Standing Tower

Hi everyone. I'm blossom. Laelani Crawford. I'm here to do a tower sort of, um, spring bar routine with you. My focus was, I really know, I know a lot of you have springboards at home. Maybe you have a push through bar, maybe you don't. I really wanted to work out that you could do with that. That wasn't all a lot of lying down like legs, Springs, which I love and rollbacks, which I also love, but I wanted to really focus more on standing and weight bearing work up on the leg. So that's what we're going to play around with.

But as I said that I love rollback. Let's start with rollback, shall we? All right, so this, here we go. So yes, good and just nice and easy. You're going to be on your own. Just easy roll down and up a couple of times. Curling in the pelvis. Yes. Lying all the way down and take a moment to breathe. After you get down there and as you exhale you lift your head up and you roll up to Kitt laying up to sitting up tall. Excellent. Let's do this again. Same.

Looking at the bar between your hands. Inhale. And as you exhale, roll down. Keep your focus on that bar. Yes. Keep your focus on it. That's right. Let go of that bar. As you look up toward the ceiling, take a breath. And as you exhale, look for the bar and as the bar lifts, so does your focus. Exactly. Cause sometimes we leave a desk, right Stephen, right there.

Lift the chin ever. So slightly more. Yes. And now on this next one, lift and lean back. So about halfway back, right to there. Good without arching your spine. Pull the elbows wide. Inhale, pull, exhale straight. And so I think belt and exhale. One more time. Inhale, pull. Exhale straight. And come all the way up to sitting up tall. And let's do that one more time. Roll back to go down curly. So we'll do, we'll do a rolling down Steven to go down. Yeah.

And then when you can lift your head roll back up, look for the bar. And as you come up you're going to paint. Yes. So that the chin comes up to sitting up tall. And now do a lift and lean backs. We're doing that whole other set. Yeah. And keeping that beautiful long lift out of the top of the head.

Pull elbows wide. Yes. And even bigger elbow. So I like to think of almost puffing my chest up cause I feel like I sometimes lose that like really deep breath. Right. Good and straight the arms and come up to sitting up tall. So this is a borrow from ms Debra lesson. You inhale and as you exhale you're in a twist to the right. Both of you.

Just a little twist. Good. And just take your focus over that right arm. And ideally you haven't shifted your torso and one direction or the other. So for UC even, I need you to know, keep the twist, but can you bring your torso a little more to the right? Yeah. So yes, that roll down slowly. It's good son. He'd look over your right hand please. Yes. Because we often do more of this in our net. Get down just to the shoulder blades. Yes. Come to center.

Try not to move in the pelvis. Excellent twist to the other side. I'm just going to check. Yeah, yeah, that's good. Good. Nancy, you really, so in this twist, can you feel if you're shortening one side [inaudible] and now keep looking over that left arm as you slowly come up, up, up, and come back to center and hold. Interesting. Right. Simple rotation to the left. Very good. That's right. Roll down. And as you roll down, just be careful though. Stay right here. Cynthia. Lengthen that right side.

Shorten this left side and bring your torso this way. I know you have to bring your torso. This I know. Don't turn that way. Yeah, but shorten this side now. Yes. Come to center hole. The obliques will really kick in when you're in that right spot. Twist to the other side. Yes. There you go. That's it. That's good. And slowly come up to sitting up tall. Yes. Good. Yeah.

You really feel that saw you. You made that adjustment again. The second side. Very nice. And then rolling down facing that right side. Yeah. It's so funny how tricky this is and how simple it is. And you know that's the great thing about that. I love about plot. He's like one little shift. That's good. Yes. There you go. Take your time.

Take your time as you slowly come up to center. Nice. You guys. That's it for that. When you can come up to kneeling as if we're doing chest expansion, but we're going to do it with a little funk. You're going to actually go inside the a rollback bar and we're going to face, we're going to face in where the robot that bars in front of us. Yeah. I don't know what this call, we're on board. Let's make a name of Florida.

