Pilates Lingo

Pilates instructors have a language all their own, so get with the program if you want to be in the know. Here's a Pilates glossary of terms to help you out:

Abs
Or abdominals, referring to the muscles in the front of the stomach. They include your rectus abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques and the transverse abdominal muscle.

Barrels
The large and small Barrels are specialized Pilates apparatus that enhance breathing, develop both the arms and legs, and work the spine to help correct posture. Instead of using barrels, beginning students may substitute firm pillows.

Body-mind connection
The state of focusing the mind on the body's movements. To some extent Pilates represents a blend of Western and Eastern approaches to fitness: one is dynamic, stressing motion, strength, and muscle tone, while the other is static, focusing on stretching, rest, and contemplation. An increased body-mind connection will allow clean, centered movement free from strain, while the physical exercises can relieve mental fatigue. In essence, the mind and body should not be in conflict, but should instead work in concert.

Hundred
Or Breathing 100s is the first exercise in the mat sequence and is used as a warm up. The Hundred works everything: your abs are engaged, your legs are stretched, your arms are pumping vigorously, and your lungs are fully inflated and deflated with each set. As you pump your arms you inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts and repeat 10 times totally 100 breaths in all.

Cadillac
Also called "The Rack" or "Trapeze Table" this popular piece of equipment is one of the most effective and versatile of all Pilates apparatus. It comprises a raised, horizontal table top with a four-post frame to which are affixed a variety of bars, straps, springs, and levers. It is perfect for those with injuries and people who cannot fit on the reformer.

Centering
One of the most important of the six Principles of Pilates, and the main focus of the method, since all work starts from your core or center.

Chin tucked
Tucking the chin elongates the muscles in the back of the neck and can provide a good stretch for those who have a "forward head." Think of it as giving yourself a double chin or holding a golf ball between your chin and your chest.

Classical Pilates
Pilates training that strictly adheres to the traditional exercises and methods of Joseph Pilates.

Contemporary Pilates
Pilates training that includes new developments in exercise technique and science.

Contrology
The name that Joseph Pilates originally gave to his method of exercise. Pilates is now the preferred and popular term.

Core strength
The balanced development of the deep and superficial muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body, especially the abdominals and muscles of the back.

Extension
To extend is to take things further apart. Anatomically we say that we are using our muscles as extensors when we use them to decrease the angel between parts.

First-generation teacher
Refers to any teacher of Pilates who learned the Method directly under Joseph Pilates. Some of the most notable include Kathy Grant, Carola Trier, Ron Fletcher, Eve Gentry, Romana Kryzanowska, Mary Bowen, Lolita SaMiguel, and Bruce King. The students of first-generation teachers who then become teachers themselves are known as second-generation teachers

First position
A ballet term that means turning your feet out from your hip joints. Your heels will touch and your toes are pointed out to the sides. Sometime called Pilates stance or turn out.

Flexion
To flex is to decrease the angel between parts. Flexing ones muscles usually results in bringing boney parts closer together. For example forward flexion brings the shoulder girdle and pelvis closer together.

Foot bar
On the reformer it is the bar where your feet are placed during footwork.

Frog legs
A position of your legs that are in a turned out position. When bending from your knees and pushing out your legs look like that of a frog.

Functional fitness
Fitness training that is designed to mimic and improve the kinds of movement activities that people perform in everyday life.

Headlights
Imaginary headlights that shine out from the front of your pelvic bones. Visualizing these headlights will help you to tuck and arch your pelvis until you achieve a neutral pelvis position with your headlights shining level straight in front of you.

Hundred
Or Breathing 100s is the first exercise in the mat sequence and is used as a warm up. The Hundred works everything: your abs are engaged, your legs are stretched, your arms are pumping vigorously, and your lungs are fully inflated and deflated with each set. As you pump your arms you inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts and repeat 10 times totally 100 breaths in all.

Imprinting
The action of isolating each individual vertebra of the spine, using either the breath and/or movement.  Imprinting one vertebra at a time on the mat.

Inner eye
An internal sense of body awareness. Use your inner eye to scan your posture and alignment.

Intercostal muscles
The muscles that run diagonally between each rib (also known as rib cage abs). Intercostals help to control the expansion and contraction of your rib cage when you breathe.

Lateral breathing
Directing the breath into the sides and back of the ribcage.

Level your eyes
To focus your eyes horizontally straight ahead of you. Leveling your eyes will help maintain proper neck and head placement, as well as enhance your balance.

Magic Circle
The Pilates magic circle is a flexible ring, usually metal, with padded handles, about 13 inches in diameter. The magic circles are used to provide resistance and neuromuscular feedback in an exercise. They are especially popular for toning the arms, chest, hips and thighs.

Marionette string
An image to encourage lengthening throughout your spine. Visualize a string extending from the crown of your head to the ceiling, suspending your entire spine along its length, from head to tailbone.

Mat
The most basic and essential of all Pilates apparatus. Exercises done on the mat work the core, including the abs, and lay the groundwork for all other exercise equipment.

Midline
An anatomical direction referring to a vertical, invisible line through the middle of the body.

Navel to spine
The process of drawing your abdominal muscles up and in as you imagine your navel drawing toward your spine. This is an original cue that was used by Joseph Pilates. Performing navel to spine as you exhale will increase stability in your torso and facilitate centered movements that emanate from your core.

Neck lengthened
An element of good posture achieved by sending energy out the top of the head. A lengthened neck maintains the natural curve of the neck and counteracts compression of the vertebrae that can occur with slumping.

