Pilates Super Ring Exercises

Although Pilates is a relatively young exercise program, it has taken the fitness world by a storm, with studios and classes seemingly popping up overnight. The Pilates program operates with very little equipment, because the exercises use various body poses and controlled movements to promote lean muscle and strength development. Although there's very little required gear, the Pilates Super Ring adds a degree of difficulty to challenge even the most seasoned Pilates advocates.

  1. The Ring

    • The Super Ring is a weighted rubber ring with comfort grip handles that comes in either a 12-inch or a 14-inch size. The ring is designed to create intentional instability in muscles, which in turn engages all the muscle fibers, resulting in gains in strength. The muscles of the core (the abdominals, buttocks, lower back and upper thighs), chest, shoulders and arms are the main targets of the ring. While the design is simple, execution of the exercises can be difficult to master.

    The Exercises

    • A typical abdominal exercise involves lying on the floor with the ring horizontally placed between the knees. As the exerciser brings up his torso (as in doing an abdominal crunch), he brings his knees toward his chest. This adds stress to the lower abs and the adductor muscles of the inner thigh, because holding the weighted ring in place is a workout unto itself. The farther away from the waist the ring is placed (like near the ankles), the greater the demand is placed on the lower abs. Performing the same movement with the ring held extended above the head increases stress on the upper abs and works the triceps on the backs of the arms, because these muscles must contract to keep the ring positioned. The ring can used to strengthen the arms directly by placing the ring between the wrists in an "O" position and raising the ring from waist level to over the head. In one move, this works the anterior shoulders, the chest and the abdominals. This move can be modified by sitting on the floor with the knees curled to the chest. By holding the ring in front of the chest and extending the arms out and in, the pectoral chest muscles and shoulders can still be worked while tension on the abs is negated. Once the above exercises are mastered, Pilates exercisers can increase the physical demand by holding the ring in one hand to perform some of the abdominal crunches.