Strength and Stability

Hi everyone, Thank you for joining me. We're on day three of our challenge. Way to go, you've gone through one and two, glad to see you, today's about strength and stability. Ways you can add additional strength training to your workout would be with a resistance band hand weights, magic circles, weighted bars, anything like that, but consider your body as a weight which it is, so we're working through gravity as we know, we're pushing and pulling but today's class will integrate additional strength training and resistance with a band and I have two pound weights, okay? Cut your band long, I've got about five and a half or six feet here, and you can use one or two pound weights So, let's get started, just put your band off to the side for a moment we'll begin with the standing roll down, get our bodies some warmth and some heat, go ahead and lift your arms up, create some space and just think about the first two classes, all that breath we had in number one, all that focus of rounding in number two, take it deep here, a breath here, and let's go ahead and round forward creating the space, letting all that mobility come into your back and your legs and your hips walking out onto your front support position, okay? Just hold here for a few breaths get centered, so again this class is about strength stability, so I'll be integrating a few exercises that have more focus on strength, more focused stability, and of course, things that combine.

Taking a knee in toward your chest, release one foot, breathe in, slowly bring that knee in toward your chest rounding your lower back, contract your abdominals inhale, step the foot back and find that long-stretch position, other side. Exhale, pull, this is contracting the abdominals inhale, step back, couple more. Exhale. So you wanna drive the knee into the chest but make sure you're also pulling your navel into your spine, once again each side, exhale. Almost sense that you can lift up out of your wrists I'm on a hardwood floor.

Now, the knee to the shoulder, no flexion of your spine. Just think of your knee to your shoulder or to your opposite elbow, it's definitely a strengthening exercise, okay? Some of these exercises will increase range of motion today, one more each side, some will decrease range of motion. Okay, walk yourself back. Bend the knees, round the spine, roll all the way up to standing, and then let's go ahead and have a seat on our mat.

Alright, going in for the one hundred. Hold your band, I've got the length of it roll yourself down, now some of the things I want you to focus on, you don't have to death grip with your hands think slightly pulling out on your band, okay? Bring your knees into your chest Pilates V position, let's take our 100 (exhales) here we go exhale, three, four, five two So I am pulling out a little bit with my hands strengthening the shoulders and two three four five exhale three four five keep goin' getting your body warm getting ready for some fun exercises in our class three challenge here strength and stability, let's do one more set of breath in, and exhale, three four five. Tuck your knees in, just roll yourself up, everybody put that band right across the balls of your feet and roll back, let's go in for roll up inhale lift your head and your chest the band is gonna help us, we know that curl yourself forward, roll up to sitting tall we're gonna add a little roll with the elbows roll them back reach the arms long and roll back, over your spine you can keep those feet flexed and here we go again, inhale so let the band help you a little bit, when you don't need to use it, use your abdominals flex the spine deeper roll yourself up and then row, we're back at those shoulders again. The abdominals (exhales loudly) two more rounds, inhale, head neck chest, rounding over, keeping the feet flexed, roll yourself up using the shoulders and upper back roll the arms and take it down (exhales loudly) one more roll up how much more can you contract in strengthen, strengthen, strengthen, roll up and roll back (exhales loudly) okay we're getting ready for roll over so with roll over pull your hands out a little bit on the band, I'm gonna take it almost to the edges here, bring your knees in and then your legs up.

Hands are down, the sense with the band I want you to think of pressing up into it take a breath, here we go and over your head. Now you can just keep those feet flexed, but you can't open them because you're holding that band, breathe in, we're only doing four of these, roll down can you keep pushing weight into your feet into the band take your legs a little lower inhale 90, exhale up and over, reach, breathe in exhale, roll back, down your spine with those arms very active, holding this band two more (inhales and exhales loudly) up and over reach into the band, breathe in, exhale, roll down (exhales loudly) easy across the jaw, alright, one more to go these are kinda tough, if you're not having a great time with the band, I hope you've ditched it by now, but you're going to need it for the next exercise, so if you took it away, bring it back in, if you've still got it bend your knees congratulate yourself (laughs) now put your hand at the very end of your band I've got it all the way down, we need all the length we can get on this next series of exercises. Take your breath into your nose chest lift yourself up, double leg stretch the legs go forward, the arms stretch back you've got this resistance band you're working some strength in your shoulders not the neck is tension, but the shoulders down your back, inhale in, exhale press so if you're doing this now, of course you are, and you want a little more challenge wrap your hands two more times that's pulling on that band even greater more strength, inhale in, last one exhale and hold, hold hold hold. Now, take your legs down as this lower lift take em' down, (exhales loudly) bring 'em up four times, upper body stays up so abs and shoulders really active, (exhales loudly) down like you're drawing a line down a wall last one, where can you dial down tension that you don't need, around your neck way to go! Okay, take your feet off the band unwrap your hands, put it nearby alright, we're ready for rolling like a ball to a squat, you don't have to do a squat part but I want to challenge you, right? You're here for a challenge, give it a try you might fall a little bit or stagger your steps, it's okay we're all here to learn together, have a little fun.

