pay, then you pay exclusively for the time spent in the fitness club and for the time that the trainer devotes to you. In fact, yoga and Pilates are practically from the same sandbox.

As you can see, everything is quite simple. The most important problem is your desire, or rather the lack thereof. Although desire alone will not be enough. After all, you need to make a decision and do it. Try taking a trial Pilates class. Not for one day, but for about two weeks.

Features of Pilates training: basic principles

Few modern athletes know that such a popular sport actually has a rather long history. The exercise system was invented more than a hundred years ago.

At the end of the nineteenth century in Germany, near Düsseldorf, a tiny, sickly boy named Joseph Pilates was born. Since childhood, he suffered greatly from asthma and rheumatic fever, but his will and love for life were very strong in him. Therefore, at an early age, he began to think about how to strengthen his body. By the age of fourteen, he had developed a system of special exercises that helped him get rid of problems in the body, almost completely recovering. As a result, the guy moved to live in America, where he found many like-minded people. It was from there that Pilates spread throughout the world.

The main principles of Pilates

These postulates were invented by the inventor of the health-improving exercise system himself. Therefore, it makes sense to study them carefully and also strictly follow them in order to achieve your goal.

Correct execution of exercises and concentration on the process

Quality is much more important than quantity and loads - this is what Joseph Pilates believed. You should not rely on weights or the maximum number of repetitions, but concentrate on performing the movements correctly. Otherwise, you will do everything in vain, and you will not get the desired effect.

Centralization around the press

The entire Pilates system is based on stabilizing the power belt using the abdominal muscles. During exercises, you need to strictly ensure that the stomach does not protrude, imagining that the navel is glued to the spine. This will avoid injury.

Breathing is important

Thanks to proper breathing, this complex allows you to saturate all systems and tissues of the body with oxygen. This boosts your metabolism and makes your body and brain work much more efficiently. In this case, the system involves thoracic breathing, and not abdominal breathing, as in most other options. In this case, you should always inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Complete control over the body and muscles

It is important to perform all exercises with complete control of a muscle or group of muscles. To do this, you will have to learn to subordinate the body to consciousness, and not vice versa. Therefore, Pilates cannot be considered a method of emergency weight loss for the holidays. This is a slim system for restoring natural muscle balance.

Technique and precision

There is nothing secondary or unimportant about this technique. Every movement here has its own meaning and purpose. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to technology. The inventor himself said that even one repetition, performed correctly, will bring much more benefit than a hundred, but done with errors.

Smoothness

Another very important condition for those who really decide to succeed. In this way, Pilates is a bit like dancing. All movements should be very smooth, slowly flowing from one to another. The correct breathing rhythm plays a big role in this, as already mentioned.

Isolation of certain muscles

The principle is based on the fact that all non-working muscles should be at rest and relaxed. To achieve this, many positions in the system are structured in such a way as to make this task as easy as possible for the athlete.

Presentation and Visualization

Pilates uses the principle of imagining the desired, desired result. Using visual images to draw attention to certain problem areas makes it easier to learn the technique of performing exercises.

Regularity and systematicity

You can do Pilates every day, because it is a less traumatic sport than most others. However, it is best to exercise 2-4 times a week. The main thing is to observe regularity, otherwise all previously obtained results will be reset.

Basic principles of Pilates

Many women use Pilates for their legs and buttocks to improve the appearance of these body parts. However, it can also help you get rid of excess fat. We can recommend this type of fitness to the following categories of people:

having problems with the spinal column;
with poor posture;
elderly;
with a weakened immune system;
women during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby.

And now it’s time to talk about the basic principles of this area of fitness:

centering - when performing any movement, the back should be extended in a line, the stomach should be pulled in, and the body muscles should be tense;
concentration – you need to concentrate on any element of the training and perform it with full dedication;
control - it is necessary to keep all muscles of the body under control, not just working ones;
accuracy - your body should always be a straight line;
breathing - you need to inhale air deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth;
traction – during the lesson the spinal column should be extended, the shoulders should be lowered, and the shoulder blades should be brought together.

Benefits of Pilates

To ensure the effectiveness of this area of fitness, it is worth getting acquainted with its main advantages:

the abdominal and back muscles are strengthened, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the spinal column, and also allows you to make your tummy flat;
the spinal column is stabilized;
regular exercise helps strengthen all the muscles of the body;
Pilates was created for the rehabilitation of injured athletes and is therefore practically safe for the body;
posture improves, which is visually noticeable;
learn to control your breathing and your body will never experience oxygen deficiency;
Thanks to the deep breathing technique, stress is relieved;
body flexibility and performance of the articular-ligamentous apparatus improves;
blood pressure decreases;
Great for people of any age;
There are complexes that can be performed during pregnancy.

Let's move on to action

You can and should do Pilates for weight loss at home. However, it is better to conduct the first lessons with an experienced instructor who will explain important principles and the basics of the methodology. After mastering them, you can start training on your own.

The weight loss system includes more than 500 exercises. They are aimed at working different muscle groups. Here is an example of the simplest and most effective movements that you can use at home.

№1

Stand with your shoulders down and your feet slightly apart;
Pull your stomach in, tensing your muscles;
Bend over, touching your hands to the floor without lifting your heels;
Without changing your position, take 3-4 steps forward;
Stop, “pull” the muscles, feeling their stretch;
Sit down;
Arch your back, pulling your shoulder blades back;
Stretch the muscles for 10 seconds, feeling the stretch.

Repeat the movements 20 times, constantly changing the order of sequential actions.

№2

Lie on your side;
Pull your stomach in, tensing your muscles;
Raise the “active” leg, which is located on top;
Make circular movements with it.

Muscle work is performed for 4-5 minutes. Then the position is changed by making rotational movements with the other leg.

This exercise helps eliminate fat deposits from the sides.

№3

Roll over onto your back;
Pull your stomach in, tensing your muscles;
Focus on your buttocks;
Raise your upper body and straightened legs at the same time 15 times.

With these exercises you will get perfect abs.

№4

Roll over onto your stomach, move onto all fours;
Pull your stomach in, tensing your muscles;
Raise your right arm and left leg at the same time;
Don't move for 10 seconds;
Change active limbs.

Repeat the movements 20 times.

№5

Smoothly lower yourself to the floor, placing your arms along your body;
Pull your stomach in, tensing your muscles;
Raise your arms and legs at the same time;
Swing them for 1 minute.

Repeat three times.

When combining exercises for the complex, make sure that all muscle groups “work” during training. After 2-3 months of training, change the complex. This way you can avoid the addictive effect and continue improving your body.

Disadvantages of Pilates

Yes, at first glance, Pilates for legs and buttocks may seem like an ideal choice. However, this direction also has its drawbacks. First of all, we are talking about burning fat.

You can lose weight with it, but it is not the best way. A set of exercises will help keep your body muscles in good shape, but you cannot gain muscle mass through training. Contraindications include heart and vascular diseases, exacerbation of joint diseases, and serious problems with excess weight.