The Hundred: The Warm Up You Can Count (On)

Pilates Confession Time…

I have developed a deep love for the Hundred.

I never thought I’d be this person.

Evidently, once you start enjoying the Footwork series, it’s a slippery slope to Hundred fandom.

What’s Going on Here Anyhow?

Maybe you learned that the Hundred is your big warmup on the Mat and the Reformer.

The Cadillac versions of the Hundred can serve to refine your skills or offer up a challenge depending on your relationship to the springs.

Joe Pilates packs so much good stuff into this very first exercise that you won’t want to miss:

• Deep steady breath control
• Lovely support of the entire back of you against the firm surface of the Mat
• Time (lots of it)
• Active stimulation and vigorous movement with your pumping action

The pumping action isn’t about flashy choreography. You’re literally pumping yourself up.

Use your choreography well to create strength and suppleness in the trunk of the body.

The Brilliance of Joe Pilates

Joe Pilates gives great help to new students of his method: you begin your workout fully supported by your apparatus on the Reformer and the Mat.

This is his subtle hint not to be concerned with the front of your body, you’re after something else: the entire back of you.

Hmmm…

During his lifetime, Joe said lots of things about his method.

Here’s my favorite:

I believe this to be the main tenet of the Pilates System.

And the Hundred starts you off perfectly by placing your entire back along the firm surface of the Mat or Reformer. You’ve got support, feedback, and plenty of time on your hands to get the job done.

Use your time wisely.

The Hundred on the Mat

I imagine I can lift my entire trunk (the same trunk that sits on top of the Short Box) away from my feet and essentially iron it longer a-l-o-n-g the surface of the Mat.

The Mat behind me tells me if my back is working properly, or if it’s even on the Mat at all. This is good information I’ll need later in my workout.

How are you doing today?

The Hundred helps you find out.

Efficiently.

All in one long-ass exercise.

You’ll need considerable time to see where you are today and to get warm for the next big stretches in your workout.

Welcome to your workout!

The Hundred On the Reformer

When I took my first group class on the apparatus I had been taking Mat classes for almost a year. I was very familiar with the Hundred although I was new to the Reformer.

Initially with the handles in my hands, on a moving platform there was suddenly SO much going on compared to being alone and untethered on my Mat.

“Why do people like this??” I thought. So many pesky things to deal with…

*Spoiler alert!* It didn’t take me long to cozy up with new Reformer versions of my old familiar exercises. Eventually, I came to realize those springs underneath the carriage could help my Hundred.

Who knew?

And still you’ve got that Mat under you as well. It’s just a bit smaller.

Now:

What would happen if you hold the carriage in place with your body (what’s on the carriage) rather than your arms holding the straps?

Give it a try and feel the magic of the Reformer.

Side Note: Why is the Overhead the 3rd Exercise?

Whether it’s the Roll Up/Roll Over on the Mat or the Overhead on the Reformer, the Hundred is where you’ll build the foundation for that 3rd exercise that comes “out of nowhere” in your prescribed order of exercises.

I like to think of it this way:

“You want to become a dancer (a Pilates Practitioner)? You’re going to have to work…You’ve got big dreams. You want fame (the Overhead). Well, fame costs.

And right here (Footwork, the Hundred) is where you start paying. In sweat.” 

The Hundred on the Cadillac

As is often the case on the Cadillac, you’ve got a little something for everyone.

Is the spring helping you or making your Hundred more challenging?

In this version, you’ll face the springs and get some assistance as you reach toward them.

It’s nice!

Not I’m-a-first-time-beginner-and-I’ve-never-done-this-before nice, but let’s compare this Hundred to our next option:

Now you’ll have the springs coming from behind you in a decidedly not-so-helpful version of the Hundred. This one can be a challenge. If you’re a lover of all things Lying Down Arm Springs, this is for you!

In this short video I take a look at a handful of iterations of your beloved Hundred. It’s such a versatile exercise. Every body can benefit.

Watch the Video!

What’s your fave Hundred? Leave me a comment and let me know 🙂

(Or bring your Sweet Hundred to my online classes with this link!)