Neutral pelvis
The pelvis in its most naturally efficient alignment. It's neither tucked under nor arched back; nor is it tilting to one side. In this position, your headlights are level and your pubic bone and hip bones are level.

Neutral spine
A balanced spine that maintains its natural curves. Pilates encourages you to identify and achieve your neutral spine. A misaligned spine causes compensating muscles to work too hard, which can result in undue stress, fatigue, pain, and potential injury. A neutral pelvis lies within a neutral spine.

Parallel stance
When the feet, ankles, knees, and legs are aligned directly under the hip joints, with the toes pointing forward. For most people, the inner borders of the big toes will be 4 to 6 inches apart in parallel stance.

Pelvic clock
The pelvic clock is a very subtle exercise in which the pelvis moves in a circle from 12 o’clock being under your belly button to 3 o'clock your left hip to 6 o'clock your pubic bone and 9 o'clock your right hip back to 12 o'clock.. The pelvis only moves an inch or so in each direction. While that may not sound interesting, smaller movements like these provide the foundation for understanding how to position the pelvis and engage the abs effectively. This exercise will also help reveal muscular imbalances of the back and abdominals.

Pelvic floor muscles
The deep internal muscles engaged when halting urination or performing a Kegel exercise.

Pilates Method Alliance
The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) is a not-for-profit professional association dedicated to the Pilates method.

Pilates Principles
The six core principles that govern the correct execution of Pilates exercises, namely, Breathing, Centering, Control, Concentration, Flowing Movement, and Precision. To gain the most from the method, you must understand and apply these six principles to each exercise you perform.

Pilates stance
A position of slight outward rotation of the thighs, originating from the hip sockets. When you stand in Pilates stance, the heels are pressed together and the toes point outward at 45° angles. When you perform The Hundred in Pilates stance, the position is identical, but the feet are pointed. This position emphasizes the center line of the body.

Pooched abs
Abdominal muscles that are pushed out. Weak abs tend to pooch, which can strain the lower back.

Popping the ribs
Splaying and spreading the ribs. Popping the ribs weakens the torso and can overarch the back, as in military posture.

Powerhouse
The "girdle of strength" in the center of your body, just below your navel. Engaging your Powerhouse involves the lower abs, lower back, pelvic floor, and smile muscles.

Reaching in opposition
Pilates is all about opposition. As one muscles pulls in one direction another pulls in the opposite direction with equal strength.

Reformer
This Pilates apparatus is a sophisticated system of springs, straps, and pulleys, with a gliding platform on which you can sit, kneel, stand, or lie on the front, back, or side. It is designed to promote torso stability and postural alignment. You can perform more than 100 exercises on this versatile piece of equipment. The adjustable springs allow for progressive resistance, which helps in strengthening and lengthening muscles gradually.

Scapula
The flat, triangular, wing-like bones that sit on each side of the upper back. The scapula are part of the shoulder girdle. Also known as shoulder blades or wingbones.

Scooping your abs
To scoop your abs means to draw the deepest layers of the abdominal muscles up and in to stabilize the body and support the back. This action supports powerful movement emanating from the center of the body and helps to flatten your tummy.

Second-generation teacher
Refers to any teacher of Pilates who has learned the Method directly under one of Joseph Pilates' original students, known as "first-generation teachers."

Shoulder blades into your back pockets
An image to encourage upper back and shoulder stability. Visualize your shoulder blades moving down your back into the back pockets of your jeans.

Sitting up out of your hips
An image to encourage length in the spine while seated. Initially, you may need to sit on a firm pillow to do this. Sending energy out of the top of your head and down through your pelvis will lengthen your spine and prevent slumping. Sit up out of your hips to achieve a neutral spine in the seated position.

Sit bones, or Sitz bones
Anatomically part of your pelvis (the ischial tuberosity, to be exact), the sit bones are quite literally the bones under the flesh of the butt that you sit on.

Smile muscles
The muscles at the base of your buttocks, where the backs of your thighs insert into your pelvis. They form a smiling U shape under each buttock when engaged.

Sniff sniff, blow blow
A quick percussive breathing pattern used in conjunction with quick, precise movements. Breathe in percussively two times through your nose to inhale, and blow out percussively two times through your mouth to exhale. Don't be afraid to make noise while you breathe!

Spine Corrector
The Pilates Spine Corrector Barrel was designed by Joseph Pilates to be used as a way to open the chest and correct the curvature of the spine. As we age, muscles sometimes weaken causing our spine to lose its natural curve. The Spine Corrector Barrel strengthens the abdominal, back and shoulder muscles to keep the spine supple and young. The chest opens, shoulders straighten, and any "hump" back disappears. An open chest allows for easer, deeper breathing.

Tabletop Legs
The knees are bent so that the thighs are perpendicular to the floor and the shins are parallel to the floor.

Tucking the tailbone
Taking the pelvis and rotating it backward as if you were trying to reach your pubic bone to your nose. Is the opposite of sticking your butt out or lessening the curve in your lower back.

Vertebrae
The 32 to 34 bones that make up the spine. Between the vertebrae are intervertebral discs that add cushioning and elasticity. Structural problems in the spine, such as too much or too little curvature, cause poor posture. One of the benefits of Pilates is to strengthen the core muscles to improve posture.

Wunda Chair
A Pilates exercise apparatus designed to help you find and strengthen your core. On this machine you can perform more than 75 exercises involving push-up-like moves with the arms. It also develops the knees and restores a sense of proper balance.

Zipper or zip up your abdominals
An image to draw the lower abs up and in, as in "zipping the lower abs". Visualize zipping up a very tight pair of jeans, beginning at the level of your pubic bone.