So from here when you can, you're going to inhale and as you exhale, just do a little push forward. That's all I want. Yeah, that's it. Small. Now what I'm looking for is one long line from the top of the head. It's good to, I have a feeling of, Oh, I could use a little more booty underneath you. Yes. And bend the arms release. Let's just do that one more time. Push. Good. Now stay here. Keeping that little push of the arms.

Can you round your spine so it's a little cat cow. Oh yeah, yes, yes, yes. And come back to center. So inhale, stay there. As you exhale, show me that cat head is the last thing. Ribs as first. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And come back to center. Bend the elbows, take a little bit of a mini breath. Let's add on. Just change it ever so slightly. Push forward ever so slightly. Good. Inhale, stay there. Exhale, stay there. Cause I lost the track of it. Inhale, go to that cat. Inhale round your back. Cause we usually do it on an exhale, but I want you to do it on an inhale wide in the back of the, exactly.

Exhale to come out of it. Just a little change up rights. Inhale to cat. So remember spine two head writes it. That's it. That's it. So less neck, more ribs and now spine to head as you unfurl. Yeah. All right, now it's chest expanse. Your turn around.

No language. Zero. That was, that was near [inaudible]. All right, so just a simple chest expansion. You know this one. So just a couple of them please. I'm going to watch. So I like to watch people do chest expansion or an exercise that they know. So chest expansion, friends, as you inhale, as you press the bar down and you exhale as you turn to one side, inhale to center. You exhale as you turn to the other side. Inhale to center. And with straight arms release.

Let's just do that one more time please. Again, inhale to press feel long and tall out of the top of the head. Beautifully shipper. Your feel your hips underneath you. Look to the left this time as you exhale. This is the breathing pattern Cathy gave me. Inhale center, cause I have a feeling I used to whip through it. Exhale to the other side. Really just straighten those arms. They don't have to go down more.

This straighten, Oh Yassin look straight ahead and slowly release. So let's try this little funkiness. Bend the elbows please. So I find that when I do chest expansion from bent elbow, so press downish. It doesn't have to go down all the way. Do you feel a little more rib cage connection now look side to side.

Yeah cause I find that with a straight arms I'm often sent into extension and I really want to feel that internal rib cage connection as you exhale to the other side, yes. Center. And you just bend the arms rejigger. Inhale. And as you exhale, just a little press down and hopefully you feel rib cage connection as you look side to side. Yes to the other side. Exhale, look, center and slowly release. That's it. So let's get, um, just put that off to the side for a little bit. Let's go for a little bit of a lunge now. So holding onto this with both hands, turn around and face the other direction. Yeah. So these are arms firms that were using two different kinds of arms Springs.

I'm purposely showing you guys like that. We can use all different kinds of arms Springs. Oh, now, um, you may or may not have to have your toes coming off. You'll have to feel it out. But um, just give a little, uh, feel like, just give a little punch forward. See how it feels and I'm not down, but maybe I did say, yeah, just straight ahead and Ben and try that to the other side and see if that feels okay. That looks good. Yeah. And this, the Armstrongs are sprung from high. So when you're ready, let's have you both step your right leg forward just like that. That's all it is. I love it. That's all it is.

So try to feel even in the hips and when you can, the opposite arm will punch forward so it's going to be left. That's correct. And Ben, so what I'm looking and hopefully you're feeling for is that your hip isn't doing anything different, right? Cause sometimes it twists it or yes, that's gorgeous. And Ben and if you think, Oh, it's too hard, you go back. Yes, yes, yes, exactly. And bend. And also when you punch forward, do keep that shoulder right in the socket. We'll do that of protracting later. Exactly. Now stay here with the arm straight. Keep that left arm straight. Rotate the torso. So you're going to look over to the right shoulder. Keep punching forward, keep punching forward. Keep pointing core. Now pro, check that shoulder reach, reach, reach going, keep going, keep going. Yes. Torso comes back to center.

