Do you know what a pilates table top is?
I didn’t…
I never took a class before I took my first certification course.
Everything was self taught.
I taught myself from anatomy and less from choreographing the movements or imagery.
Table top is more of an imagery cue.
One of the first positions you will learn in pilates is called table top. It’s essential to know this position or you will be looking around at everyone else in class every time you hear the instructor cue up table top.
You are laying on your back (supine) with your legs in the air, knees over top your hips with your knees bent and shins parallel to the ground.
Mathematically, you have a 90 degree angle at the hip and knee joint.
Anatomically your hips are flexed and so are your knees.
To understand this just remember that anytime you decrease the angle in a joint it is called flexion and anytime you increase the angle it is called extension.
Remember, we are trying to grow here so the more we understand the terminology used from different approaches the more we understand ourselves.
Since the knees are over top of the hips at 90 degrees, we are using our hip flexors to hold this position.
There are no bones connecting the ribcage to the pelvis, only the spine, therefore a weakness or imbalance in the muscles that attach from the ribs to the hip bones the more likely you will have a deviation in a neutral pelvic tilt. Weak abdominals , Tight (shortened) hip flexors will pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt. The lower back (extensors) will more than likely be overactive and you will either tire out easily in this position or feel tighter.
If you are strong in this position that is great. You can challenge your powerhouse (core) stability by extending one leg forward (on a 45 degree angle) with the foot travelling on an imaginary straight line and if you would really like to test out your strength, you can extend your other leg out into space to meet the first. The further your limbs are away from your power house, the more torque there is.
If you can maintain a flat tummy and you aren’t shaking you have some really good foundational strength. If you are shaking like a salt shaker you may want to bring your legs back into table top. If the table top position is tough to hold or painful then it’s best to bring yourself back to the hook lying position. This is where your knees are bent with your feet flat on the floor about sit bone width apart.
These are good tests to see where your starting point is and where you need to build strength or to understand where you need to stretch.
Since I am writing this for beginners who are starting where I started, let’s start off with learning how to conciously activate the powerhouse.
The starting point is the pelvic floor.
Some don’t address this area and some instructors do. For myself I was so weak and injured that until I engaged this area, did my powerhouse actually fire. Then it took many months of breathing and core activation with my legs down to actually be able to stabilize my core.
Be the tortoise and not the hare.
Don’t rush the process but enjoy the ride and growth.
A lot of people tend to believe that the pelvic floor is at the front of the pelvis, little did I know that was at the bottom.
Sit back, have a sip of coffee and learn the words levator ani. They are important.
Oh and keep a coffee bean handy.