Hello!

I'm having some trouble understanding (or rather confirming) that my abs are "scooped" when in seated or standing ab work outs. Is this very literally just the sensation of pulling upward & in with a connected pelvic floor? I feel very connected to my upper abs and can see and sense they're pulled in tight, no rib flare. I don't believe my lower belly is "pooching" but it's still not quite as flat or pulled in as I am able to do on my back. Is this normal? Maybe the opposite would be easier to understand (i.e. pooching looks like this). Any tips on confirming if I've got this down.

For reference: I'm still in my 4-weeks of the beginner program and I do have some lower belly fat that sort-of pools in this area. I'm not sure if I am actually engaging because I'm not sure if it's the pooching, or if I'm just seeing my visceral fat on top. (She's cute, we love her, no hate to her, she's a great gal who's keeping my body alive in stressful times, but we've had our time and all good things must come to an end - LOL!) I have struggled with engaging my lower abs in the past as well in prior Pilates classes.

Thank you for any feedback you can offer me!

Hi Caitlin. Thank you for sharing. This is very normal--especially as you build up strength in these muscles. Pooching doesn't mean you're not engaging. It simply means you're not yet connected with the deeper layers of your core most likely. You can pooch but still be active in the outer layers of your core muscles. Sometimes, bloat can cause more pooch as this makes it more difficult to connect with our deep core muscles. I don't think you should be concerned. Just keep focusing you the details as much as possible and you'll see your muscles respond in due time. Have you gone over the core technique videos yet?

I have and I'm finishing up my final week of the 4-week introduction. Are there any sensations in particular you should be feeling when engaging these deep lower core muscles?

Hi Caitlin! That’s amazing. It’s pretty straight forward. You will feel the lower abs but if you don’t feel the external layers of your low abs, as long as you feel the pelvic floor pulling in and up, you’re doing it correctly.

Thank you! I definitely have room to grow with this movement in particular, I appreciate the feedback!

Happy to help! You got this 💪🏼