First rib cage, rib cage. Keep punching, keep punching, keep punching. Keep punching, punching. Then you bring the shoulder in and bend the elbow. Just two more. And again, punch for the hips stays. Excellent. Keep that arm in the socket and the waistline twists. Oh yes. Reel over that right shoulder in. Push this arm forward. This arm goes forward.

Yeah, that's it. The ribs go with you. Good. Keep pushing forward into that hand as you bring the rib cage back to center. Fake Boston arm in the socket and bend. Oh yeah. One more time. Punch forward. Oh, exactly. And then when you can, that's it. Rid from the rib cage.

From the rib cage. From the rib cage. Yes. And then keep punching forward as you move the rib cage first. The rib cage comes back to center. Keep peace. That's it. Yes, that's it. So it's really happening from here. Arm in the socket. Second elbow Benz third. Uh, there's side. That was good.

That was good. You guys changed sides by the way. I'm hoping you can tell how deceptively simple it looks and how hard it really is. So yeah, the other foot for yeah, exactly. It's not, yeah, I had big plans when I was planning this one. I was like, Oh no, this is good. This is good. Well you can just a few times, right arm punches forward and let's just sort of, and when you start this just sort of punch for, don't overthink it. Just sort of see what the body wants to do. Cause it'll tell you, cause if you sort of preempt it then you kind of don't know what your body likes to do. Yeah. And just one more time. Punching forward and stay good. So keeping that arm punching forward, can you twist the torso against the hip?

Staying still? Yeah. And the hard parts. Even on that side, it's to not cross the body. Oh yeah. Woo. Some twists are easier than others. Keep punching forward as the rib cage comes back to center. Woo. Arm in the sockets. Elbow Benz two times. Punch forward.

Aren't you glad we don't do things like 20 times guys hand a little higher up love. Yeah. And then keep that arm in the sockets in it's the rib cage. It's the rib cage is the nice Steven. You could lean forward a little bit more on the tours and not the hips. The torso. Yes. Now rib cage comes back, arm comes in the socket. Elbow bends one more time. Yeah. So for you, what if you right now tuck the pubic bone under ever so slightly.

Yeah. And now punch forward and as you punch for thing, this goes back. Push into that front foot. Oh yes. And then when you can push into that front foot, find almost a hollow as you yes. Yes. I'm hoping to keep him from arching back. That's right Steven. And when you can keep punching forward as you bring the arm back into the socket and then bend the elbow. Okay.

Shall we come back onto two legs? So both knees down. Excellent. Both elbows up. Eleven's is, is that like from the habit, right? They said, yeah. So from here, how high, so you bring your weaknesses for, that's the skin at the tip of your elbow. Totally true. Bring the weaknesses forward and how high up can you get that tip of the elbow and stay parallel with the arms? Yeah. So what I love about this is hopefully you can see how they really, really sort of, you can't do elbow forward and, well you could I guess, but it really helps draw their shoulder down.

But not separate your hands a little wider. Yes. That's all we need. So sin even now. More elbows. Yeah. More elbows up. Bootie underneath yet. That's really it. So from here, why don't we just try to go to straight arms and you're gonna just think external spiral of the ah, I mean he might be singing it in a different way. Yeah. All the way to straight. If you could. Ah, and Ben, let's do that a couple of times. Yeah. Woo. Right through the eyes. Spicy. Yes. Yes. This time go all the way straight.

If you can do this as, that's it. Now from here, take the focus. Oh, uh huh. Yep. Already straight. If you could yes. And then take the pubic bone up with you. Yes. Up. Yes. Bend the elbows. I mean, amen. Just one more you guys. That was beautiful. One more time. And I don't mean that in a, I mean like I really mean that was gorgeous. Yeah, that's it. That's it.

Take that pubic bone up with you. Good. Good, good, good, good. Yes. Into even more. Yes. Bend the elbows and rest from here to bring it all together. Can you bring the pubic bone underneath you? Yeah. And how about a little lean forward? That's about it. Yeah. Yeah.

