What the Heck is the Pilates Magic Circle?

The Magic Circle is one of my favorite props - talk about getting DEEP into those core muscles!  It also takes a lot of control and concentration to be able to use it correctly and most efficiently.  Joseph Pilates actually created The Magic Circle using the ring around a beer barrel!   

The shape of the ring mimics your body.  As you breathe in, the circle will open, as you breathe out, the circle will close.  When the circle compresses, so do your abdominals, which can help you feel your abdominals on a deeper level.  However, you never want to compress your body in Pilates, so instead of bearing down as you squeeze the circle, think length and lift.  It will help you to strengthen the body while also lengthening it at the same time, a major benefit of Pilates. 

I talk a lot about this concept in my free cheatsheet "How to enhance your Pilates practice using the 10 Most Common Pilates Mistakes".  You can get a copy <HERE>.

There are many ways to use the Magic Circle, but the three main are:

1. Your Hands  When you hold it between your hands, it helps you feel your abdominals engage more, as well as your back and shoulder muscles.  The ring will help you strengthen the lower mid back muscles so you can alleviate tension from your shoulders and have more support when using your arms. 

You don't want to press into the circle using your just your hand and arm muscles, the initiation must come from your abs first ,and your mid back second.  Yes, your arms will work, but you want to control it using your core muscles primarily. You can practice with me in the video below.

2. Your Inner Thighs  When you hold the circle between your inner thighs you engage the Pilates Trifecta - inner thighs, glutes, and abs - the super power strength of your whole body.  When you initiate the squeeze from your abs first, and the inner thighs second, you'll notice how much more control you have of the circle.  

3. Your Ankles  Holding the circle between your ankles takes a lot more core power, then when it's between your inner thighs.  That's because the prop is further away from your core, so you have to stabilize more muscles through your torso and legs.  It takes a ton of abdominal strength.

When you begin to master the Magic Circle, you're going to notice how quickly your body gets stronger.  This crazy prop is amazing at toning the whole body while keeping the integrity of each exercise at the core. 

I have a ton of Magic Circle Workouts in The Core Club.  And your first two weeks are FREE!  Come check it out <HERE>.