THE PILATES HUNDRED
- Pilates Training Hub
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
The Hundred is the first exercise in Joseph Pilates' original repertoire of 34 mat exercises and is often considered the signature movement of Pilates. Designed to warm the body, stimulate circulation and activate the powerhouse, it combines controlled breathing with sustained core engagement to prepare you for the exercises that follow.
In this article, we'll compare the classical, unmodified version of The Hundred performed on the Mat, Reformer, Tower and Chair.
Benefits of The Pilates Hundred
The Hundred is much more than an abdominal exercise. As the opening movement of the classical Pilates repertoire, it prepares both the body and mind for the exercises that follow.
Regular practice of The Hundred can help to:
Develop core strength and trunk stability.
Improve breathing coordination and control.
Build muscular endurance and stamina.
Warm up the body and increase circulation.
Promote concentration and body awareness.
How to Perform The Pilates Hundred (Mat Version)
Lie on your back with your arms resting by your sides and your palms facing down. Draw both knees into your chest.
Lift your head, neck and shoulders away from the mat, maintaining length through the back of your neck.
Extend your legs to approximately a 45-degree angle in a Pilates stance, or to a height that allows you to maintain abdominal support and good alignment.
Reach your arms long by your sides, hovering them just above hip height.
Begin pumping your arms vigorously from the shoulders, inhaling for five arm pumps and exhaling for five arm pumps.
Repeat this breathing pattern ten times, completing a total of 100 arm pumps.
Please note: This is the classical, unmodified version of The Hundred. Pilates instructors will often adapt the exercise for clients with neck discomfort, lower back pain, osteoporosis, pregnancy or other clinical considerations.
Teaching Cues
Although the equipment changes, many of the teaching cues remain exactly the same.
Reach your fingertips towards your toes.
Lengthen through the crown of your head.
Draw the abdominals gently in
Relax the shoulders away from the ears.
Pump the arms from the shoulders, not the elbows.
Breathe deeply into the ribcage.
Create length through the entire body.
The Hundred on the Mat
The Mat version relies entirely on your own body awareness. There are no springs or moving parts to provide feedback, so gravity becomes your greatest teacher.
As you lower your legs, your abdominal muscles must work harder to maintain a stable pelvis and support the weight of your upper body. If you lose control, your body tells you immediately.
What the Mat teaches
Core endurance against gravity.
Breath control.
Whole-body coordination.
Intrinsic body awareness without external feedback.
The Hundred on the Reformer
Holding the loops transforms the experience of The Hundred.
As you reach your fingertips long towards your toes, the straps encourage you to maintain gentle tension throughout the movement. Rather than simply pumping the arms, you're continuously reaching away from your centre while resisting the pull of the springs.
This creates a sense of opposition throughout the body and often helps clients connect with their triceps while learning to stabilise the trunk. If the carriage begins to move unintentionally, it provides immediate feedback that stability has been lost.
What the Reformer teaches
Creating opposition from fingertips to toes.
Triceps activation without gripping the shoulders.
Core stability while controlling the carriage.
Precision through spring feedback.
The Hundred on the Tower
The Tower offers feedback in a completely different way.
Pressing firmly into the push-through bar encourages activation through the back of the arms while the bar over the legs provides a consistent reference for leg height. Instead of guessing where your legs are in space, the equipment gives you tactile feedback that helps you maintain alignment throughout the exercise.
This allows many people to focus less on positioning and more on breathing, spinal length and abdominal control.
What the Tower teaches
Consistent leg height through tactile feedback.
Strong triceps connection by pressing into the bar.
Length through the spine whilst maintaining abdominal support.
Greater awareness of alignment.
The Hundred on the Wunda Chair
Unlike the Reformer and Tower, our demonstration uses no springs. Instead, the challenge comes from working on a much smaller base of support. Every subtle shift in your body has to be controlled without the equipment providing guidance or assistance.
The result is a variation that demands excellent stability, balance and precision.
What the Chair teaches
Dynamic trunk stability.
Balance and body control.
Precision on a smaller base of support.
Confidence maintaining the movement without external feedback.
Continue Your Pilates Journey
This article is part of our Original 34 Pilates Exercise Library, where we explore Joseph Pilates' classical exercises across the Mat and apparatus. Follow along as we break down each movement, explain the teaching principles behind it and help you become a more confident Pilates instructor.
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