So you're really pushing into the hands, pubic bones. And then can you push into the hands more to send your ribs and body back? Woo. One more time. One more time, I think to too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then that's it. Cause now you're getting that full integration and then, Oh, it's like it's micro [inaudible] hashtag. I think that's enough of that. Let's leave that alone.

So I think it's time to give those arms a break. Right? Or at least this way. Right? So bring those arms down. Let let those handlebars come down. And let's do this next one. So if you have a push through bar, that is my preferred, um, uh, piece of equipment of choice. Um, if not, you can still do it with a roll back bar. I do suggest dropping it a little bit, so maybe even lower for you Steven. So drop it down a little bit cause it is more. This is more about facilitating movement than challenging you. Right. All right, so when you can, let's do, um, so if you have the bar in your right, left hand, right hand behind the neck and versa vice right now, this is fine.

This is fine. Okay. So from here, easy desert. You're just going to do a little push of the bar to side bend over. That's all I want. Yes. Ness slowly come back up to kneeling. Just one more time like that.

That should feel really good or I'm getting some side body moving. Good. Yes. And a little gentle. Lean into your hand as you come back up. And let's just play around ever so slightly. Go back over and stretch. Stay there. Can you push down into the left knee and send your rib cage away from that bar?

Yeah. So you're almost sitting. That's right. Exaggerating that. Come back to center and come back up to kneeling. And one more time. But this time with the hip side bend over. Just regular. Exactly. Push the bar away instead of thinking rib cage. Send the hips away from the bar. Jess are a little different. Stretch. Yes. Bring your hips back underneath you.

Ooh. And come up to Neely and just flipper Rooney. Yeah, that's all I wanted. Yeah. Uh huh. Ah, so they're hand behind the neck. Right? So if your bars in the right hand, the left hand is going to be behind the neck. Just easy side bend a couple of times, just feeling it out and then we'll add the variation. Well it's really nice out here.

I'm always looking out this way to you so I don't get to see this gorgeous view and come back up. And one more time. Yeah. Beautiful. And come back up. So shall we add on? So when you cool over sides and over bird wants a view. Yes. So stay right there. Can you press down to the bar? But now send the rib cage diagonally away from that knee. So knee presses down, rib cage goes more. Cynthia Morris at the ribcage that goes over, but over Tim up into my hand. Yeah. So Steven right here, send this rib cage up into my yes, that and slowly come up right.

Woo right Simon over one more time. Uh huh. And now this time send the hips away from the bar. Hello? Yeah, don't worry no more upper bodies and just sit in the hips. Hips, hips, yap. That's right. Bring the hips back underneath you and now come up to kneeling and release the bar. Nicely done. So now just give us a second.

We're going to go and do the stairs, some squats with the push through bar if you have it. Hopefully. [inaudible]. So now guys, I want you to do a squat and let's continue in the same vein. [inaudible]. Okay, let's get you in the same vein of using the push through bar for you. I'm sorry. The, yeah, the push through bar for you, Cynthia, and you'll continue to use the roll back bar.

I would go up with the rollback bar and Cynthia, I would add another spring for this push through bar. You want to do some squats, so it's going to be a little bit different, but I just want you to able to both do it at home. If you have a I, this would be as my preferred, but you can also do it with a rollback bar. All right? So when you are ready. So Stephen for you, I want you to go to this. So he's going to, he's going to do a 90 degrees sitting. You're gonna keep the arm straight and when you're ready, you're gonna inhale.

And as you exhale, let's just to a nice squat ho yes, yes. And slowly come back up to standing just three more times. Yeah, that's all it is. And so Cynthia, you're pressing down and you're going to see how she's really sending the weight back back. What she's still will keeping weight in her feet. Keep going down, down, down, down, down, push into those feet to slowly come up. Yeah. And let's talk about Stephen here for a second. So he's going into a really beautiful bicep curl and he's still also doing what Cynthia did that we, where he sends his weight back, his weight as in his feet and he slowly comes up, up, up, up, up. Let's just do that one more time. Nice. Big squat. Yes. And come back up to standing.

