Pike Finishing position

Exercise Challenge – Pike

The Pike is a great exercise for strengthening your abs alongside your legs, arms and back.  This pilates based exercise is a great way to challenge your strength and stability and is an advancement from last weeks Jacknife.

How to do the Pike

I always start by rolling forwards over the swiss ball and walking my hands forward until my ankles are resting on the ball.

Jacknife or pike start position

Start with your body in a long line, make sure you don’t let you back arch by pushing your feet/legs into the swiss ball to keep your butt pushed up.  Keep your hands below your shoulders not your head.  Keeping your spine in its natural s shape bend, pull your hips up towards the ceiling and then return to the start position. Make sure you don’t round your lower back as your back needs to maintain neutral the whole time.

Always make sure that you keep your core switched on, pulling in your belly button and pulling up your pelvic floor, this will protect your spine.

Try and do as many as you can before you fatigue or fall off, which ever comes first and then aim to improve on this number each day until the end of the week and let me know below how you get on and how many more you manage.

If you want to see a video on how to do the Pike then please click here.  It is not me in the video but it gives you a more visual idea of what you should be doing.

Good luck

#fitnessfaster @fitness_faster #pike #pilates #swissball #abexercise