Powerful Pilates Core Workout is Day 6 in Heather Robertson‘s Fusion Flow series. I am not a fan of long core workouts but I wanted to do all Heather’s Fusion Flow Series so I did it. It was not enjoyable but it definitely worked my core well. Heather’s Fusion Flow is a week of “yoga, Pilates and barre inspired movements with my favorite HIIT exercises.” There are 7 approximately 30 minute workouts in this series and I am obviously doing them out of order. This workout contains 2 circuits. Other than some warm up moves at the very beginning, this entire workout is done on the mat. The first circuit is core work done on your back and the last circuit contains both plank based moves and more core exercises on your back. This is all body weight. No equipment needed except your mat. Reflecting back on Heather’s description of this series, this does not appear to have any yoga or barre elements–all pilates core work. Because this is my recovery day I followed this with Day 4 Stretch & Flexibility, which I loved.
Powerful Pilates Core Workout is 30:35 minutes; 2:25 minute minute warm up and 2:40 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat. The exercises are all done interval style: 30 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews your next exercise.
Circuit 1:
- Dead bug (lay on back, legs are raised w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and hands rest against thigh, raise one arm overhead while also extending the the same side leg straight and in line with your hips, alternate sides)
- Roll ups (lay on back ew/ legs straight and arms on mat overhead, do a full sit up, rolling spine as you come up, hinge forward into forward fold, hands reaching past feet at top of move)
- Pilates 100
- V-sit & twist (in straight leg V-sit/boat pose, hands are together in front of chest w/ elbows extended to sides at shoulder level, hold this pose while slowly twisting upper body/arms side to side)
- Kick & twist (lay on back w/ knees bent and feet on mat, hands behind head, pull one knee into chest and crunch upper body, tapping knee w/ opposite elbow, extend leg straight, lift same straight leg to ceiling while crunching upper body and reaching opposite hand to foot)
- Repeat #5 on other side of body
- Leg drops (lay on back with hands under glutes and head/shoulders elevated, legs are straight and extended to ceiling, alternate lowering one leg a few inches off mat)
- Full body crunch (still on back, reach arms overhead while extending legs straight and elevated a few inches off mat, bring knees into chest while crunching upper body and reaching hands to heels)
- Double bicycle (lay on back w/ legs raised and knees bent at 90 degrees, hands are behind head, extend one leg straight a few inches off mat while also crunching upper body and extending same side arm across bent leg, repeat on same side then repeat 2x on other side of body, continue doing move 2x on each side of body)
- Repeat #1-9
30 second rest
Circuit 2:
- Side plank (in modified straight arm side plank (bottom hand on floor, top arm extended to ceiling, bottom leg extended straight, top leg bend w/ foot on mat in front of you), raise and lower hips–you are also raised onto toe of front bent foot)
- Side crunch & twist (in elbow side plank w/ top hand behind head, lean torso forward, tapping top elbow to mat, lift torso so elbow is reaching to ceiling again, pull top knee into chest and tap top elbow to knee)
- Plank & tuck (in forearm/elbow plank, lift one leg behind you then pull knee into same side elbow outside of body)
- Repeat #1-3 on other side of body
- Bike lock (lay on back w/ hands behind head, bring one knee into chest, lifting shoulders in a crunch, bring opposite elbow to knee and hold in this position the entire interval, other leg is extended straight, raise and lower straight leg–from ceiling to a few inches off the floor)
- Repeat #5 on other side of body
- Bicycle crunch
- Repeat #1-7
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
