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Hi, I'm Andrea and today we're going to look at some fundamental exercises with a specific premise in mind. In our plot is exercises. We're really going to look at how they're all different versions of each other. And if we distill down the choreography of the exercises, we're basically gonna focus on the oppositional reaches a or sometimes called the two way stretch. And today we're going to look at a workout with a lower body focus in mind. And so I've kind of distilled down the upper body choreography into what I call the reach. There's a video that just focus on the on the reach as well.
And then this video is going to focus on just the lower body where you're going to try to be standing in your lower body regardless of what kind of choreography you have. In the exercise. I have Karen and Ethan, my friends with me, and we're going to start. So stand close to your reformer stand really tall. You're going to sit without the use of your hands on the very end of the carriage and lie back in one motion. Your feet go onto the foot bar. So I love the Joe Palladia starts us off in a really advantageous way to stand on our feet and we also have so many repetitions of them. I don't think that can be an accident.
Pilates Stance
We need to get better at standing on our feet even when we're upside down and backwards. So go ahead and go out and back 10 times and just keep trying to push on the bar in both directions.Sometimes it'll be helpful to take some springs off. So Ethan, I'm going to let you be on two springs. So just be careful when you press out. And then Karen, I have you just on three. So basically less springs equals more you. So go ahead and gently press out and then push on the bar and come in and really kind of try to stand on the bar even if it has has to be that you stop the motion of the carriage on the way in. I don't mind at all.
Do One more in this position. And now stay there with your legs straight. So go out again, stay there with your legs straight and stand on the foot bar and then bend your knees a little bit. Come in halfway, stand on the foot bar and hold it there. Yup. And now keep standing all the way in.
And then we'll go to the arches and then push. Yeah. So I can see what's happening. All of this, the, the center comes alive when the standing. So let's go to the arch physician and just kind of do that same thing. Yes. And it might make the rhythm of it slow down a little bit, but we're, we're really using this idea of standing and just focusing on the lower body as a little bit of exploration to see what it does for our workout. Nice.
Arches
I feel like you're doing a good balance of keeping a nice rhythm and moving and that's actually the really the most important thing. That's why we're not talking about too many details and we're not trying to perfect anything else other than the singular focus of the lower body. Because moving is really the best. The main event in [inaudible] is the moving. Yeah. And then after 10 you're going to go to the heels and now really pushing the heels and just keep the toes as easy as you can. Yeah.
Heels
So keep thinking of the foot position with the heels on the bar as the length that's creating the back of you so that the heel forward and pushing is long in the back. Not necessarily about a flex of the foot.
Tendon Stretch
Nice. Oh good. I liked the telepathy. You did exactly what I was going to tell you. The weight of the body is going to be on the ball of the foot. So you want to make sure that the heel going down doesn't drop you down and backwards, but you still stay up and forward on the balls of your feet. And then you'll come in, use your feet to lower the foot bar, take your handles and slide away a little bit.
And so now all of that pushing and standing, now you've got nothing here to, so you're going to pretend that as you come into your hundred, you're going to stand on your feet wherever they are. And then con yes. Yeah. If your knees like to lock, let them relax a little bit. Yep. And then really, let's see if I can do this. Stand on me. Ooh. Stand on me. Oh, how is that? Okay. I didn't fall over, so I was, I was good.
Hundred
And actually I'm going to put the two springs in the middle and the two sprays in the middle is just going to make the transition to one spring. Eventually when we get to the pulling straps, just really very easy.
Frog
And if that feels like not clear, you can just stop halfway back and sort of see what it feels like to stand and put your weight on the strap. After you do about five or six frog. Keep that idea of standing. Now it's gonna get a little complicated. So you're going to have to stand as you make a circle. So you'll stand all the way round. Don't go quite so high.
Circles
It'll just help you to stand if you stay over here.
Right. And then when you finished your circles, you'll return to the frog, grab a set of your handles, the wooden handles, grab them in one hand, use your other hand to unclip the black straps and just don't drop anything on your face or throw it across the room.
Okay. Hang up the handles for yourself. Step off. You're gonna take one spring off and get the long box
So Joe just expects you to be a really quick learner. Once you get to stand, he figures you can do it in anything in any scenario. Okay, so do your best to stand in your lower body. And let's do the three of the pulling straps and three of the tee
Pulling Straps
And then stand?
T-Pull
So the pad at all of your springs and put your foot bar up and then you'll sit.
Yes. So now keep standing on the weight of your foot on the ball of your foot.
Round
Good. Keep the deliberate pace. Don't feel like you have to rush and really kind of lift yourself as you stand on your feet. Good. That was a really nice adjustment. After 10 you'll take one more spring off and now reach up and stand on your feet. You're going to go out and you want to push on the bar and come all the way in getting tall or tall or tall or tall or taller. Close the spring.
Flat Back
But I shouldn't hear it all the way. This, this a little bit more? Yeah. Yeah. Good. Good. Let's do four. And then you're going to go to the twist. Three sets of twist. Yes. So now it's gonna get complicated. You're gonna stand evenly on both feet as you twist. Yep.
