Whilst plenty of people hit the gym in an effort to improve their fitness and their general wellness and wellbeing, many are there for one reason only: toned abs. Having a flat stomach is a major motivator for millions of men and women, and the good news is that achieving the abs of your dreams may be easier than you think.
The Pilates Hundred is a tough 10 day challenge which claims to guarantee you a flat stomach and toned abs at the end of it. It’s not just for seasoned Pilates experts either – it’s for newbies as well as experts. The Hundred exercise is essentially a Pilates warm up and is designed to get your blood moving, but don’t let the idea that this is a warm up fool you into thinking that it will be a few gentle stretches. This both tests and builds your core strength like no crunch ever could and also forces you to coordinate your breathing and move your arms at the same time, providing an amazing workout.
To start the Hundred, lie flat on your back on the mat with your legs squeezed tightly together and your arms long by your sides.
Next, lift both your legs a few inches off the mat and squeeze your buttocks together, scooping your abs. Engage your powerhouse muscles, including your low-back, abdominals and pelvic floors, as well as your glutes. Take care that when you lift your legs off the mat, you can feel it coming from your powerhouse muscles rather than your hips.
Now for the action – raise your arms up and reach them over the top of your thighs, pumping your arms up and down while breathing in and out. Take a long inhaled breath for five pumps and a long exhaled breath for five. Ten pumps is one set – ten sets is 100 pumps. Do this for ten days.
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