Joseph Pilates created and developed his signature exercise method as a means of balancing the muscles in the body to prevent injuries, improve health, and enhance movement function. He performed much of his work with athletes and dancers, who often emphasize hamstring flexibility at the expense of hamstring strength. The Pilates reformer facilitates effective hamstring strengthening exercise.
Using a Reformer
The Pilates reformer features a gliding carriage, a set of cables and a foot bar. A series of springs attached to the carriage control the resistance. Spring settings differ according to the reformer manufacturer. Pilates novices should ask a certified instructor to help them choose the proper spring settings. Pilates reformer hamstring exercises require additional equipment. The long box, when placed on top of the reformer carriage, increases the distance between your hamstrings and the springs and adds adequate resistance to the exercise. The jumpboard facilitates plyometric training, which causes you to bend your knees and activate your hamstrings in the landing phase. In Pilates training, quality of movement trumps quantity of repetitions. Perform only one set of no more than 10 repetitions of each exercise.
Shoulder Bridge
If your hip flexors, which connect your thighs with your pelvis, are tight, your hamstrings are probably overstretched or weak, says National Academy of Sports Medicine certified instructor Cari Riis Stemmler, who demonstrates a series of hamstring exercises on the Pilates reformer. Lie supine on the carriage, with your feet on the foot bar. Lift each vertebra from the carriage until your spine forms a bridge. Remain in the bridge as you straighten your legs. Bend your knees and roll each vertebra back to the carriage. Progress the exercise by performing it on one leg.
Leg Curls
The long box leg curl provides effective hamstring exercise because its prone position stretches your over-active hip flexors, thereby correcting a common muscular imbalance, explains Pilates expert Rael Isacowitz. Position the box on the reformer carriage, then attach the cable straps to your ankles. Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, keeping your two pelvic bones pressed firmly into the box. Remain in position, inhale and partially straighten your legs, maintaining the tension in the springs. Exhale and bend your knees back to the 90-degree angle.
Female Hamstring Weakness
Weak hamstrings cause faulty jump-landing mechanisms, making you susceptible to knee injuries, note physical therapists Erik Meira and Jason Brummitt. They explain that people with weak hamstrings land from a jump with their knees locked, which can cause injuries. This is a particular problem for women, who tend to have hamstring/quadriceps muscle imbalances. The therapists advocate plyometric training, which uses explosive jumping and bent-knee landings to enhance hamstring power.
Jumpboard Training
While trained athletes and dancers have adequate posture, alignment and bone density for performing weight-bearing plyometrics, recreational athletes and weekend warriors may not. The Pilates jumpboard, used in a supine position, provides a safer alternative, says kinesiologist and master trainer Barbara Wintroub. Secure the jumpboard, a type of rebounder, to the reformer footboard. Lie supine with your feet against the jumpboard. Straighten your legs with an explosive movement, then bend your knees and land with your feet flat against the board.
References
- Balanced Body Pilates; Hamstrings for Dancers; Cari Riis Stemmler; August 2010
- "Pilates"; Rael Isacowitz; 2006
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Plyometric Training Considerations to Reduce Knee Injuries; Erik Meira and Jason Brumitt; April 2005
- Balanced Body Pilates; Aerobic Pilates and the Jumpboard; Barbara Wintroub; 2006
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