Experts confirm: these are the 7 most advanced Pilates exercises you can do to build strength, balance and tone
Ready to take your Pilates practice up a notch... or three?
If you’ve nailed a chest lift, perfected your plank pose and could do a roll-up in your sleep, you’re probably looking for the most advanced Pilates exercises to help level up your at-home practice.
If that’s the case, you’re in good company. At the risk of stating the obvious: the holistic practice of Pilates is going from strength to strength. If it’s not celebs like Hailey Bieber or Harry Styles pictured leaving aesthetically pleasing Pilates studios, it’s the Google stats that show between 100,000 to one million of you searching for the term "Pilates" each month.
It makes sense. This form of fitness might be low-impact, but it’s high on results. From bettering your posture to improving flexibility, there are a whole heap of benefits of Pilates. Case in point: researchers in a 2023 study found that two to three one-hour sessions of Pilates workouts a week across twelve weeks saw improved abdominal strength and endurance and better hip and shoulder joint mobility.
We've already picked experts' brains about the best Pilates exercises for beginners and core Pilates exercises. Next up? To help keep your Pilates momentum going, whether you’re vacationing, staycationing or just wanting to up the ante at home this summer, we spoke to pros to discover the most advanced Pilates exercises worth learning. Better yet, many of these Pilates exercises require minimal (if any) equipment and just minutes of your time. So if you’re ready to raise the stakes, keep scrolling.
Do check out what happened when one of our writers tried out a 15-minute Pilates challenge, discover the most effective Pilates workouts at home and scroll through trainer's go-to 20-minute Pilates workouts, here. Or, if you're new to the practice, don't miss our guides to Pilates for beginners, wall Pilates exercises for beginners, and whether Pilates is hard for beginners, here.
These are officially the most advanced Pilates exercises you can do, confirm experts
Which Pilates moves are the most advanced?
Helen O'Leary, physiotherapist and clinical director at Complete Pilates says that Pilates exercises that are more geared towards strengthening and less focused on mobility exercises tend to be more advanced.
However, as O'Leary mentions: “A good Pilates teacher can make nearly any exercise seem challenging with the right equipment.” For example, resistance bands can dial up the resistance, the best Pilates rings can level up your home workouts, and Pilates bars can mimic moves usually performed at a Reformer Pilates class.
But that's not the only way to raise the bar. Maia Henry, a mat Pilates-certified instructor and Ladder Pilates coach says that by adding pulses and holds you can make most moves harder. “This requires lots of control and constant tension on the body with muscles that we don’t always use,” Henry says. “These movements will leave your body aching, but they are also a mental challenge to keep going through difficult movements and reap the maximum benefits of the workout.”
@pilatesbykerstin advanced pilates series 🫶🏼 pair with my inner & outer thigh workout for free on youtube if you want a longer workout!
♬ Lana Del Rey-Summertime Sadness - 颜妹&十二
Who are the most advanced Pilates exercises best for?
As the name gives away, the most advanced Pilates exercises are more challenging than beginner-level moves. Therefore, as O’Leary highlights, advanced Pilates moves are for those who are injury-free, already doing regular exercise and have a good level of strength and flexibility.
But that said, as research has found, everyone from bodybuilders to yogis can benefit from Pilates practice. “Pilates incorporates lots of moves that work not just your bigger muscle fibres but your smaller, fast and slow twitch muscle fibres as well,” Henry says. “When you consistently practise Pilates and challenge yourself, you can become more flexible, improve your posture and really tone your muscles while also strengthening your mind.”
Should I give these Pilates moves a go?
That depends. If you’ve been perfecting your Pilates practice for months and have mastered the correct form, it’s worth advancing with these moves. But if you’re a newbie, it’s better to get some guidance from experts so you can understand the basics and ace the best Pilates exercises for beginners first before moving on to something harder.
“Most Pilates exercises are safe for fit people with no injuries, however, to get the most out of the exercises a good understanding of technique is really important,” O’Leary says. “Some experience of Pilates will help you to understand the basics of movement and one-to-one tuition will help you to understand how to execute movements effectively”.
“Poor technique will mean that you are less likely to work the target muscle group at best, and at worst you could potentially injure yourself, especially if you have any pre-existing injuries,” O’Leary adds.
If you have any injuries, do consult with a healthcare professional before attempting these advanced exercises.
7 most advanced Pilates exercises, according to pros
1. Glute Bridges
What? This move will challenge you to lie on your back, and lift your hips up until your core makes a straight line from your knees to your shoulder.
