POLESTAR PILATES 2026 STUDY GUIDE
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Corkscrew. Answer: Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine. Place your arms alongside your body with your
palms down. Squeeze your legs together, draw the abdominal wall
vigorously down and EXHALE as you lift both straight legs to the
ceiling. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE, press your arms down, lift your
hips and send your legs over your head (rollover position). INHALE,
hold your legs parallel to the floor, and move them a few inches to
the right (they are pointing to the back right corner of the room).
(Keep your pelvis in the center). EXHALE, roll your spine down to
the mat, while simultaneously moving your legs towards the right
side of the room and then the front right corner. Once your pelvis is
on the mat, lower your legs towards the front of the room (as low as
you can keep your imprint). Continue drawing a large circle with
your legs by moving them to the left side and lift your legs over your
head with the toes pointing to the left. INHALE, finish in the Roll
Over position, your spine, and pelvis centered on your mat. Your legs
pointing straight back. EXHALE, repeat the circle in the other
direction.
Benefits: Core control & strength, oblique abdominals, rectus
abdominis, upper body strength.
Planes of movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Program Design: Inversion
,FA: Roll Up, Hundred, Side Lift
◉ Criss Cross. Answer: Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Supine, interlace hands behind head, support the weight of
your head with your hands. INHALE, lengthen the back of your neck.
EXHALE, nod your chin to your chest and curl your head, neck, and
shoulders up. INHALE, lift one leg into tabletop. EXHALE, let your
lumbar spine sink into the mat, as you lift your second leg into
tabletop as well. For slow criss cross: INHALE in the center. EXHALE,
reach your left shoulder towards your right knee and extend your
left leg at a 45-degree angle. INHALE, back to center (keep chest
high). EXHALE, repeat to the other side. INHALE, return to center.
"Inhale twist - exhale center - inhale twist - exhale center."
Benefits: Core control, oblique abdominals, thoracic flexion, cervical
& upper thoracic spine, rotation, coordination.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Supine Abdominals
FA: Hundred, Roll Up,
◉ Short Box Series. Answer: Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Extend the Barrel as far away as possible from the Ladder
(except for very short students). STARTING POSITION, Sit on the
Barrel, slightly below the top. Step your feet up onto the lowest rung.
Reach your arms across your belly. Round Back: INHALE to prepare.
EXHALE to roll down with a round back, imprinting one vertebra at
,a time onto the Barrel. Go as far as you can keep the abdominal wall
engaged. INHALE when down. EXHALE, roll up to return to the
starting position, pushing off of the Barrel. Flat Back: INHALE to
prepare. EXHALE to hinge back with flat back. INHALE to return to
the starting position. The opposite breathing pattern can be helpful
to keep axial elongation in the spine if you tend to collapse the spine
as you lean back. Twist: INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to twist.
INHALE to turn to center. EXHALE, twist in the other direction. The
opposite breathing pattern is useful if you tend to lose axial spine
length in the rotation (inhalation encourages extension). Side
Bend/Oblique Flat Back: INHALE to twist. EXHALE to lean straight
back maintaining the twist in the spine. INHALE to sit tall and rotate
to center, looking straight ahead. EXHALE to lean straight back
without rotation (Short Box Series: Flat Back). INHALE, sit tall and
twist to the other side. EXHALE, lean back maintaining the twist in
the spine. INHALE come back up. You can skip the flat back
repetition in the center and twist immediately to the other side, but
adding a "symmetrical" repetition in the middle makes you more
aware of your spine's range of motion to either side. It allows you to
reset your awareness so to speak. Climb a Tree.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Benefits: Abdominals, Hip Flexors, Axial Elongation, Flexion of
Lumbar Spine, Round back -C Curve.
Program Design: Seated
FA: R
◉ Side Lunge. Answer: Equipment: Chair, Heavy Springs
, Exercise: Mount chair like forward lunge. Standing Sideways on
chair, top foot in front of chair corner and back ball of foot on back
pedal of chair. Feet in ER. Keep body weight over top leg. INHALE,
lower the pedal two-thirds of the way down. EXHALE, control the
pedal up to the starting position, by straightening your top leg. Keep
Top leg aligned. Knee tracking over second toe. Axial Elongation.
Benefits: Lower Extremity Strength (HS, Glutes, External Rotators of
Hips), Ankle/Pelvic/Knee Stability. Hip disassociation, ROM,
adduction, external rotation.
Planes of Movement: Coronal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Long Sit, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend
◉ Forward Lunge & Backwards Stepdown. Answer: Equipment:
Chair, Middle Tension Springs, Handles or in front of wall or
something for client to hold onto.
Exercise: Standing on Chair by stepping one foot down on pedal at a
time. INHALE to lower the pedal 2/3rds of the way down with
control while keeping your weight on the top leg.
EXHALE to lift the pedal up to the starting position, using the
strength of your top leg. Send your knee forward to rise up on a
slight diagonal, like on an escalator. Keep your pelvis neutral on all
planes. Keep your hips square.
