Strength training and heavy weights go hand in hand, but there are so many different ways to strengthen the muscles in your entire body — even traditionally low-impact exercises like Pilates [1].
Take it from Naomi Idol [2] — a Pilates instructor and the creator of TONED by Naomi at Fit Atelier [3] — who designed her program to strengthen and tone the entire body through elements of Pilates, barre, and functional fitness practices.
"The Pilates foundation of class is always centred around the core. It is so important to be conscious of our core engagement during any workout, but especially TONED," Idol says.
While you're engageing your core, Idol says that you can focus on strengthening your lower body at the very same time — the same goes for your upper body and your back and chest.
If you're hesitant to pick up a set of heavy weights due to injury concerns, it's all the more reason to explore Pilates — just get the go-ahead from your doctor first!
"All Pilates-based exercises can be performed with bodyweight resistance and be just as effective as when performed with light weights for extra resistance," Idol says. "If you're looking to make bodyweight work more intense, you can always increase reps, decrease rest times, perform variations and modifications to make it more difficult and increase time under tension to continue to build upon strength. You'll notice that you get incrementally stronger, meaning that you can build on resistance over time."
Idol also says that in TONED classes, high-impact exercises are skipped, in order to eliminate pressure on the joints. "Instead, the heart rate is elevated through the toning and strengthening exercises."
Give Idol's method a go for yourself with the 10-minute workout ahead — the moves are all focussed on strengthening the body through bodyweight resistance, which means no equipment needed! Idol recommends resting for 20-30 seconds between moves, but remember to listen to your body, work at your own pace, and always take rest as you need it.
"For a quick warmup to wake the body up, I like to reach my arms overhead as I inhale, then lower and cross centre as I exhale. I perform this three times to prepare the body, mind, and breath for the workout," Idol says. To cool down, Idol suggests stretching the muscles that were worked during the exercise — do this while the muscles are still warm to speed up the recovery process and prevent soreness.
Pilates Push-Ups
"This should be performed slow and controlled,"Idol says. "While walking your hands in/out, focus on keeping the hips silent versus swaying back and forth. Draw shoulders down the back and engage the core."
- Begin standing at the edge of your mat with feet forward and hip-width distance apart. Inhale and reach up. Then, exhale and fold over.
- Walk hands out to plank. Keep the elbows hugged into your body, lower down, and push up back to plank.
- From plank, press up to a pike position. Walk your hands into a fold-over position. Roll up to standing.
- Repeat 8 times.
- To modify this exercise, lower knees to the mat during plank and untuck the toes, perform the push-up, and press up to pike.
Lunge Extensions
Idol says that lunges can be challenging to balance — so ensure the core is engaged to improve your overall stability.
- Begin in a runner's lunge position with arms overhead.
- Step one leg wide to the front, bend into the lunge with your knee directly over your ankle and your back leg extended straight, pressing through the lifted heel. Hips should be squared off to your front.
- Extend your front leg straight by squeezing the glute to lift out of the lunge while lowering arms. Lift slowly for 2 counts.
- Bend and press back to the runner's lunge position while lifting arms overhead. Lower slowly for 2 counts.
- Repeat 8 times.
- Focus on both the squeeze to lift and the control/press to lower. Control both movements and ensure it is challenging to lift from the lunge. Draw your shoulders down your back when the arms lift.
- To modify, shorten the range of motion (ROM).
Lunge to Leg Extension
- Flow from the Lunge Extension exercise. Begin in a runner's lunge position. One leg should be stepped wide to the front. Bend into the lunge with your knee directly over your ankle, and your back leg extended straight pressing through the lifted heel.
- Lower your hands to the mat, framing your front foot. Press into a pike position while extending and lifting your front leg to the back. Point through your toe and reach the back leg long and squeeze the glute to lift.
- The opposite leg should remain straight with the heel lifted. Draw in through the core.
- Lower your lifted leg and draw through the centre, returning to the runner's lunge position. Lift the upper body.
- Repeat 8 times.
- Focus on controlling each movement. During the extension, focus on lengthening and keeping the leg straight. The leg should lift from contracting the glute, not from momentum. Continue to focus on the engagement of the core and drawing the shoulders down the back.
- To modify this exercise, lower the back knee to the mat directly under the hip as the leg lifts.
Lunge Extension to Leg Extension Combination
- Combine the Lunge Extension exercise with the Lunge to Leg Extension in Pike exercise.