Start lifting your head up, okay I'm gonna show this way, you can put your hands behind your knees and just simply rocking alright this is fairly easy, next would be hands on shins, okay ready? Here we go, changing it up, squat. Roll, you must get some weight on your legs I'm aiming my chest over my legs (exhales loudly) with some leg and some butt work (exhales loudly) two more, up, you could also add a jump but we won't do that today, and rest okay, wonderful! Come on up. Let's do spine stretch forward. Basic, no prop, use this as a little recovery exercise. Sitting tall up on your sitting bones ankles flat, take a deep inhale through your nose (inhales loudly) and blow all the air out (exhales loudly) remember that breath is there to mobilize more space (exhales loudly) rolling up (inhales loudly) just one more time (exhales loudly) opening up the back of your spine, opening up the back of your pelvis and roll all the way up (inhales loudly) alright, because of strength and stability focus let's try our open leg rocker together without holding our legs, okay?

Bring your hips up. Let's begin organizing and getting set with our hands holding our legs, okay? Here we go, we're ready for some stability challenge it's definitely going to be fun when we come back up here we go, have fun! Rolling over, coming up try to stabilize inhale, eyes to the navel, come on up and hold so this is absolutely requiring strength and stability, and a little extra flair now and again doesn't hurt (laughs) you can do that if you have an almost near miss two more, everybody, let's go for it. Roll back, hold, and roll back and hold, alright, big challenge wonderful, lie back down, no band tick tock, or a corkscrew preparation arms by your side strengthen your shoulders back on your mat, extend your legs heels together, I'm taking my legs toward you now this a strength issue in the abdominals but it's also some stability of shoulders, how stable can you keep your shoulders against the mat now let's just simply come home, over to the other hip so the lower half is twisting the upper half is stable, and home inhale to the first side, big breath come find that space, exhale. Inhale to the side, okay we're gonna go four more with a little curve at the end there, so take the legs over, think of the letter U capital letter U, go backward down around and center, other way to the side keep the abdominals strong as you take your legs low one more to the side, down strong abdominals stable shoulder to the left or your second side all the way around, center, fold your knees in.

How'd you do? Good? I hope you did. Come on up for just a second. Alright, we're going for neck pull position. I am going to have us use our theraband, so take this around your feet again, I'm using this so you get a sense of pushing your feet into it, or your legs into it.

Okay, now what I mean by neck pull position is the trunk position, the upper body position. So, I want you to find and contract into your shoulder stabilizers, your back extensors, your hips, and your abdominals, alright? Take that whole shape and now lean back with it. You have to stabilize quite a few things here your lumbar spine, no overarching, no rib flaring, and it's certainly strength and come all the way back to home. Three more, here we go.

Leaning back, exhale all the way home two more, if you don't need the band, you can let go. Maybe a genie position, and center, and last one everybody, inhale as you hinge hold, hold, try to go back a little further, and then all the way up, well done! No band for the next one, just take it off to the side. Let's move our hips forward, we're going into jackknife with a few little touchdowns of the feet roll yourself back, okay. So here I am, here we are. Feel strong in your arms, scoop out the abdominals take your legs down overhead if you have it in you, don't look my way try to flex your feet touch your toes down, we wanna lift the legs up touch 'em down, this is about the glutes and the back, and the abs, and the shoulders and the breath, two more with everything up, up, up, up, one more (inhales loudly) and (exhales loudly) hold, hold, hold, and (exhales loudly) ready for side line, get your band nearby I think (laughs) come on to your side body face me, take your legs slightly forward of your pelvis, and let's go up on your elbow today okay, have some negative space this is more fun, actually, a little more challenging of stabilizing, strengthening this under side for support take the other hand on top of your head unless you need it to put it here but I think we're ready for this challenge.

