To V or not to V

[originally posted on Dec 7, 2018]

Some call it “Pilates stance”. Some call it “Pilates V”. Other names include “Pilates first”, “first position”, or in simple language: “heels together, toes apart”. We are talking about external rotation at the hip and referring to the orientation of legs and feet.

Concept

As a ball-and-socket joint, the hip allows for movement in all directions. Our normal movement ranges at the hip (taking into account that tight muscles or connective tissue might get in the way) in numbers are: 110°-130° in flexion (forward), about 30° in extension (backwards), 30°-50° in abduction (outwards), 20°-30° in adduction (inwards), and 40°-45° in both internal and external rotation (turning in/out).

When we lie down on our backs and completely relax our legs, our legs reveal the tendency to turn out and rotate out. This is based on the way that the hip is designed and how gravitational forces act on the legs. For most of us, the head of the femur and our hip socket are more congruent (better fit of the articular surfaces) when slightly turned out.

(On a side note, the most congruent position of the hip is in a combination of hip flexion, adduction, and external rotation!)

Keeping the hip joint in a more congruent position during any movement involving the legs yields the benefit of keeping articular surfaces properly aligned and ready to adjust in either direction as needed. To boot, approximately 12 prime movers and 10 opposing muscles get involved in active external hip rotation, not to mention those that assist and those that come to play when additional movement in surrounding structures occurs.

This creates a strong energetic lock in the lower body that can be especially helpful when navigating the challenge to lift our legs off the ground (think: Hundred), for example.

History

The term “Pilates stance” does not stem from the original days in Joseph Pilates’ studio. There is an assumption that it’s the first generation of Pilates teachers (who were predominantly dancers) who introduced the turned-out position to the Pilates method.

But it turns out (pun intended) that Joseph Pilates himself prescribed some of his exercises to be practiced in external rotation. In many cases, it’s a logistical choice to maximize surface contact with the ground or apparatus and other times a logical choice to induce proper activation in movement. However, it’s not the only option and never was (as evident from the documentation of his Mat exercises in Return to Life, for example, many of which were done in parallel rotation).

Technique

The way external rotation of the hips is used in the Pilates method is less about the esthetics and more about activation and joint positioning. For proper technique, it’s vital to rotate from the hips – and not the feet, ankles, or knees. Here are 2 tools in the original method that are helpful in training movement at the hips:

The Toe Corrector can highlight and build external rotation. In addition to working the intrinsic musculature of the foot and stretching its web of joints, the Toe Corrector is a great tool to connect the rotation of the legs to the hips, knees, and ankles.

The Magic Circle is used with a unique set of exercises aimed to fine-tune movement at the hips (and resisting it at the thighs, shins, or ankles). These seated exercises are corrective in nature as they isolate effort in the lower extremity depending on where it’s placed and are a great way to increase circulation – and awareness.

Practice

In addition to the exercises above, here’s an exercise to embody active external rotation. The “military stance” highlights that external rotation at the hip isn’t merely a position, but a movement in its own right:

  1. Stand tall with your legs and feet parallel, about an inch or two apart.
  2. Shift weight forward until the heels begin to peel away from the ground.
  3. With the heels lifted, begin to externally rotate the hips.
  4. Allow your heels to get into each other’s way but continue to rotate.
  5. Maintain the rotational effort as you set the heels back down.
  6. Spread weight evenly across your feet and notice the activation of your posture.

Now, repeat the same thing lying on your back:

  1. Stretch your legs out on the ground, close together
  2. Keep contact in the heels as you externally rotate the hips
  3. Maintain the rotational effort as you attempt to lift both legs off the ground.

You will notice that it’s much easier to call on the proper effort in a closed-chain environment (feet against the floor in standing, or feet against the footbar on the Reformer, etc.), but that the external rotation itself sets off an activation that can be called upon when on the Mat.

Of course, the answer to the question of whether to turn out or not depends on the mover’s individual alignment, the joint position and body orientation, the load, and the desired movement. Doing Footwork on the Reformer vs. the Corkscrew on the Mat presents an entirely different scenario.

How to discern the “right” stance

The short answer is: there is no one right stance. Our goal is and should be to move well in a variety of positions. We should be able to hold our legs up and control movement in both external and parallel rotations.

Consider:

  • Does turning out favorably increase activation for the moving body?
  • Does turning out place excessive strain into the hips or back… or relieve it?
  • Does turning out provide a better base of support / better contact with the apparatus?
  • Does parallel rotation yield the same effect?
  • Does the moving body default into either rotation?
  • Does it benefit the moving body to remain in default rotation (familiarity and perceived stability)?
  • Does it benefit the moving body to correct default rotation (challenging stability, changing the pattern, working harder or smarter)?

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