reading

CONTENTS

A foreword

NOSE BREATHING

Training in special conditions

Weak or sensitive neck

Shoulders, elbows, wrists

Back

Hips

Knees

Ankles

Pregnancy

To Bear in Mind

HYPER-EXTENSION OF THE JOINTS

POSITIONS OF THE FEET

QUALITY/QUANTITY

POSITIVE ATTITUDE / PERSEVERANCE

The Six Basic Principles

CENTRE

CONCENTRATION

CONTROL

PRECISION

BREATHING

FLOW OF MOVEMENT

Key Concepts

“V” FEET POSITION

CENTRAL LINE AND “BOX”

NAVEL TO SPINE: “INWARDS AND UPWARDS”

CHIN TO CHEST

SPINE ARTICULATION VERTEBRA BY VERTEBRA

“C”-CURVE

EXERCISES ONTHE SMALL BARREL

INTRODUCTION SMALL BARREL

EXERCISE LEVELS FOR THE SMALL BARREL

INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM

ADVANCE SYSTEM

SMALL BARREL EXERCISES INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM

I - STRETCH

II – ARM CIRCLES

III – LEGS SERIES

LEGS CIRCLES

WALKING

BEATS

IV – ROLLING IN AND OUT

V – REST POSITION

SMALL BARREL EXERCISES ADVANCED SYSTEM

I - LEG SERIES

SCISSORS

BICYCLE

EXERCISESSPINE CORRECTOR

INTRODUCTION SPINE CORRECTOR

EXERCISE LEVELS FOR THE SPINE CORRECTOR

INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM

ADVANCED SYSTEM

SPINE CORRECTOR INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM EXERCISES

I – STRETCH WITH BAR

II – ARM CIRCLES

III – LEGS SERIES

LEGS CIRCLES

WALKING

BEATS

ROLLING IN AND OUT

IV – TEASER 1, 2, 3

SPINE CORRECTOR ADVANCED SYSTEM EXERCISES

I – LEGS SERIES

SCISSORS

BICYCLE

II – HIP CIRCLES

III- LEGS CIRCLES ONTO THE HEAD

IV - SWAN

IV - GRASSHOPPER

V - ROCKING

VI - SWIMMING

VII – SIDE SIT UPS

VIII – SHOULDER BRIDGE

EXERCISES ON THE LARGE BARREL

INTRODUCTION LARGE BARREL

EXERCISE LEVELS FOR THE LARGE BARREL

INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM

ADVANCED SYSTEM

COMPONENTS OF THE LARGE BARREL

LARGE BARREL EXERCISES INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM

I – BALLET STRETCHES SERIES

FRONT

FRONT WITH A BENT LEG

II – BALLET STRETCHES SERIES

SIDE

SIDE WITH BENT LEG

III – SWAN ON THE BARREL

IV - HORSEBACK

V – SHORT BOX SERIES

THE HUG

FLAT

SIDE TO SIDE

VI - TWIST/REACH

VII – SIDE SIT UP

LARGE BARREL EXERCISES ADVANCED SYSTEM

I – BALLET STRETCHES SERIES

BACK

II – BACKWARD STRETCH

III – BACKWARD STRETCH HANGING

IV – SIDE SIT UP WITH ONE LEG

V - HANDSTAND

VI – JUMPING OFF THE STOMACH

About the Authors

A foreword

Our purpose for this book is to provide you with a directory of exercises, a specific order, and detailed recommendations and tips that allow you to enjoy Contrology as a tool of body development at home, in case you cannot attend a studio or wish to complement your private sessions. It is always highly advisable to have a teacher following your individual program.

The key to Contrology lies in developing and strengthening the “powerhouse”. You should start on this adventure with a predisposition for improvement, a positive attitude and an unwavering will.

The importance of the instructions and details given for each exercise could be summarized in this sentence by Pilates himself: “the development of the small muscles has an effect on the development of the bigger ones. As small bricks are used to build great buildings, thus each muscle has a role in the development of the muscle system as a whole”.

