Deep Squat Series

Hi. I'm Maria. Today, I'm here with Colette, professional athlete who also teaches with me a body line. And today, we're doing a workout with a deep squat series in it, also known as Melasana. We're gonna begin in that position right now. Have all the springs off your machine. Step into your well, get your carriage out of the way. Lock your foot bar into place if you have that as an option. The hands go wide.

The fecal wide slight turnout and just allow your tailbone to traction all the way down into the well. Wiggle around a little bit and find what feels good on that lower back. Bring your hands over to one side of the foot bar, take the other hand on the frame, and just allow that opposite hip bone to be really heavy. Sit bone dropping to the ground. And then reach across the other way, one hand on the frame and drop the sit bone down.

You don't have to be too specific here. I want you to find something that works in your body and feels good on you. Bring your hands back center. Use your hands to help you come up Step your feet back into a feeling of downward dog. I have my feet still really wide.

Ribs are tight. And again here, You can move around a little bit. Right? This is your workout, your warm up, find what feels right. Let's take your left hand, reach it across to your ankle and take a feeling of saw here using your hands to really facilitate that rotation. Read into that top lung. Take your two hands back to the bar. Come to the other side.

Find anywhere you can hold on to and use those arms to facilitate the rotation. Come back center. Step your feet together. One foot comes forward. Let's say it's the right leg.

You can step either to the ledge with Colette or all the way to the footbar. And just take a little sew as stretch here, opening the front of the hips, deep breath in, one long exhale out. Let's change sides. Either ledge or right to your foot bar, maybe opening that foot a little bit to make some space so we can allow that hip to open. Try to stay more or less upright with your posture.

And come on out of here. Bring the carriage in. We're gonna set up for footwork, and we're gonna be traditional here for a bit. So 3 heavy springs, at least, and then one other, but it's a little bit up to you guys. Come on to your back.

We're gonna start with the feet wide. The headrest can be up or down, your choice. Hands are by the side, engage and pull the heels towards the midline of the body, and that start moving, pushing out, and pulling in for 2 and in. And now the focus is just on pulling that spine long, and I want you deepening that contraction as you come in. Check-in with the lower back, make sure it's nice and long. And there's a feeling here of integration of the legs all the way through the spine.

Last time, come in halfway and stop and take little pulses here intensifying that sensation into the inner thigh. Make sure you aren't bracing with the shoulders. Listen for your breath. Press the carriage all the way out. Come all the way in.

Change the feet to first position, also known as Pilates' fee. Wrap the legs to take the carriage out and in. So each rep, the 5 owned spirals, So you're going out and in, but there's also this feeling at the top of your side bone of a spin on that side bone. Keep those heels real high for 3 and 2 and one come in halfway and pause here and take little pulses up and 2. And 3, and 4, and 5, and 6, heels high, 7, last one, 8, pull the legs out all the way straight hold it here.

Come all the way in and hold it here. Bring your heels up onto the bar. That start pressing the carriage out and in. And you have 2 options here. 1 is to begin alternating your legs.

Doing a march or just bring one leg to tabletop and hold it there. So we might be in different places for a bit. Choose whatever works for you. And, of course, you could just keep the two heels on the bar as well. If you have a single leg, go ahead and change and come to the side, if you're marching, keep marching. And, of course, you could also just have those two heels on the bar.

Constantly focused on pushing that thigh bone down towards the springs. Last time come all the way in, the balls of the feet go to the foot bar. Press yourself out all the way. Take a moment to find a little bit more length in the spine. Let's go into running. Change and change breathing in for 2, breathing out for 2. The hips, of course, are nice and still Just want you to focus that you're really rolling through the full range of motion in that foot for 5 and 43 to, 1, bring the carriage in, sit yourself up.

We're gonna set up for traditional 100 and coordination. One heavy spring and one other spring, your choice. Come on to your back. Hands go into the loops. I like to set up a little bit away from the shoulder blocks. Bring your legs to tabletop.

Inhale here. Exhale. Come to your hundred position and hold. Start pumping and breathing in for 5 and out for 5. A strong pump of the arms You also have the option here to modify as needed. You notice I've taken my legs to tabletop. Keep that breath nice and full.

Keep flowing. Ideally, no bouncing legs, no bouncing head, keep committing to that ab curl for me. Energy through the fingers were almost done. And lower everything down. We're gonna go into coordination.

Legs are at tabletop. Lift to your hundred position. 100. From here, the legs open close about the distance of the machine. Pull the legs in. Lift the chest to the thighs.