Take both legs into turnout, lift the thigh. Small circles, this is for the challenge of the small circle is deepening, really the root of abdominals, how the leg connects into the pelvis sometimes the smaller movements are the harder ones okay, reverse, we did 10. One, two, imagine that foot is circling way across the room, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Okay, keep your legs glued together, sealed together, strong hips raise your legs, lower your legs let's breathe. (inhales loudly) we need that exhale, strengthen there we go, and down. Strong abdominals, stable body position.

Our goal is to not drop this underneath side keep that negative space, oh boy, one more, here we go, lift here we go (laughing) and lift hold, hold, hold, and lower okay, just that with the other side, so just quick transition, okay on your side you've got your negative space, your strengthening, you're stabilizing that lift your legs are slightly in front of your pelvis and we're turned out. Raising your top thigh, contract around your seat and your hip. Stir, stir, so then ways to strengthen sometimes is minimizing range of motion, so smaller more controlled, more strength in the hip for 10 the other way, one, two again, imagine that foot not where it is but way out across the room, your whole leg longer six, seven, dial down tension in your shoulders. Rest, two legs lift on the exhale and up. It's okay that you don't go high (inhales loudly) think about the quality here, exhale strengthen and stabilize.

Inhale down exhale strengthen, stabilize, and enjoy last two (exhales loudly) are you stretching long? I haven't really said that much in this class, but here we go lift and hold, getting long strength, length, okay, we did it! We're doing well, if so, we're doing so well it's time for teasers, okay (laughs) I'm looking at that as a positive opportunity today and grab your band for this. We'll do one teaser of teaser one one of teaser two, and one teaser three. Feet right in the middle of the band lying on your back, you were already here earlier with the double leg stretch. Okay, now you know yourself to have an easy time with teasers, you may not even need the band but go ahead and try it with us if you want extra help with teaser reach way up here, that's going to give you a pretty good buoyancy and it'll help us come up, okay?

I'll be up there with you. Teaser one, the legs start at your diagonal your legs are reaching to the theraband your head and shoulders come up, inhale and you're coming all the way to teaser one. This incorporates strength and stability, as you know okay? Teaser two, legs go down, upper body does not legs come up teaser three, slide your hands to the ends of the theraband, start raising your arms up and open your legs at the same time. (exhales loudly) I'm going to actually give myself one more opportunity I want my hands even further back, I know I have a better teaser three than that.

Here I go, but I needed to adjust where my hands are there we go, so I can actually open that shape now pull the legs back up, tuck your knees in, round yourself take the band away from you for now, keep it there. Hip twist, we already prepared for it with corkscrew, we're ready to do the harder way in leaning on your elbows you could lean on your hands, that'll be later, today is elbows. Thighs in, stabilize where your shoulders are and where your gaze is, where your eyes are take your legs up, visualize that corkscrew we're going right toward over to one hip legs go down low, this is strength around and up other way, inhale, exhale strong abs allow you to drop your legs that low, you do not have to go that low, but I want to show you where you can go keep working, left, down, strong exhale round up, once again each side reach out, around and up, and lower around and up cross your legs, come on up, band time, put it over your lap, put your hands close to your hips, that's really not what I meant. (laughing) put your hands back here, the band will be over your hips. So we do back support that your pelvis will be pressing up into this band, okay?

Strength, here we go. Hands can be face-out, take a breath through that nose, (inhales loudly) here we go, and press, use your strong hips guys and ladies and men, push the hips up I like to look straight ahead Lower down with control, four more. Breathe in, and strong rear legs, strong shoulders try to stabilize your position and lower back down two more, exhale (exhales loudly) two or three there's more height in your hips, push 'em up and down, that's me talking to myself and talking to you, push 'em up and lift, pressing that band one more, we've got it in us, here we go. Breathing in, exhale and hips up eyes to right where your wall and your ceiling meet and all the way down, okay one more exercise with the band. We've got it, you guys, here's the deal this end you need to put it on your mat, okay?

