When I started my Pilates training, I knew zero anatomy. Literally, nothing. I was intimidated — big time. When I began my Pilates teacher training course everyone seemed to talk-the-talk. I listened and nodded pretending I knew what they were talking about and hoped I didn’t get called on. Needless to say, this was not a great way to begin my training. I was in over my head.
When I started my Pilates training, I knew zero anatomy. Literally, nothing. I was intimidated — big time. When I began my Pilates teacher training course everyone seemed to talk-the-talk. I listened and nodded pretending I knew what they were talking about and hoped I didn’t get called on. Needless to say, this was not a great way to begin my training. I was in over my head.
I want you to have a different experience. I want you to walk into your first Pilates course with the confidence and knowledge to crush it.
This course will:
Build your foundational knowledge of anatomy,
Teach you to use the correct anatomical language that will be used throughout your Pilates teacher training courses,
Give you the skills to understand the anatomy of an exercise, which will allow you to teach directly to your client’s needs,
Set you up for long-term success and give you the confidence to teach with knowledge.
If you don’t know what muscles an exercise targets, how can you give a client a well-balanced, educated workout?
Here is a detailed description of the course content:
SECTION 1: Overview of the Course
SECTION 2: Why It's Important to Learn Anatomy as a Pilates Instructor
SECTION 3: What is Anatomical Position?
SECTION 4: Anatomical Terminology
Basic Anatomical Terminology
Planes of Motion
In Studio Recap.
SECTION 5: The Skeleton
Axial vs Appendicular Skeleton
Cranium
Sections of the Spine
Spinal Curves
Vertebrae
Sternum
Ribcage
Sacrum
Clavicle
Scapula
Humorous
Radius & Ulna
Pelvis
Femur
Patella
Tibia & Fibula
SECTION 6: Movements of the Spine and Joint
Flexion/Extension
Abduction/Adduction
Lateral/Medial Rotation
Circumduction
Horizontal Abduction/Adduction
Supination/Pronation & Dorsiflexion/Plantarflexion
In studio recap
SECTION 7: Types of JointsSECTION 8: Types of Muscular Contraction
SECTION 9: What is the Core?
You can download the lecture slides by going to Lecture 4 Resources.
I'm Holly Furgason. I'm a Pilates professional, teaching coach, business consultant, writer, and international educator. I've taught Pilates since 2000, and accumulated tens of thousands of hours experience. I'm the founder and CEO of Blue Sparrow Pilates, the only Merrithew Licensed Training Center in San Francisco.
I've worked with diverse clientele from professional athletes to those in rehabilitation. You can see my writing published in Pilates Style Magazine, PilatesIntel, Pilates-Pro, PilatesPal, and Profitable Pilates.
Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT)
Lead Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES®, Fascial Movement, CORE, Total Barre
STOTT PILATES® Fully Certification
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Michigan
Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance from Mills College in Oakland, California
Creator of Fit Pregnancy app with over 120K downloads (2019)
Let's work hand in hand to learn anatomy!
Download the Resource "skeleton_Bone_Identification.pdf". It includes both a blank skeleton that you can work towards being able to identify, as well as a labeled skeleton which will give you a visual while you work through this section. By the end of this section, you should be able to identify all the bones labeled.
In this video we will look at how many vertebra in each section of the spine.
Download the Resource "skeleton_SpinalCurves_Identification.pdf". By the end of this lecture, you should be able to identify all three sections of the spine.
Now that you know the bones, identify them on the skeleton.
Also attached is a PDF of the bony landmarks for your reference. I've labeled bony landmarks on the skeleton. Depending on the curriculum for your Pilates education, it may be helpful for postural analysis.
1 Piriformis
2 Gemellus superior
3 Gemellus inferior
4 Obturator internus
5 Obturator externus
6 Quadratus femoris
All work to externally (laterally) rotate the femur in the hip joint
Please find a review document in Resources to help you review some of this course content.
In your Pilates teacher training course you will learn how to analysis posture. To do this, you will need to know some boney landmarks. They are bones that you can see and touch easily. Here's a quick run through of some important boney landmarks.
This quiz will test your knowledge of anatomical terms, planes of motion and bones.
This quiz will test your knowledge of muscles. It's a bit tricky to quiz you on muscles because identification is so important. To properly test and develop your knowledge, this is where muscle flashcards are really important.
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