How to Do a Pilates Burpee For a Serious Ab Burn (With or Without a Reformer)

by admin 96 Comments

Fitness
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

Woman performing a Pilates burpee on a reformer apparatus

Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s a reason burpees are a mainstay in many HIIT classes — the exercise works nearly every muscle group in your bod in a single move. “When done correctly, the burpee can have incredible health benefits,” Grace Taylor, PT, DPT, previously told POPSUGAR. “They activate many muscles, including the glutes, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, pecs, lats, and triceps.”

In its traditional form — when you jump back into a high plank, do a push-up, and then jump into a squat before finishing it all off with one more jump in place — the burpee is hardly a low-impact exercise. If you’re looking for a variation that’s easier on your joints, may we introduce you to the Pilates burpee?

With this variation, which is popular in Pilates classes, you use a reformer or sliders to slide back into a deep lunge, lower into a plank, and then say a prayer for your burning abdominal muscles. “The Pilates version of a burpee is a full-body exercise that works your arms, abs, and glutes simultaneously, and at the same time can operate as a high-intensity cardiovascular exercise depending on your speed,” says Betsy Blumenfeld, founder of Salt Pilates in San Diego.

Benefits of Pilates Burpees

There are so many things to love about a Pilates burpee (minus the fact that, you know, it burns). And while there are a lot of sensational headlines that say one exercise move can transform your whole body head to toe, do your taxes, and convince a French monarch to propose marriage to you, the Pilates burpee actually does work your entire body while building strength and providing cardio conditioning. And it does all this while being low-impact, meaning you always have at least one foot on the floor, unlike a traditional burpee. So, yeah, the hype is real!

This move helps improve balance, promote better overall mobility, and hone your strength. This is because it requires a specific and precise flow of movements, and because it’s typically done at a slow pace (read: it’s also a great way to forge a stronger mind-body connection).

How to Do a Pilates Burpee

Women performing a Pilates burpee using sliders

With Slider Discs or Towels

If you’re doing this without a reformer, you’ll need some slider discs, or folded washcloths or small towels, depending on what type of floor you’re on. This allows for a replicated sliding motion, like the moving carriage of a Pilates reformer.

  1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, with a slider or towel under each foot.
  2. Sink low into a squat, placing your hands down on the floor just in front of your feet, shoulder-width apart.
  3. Slide both feet backward until you’re in a high plank position, forming a straight line from shoulders to heels.
  4. Do a push-up, keeping your elbows close to your ribs. Keep your torso and hips steady in plank position.
  5. Using your core and without rounding your back, slide your feet back up to your hands so you’re in a crouch or a low squat.
  6. Lift your chest back up into your squat and stand tall. That’s one rep.

With Zero Equipment: Bodyweight Pilates Burpees

  1. With your feet wider than your hips, sink low into a squat and place your hands down onto the ground.
  2. Step one foot back at a time into a plank.
  3. Hold the plank steady, or take a triceps push-up with your elbows narrow to your ribs.
  4. Push back up to straight arms.
  5. Step one foot at a time outside of your hands, using your stomach muscles.
  6. Lift your chest back up into your squat and stand tall to start again.

Pilates Burpee on a Reformer

The classic presentation of this exercise is on a Pilates apparatus. Blumenfeld says this move takes shape in a couple different ways on a reformer. As for your spring settings, “Start with a blue spring [moderate resistance],” she says. “Use red [lighter resistance] if you need extra assistance, or yellow [heavier resistance] if you want an extra challenge.” Below are her two iterations with equipment.

Option 1: Add the Box

If you’re in a Pilates studio with equipment, try this:

  1. Put the box (in short box position) against the shoulder pads.
  2. Find a plank with your hands on the box and your feet on the standing platform (by the springs).
  3. Do a push-up (a triceps push-up if you want to keep it aligned with Pilates), then bend both knees to bring the carriage back in to the stoppers.
  4. Transfer the weight to your heels to find a squat.
  5. Stand up.
  6. Bend back into a squat to place your hands back on the box, and push back out to your plank line to complete additional reps.

Option 2: Without the Box

Blumenfeld prefers the addition of the box on the reformer, but she says this is a suitable option if you don’t have access to one.

  1. With your hands on the foot bar, find a plank line with your feet against the shoulder pads of the reformer.
  2. Follow the same instructions as above, but when you find your squat, you will be in relevé (raised onto your “tippy toes,” or the balls of your feet) with your heels against the box or shoulder pads. So instead of standing all the way up, hold the squat (you can pulse there for added challenge or not).
  3. Place your hands back on the bars and press back out into a plank for additional reps.

Pilates Burpees Form Tips

Now let’s work on that form to ensure you’re performing this move safely and effectively! Blumenfeld shares her tips below:

  • Feel the connection between your arms, legs, and abdominals.
  • Hold your plank in a straight, long line, with your shoulders level to your hips.
  • For the squat, keep your knees behind your toes, with your stomach muscles hugging in and up, away from your thighs.
  • Keep your shoulders proud and away from your ears throughout the movement.
  • The squeeze of your glutes throughout the plank will give you added support.