Reach
And then you're gonna push here and return. Yeah. Stand on your feet, twist, and then push the feet and return yourself. Good for you. Exhale. So it feels nice and return. Exhale, chest up. Good. And return one more each way. See, I can't stop myself. I'm talking about other things other than standing, but you know
Twist
The spring remains the same.Put the strap on the ankle and then press the leg apart. Yes. And just relax your feet, your toes for a moment. Yeah. And just feel like you're going to try to push the heel forward without Bret cranking the toes back and they'll want to do what they do. Of course. Yes. Okay, so you're going to pretend to stand in the straps and let's start with the round physician. Send your standing first so you kind of have something to pull away from.
Ooh, that looks very nice.
Round
So reach up and reach away from your feet and then heels forward. Stomach back. Yes. Let this relax. Yes, yes. Keep that. Relax the knees. If you, if the knees like to lock, you're going to see them lock a ton in the short box and you just got to unlock them like a million times until they get the message right. I mean your knees get the message, not your, not your students. Good man. They got the message after you do five, keep standing and go to the side.
Flat Back
Yeah. And stand to lift yourself taller after each one.
Side to Side
Carry on.
Twist and Reach
Stow the bar. So now for the tree, now it's good. Things are gonna get further complicated. It's hold one leg and then once you take one away, um, there's like another exercise that we're pretty much doing, which is a single leg pole. So act accordingly. Sometimes if you single leg pull, you hold with your stomach a little bit more than if you just hold your leg.
Tree
So reach the legs away from you and then to help you up, reach to the strap, reach the leg in the air so your lower body is part of what helps you up as well.
They're not speedy, they're not slow, they're just consistently moving.
Make your, make your grip because the stomach is reaching to the bar, not because you're standing on your hands. Yeah. Easy in your knees. Yes. Push your heels down into the carriage as much as you can. So you'll push down to go out and now you're going to push down so your stomach can go up. Yes, dude, that was a very nice, a nice working noise. You did that. That was really good. Um, do do about eight.
Elephant
Single Leg Elephant
Good job you guys. Yes. If you need to stand on both to kind of feel them again before you take the other one away, you can
So we don't get sort of straightforward standing like the elephant, but we do get the foot against the shoulder rest.
So let's stand in the spring and you're going to earn the carriage and then you're going to go out and back 10 times. Yes. And especially on the way in. Keep pushing out to resist it as you come in.
Round
Flat Back
This looks very nice you guys. And then come on in. So let's get into the position for the pelvic lift and yeah, I like that. What you've chosen, where you're like on the arch but kind of Neal near the heel. So stand on your feet first before you even lift your hips up. Press on your feet and then make your seat go to your feet.
Knees Off
Like it's going toward your feet to come up. Yes. And then carry on. Stand on the bar, stretch your legs, push on the bar to come in. So it's all the same things we did in the foot work except now you're not on the mat, but make this upper stomach on the mat more. Yeah, cause that'll help you stand more. Yes. And then keep the hip low as you come in.
Running
I mean aim your tailbone straight ahead. Straight ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Good.
Pelvic Lift
And now we're going to do a few mat exercises. So here we are on the mat and we're going to keep our same focus of standing in the lower body as we do our seven mat exercises. But the first thing we're going to do is descend to the mat. And that's pretty much standing and in the stomach massage, kind of like what we did before in the, in the reformer. So let's stand between the moon boxes.Yes, lift up your elbows, lift your reach, push your feet on the floor, and then actually let's actually reach up. I mean like, like stomach massage, not all the way up, but forward yet. So you're gonna make your upper body lift as you push your feet on the floor the whole way down. So you'll push in your lift, keep pushing, keep lifting, keep pushing, sit with control as much as you can. Very nice. Let's start with the roll up because actually let's start with the rolling back without the strap first, because now you actually can, in the rolling back, you get to put your feet on the mat and then we'll do the roll up where you don't get that luxury. So lift up, stand on your feet and just as you do the exercise, you can go back halfway or back all the way.
Roll Back
Try not to let yourself come off of your standing foot position.
Keep those guys the toes. They might want to do funny things. Yeah. Press your big toes down.
That's plenty of those. So now let's change game changer. No, touching the feet to the floor. No, no. I mean, oh, the roll up. You're correct. Yup. Okay. Use the pole lie all the way down. And then now you're in this position that is similar to when you stand. So find the standing position, stretch the arms back, bring the arms up, stand on your feet and lift yourself in the roll up.
Roll Up
Do your three little stretches.
And then roll down. Did that get that
Single Leg Circles
Just like your tree on the reformer. That looks great.
And let's take a moment actually to put the feet on the floor so that you can kind of push on your feet to feel a little bit of your stomach
Rolling Like A Ball
Good. Make your legs and your chest not come any closer together. Then when you start. Yeah. Yes, that was good. After about five or six, rolling like a ball, make sure you end on a nice, on a good one where you are very in control and balanced. Grab your right leg, right hand on the ankle, left hand just below the knee. Stand on that leg that's in the air. Roll Down with control right into the one leg pole.