Last thing, hold on. Overhanded for you Steven. Let the arms drop. So, um, how about just a little bit of a cat for both of you, right? So rounding the spine, press down. Curling. Yes. Cynthia, you can even walk further back if you need to. Yes. And slowly roll up to standing. That should feel good. Just a little spine neurology. Culation off there. A little bit of that. Two more times. Chin to the chest and curl and roll.

Fill the back of the arms rolling down. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. And slowly roll up to standing. And then this next one's going to be a little funny. Can you hinge at the hips and just waiters bow like yes. That's really it. Yeah. And slowly come back up.

Ooh. Yes. You have just different ways to organize. That's fine. So first time routing. Now one more waiters bow stay there. Beautiful. Both of you. Bend the knees. Yes. And then just a little Ben and straighten into the arms. Elbows bend wide and push down and forward. Yes. So I think Steven has the harder job here for this, but still some good work.

Yes. And just one more excellent you guys and come fully up to standing. Really feel those legs underneath you come up anyway. You as straighten the legs or roll. Yeah. Any way you wish. Just come up to standing. Excellent. So now the next thing we're gonna do is a little bit of fencing. So we're, let's take this bar down and let's actually just remove, let's just push this to the back. Yeah.

And so now you want arms Springs and let's change it, right? We're going to change this so that the arms Springs, Oh no, I'm going to just get it. I just move this so that it's just visually less messy. And when you can, you're going to come up to standing facing the spring in front of you, if that makes sense. And that's the one we're going to work with. Yes. And are you both going the same way? Oh we are. This is so exciting. It's like we planned it this way, so here we go.

You want to get the spring taught enough so that, yeah, so you can, so that, that's the first thing. And you want to have to pull it to the center of your chest, but not so much because there's some work to be done. Exactly. That's it. And run. And the pulling hopefully is happening with the arms, not the hips, right? Yeah, he knew it. Sorry. So that's all it is. And all we're going to do in dance terms, we would call this a plea, a and a straightening of the legs. What is that called? It's just the whole thing's a pleading. Whole things. Wow.

It's been awhile. And again, just Ben and say here. So what I'm wanting you to feel is the level of your hips. Now can you stay out there Sen the leg farthest away from the spring out. This in dance terms is a ton do and just staying here. And can you lift the leg without moving the hip? Uh, no.

So you use this and you can feel how the leg you're standing like wants to travel and you're going to really think of this X terminal spiral of the thigh. Yeah, just one more little external spout as you lift that leg, but not the hip hopefully. And straighten your standing leg, straighten your right leg and hold. Say right there, the leg is out there three more times. No hip, just leg. I know. Use that spring leaded help you Springs are your friends. Yes. Right? So he's really pulling to get that. Yeah. Yes. Fire in the standing leg. Good.

And bring two legs together and take a little bit of a moment to breathe. Ah. Now if that's enough, that's enough and good job. But we're going to keep going and you join us again another time if you want to be like, okay, what happens next? It's like choose your own adventure. Okay, so from here, now we're going to go for the fun sort of, you're gonna reach the leg out to the side and lunge. Yeah. And then from there, I mean, let's just take a moment here. Can you feel both thighs spiraling extra? Yes, but worlds have weight in the big toe or the hips even. Check, check, check and push and together whole again.

Right? Send the leg out, lunch and push. And to get it. I know. Dance classes, send it out. Lunch. Okay, so stay here. We got both legs doing the spirals out. Can you keep the hips even? And you're gonna put all your weight in the other leg. The hips stay parallel to the floor, and then you're going to put all the weight on the other leg.