Benefits: Knee stabilization/extension, lower extremity strength &
alignment, ankle strength, hip disassociation, balance, posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Corkscrew. Answer: Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Lie supine. Place your arms alongside your body with your
palms down. Squeeze your legs together, draw the abdominal wall
vigorously down and EXHALE as you lift both straight legs to the
ceiling. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE, press your arms down, lift your
hips and send your legs over your head (rollover position). INHALE,
hold your legs parallel to the floor, and move them a few inches to
the right (they are pointing to the back right corner of the room).
(Keep your pelvis in the center). EXHALE, roll your spine down to
the mat, while simultaneously moving your legs towards the right
side of the room and then the front right corner. Once your pelvis is
on the mat, lower your legs towards the front of the room (as low as
you can keep your imprint). Continue drawing a large circle with
your legs by moving them to the left side and lift your legs over your
head with the toes pointing to the left. INHALE, finish in the Roll
Over position, your spine, and pelvis centered on your mat. Your legs
pointing straight back. EXHALE, repeat the circle in the other
direction.
Benefits: Core control & strength, oblique abdominals, rectus
abdominis, upper body strength.
Planes of movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Program Design: Inversion
,FA: Roll Up, Hundred, Side Lift
◉ Criss Cross. Answer: Equipment: Mat
Exercise: Supine, interlace hands behind head, support the weight of
your head with your hands. INHALE, lengthen the back of your neck.
EXHALE, nod your chin to your chest and curl your head, neck, and
shoulders up. INHALE, lift one leg into tabletop. EXHALE, let your
lumbar spine sink into the mat, as you lift your second leg into
tabletop as well. For slow criss cross: INHALE in the center. EXHALE,
reach your left shoulder towards your right knee and extend your
left leg at a 45-degree angle. INHALE, back to center (keep chest
high). EXHALE, repeat to the other side. INHALE, return to center.
"Inhale twist - exhale center - inhale twist - exhale center."
Benefits: Core control, oblique abdominals, thoracic flexion, cervical
& upper thoracic spine, rotation, coordination.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Coronal, Transverse
Program Design: Supine Abdominals
FA: Hundred, Roll Up,
◉ Short Box Series. Answer: Equipment: Ladder Barrel
Exercise: Extend the Barrel as far away as possible from the Ladder
(except for very short students). STARTING POSITION, Sit on the
Barrel, slightly below the top. Step your feet up onto the lowest rung.
Reach your arms across your belly. Round Back: INHALE to prepare.
EXHALE to roll down with a round back, imprinting one vertebra at
,a time onto the Barrel. Go as far as you can keep the abdominal wall
engaged. INHALE when down. EXHALE, roll up to return to the
starting position, pushing off of the Barrel. Flat Back: INHALE to
prepare. EXHALE to hinge back with flat back. INHALE to return to
the starting position. The opposite breathing pattern can be helpful
to keep axial elongation in the spine if you tend to collapse the spine
as you lean back. Twist: INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to twist.
INHALE to turn to center. EXHALE, twist in the other direction. The
opposite breathing pattern is useful if you tend to lose axial spine
length in the rotation (inhalation encourages extension). Side
Bend/Oblique Flat Back: INHALE to twist. EXHALE to lean straight
back maintaining the twist in the spine. INHALE to sit tall and rotate
to center, looking straight ahead. EXHALE to lean straight back
without rotation (Short Box Series: Flat Back). INHALE, sit tall and
twist to the other side. EXHALE, lean back maintaining the twist in
the spine. INHALE come back up. You can skip the flat back
repetition in the center and twist immediately to the other side, but
adding a "symmetrical" repetition in the middle makes you more
aware of your spine's range of motion to either side. It allows you to
reset your awareness so to speak. Climb a Tree.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Transverse, Coronal
Benefits: Abdominals, Hip Flexors, Axial Elongation, Flexion of
Lumbar Spine, Round back -C Curve.
Program Design: Seated
FA: R
◉ Side Lunge. Answer: Equipment: Chair, Heavy Springs
, Exercise: Mount chair like forward lunge. Standing Sideways on
chair, top foot in front of chair corner and back ball of foot on back
pedal of chair. Feet in ER. Keep body weight over top leg. INHALE,
lower the pedal two-thirds of the way down. EXHALE, control the
pedal up to the starting position, by straightening your top leg. Keep
Top leg aligned. Knee tracking over second toe. Axial Elongation.
Benefits: Lower Extremity Strength (HS, Glutes, External Rotators of
Hips), Ankle/Pelvic/Knee Stability. Hip disassociation, ROM,
adduction, external rotation.
Planes of Movement: Coronal
Program Design: Standing
FA: Half Squat, Full Squat, Long Sit, Heel Raises, Prone Knee Bend
◉ Forward Lunge & Backwards Stepdown. Answer: Equipment:
Chair, Middle Tension Springs, Handles or in front of wall or
something for client to hold onto.
Exercise: Standing on Chair by stepping one foot down on pedal at a
time. INHALE to lower the pedal 2/3rds of the way down with
control while keeping your weight on the top leg.
EXHALE to lift the pedal up to the starting position, using the
strength of your top leg. Send your knee forward to rise up on a
slight diagonal, like on an escalator. Keep your pelvis neutral on all
planes. Keep your hips square.
Benefits: Knee stabilization/extension, lower extremity strength &
alignment, ankle strength, hip disassociation, balance, posture.
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
