Transcription

• Speaker #0

  Hi, and welcome to BioPilates Deep Dive. Today we're going to talk about an advanced exercise, a demanding one but deeply structuring, the hip twist. This is not a movement we introduce at the beginning of a Pilates journey. It's a movement we explore when the fundamental principles of the method are already embodied, when breathing feels natural, when the pelvis is intelligent, when the spine knows how to lengthen and move safely. At this level, the work evolves. We're no longer trying to get it right, but to let it happen, to refine, to play, to allow neuroplasticity to do its work through repetition, pleasure, and awareness. So let's set up, seated, slightly behind the side bones. The pelvis is in a gentle posterior tilt following the slight flexion of the lumbar spine. The thoracic spine lifts upward. The legs are raised, long. parallel and adducted. The hips are flexed as far as possible. Behind you, your arms are extended, palms on the mat, fingers turned outward. This is where it all begins. At this stage, your arms are not passive. They're essential. They support, they stabilize, they absorb part of your torso weight without ever collapsing. And for that, two muscles play a constant, subtle, crucial role, the triceps brachii and the anconeus. The triceps brachii is the large muscle at the back of your upper arm. It has three heads, the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. The long head originates on the scapula at the infraglinoid tubercle, so it not only extends the elbow but also helps stabilize the shoulder joint. The lateral head originates on the back of the humerus above the radial groove. It's used more in fast, powerful extensions. the medial head which lies deep. originates below the radial groove and works hardest during sustained isometric effort, like in this position, holding you steady. These three heads merge into a single tendon, inserting on the olecranon of the ulna. Together, they extend the elbow and actively stabilize the joint throughout the movement. Beside it is a small but often overlooked muscle, the anchoneus. It originates on the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and inserts on the outer edge of the olecranon and the posterior ulna. It's short but precise. It helps fine-tune elbow extension, stabilizes the joint, and absorbs micro-adjustments when the arms are extended, the body is in motion, and the pelvis is suspended. In the hip twist, it prevents shoulder collapse. It provides that continuous, subtle support that It keeps you light but grounded. And as your arms support you, as your triceps and anchoneus engage, the movement begins. You inhale to prepare. You exhale to engage. The legs begin to circle. The pelvis remains in a controlled posterior tilt. Following the shape of the spine, it doesn't collapse. It floats. Stable yet alive. The shoulder blades stay anchored. Your gaze softens. You trace a precise circle, never letting gravity take over. And you inhale again, bringing the legs back to center. This is where neuroplasticity happens. But what does that mean? Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to transform itself, to create new connections, to strengthen existing ones. And that doesn't happen by chance. It happens through conscious repetition. Every time you... repeat a movement with intention and awareness, you send a signal to the brain. If repeated enough, that signal becomes a reliable neural pathway, an automatic gesture, but not a mechanical one. It's what I call neural engraving. And it's something I see in my students every day. This principle runs through all movement arts. Charlie Chaplin understood it in modern times. what he criticized in soulless repetition. He counterbalanced through refined, intelligent gesture. Because artists, dancers, performers, they only reach the perfection of movement through repetition over and over and over again. Tiger Woods, even at his peak, never stopped practicing. He kept refining his swing, not to do more, but to do it better. With less effort, more clarity, more precision. And in Pilates, it's the same. Joseph Pilates described this method as a solid and faithful companion on the path to success, a method that builds trust in the process, that transforms not just posture, but the entire way we inhabit our body. And it's here that his words take on their full meaning. In 10 sessions, you'll feel the difference. In 20, you'll see the difference. And in 30, you'll have a whole new body. It's not just a quote. It's something we live. These changes aren't just visible in the mirror. They're felt in the fluidity of movement, in the lightness of upright posture, in the quiet confidence of inner balance. They settle into the body, but they begin in the brain. That's why I always say, at this level, you're allowed to play. You don't need to control everything. You're here to explore, to understand, to repeat, with lightness and precision, because it's in that mental and physical softness that the nervous system learns best. The hip twist can be modified. If your shoulders are tired, rest on your elbows. You'll reduce triceps activation, but increase abdominal effort. If your hip flexors are tight, bend your knees. That shortens the lever, eases the load, and keeps the core work intact. The key is always stability of the center, not how high the legs go, not the size of the circle, but the integrity of the control. So next time you practice the hip twist, think of your arms, think of your triceps, those three heads holding you steady. Think of your anchornias, that small muscle fine-tuning your movement. And above all, trust the repetition. Let the brain learn. Let the... the pathways strengthen because what's happening here isn't just a movement, it's a transformation, silent, deep, neurological. Thank you for listening to Biopilates Deep Dive.