Turn and face me, place your feet on it. You're gonna stand on it to keep it down the other hand holds the band, you can either go at the very end, that'll be easy, now a couple inches down will be more work, so kinda play with what you want to experiment with I'll start easy (laughing) and I can change it. Side bend, hand on the mat, stabilize that shoulder, engage the abdominals here we go, breathe now let's go with an exhale, yeah I'm really gonna go for that change. And extend, bend, inhale, let's go five of these stretch bend, I'm gonna choke up, I can handle that exhale (exhales loudly) that made my band taughter I have to really work more strength to stretch it last two, exhale (exhales loudly) and last one, let's stay out on the last one for two breath cycles reach out and hold, how about lifting your hip higher right up into the big band, don't worry about the band lift your body, lift your body, lift your body and down, okay. Other side, and you're probably wondering about the hand weights right?

They're coming, yea! Step on your band, keep your body moving. Here we go, get set up (inhales loudly) breathe in, side bend, and stretch. And bend. So if you added extra resistance to class for sure we focus on stability moments, we combined strength and stability, and many familiar exercises, last two. Exhale, stretch.

Even your legs should feel strong underneath you here's our last one, we're holding it for two breath cycles, how much longer can you reach? (exhales loudly) and come down, okay fantastic. This can just go away (laughs) get rid of it grab your weights now, everybody. Okay, two pounds, one pound, you can go more but you won't need it. Find a quadruped position, I am holding my weights, I'm knuckling my hands down, if you don't like the way that works, or that feels, start out with your hands flat then pick up the weight when you need it, okay?

Find the stability in your shoulders find the length of your spine, take a breath, exhale I'm lifting my arm that's closest to you and I'm lowering it down I'm lifting it again, three times strength, stability, asymmetrical exercises hold, bend the elbow close to your body row your arm back three times working your triceps two, it's a little interesting sense of balance, though, hold it that arm can go back out to a tee back into the hip, two more, back out to a tee into the hip out to the tee, underneath you nothing should change in the body other side, inhale, exhale, and up with the arm, down with the arm making a slight adjustment here (exhales loudly) lift, you'll notice one side has more coordination of the muscles, normal, hold the arm up. Bend your elbow to your waist, tricep extension, elbow extension one, long spine, two, abdominals, right? Three, hold the arm up, we did three open it to a tee, bring it back around to your hip some of the latissimus muscle, back in your shoulders, check your abdominals all the way in, go back out, lower the arm without a whole lot of body change. Fantastic! Dead bug, I want you to come up not all the way high, not all the way down find the halfway place, round your spine a little knuckles together, kinda like this, I used to think there was like a bulldog shape (laughing) okay? I think you can probably see the reference.

So look out a little bit into space. You don't want that head dropped, you don't want it up, exhale and bring your shoulder blades together, we're only going to do five, feel free to do more, I want to initiate it at the shoulder blades. And they are sliding, moving around the back of the rib cage, no thrusting ribs, we're stabilizing, stabilizing and strengthening two more, (exhales loudly) last time, now everyone hold here put your fist right by your shoulders alternate a punching movement that's kind of a slow motion, palms will face down one arm comes in front of you one arm goes behind you, change. (exhales loudly) change (exhales loudly) doing five each side, and three is the third set (exhales loudly) work on the back arm being the higher arm (exhales loudly) you'll feel your back muscles nicely last time, okay. All the way up now, I'll face you, you face me, arm circles, lift your arm straight up in front of your shoulders (inhales loudly) open your arms out to a tee now resist coming down, don't let the weights drag you, you lower with control two more, shoulder level, open, how wide can you get across your chest and lower down, once more up, open of course we have to go the reverse direction, so they go up first, shoulders, front, and down, lift, strong and stable, great job today, everybody.

We made it through class three, that's our last exercise. How do you feel? I feel great, I'm sweaty, I need to stand up and do a roll down, join me, okay? Because you want to finish with some stretch, a little bit. Those toys out of the way.

Stand with your legs apart, I didn't mean that (laughing) stand with your feet together you get goofy sometimes after teaching inhale, exhale and here we go, no need to do a walk out to plank unless you're dying to do one roll yourself up, I can't thank you enough guys. You're keeping me going and making me create some fun classes for you, so join me for class four, lower body focus, okay? I'll see you next time, bye-bye!