The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pilates Method

by Karon Karter

Overview

This book teaches the basics of the Pilates method of fitness, a whole body workout that strengthens the abs and back and straightens the posture. Practiced worldwide by dance companies, physical therapists, and health clubs, the method is especially good for pregnant women, for people who have special fitness needs because of chronic back pain, joint stress, or obesity, and for anyone wishing to prevent osteoporosis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101199145
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	12/11/2000
Series:	COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Karon Karter is the coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Kickboxing, as well as The Healthy Traveler: Eight Steps to Healthful Flying. She is certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and teaches pilates “mat” classes. Her pilates class appears in Fitness magazine’s Fitbuzz column and every week on ESPN2’s Crunch Fitness.

Table of Contents

I: Live In Your Body.

1: Join the Movement.

Introducing the Pilates Method.

The Thinking Body.

Body Therapy.

The Man Behind the Method.

Your Inner Athlete.

The Achy Breaky Body.

Granny Got Her Groove Back.

Stay Stronger Longer.

Battling Brittle Bones.

A Pea in a Pod.

Is It for You?

Listen to the Doctor's Orders.

In the Pursuit of Excellence.

Sweat Isn't Enough.

Strength and Length.

Risky Business.

Shattered Dreams.

A New You.

2: Fix Your Frame.

Message in Your Body.

Torso Talk.

No More Pain in the Back.

How Are Your Curves?

Got a Slumper, Here!

What's Up with Your Shoulders?

Is Your Head Straight?

Too Much Arch in Your Back.

Putting Your Pelvis in Neutral.

Supplying Spine Support.

The Powerhouse.

Where's Your Body?

3: Take Your Breath.

With Every Breath You Take.

Breathe Like a Baby.

Discover Your Basic Breath.

Detoxify Your Body.

Work on Your Stamina.

Become a Better Breather.

The Rules: Breathe Right!

Avoid Running On Empty.

Let It Flow.

Vow to Get More Air.

Trust Your Nose.

Tune Up Your Breath.

4: (Re)Discover the Perfect Body.

Spring to Life.

The Art of Training.

Concentrate on Your Moves.

Control is Crucial.

Discover Your Center.

Find Your Flow.

Move with Precision.

Build Your Breath.

Metabolism Makeover.

Train Yourself to a Better Body.

Eat Yourself Healthy.

Train Yourself Right-in Six Weeks.

Away with Aerobics?

No Way!

The Not-So-NewFitness.

Body Beautiful, but Not in a Day!

II: Show Me the Mat.

5: Befriend Your Body.

Body Wisdom.

Training with Symmetry: Muscle Imbalances.

Your Cheating Body Checking Out Your Form.

Initiation: Learning the Concepts.

Learning the Lingo: Pre-Pilates.

Transforming Your Transverse: Scoop.

Spine to Mat.

Peel Your Spine off the Mat.

Propelling Your Pelvis: Pelvic Clock Work.

Chin to Your Chest.

Pits to Your Hips.

Pinch, Pinch, Pinch Your Butt Cheeks.

Pinch, Lift, and Grow Tall.

Just for Feet.

Before You Go!

6: Sculpt Yourself into Shape.

A Perfect.

Strike a Stance: The Pilates "V" .

Wake Up Your Body with the Hundred.

Roll-Up.

Flex and Stretch: Hamstrings, Ankles, Leg Circles.

Ankle Circles.

Leg Circles.

Rolling Like a Ball.

Single- and Double-Leg Stretch.

Single-Leg Stretch.

Double-Leg Stretch.

Spine Stretch.

The Saw.

Seal.

Wrapping It.

7: Get the Man-Made Mat Body.

Busting Your Gut.

Securing Your Scoop.

The Strong and Long.

Corkscrews, Swans, and Neck Pulls, Oh My!

Open-Leg Rocker.

The Corkscrew.

Take Flight with the Swan Single-Leg Kick.

The Much-Needed Rest: Child's Pose.

Back to the Belly: Neck Pull.

It's a Wrap.

8: Graduate to the "It" Body.

Flaunting Your Flow.

Ready, Set, Rhythm?

If You've Got It, Flaunt It!

Love-Handle-Free and Loving It: The Fives.

Double-Leg Kick.

Shoulder Bridge (Stability).

Teaser 1.

Let's Go Swimming.

Head to Heel Like Steel: Leg Pulls.

The Finish Line.

III: Moving On Up.

9: Smart Sweating.

Boosting Your Ability.

Tackling the Next Level.

What's Next?

Control Is Crucial: The Rollover.

Hush Your Hips: Shoulder Bridge with Kicks.