I mean the single leg pole. And so now when you push that leg out, you're gonna stand on it and push it out there. Yeah. So you're trying to pull the leg
Single Leg Stretch
Yep. And then come in with both legs and we'll do the double leg pole. So now use your butt, stretch your legs out and stand. Keep standing, arms out to the side, arms forward, legs do two more like that. So stand them out there and all the way in. Leave 'em out there for one more arms, arms, arms, arms, arms, arms, arms. Then last one, I think that's about five.
Double Leg Stretch
And come all the way in. Rest your head. Take a moment and then you're going to sit up. The moment doesn't last very long. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that. So yes, heels on the, within the frame of your mat. Hands on the mat. And then this one's kind of hard too because you don't get to stand on anything. So do a few. Okay.
Spine Stretch Forward
Also. Sometimes the high chair is called the electric chair. I'll see you in just a moment. So here we are at the high chair and the exercise we're going to look at here is the seated pumping. So Karen, I'm gonna let you have a seat. You're going to put your feet up onto the pedal and then really a scoot yourself way back so that all of your back touches. And actually you're the perfect height, you get everything to touch there. Okay.And then you're going to put your arms around those poles and make fists. Yes. And I shouldn't be able to pull those so that this is anchoring you in here. Yes. So actually reach the arms out to the side for a second. Stretch your fingers out. So pretend that your arm starts in your back and then make your grip and the pinky like fire up that muscle so that when you're in this position, this is what's getting extra work, not the shoulder.
You could even make this come down a little bit like, yeah, like showing off the goods. The powerhouse. Yeah. Okay, good. So and your heels are great and lifted. Let's have you, yeah, let's try this foot port position first. Or you know what? This is a bit of a, you know, a fancy foot position and since we're working on standing, let's actually have the legs together. The balls, the feet together. Yeah. So it's more like a normal person standing, not a polite person. Okay. So your job as you resist and stand on the pedal is just that your back never leaves the back of the chair. No matter what happens, you're going to do 10 so pull this the stomach back as the yeah. As you send the legs out. Exactly. And resist it back in
Toes Parallel
Let's put the ball of your foot just a little behind the hump. Yes. So that you get this articulation of your foot. Yeah. So that you really are standing on the balls of your feet and I suspect you have a special skill. So maybe not as high heels as you as you can. That looks perfect. Okay. Yes. Stand and keep standing. Stand and keep standing. Keep this up as the pedal goes down.[inaudible] and close it all the way. Yes. Yeah. So make more of the of the bringing it up, not so much of the going down. That's lovely. Do you feel that pretty much everywhere? Yes. Okay, so let's just do, you can also do this one leg at a time. So a stretch one leg out and now pretend. Try to make that feel exactly the same even though there's no other leg with it.
Single Leg Toes
And do maybe three. You can do three, you could do five and then we'll do the other side. And if either side feels particularly really challenging, let me know.This is the squats, sometimes it's called skiing. And we're going to put together actually both upper body reach and lower body reach. Now because this is a pretty good example of all that, and it's going to help us to do the exercise even better. So stand with everything against the wall, your heels, your hips, your shoulders, your head. That's great. And then probably some of your back is not touching the wall. So just walk your feet forward as much as you need to so that your all of your back from your hips to your shoulders and your head might even touch. Yes.
Squat
And yes, we're going to have our feet about not quite hip with the part like yes. And Walk a little bit more forward. Since we're doing a squat, when you squat, you want to make sure for this particular squat, your knee doesn't go beyond where your toes are. Okay. So first you're going to bend your knees and you're gonna come down. Your hips will not go below your knees. Yeah, that's perfect. So now pull your stomach into the wall and things that you're going to push the wall away with your stomach and slide up. Yes.
Do that two more times. And usually if you don't pull your stomach in, it's kind of a bumpy ride up the wall. Yeah, that was my sweat. One more.
So Ben and then stand on your feet. Press the floor away, press the wall away. Do One more.
So you're almost like plastering yourself in the wall. So bend and reach.
And now you're going to press the air down, press the wall away. Press the floor away. Good. Do One more like that because it was really nice and glorious. Yeah, reach, reach, stand on your feet. Stand on your feet from way up there, and then push the wall away. So now keep sliding up the wall, but walk your feet back. Yes, your back may leave the wall, but you're trying. Yes. Get the heel all the way back. And so now use your muscles to undo any long gate, but contours of your body.
Try to make you the shape of the wall really nice. And now keep that idea up and forward as you press your arms in the wall and you're gonna remove yourself in one solid piece of steel from the wall. Let your arms relax and then you are finished. That was a lovely job. Thank you so much for watching. Bye.
Mention
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Andrea (Teacher) |
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Jackie H |
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iOS |
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Elizabeth Brimage |
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KIKE MARIN |
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