Hips still stay parallel to the floor. Reeling, all that. One more time over to from whence you came? Yes. And then for to where you're going. Stay right here. Okay. Adding on. No hips as you twist through the waistline. Externally spiral that right leg. My friends. Yes, yes, yes.

And come back to center two more times three is the magic number. That's the one. So I'm just talking to that right by saying, Hey, don't forget about me. Keep that external spout. Yes. As you twist. Beautiful. Yes. Now stay in that twist. Push the arms more forward, huh? Bend the elbows. Untwist and again, twist arms. Little facet. Yeah. Arms untwist. One more time. Twist arms, ho arms.

Untwists and come back up to standing. Let's go for the full situation. Ready? So here we go. Slide the leg out. Lunge, push, turn, push back in. Come to center. Yeah. And send it out. Push. Turn. Yes. Opposition. Oppositions or friend. And push. You got one more to go. Here we go. Send it out. Lunch. No hips. Turn.

Send those arms forward and yeah, so get the other spring. Whew. Now you get to see the rear views, which is equally exciting. Not just because of this, but because you really see that work in the legs. So when you can, let's just go for a little bend plea, a plea. I never thought I'd do, you know Kathy grant? Really?

She didn't let us use dance terminology. She, she really was like pull out. He's not dancing. So don't use dance terminology, but I'm using it because there really are all these great terms. Right. So you're going to end with the knees bent and stay there. Yeah. When you can, you're going to slide the leg farthest away from the spring out. Right. And just in this moment, keep the toes down. Honestly, this is enough work, right? So stay there before we go anywhere. Find that standing external leg externally spiraling.

Now lift that leg up and down three times. Right. So I'm kind of feeling that knee and seeing if it wants to sort of wink at us. Yeah. Oh, that's hard. Yeah. Some legs insides are harder than the other and come up to standing and hold. Ooh, stay there. The leg is still out there, but right leg is still, both legs are straight. Yes. And can you lift up and down three times? Yeah.

Yes. Listen, use that spring. Yeah. And you might have to go further out. Yeah, I think you could use a lip. That's it. Yes. And close the legs and rest for a moment. Well then shall we? So here we go. You're going to send that right? Yes. And the right leg out and lunge. Yeah. Yeah. So we're lunging, we're lunging, we're lunging. And you're going to come back.

Push. Well that's my harder side. And come back to [inaudible]. Let's do that a couple more times. I was like, wait a second. Send it out and push. Yeah. So you're really lunging there. Both legs are spiraling. Push off that foot and close the leg. One more time. Send it out. Push lunch, stay in your lunch.

And I said you might want to go back toward the spring. Now can you go back from once you came and keep the hips nice. And even. Yes. So we're doing that transfer of weight, Steven. Yeah. That's okay. He's like, damn, I'm done. Yes. One more time. And left leg left. Yeah. Yes.

I just think of like a hovercraft going over the water. Yes. So here we are without the hips. Twist too. So sagging that right leg twist to the rat American South. Oh yeah. And come back to center two more times. We are breathing. We are twisting and loving. Oh yeah.

I can come back to center micro Lottie's it's good twist. And if you can push those arms forward [inaudible] beautiful and bend those arms. Come back and untwist good twists and do arms. Push, push, push. Push was yes. Bend the arms and come back in. You got one more to go. Twist arms, arms. Untwists come back up to standing. Full flow. Guys, are we ready?

Send the leg out. Lunge, twist. No hips, no hips. Push off. Leg. Come back to standing. Yeah. Two more times. Go talk to this leg. Talk to this like, yeah, twist against it. Twists again. That's the killer. And come back up. You've got one more to go. Send the leg out. Lunch. And as you twist, it's this, it's this, it's the rotation of that leg that you've came from resisting. Come back up to standing and whole and relax. So hope you had some fun. Relax. Right? So yeah, play around with the standing work. And it doesn't have to be a lot.

I think often we think a standing work, it's like, well, there's this one and this one. How about just do one and break it down? Do the parts of it and have some fun. You guys, thank you so much.