Please read Part One, the Prologue

How do I apply the Torque and Brace together?

Well I am so glad you asked! As stated above, you can try practicing the brace at 20% while walking, for activation and good alignment. I am giving you all 3 options together, the brace, and the torque of the hips, and later, the arms. It might take practice but it’s good to set them all up together before trying these exercises.

Pilates

The hip torque is already in the work, so let’s think about the brace. Exercises in flat back work best with bracing and makes a huge difference in exercises like long stretch (plank on the reformer), and flat back in stomach massage and short box. As the tailbone and spine of your back body is curling into a long C shape, the brace will remind you to engage the 3 sections of the abdominal wall by making sure it is pulled in from rib cage to pubic bone. Extension can work in a similar way. I suggest trying swan. On your stomach, bring your arms halfway overhead but hands on the floor. Press up just a little and pull your rib cage in and your pelvis into a “tuck” to feel the extension brace. In rotational work, like spine twist or pendulum, the brace assures alignment is more on point. Try doing all your mat work with that added layer. Everything will feel different.

Strength training

Start trying these without weight. In double leg squats, try pointing the feet forward or any degree towards an angle from 0% to 12%. Rotate both hips externally and bring the hips back like you are about to sit in a chair. Make sure you feel the load in the hips. Arms reach in front for counter balance. But wait! Add the 20% brace before you go and make sure it doesn’t break alignment. As your hips prepare their path towards an imaginary chair. It might feel stiff, yes, but it’s a great way to develop stability in the hips, pelvis, and spine. Your range in squats may be limited to your ankle mobility, but that’s another topic, just go as deep into a sit as your ankles will allow so your heels stay on the floor. Progress to single leg squats as you get the concepts solid. Then add weight.

Now try a dead lift with both legs. Apply the same principles. Point toes forward and add torque in the hips, soft knees, hands on hips, and reach the spine forward so your weight stays in the front of the foot, and does not rock back into the heels. Again, add the brace at 20% and practice your dead lift with those principles. Start small and then increase range. Keep a straight spine and rotate the pelvis around the hips. Then you can progress to a single leg dead lift with the other leg staggered as you get the gist. Then add weight. Remember if you progress to single leg dead lifts with the back leg in extension (or lifting behind you) is required to internally rotate, but the standing leg will still torque externally.

What about the arms?

Yes thank you for reminding me. Creating torque in the arms will create stability for your shoulder joint like you did for the hip joints. It’s a game changer for us ladies with hyper mobile joints. In planks and forearm planks supported with your knees, point your fingers forward and imagine your biceps rotating away from each other. You will feel your shoulder joint rotating snugly in the socket. “Screw your hands into the floor” is another cue from the book while keeping the fingers forward. Secondly, add your brace. I have been practicing these a lot. By creating torque in the arms and brace in the front body, it has revealed new places where I can improve my strength. If you are progressing to knees off in planks/forearm planks, then add the final addition - bring the legs together and add torque to the hips too.

In Pilates, we naturally add torque in our legs with our “V”. But try adding torque in the arms for hug a tree and salutes, as well as turning around for chest expansion. The arms feel like they are deeply connecting into the rest of the torso! On the mat, try adding torque in the arms in weight bearing exercises like swan, side bend, and push up. For non-weight bearing arms in the mat work, I love creating the rotational torque in my shoulders for roll down, rolling like a ball, open leg rocker. It helps prevent shoulders from coming forward and robbing your abdominal wall of it’s full workload. Add it to the arms in spine twist to connect the arms deeply and open the chest.

Epilogue of The Brace and the Torque

There are 3 aspects to try. Torque of the arms, torque of the hips, and bracing the abdominal wall. It’s best to try them all together, but if that is too overwhelming, just pick one to focus on. Start statically, standing for the hip torque and brace, and then on all 4’s for the brace and arm torque. Make it an exploration rather than a perfection. Practice. Then put all three together as you move. I have been very happy with the results on my clients as well as for myself. It's nice to find a movement philosophy for one modality and apply it to others, like walking, Pilates, and basic strength training. Explore the brace and the torque in your body and with its movement so you can become more proficient in strength, stability, and connection!