Find time to be alone, exercise is more pleasant and beneficial when mind and body are connected. Concentrating for some moments on centre, control, precision, flow and breathing is much more effective to reach a feeling of well-being and an increase in our self-esteem through practice than trying to achieve a specific result.

Take each movement to the limit of your ability, but not beyond, use your common sense and remember you must be in control at all times.

Introduce new exercises gradually, without rushing, don’t forget that Contrology, as presented in these books, is the result of a lifetime of research and for it to have sense and to reach optimal results, the book’s guidelines must be followed. Perform each exercise slowly but diligently, learning each one thoroughly before proceeding to the next one, until you can do the whole Basic System series of exercises to the smallest detail, and without having to look at the book. Doing an exercise without understanding the required conditions is ineffectual. At the beginning, it is normal to forget some small details. Even when you believe you know how to perform an exercise, there is still room for improvement if you review the instructions.

It will then be the moment to settle on doing all the Basic System series three times a week, day in, day out. When you can do this with a certain ease and flow, it will be the time to start introducing new exercises, one by one and in the proper order, no more than two new exercises per day and never doing more repetitions than indicated.

If you are a beginner, you should start on the mat, at home, for no more than fifteen minutes a day; and then gradually introduce longer mat exercises, never exercising for more than 45 or, at the most, 60 minutes.

You can check on your progress in two ways: doing a longer session on the mat with added exercises, or improving your rhythm and pace without losing control and knowledge by doing a system in less time.

PRECAUTIONS BEFORE GETTING STARTED - WARNINGS TO THE READER

• Do the exercises on a mat to protect your spine.
• If you need it, because when you lie on your back your head hangs too much and it feels uncomfortable, you can use a small pillow or a rolled towel under your nape.
• It is advisable to wear comfortable clothes for training. Remember you also breathe through your skin. Go barefoot or use socks.
• Avoid rich meals for at least an hour before the session.
• Patience, perseverance and constancy will be the best companions for your progress.
• It must be born in mind that doing the exercises of the advanced system requires you to have a “strong powerhouse” and NOT to suffer from any acute pain or injure.
• Work in silence so you can listen to your needs, difficulties and progress.

NOSE BREATHING

The nose filters, hydrates and directs the air towards the lungs, it warms the air, gives us the sense of smell, brings oxygen, creates mucus, drains the sinuses and affects the nervous system. Breathing and mind are interrelated; if you hold your breath, your mind will be alerted, if breathing is irregular, your mind loses focus. Being in command of our breathing makes our minds stronger and enhances concentration.

Joe Pilates used to say that “to breathe correctly, one must inhale deeply and then exhale all the air from the lungs as if wringing a soaked towel”.

Training in special conditions

As a general rule, if there is any injury or physical problem, training must avoid direct pressure over the affected area. Having said this, and as long as the pain allows for a degree of mobility, our long years of experience in Contrology and the positive results we have obtained lead us to believe that it is necessary to go on moving the body. It is beneficial to work on the development of a correct muscle balance and alignment, both usually lost when there is an injury and often cause of new ones. Also, Contrology focuses on the joints, protecting and strengthening tensors and ligatures and favoring blood flow for an overall improvement.

People who need a special healing treatment must unavoidably follow a full system of supervised movements until their health improves significantly; only then will they be able to exercise on their own. Any alteration of a previously established system must be supervised according to the individual needs. It is essential to understand that practicing Contrology on one’s own, even if it is a highly desirable goal, can be achieved only to a certain extent.

If you already feel pain or are uncomfortable around some part of your body, you must be very careful. Sharp pain is always a sign of alarm and it is advisable to ask a doctor about doing the exercises included in this book with no supervision. Next we present some modifications and advice, but remember at all times that all exercises should be performed without pain.

Weak or sensitive neck

If your neck is sensitive, roll a small pillow under your nape. If it is painful for you to lift your head when lying down, do not do it. Gradually, and only if it is possible, lift it for a few seconds and rest it again when you feel the effort is too much. Always use your “powerhouse” and not your neck to lift your head. Avoid exercises that require lifting your head or that put pressure on your shoulders and neck.

Shoulders, elbows, wrists