- Begin in a runner's lunge position. One leg should be stepped wide to the front. Bend into the lunge with your knee directly over your ankle and your back leg extended straight, pressing through the lifted heel.
- Lower your hands to the mat, framing your front foot. Press into a pike position while extending and lifting your front leg to the back. Point through your toe and reach the back leg long and squeeze the glute to lift.
- The opposite leg should remain straight with the heel lifted. Draw in through the core.
- Lower your lifted leg and draw through the centre returning to the runner's lunge position.
- Lift the upper body. Extend your front leg straight by squeezing the glute to lift out of the lunge, lifting arms overhead. Lift slowly for 2 counts.
- Bend and press back to the runner's lunge position while lowering arms. Lower slowly for 2 counts.
- Repeat 8 times.
- Refer to the modifications of the Lunge extension and the Lunge-to-Leg Extension exercises.
- Repeat Lunge Extension, Lunge to Leg Extension in Pike, and Lunge Extension to Leg Extension Combination exercises on the opposite side.
Knee to Elbow/90° Leg Press
- Begin on all fours with your knees directly under your hips and your palms placed directly under shoulders.
- Lower one forearm to the mat with your elbow under your shoulder — opposite of your working leg.
- Draw your knee to elbow, cinching your waist and keeping your toe pointed. Draw in slowly for 2 counts.
- Move to 90-degree leg press with your foot flexed. Squeeze the glute to lift your leg while keeping the ankle in line with the knee. Lift slowly for 2 counts.
- Repeat 8 times on each side.
- Focus on engageing your core to protect your back and to prevent arching, specifically in the lower back as you perform the leg press.
- Make sure you aren't transferring all your weight to the supporting hip — you want equal weight distribution in both hips. Goal in mind should be using the core to draw knee to elbow and engageing the glute and hamstring to lift the bent leg.
One-Leg Bridge
- Begin on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width distance apart on your mat.
- Extend one leg long and draw the opposite foot closer to the centre. Place your arms straight down by your side, framing your body. Then, extend and reach one arm overhead (opposite of your extended leg).
- Press your foot into the mat and begin squeezing your glute to lift your tailbone, then your hips, and last, your back, off your mat — shifting the weight to the shoulders.
- At the same time, lift your extended arm and leg, and draw both into the centre using your core. Lift slowly for 2 counts.
- Lower one vertebrae down at a time with control — slowing releasing the squeeze of the glute. At the same time, lower your extended arm and leg to the starting position. Lower down slowly for 2 counts.
- Repeat 8 times on each side.
- Focus on and keeping the hips stabilized and in line with each other — make sure the weight is only shifted to the shoulders on the lift; no weight should be on your neck.
- The lower is just as important as the lift — control the lower using the same muscles to lift.
- To modify, keep both feet on the mat and both arms framing the body. Perform 16 reps if modifying.
Core Scissors
- Begin with your arms straight down by your side, framing your body.
- Draw knees to tabletop position, with your knees directly over your hips and your ankles in line with your knees. Extend legs straight up with toes pointed.
- Engage your core by drawing your navel into your spine and pressing your lower back into the mat. Lower one leg down straight, engageing your lower abs to control. Lift back up to meet your other leg. Lower the other leg down and lift.
- Alternate sides for 8 reps each side.
Core Scissors 2
- Repeat with the addition of placing your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide, engaging your upper abs to lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat.
- Alternate sides for 8 reps each side.
Core Scissors 3
- Repeat with keeping your head, neck, and shoulders lifted, and the addition of lifting your opposite shoulder towards the opposite leg.
- Then, alternate to the other side, lifting the other shoulder to the opposite leg.
- Return to centre.
- Alternate sides for 8 reps each side.
Side Reach
- Begin on both knees, hip-width distance apart.
- Extend one leg straight to your side.
- Take a side reach with one arm, shifting your weight away from the extended. The supporting hand will lower to the mat for balance directly under the shoulder.
- Engage your core to lift up, drawing your elbow into your hip and cinching your waist.
- Repeat 8 times.
Side Reach 2
- Lower the supporting hand to the mat directly under the shoulder, shifting the shoulder over the palm stacking the shoulders and the hips.
- Engage your core to lift up, drawing your elbow into your hip and cinching your waist.
- At the same time, lift the extended leg. Take a deeper side reach with one arm and lower the extended leg.
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