Progressing Your Practice With Precision + Flow

Precision and Flow are two important concepts that relate to any Pilates practice, regardless of level or style. Let’s learn more about when and where each one has its place and how to strike an optimal balance for your goals.

Precision

pre·ci·sion | \ pri-ˈsi-zhən

the quality or state of being precise, exactness.

Precision must come first. Without some focus on precision, we’re just going through the motions, aimlessly, trying to find challenge in obvious ways. If you hold a plank long enough, it’s going to feel like a challenge, but are you engaging the correct muscles? Where is your breath? Two-way stretch? Precision squeezes every last drop out of each movement, finding challenge in the smallest and most subtle of ways. Once you start to get some really good juice out of the exercises, we introduce flow.

Let’s remember though that precision doesn’t mean perfection. As I’ve said before, there’s no score given at the end of your session, no perfect 10 we’re trying to achieve. What is precise for one body may not be the same as what is precise for the next.

Flow

\ ˈflō

to proceed smoothly and readily

Flow creates a beautiful continuous effort from the moment you lie down on the reformer until the moment you step away from it. Zone in hard enough and you might not even have a moment to fix your pony tail. The transitions between the exercises can be exercises in and of themselves. Maximizing efficiency and minimizing disruptions and distractions means that yes you will indeed break a serious sweat!

The Continuum

These two concepts exist on a continuum with precision at one end and flow at the other. With a heavy focus on precision there may be less emphasis on flow and vice versa. The two don’t always have to be in balance, however. We may focus on precision when learning a skill, and then once that skill is mastered we push for more flow and see if the precision sticks.

Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Super Advanced Flows

We have posters up in our studio that list the different class flows according to level in the classical system. The first thing people notice when they look at the lists is how many more exercises are packed into the advanced flow compared to the beginner flow. When you’re first starting out you’ll cover around 15 exercises in a 50 minute class. Eventually, you improve both your precision and flow enough that you can finish those 15 exercises in 30 minutes. Then what? You add more exercises!

The full intermediate reformer flow includes over 30 exercises. So, we set upon the task of adding each one in, gradually over time. Mastering each one, and then maximizing flow. Some day, maybe we get through all 30+ exercises in 50 minutes. Maybe after that we can get through all of them in 30 minutes.

“But wait, there’s more!”

The advanced reformer flow includes about 50 exercises. The super advanced flow includes damn near SEVENTY exercises. I think you can see where this is going. Now, I maintain that the super advanced flow is pretty much reserved for those who have devoted their entire lives to Pilates. Or people who are LITERALLY acrobats, like in the actual circus.

So Everyone Should Strive To Join The Circus?

I am definitely not saying that the average mere mortal needs to concern themselves with some of these exercises. But it does give an interesting perspective on how we may limit ourselves by seeing the “fancy transitions” as unnecessary. We make jokes about the “Pilates police” and when we straddle the reformer we say “oops, I’m not supposed to do that!” and we brush it off. But what if we decided to treat each transition, spring change, grabbing the box, putting that sticky mat down, etc. as an opportunity to squeeze a little more juice out of our sessions? This can be something we apply in both classical and contemporary styles of Pilates too, a beautiful flow is certainly not exclusive to classical Pilates and the exercise lists above.

Is a 70-exercise super-advanced flow in your future? Maybe? Maybe not, and that’s ok!

BUT, can we commit to a common goal of progression when we sit down on the reformer, whether than means more precision, more flow, or both?