It's a Stretch: Spine Twist.

Straight as a Pencil: The Jackknife.

Just Not Any Only Old Teaser: Super-Advanced.

Head to Heel Like Steel: Leg Pulls and Push-Ups.

Going the Other Way: Leg Pull Back.

A Different Class of Push-Up.

Be the Boss of Your Body.

10: The Intelligent Workout.

Body and Mind Integration.

See It, and Then Do It!

The Swan Dive.

Age-Defying Moves: The Scissors and the Bicycle.

Let's Dance: Can-Can to Hip Circles.

Hip Circles.

Precision Lifts: Kneeling Side Kicks, the Mermaid, and the Twist.

Pure Stretch: The Mermaid.

The Twist.

Balance in Motion: The Boomerang.

Last Call.

11: The Anticellulite Solution.

De-Fat Your Dimples.

Empowering Your Patootie.

Stay Square.

Off to Get a Better Butt: Weeks 1 and 2.

Bye, Bye, Butt Rut: Weeks 3 and 4.

Giving Up Your Rear: Weeks 5 and 6.

Boosting Your Bottom Line.

12: Flexing Muscles. To Tense or Not to Tense. My Stiff Neck. Muscle, Not Momentum! Leaning into the Wind.

Jiggy-Free: The Standing Arms Series.

Basic Biceps.

Boxing.

Develop Your Delts.

Pump It Up: Zip-Ups.

Stretch, Flex, Go: Circles, Chest Expansion, and Side Stretch.

Minor But Mighty.

IV: Instruments of Torture.

13: Body Reformer: The Rack.

The Rack: Reform It!

No Weights, No Problem!

Who Needs a Reformer?

The Underworked Muscles: The Feet.

The Total Body Reformer Workout.

Starting Off: The Foot Work.

The Hundred.

Leg Circles.

The Stomach Massage Series.

Short Box Series.

Knee Stretches.

Take a Run: Running.

Just Right!

14: Bednasium: The Cadillac.

Cruising Your Cadillac.

Aimless It Ain't!

No Short Cuts!

Cadillac Classics: The Exercises.

Returning to Core Concept: Rolling Back.

Breathe Right!

Breathing.

Oh La La: The Leg Spring Series.

The Monkey.

Hanging Up.

Half-Hang.

This Bed Is for You.

15: Body in Motion: The Wunda Chair.

It Does "Wunders" for Your Body.

Balance in Motion: Wunda Chair Basics.

Washer Woman.

The Pike.

Stretch with Pumping.

Swan on the Floor.

The Jackknife.

Spine Stretch.

Body Talk.

16: Spinal Soother: The Barrels.

Big and Small: The Barrels.

Baby Your Body.

Moving in Place: Basic Barrel Moves.

Gittyap: Horseback.

Backward Stretch.

Low Barrel Moves: Exercises.

The Scissors, the Bicycle, and Rolling In and Out.

Stretch Over the Barrel with Arm Circles.

Baby Your Back.

17: Simply Fit: The Magic Circle.

Introducing the Big O. Work It with the Big O.

Gut Buster.

Upper Body De-jiggle with the Magic Circle.

Lower-Body Buster with the Big O.

With Your Back Against a Wall.

Working the Wall.

Slide Down the Wall.

Rolling Down the Wall.

The End.

V: Forever Fit.

18: The Art of Teaching.

Give Life to a 90-Year-Old Method.

Aiming for Excellence.

Get to Know the Clients.

Made to Order: Program Designs.

Tip-Top Training: Strategies for the Teacher.

"F" Is for Frequency.

"I" Is for Intensity.

"T" Is for Time.

Dealing with Clients.

Keep Clients on Their Toes.

No Poking, Pushing, or Prodding.

Practice KISS.

Praise for Results.

Patience, Please.

But I've Never Danced!

Stay True to the System.

Where the Core Is!

Listen Up!

For the Love of Teaching.

19: If You Build It, They Will Come.

Are You a Homebody or Gym Body?

Just Don't Sculpt Your Bottom, Save It!

No Money Tree?

Who Are You?

What Are You Offering?

Booking Your Clients.

The Big Bucks.

The A-Team.

Now Hiring the A-Team.

For Rent!

Field of Dreams.

Start Spreading the News.

Buying the Equipment.

Finding the Right Stuff?

20: The Many Faces of Pilates.

The Good Old Days!

Will the Real Pilates Stand Up?

Sign Me Up to Join the Movement.

Study the Universal Method.

Avoid the Quacks.

The Universal Method Is Here for Good!

A Growing Trend.

VI: Appendixes

Appendix A: Certification Programs.

Appendix B: Glossary.

Index.