PSP E04 Pilates Science Podcast: Pilates at an Angle

In this episode of the *Pilates Science Podcast*, hosts Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President Robyn Rix explore how simply changing the **angle** of the body can dramatically alter muscle activation in familiar Pilates exercises. Robyn begins by sharing her studio experience with the Total Gym Gravity Training System—initially assuming that a slight incline would make chest lifts easier, only to discover that they actually felt more challenging through the abdominals. That curiosity leads into a discussion of research examining how working on a flat surface, an incline and a decline changes what’s really happening in the trunk muscles during key Pilates moves. They unpack one particular study looking at the high plank and a modified teaser performed at different angles. For the plank, erector spinae activation stayed low across all conditions, while the rectus abdominis was moderately active but reached its highest activation on a **decline**, with the external obliques jumping to high activation levels in that position—valuable for anyone wanting to seriously challenge the front and sides of the core. For the modified teaser, the pattern flipped: rectus abdominis and external obliques both showed a clear increase on an **incline** and decreased on a decline, suggesting that tilting the body can be used either to ramp up difficulty or to create smart regressions that keep the exercise accessible without losing core intent. Bruce and Robyn then bring it back to the studio floor with practical, equipment-flexible ideas: using a box under the feet for decline planks, creatively setting up on the reformer with hands on the floor and feet on the footbar, or employing push-up handles to protect the wrists in angled work. Throughout, they stress that stability and safety of any inclined surface is non-negotiable, and that the goal isn’t just to make things “harder,” but to understand how gravity and body position can be manipulated to better target specific muscles. The episode closes with an invitation for teachers and practitioners to experiment thoughtfully—try chest lifts and rotations on a slight incline, feel the difference in your own body, and use angle as another intelligent tool for refining and individualising Pilates practice. PAA Course Competency Criteria standardsVisit the PAA website Find us on  Facebook Join the PAA Member Forum (Members  only)Find us on InstagramEmail us at [email protected]