Foundational work is important, too!

Our first weekend  of training is done! Wow! In 18 hours I learned so much! And now I have the next 100 hours to practice, observe and do what I learned: the beginner systerm. Yes. That's right! Only the beginner system. But let me tell you, this isn't only for beginners! By the end of the weekend, I was curled up in the fetal position because it was the only position my abdominals would be in without screaming at me!!! 

...Let me start at the beginning and explain a little.

Early spring or end of winter, I started taking duet or semi private classes at the Power Pilates training studio. First, I did this because I loved it and I couldn't get enough. Second, I knew I wanted to enter the training program in the fall! I took once a week from my favorite instructor (sorry, Mom, you're my second favorite), got 33-50% of her attention, took mat classes (whenever I was in town and not teaching), and then worked out the rest of the time on my own or in Mom's classes. 

Somewhere in the middle of summer, I stopped practicing on my own. I was traveling, I barely had time to do anything. My once-a-week class was no longer helping me advance in my practice, I was just maintaining what I had. I finally got my butt into gear after a-month-and-a-half slipped away from me and got myself back into classes. My schedule was never the same. At least I was working out 3-4 times a week, however random it was. 

And guess what! I wasn't about to change that routine in order to prepare for a weekend of constant Pilates! Eighteen hours to be exact. Nope. I worked out Monday through Thursday as per usual and then, on Friday, our comprehensive training began. And we learned, practiced and did (multiple times) the "beginner" routine. 

Our instructor was right, it is the foundation of Pilates!!!! Every more advanced, or as I like to say, "fancy" exercise is prepared for by this group of excerises. It's amazing. No wasting time. Just my style. But just because it is called beginner, does not mean it is only meant for beginners. Everybody can step back and get a whole lot from this routine. Especially if you do it multiple times! Yikes! Your abs will be screaming! And plus, my upper legs, or more specifically butt, was already on fire from whatever Pilates routine I did during the week.

Let me be serious for a second. The foundation of Pilates is one of the most important things your body needs to be capable of, not only doing, but also perfecting and getting deeper into. I am so excited to put the brakes on my own practice, step back, and really dive into the Pilates method, starting at the beginning .... the foundation. I hope you feel the same way, but don't expect this to be easy!


Morgan