Why? “Glute bridges are a great way to practise slow and controlled movements while working your glutes and hamstrings, along with your core muscles,” Henry says. “One way to advance this move would be to add an extra pulse at the top."
How long? 12 reps of three sets.
2. Fire Hydrants
What? Holding a tabletop position, this move will see you lift one of your legs out to the side, keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle, then lowering it back down again in a slow and controlled manner. You’ll repeat this on both sides.
Why? “Fire hydrants work on your hip mobility and hip flexors while also challenging your glute strength,” Henry says. “Adding in resistance bands to this move will have your glutes on fire!”.
How long? 12 reps of three sets.
3. Lemon squeezers
What? As its name suggests, this will put a ‘squeeze’ on your muscles as it’s one of the best core activations to help fire up your abs.
Why? “Lemon Squeezers are one of the more advanced core movements that will challenge your core strength and stability,” Henry explains. “You will have to use those deep inner core muscles to bring your body forward and backward in a seated position,” she adds.
How long? Three reps of 30 seconds.
4. Bird dogs
What? Known as one of the best core strengthening exercises and as one of the best Pilates core moves, this powerhouse exercise will see you hold a tabletop position then extend one leg and the opposite arm straight then lower them back down.
Why? “Bird dogs are great for challenging your balance while also strengthening your core muscles,” Henry tells us. “You can also do these with a dumbbell in one hand for an extra challenge.”
How long? 12 reps of three sets.
5. Side knee to elbow crunch
What? Essentially another plank alternative, this advanced Pilates move will put a spotlight on your balance, strength and coordination.
Why? “Side knee to elbow crunches will work on your balance and full body strength,” Henry says. As not only will you have to engage your core while you crunch your elbow to knee, you’ll also have to maintain your balance.
How long? 12 reps of three sets.
6. Leg Pull
What? “Leg pull is a great whole-body exercise that works the muscles of the back of the body which are often neglected,” O’Leary says.
Why? “It is a great exercise for hamstring strength, gluteal strength and shoulder and triceps strength,” O’Leary adds.
How long? Repeat three to five times.
7. Side-lift
What? If you’re not a fan of planks, look away now! “Side lift is a fabulous side plank that looks easier than it is,” O’Leary says.
Why? “This is great for shoulder strength and stability,” O’Leary explains. “It also targets the lateral muscles of the body, such as the obliques and the lateral glutes, even down to the lateral muscles of the ankle which protect us from ankle sprains. The lateral muscles of the body do not get worked out during most daily activities, nor sports such as running, cycling and swimming, where we are moving forwards.” Meaning? “This exercise is again challenging because these are muscle groups that we don't normally train,” the expert adds.
How long? Perfect three lifts and lowers, and repeat three times on each side if you can.
Shop Marie Claire UK's go-to Pilates kit:
Every home workout is made better by a soft, easy-to-use mat that supports your joints and flow. The best of the best come from lululemon, designed to be grippy, firm, and supportive.
We're big fans of onesies right now, especially the seamless and soft designs from Alo Yoga. They're an investment, but they'll support you through any low-impact session and make you feel great in the process.
This is one of Senior Health Editor Ally Head's go-to sports bras. It offers medium support, is made from sweat-wicking, breathable material and has a longline design, to make sure you feel adequately supported through any workout move.
Prefer floaty, breathable and soft workout top designs? Sweaty Betty sell some of the best on the market, and they wash well, too. We love the thumb holes in the sleeves of this top for keeping your hands warm, too.
One of the simplest ways to make your Pilates workouts more advanced is to add a Pilates ball into the mix. They're affordable, easy to use, and promise to target muscles that we normally miss training when just using our bodyweight. This BetterMe ball comes Team MC UK approved.
Hoping to level up your Pilates practice? Well, the best Pilates rings can help you get there. These magic circles can help to engage muscles in and around the pelvis, improve core strength and give your balance a boost.
What is the 100 move in Pilates?
Even if you’re not practising Pilates religiously, you’ve probably heard of the ‘100 move’ being thrown about. ‘The hundred’ or the ‘Pilates Hundred’ (as it’s more commonly referred to) is a classic mat Pilates move that challenges you to lie on your back, engage your core and curl your neck and shoulders up off the ground while lifting your legs at a 45-degree angle or holding them in a tabletop position.
The idea is to maintain this hold while taking five short breaths in and five short breaths out, pulsing your arms up and down to the beat of your breaths as you do so. It gets its name — The Hundred — because you’ll work up to 100 pumps of your arms, all timed with your inhales and exhales.
