Put Your Glutes and Abs to the Test With This 15-minute Advanced Pilates Workout

In the most recent episode of Good Moves, East River Pilates instructor Brian Spencer treats viewers to a total body workout—and some “juicy” stretching (in Spencer’s words). This 15-minute advanced Pilates class offers light warm-up stretches, moves that will engage multiple muscle groups at one time, and healthy doses of encouragement. If you’re ready for some ab and glute attention, this workout is just the thing for you.

Spencer has you start on the mat: No additional equipment is needed. You only need your body, comfy clothes, and a mat. Once you take a seat, you’ll rotate your hips, pointing your knees to your left and right. Next, Spencer has you balance on your hands and feet with your stomach facing the ceiling, similar to crab-walking you may have done in gym class growing up.

From there, you’ll move into the heart of the workout, which involves engaging your core muscles and committing to proper form in positions that might feel uncomfortable. Eventually, Spencer has you push yourself up into a half-side plank and reach your arm to the sky, bring it back down and repeat. If this sounds intense, try not to worry—Spencer utilizes transitional stretches like downward dog, lunging, and cat and cow to move between different exercises that engage your core and glutes. This offers a much-needed break in between each segment of the workout.

With these stretch breaks, you might not notice how challenging the workout is until you’re almost done. Still, you can rest assured that you’re in good, enthusiastic hands—Spencer leads you through the workout every step of the way. Ready for a good sweat? Hit that mat and press play.

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