Pilates Burpee Modifications

If you’re building your strength while you nail the form, no worries (we’re right there with ya!). “Move at a slower pace and eliminate the push-up,” Blumenfeld says. Additionally, you can “do the plank portion on your knees instead of toes.” It’s better to have proper form for a safe and effective exercise — and it’s better for your body in general! Remember, Blumenthal says: “Control always wins over speed and reps.”

If you want to take things up a notch: “To make this more challenging, you can jump in and out of the plank and add a squat jump at the top of the exercise,” she says. Now get ready to feel the burn!

This article was originally published by Popsugar.com. Read the original article here.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

Products You May Like

Articles You May Like

A Streaming Guide to Saturday Night
Everything We Know About Outer Banks Season 5
I Worked Out, Worked, and Ate at My Gym For a Week — and I Might Do It Again
Google’s Most-Popular Gift Predictions Are Usually Right—Shop 36 Coveted Presents We Totally Agree On
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Are Enjoying ‘Some Alone Time Together’ Before Being Apart Again

96 Comments

  4. Hi, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any help is very much appreciated.

    Reply

  8. My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!

    Reply

  11. Java Burn: What is it? Java Burn is marketed as a natural weight loss product that can increase the speed and efficiency of a person’s natural metabolism, thereby supporting their weight loss efforts

    Reply

  12. I?¦ll immediately grasp your rss as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly allow me realize so that I may subscribe. Thanks.

    Reply

  13. What’s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & assist different customers like its helped me. Great job.

    Reply

  15. I discovered your blog site on google and check a couple of of your early posts. Proceed to maintain up the superb operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Looking for ahead to reading extra from you later on!…

    Reply

  16. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. cheers

    Reply

  17. Thank you a lot for giving everyone such a marvellous chance to check tips from this blog. It is always so cool and full of fun for me personally and my office colleagues to search your website nearly 3 times in 7 days to find out the latest issues you have got. And definitely, I am just certainly impressed concerning the powerful advice served by you. Certain 2 tips on this page are rather the simplest we’ve ever had.

    Reply

  18. Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you actually know what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also visit my web site =). We could have a link exchange arrangement between us!

    Reply

  19. Awesome blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Appreciate it

    Reply

  22. I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be much more useful than ever before.

    Reply

  23. I am no longer sure the place you are getting your information, however great topic. I must spend some time learning more or working out more. Thanks for fantastic information I used to be searching for this info for my mission.

    Reply

  24. I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. kudos

    Reply

  26. I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don’t know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!

    Reply

  27. We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable info to paintings on. You’ve done a formidable activity and our whole group will likely be thankful to you.

    Reply

  28. Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will always be stimulating to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their store. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my blog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web blog. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  31. You really make it seem so easy together with your presentation but I in finding this matter to be really something that I think I’d never understand. It sort of feels too complicated and very wide for me. I am looking forward for your subsequent post, I¦ll attempt to get the hang of it!

    Reply

  32. Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your website is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you?¦ve on this web site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched everywhere and simply could not come across. What an ideal web-site.

    Reply

  34. Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.

    Reply

  35. It is truly a nice and useful piece of info. I?¦m glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  36. I do like the manner in which you have presented this particular difficulty and it does indeed present us some fodder for thought. Nonetheless, coming from what precisely I have experienced, I just wish when the opinions pack on that individuals remain on issue and don’t embark on a tirade of some other news du jour. Yet, thank you for this outstanding piece and even though I do not necessarily concur with the idea in totality, I regard your perspective.

    Reply

  38. hello there and thanks on your information – I have certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did alternatively expertise several technical issues using this web site, since I skilled to reload the web site many times prior to I may just get it to load correctly. I have been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I am complaining, however slow loading instances instances will very frequently impact your placement in google and could damage your quality ranking if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I am including this RSS to my e-mail and can glance out for much more of your respective exciting content. Make sure you replace this again soon..

    Reply

  40. I will right away grasp your rss feed as I can not in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please allow me recognize in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

    Reply

  42. Fitspresso is a brand-new natural weight loss aid designed to work on the root cause of excess and unexplained weight gain. The supplement uses an advanced blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support healthy weight loss by targeting the fat cells’ circadian rhythm.

    Reply

  43. Fitspresso is a brand-new natural weight loss aid designed to work on the root cause of excess and unexplained weight gain. The supplement uses an advanced blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support healthy weight loss by targeting the fat cells’ circadian rhythm.

    Reply

  47. Magnificent brat ! I would like tto apprentice aat the ame time as you amenbd
    yokur site, hoow can i subscribe for a blpg website? Thhe account aaided
    mme a applicable deal. I have bee a little bit familisr
    of tbis our broadcasat providded brilliiant ckear
    idea

    Reply

  48. Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I would like to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.

    Reply

  49. I’ve been surfing online more than three hours these days, yet I by no means discovered any fascinating article like yours. It¦s lovely value enough for me. In my view, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will probably be a lot more helpful than ever before.

    Reply

  50. Thanks for every other magnificent post. Where else may just anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the look for such information.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *