Jul 6 / Leslie Guerin

Behind the Cue: Resist

Behind the Cue: Resist

"Resist."

It's one of those cues that most people associate with the Reformer. You hear it when the carriage begins to come home. You push the carriage away, and then your instructor says, "Resist."

For many clients, this is the first time they realize something surprising. The work isn't over. In fact, the return may actually be the more challenging part of the exercise.

The springs are trying to pull the carriage home. If you simply stop working, the carriage will slam back toward the stopper. Instead, your muscles continue to organize, lengthen, and contract as they guide the carriage back with control. That is resistance. But here's where I think we sometimes miss the bigger lesson. The Reformer isn't teaching us how to use springs. The springs are teaching us how to move. The equipment simply makes something visible that has always been true. Movement doesn't end when the effort feels over. The return matters just as much as the push. And once you understand that, you begin to realize this cue belongs everywhere, not just on the Reformer.

Resistance Is Everywhere

One of the biggest misconceptions about Mat Pilates is that there isn't any resistance. There are no springs, pulley, cables or weights, just your body. So people assume the exercises are somehow "easier."

But the truth is almost the opposite. On the mat, gravity becomes your resistance. Gravity is the one force you never get to remove from the equation. Every leg lift has gravity pulling downward. Every abdominal curl has gravity asking your spine to return to the floor. Every bridge has gravity encouraging your hips to drop. Every teaser has gravity waiting for you to collapse. The question isn't whether resistance exists. The question is whether you are going to control it.

The Part Everyone Wants to Skip

Human beings naturally understand effort. We push, pull, lift and press. Those actions feel productive. But controlling the return? That feels slower. Less exciting. Almost unnecessary. Except it isn't.

Imagine picking up a heavy box. You wouldn't carry it across the room and then simply let go. Of course not, you would carefully lower it. Why?

Because dropping it could damage the object, damage the floor, or damage your body. Your muscles stay active until the task is complete. Now imagine deadlifting a car. If you somehow managed to lift it overhead, and let's be clear, I certainly couldn't, you wouldn't simply open your hands and hope for the best. You would either lower it with complete control or get out of the way very quickly. That sounds ridiculous, but it illustrates something important. When the load is obviously heavy, everyone understands the need for control. When the load is light, people often forget. Three Pounds Is Still Three Pounds Walk into a Barre class and you'll find people holding two- or three-pound dumbbells. Some people immediately dismiss them. "They're only three pounds."

But that isn't really the point. The point isn't how much the weight weighs. The point is what your muscles are doing with it. If you lift your arms overhead and then simply allow gravity to pull them back down, you've stopped participating in half of the movement. Your muscles should still be working, organizing and resisting gravity. Exactly the same thing happens in Sculpt or in Yoga. Exactly the same thing happens in everyday life. Control is never optional. 

Gravity Is the Original Spring

I sometimes think we give the Reformer too much credit. The springs are wonderful teachers because they exaggerate what is happening. If you lose control, you know immediately. The carriage tells on you. Usually it is the stopper that tells you with a bang. Or the straps when they jolt. Or your body tilts as the carriage races home with inconsistent load. You cannot pretend you were controlling it. The feedback is instant.

On the mat, gravity is quieter. If you drop your leg out of tabletop, nothing crashes. If your bridge collapses, there isn't a loud noise. If your head falls backward during an abdominal curl, there isn't a spring reminding you what happened. Gravity simply does what gravity always does. It wins. Unless you resist it. That's why I often tell my clients that the mat is incredibly honest. Without springs providing feedback, your own body has to become the feedback. You begin noticing the difference between moving with intention and simply allowing movement to happen.

Resistance Isn't About Tension

Sometimes people misunderstand this cue. They hear "resist" and immediately grip everything. Jaw tightens, shoulders climb toward their ears, hands squeeze, toes curl and glutes engage.  That isn't what I mean. Resistance isn't rigidity. Resistance is organization. Think about watching a dancer lower into a plié. Nothing looks tense. Nothing looks forced. But every muscle is participating. Or watch someone roll down from standing one vertebra at a time. It (hopefully) looks effortless. It isn't. Effort and tension are not the same thing. The strongest movers often appear the calmest because they have learned how to direct effort only where it is needed. That is the kind of resistance we are after.

Every Return Is a New Repetition 

One of the biggest mindset shifts I try to create in class is this:

The return is not the break.

The return is another repetition.

If you perform ten leg lowers, you haven't actually done ten repetitions. You've done twenty movements. Ten lowering and ten lifting. Both deserve your attention. The same is true for bridges, roll-ups, arm circles and even side kicks. The body is always asking you the same question. Can you stay connected while changing direction with gravity and finish what you started? 

Why This Matters Outside the Studio

Pilates has never been about becoming better at Pilates. It has always been about becoming better at moving through life. Think about sitting into a chair, walking down a flight of stairs, carrying groceries or lowering a sleeping child into bed. 
All of those moments require controlled lowering. Very few injuries happen because we lifted something. Many happen because we lost control while putting it back down. That is resistance in real life. It is not glamorous. It does not usually earn compliments. But it protects our joints, develops strength, and creates confidence.

The Cue Behind the Cue

When I say "resist," I am almost never talking about the springs. I am talking about your relationship with movement itself. Do not abandon it because it stopped feeling difficult. Do not stop participating because you're heading back to where you started. Stay present, organized and connected. 

Whether you are on the Reformer, on the Mat, holding three-pound weights in a Barre class, or simply lowering yourself into a chair at the end of a long day, the principle is exactly the same.

The movement deserves your attention from beginning to end. The return isn't the easy part. The return is part of the work. And maybe that's the lesson hidden inside this tiny little cue. Resistance isn't something the equipment gives you. It is something you choose during every single repetition.

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