Stay right here. Slowly bend. Head and shoulders stay up for me. Everything shoots out. Open close. Pull the legs in. Lift. Lift. Lift.

Slowly bend the elbows. 2 more. Everything out. Long legs. Pull the legs in. Slowly been. Last time, everything out.

The legs get long. You pull in. You lift. Slowly bend lower the head and shoulders down. Take the legs straight up. Take the arms by your side.

Head and shoulders stay down for the series. Lower one leg as the arms go up. Exhale pull everything back to your start. Take the other leg down. The arms go up.

Exhale back to the start option to follow Colette and do two legs down and exhale up. Inhale down and exhale up. Let's do two more here. Inhale down. Exhale up. Last one.

Now we're gonna add to that. So the leg goes down, you come up, you lift the tailbone up, we lower. Arms down, tailbone lifts. We lower. Arms down tailbone lifts last time lower.

Bring the knees in, bring the carriage in. We're moving on. Put the ropes down. Sit yourself up. We're gonna go traditional pulling straps. The foot bars go down.

There's a spring change, either a heavy or a medium spring. Grab your long box. We're gonna lay down facing the back of your machine your head and shoulders are just off the edge of the box. Choke up a full arm's length. The legs are close together.

You're in slight flexion, abdominals lifted. Here we go. Inhale. Pull the arms back. Lift the chest. And lower all the way down.

Again, inhale, really feeling that extension in the upper back. Keep the tension on those ropes throughout. Again, inhale and lift. And lower down. Big breath in heart moves forward head in line with the upper back.

Legs are sandwiching together, lift, and lower all the way down. Slide your hands back to the loops. We're going into a tricep press, start neutral, begin pressing those arms out and in. The collar bones are absolutely open. You're still working the legs.

There's energy through the legs, but they're also gluing together. Many of you are gonna add extension to this. That's an option. And then some of us are gonna begin to swim as we do that. Now that's just an option. You could also stay with the legs just still, where you could follow Colette to see that nice swimming variation.

The arm is moving like a pendulum and you're controlling the out and you're controlling the in, Harts moving forward, lower everything down. Put your ropes down. Put your head rest down. We're coming to a new series. Come on up. Face the back of your machine. Right at the edge of your box.

That's important. Bring the loops up over your elbows. Also important for you to clasp your hands and bring them truly behind your head. Sit up nice and tall here. Press the elbows wide.

Feel that sensation in your posterior adult. Round your back coming forward, bring your elbows towards each other, and now sit all the way tall. Collar bones wide without puffing the ribs forward. Round the back, the elbows come towards each other. Sit yourself up nice and tall, grow tall from the ground of the head, bring the elbows in, and stay here.

We're gonna begin rolling back now. We tuck that tail. We articulate through the spine. You're gonna pass through your ab curl. You're gonna open the elbows and open the chest.

Now this should feel delightful. A feeling of traction on the spine. If it doesn't feel good, don't do it. I'm still supporting my head. Bring your elbows towards each other and lifting to your ab curl. I'm gonna show a modification here. Some of you are gonna bring your arms here.

Wherever you're at Peal yourself all the way up, sit nice and tall, open the elbows. Let's do that again. The elbows come towards each other, we roll through the spine up to you whether or not you take this nice extension. The chin comes in. We pass through the ab curl.

Maybe you join me for the modification. We peel all the way in all the way up. Open the elbows. Elbows come towards each other or roll through the spine. Open the chest.

One last curl up. Sit nice and tall moving on. The elbows come towards each other. You're gonna stop at the base of the scapula. Stay here. Bring one leg to tabletop. Bring the other leg to tabletop.

Either a single or double toe tap. Lowering down and exhaling up. No change at all in the pelvis. It's nice and neutral. If you move quickly, I think you'll lose the sensation I'm looking for.

So maintain that up, curl, really paste the back into the box. Last time with this, with whatever you're doing, bring one foot down, bring the other foot down, come to the modification if needed, even maybe grab the ropes if you need it, peel all the way up, but then find yourself back into that nice tall position. Round your back, the elbows come towards each other. We're gonna add on now, roll down to the base of the scapulas, bring one leg up, the other leg up, do your version of the toe taps. From here, we add extension.

So we go up and over the box with 1 or 2 legs, exhale pull into that ab curl, pull the knees in. Inhale up and over. Use your hands to support that neck. That's why I placed the hands there. Inhale.

And exhale. You could also just keep your head and shoulders still, guys, inhale. And exhale, make sure you weren't arching the back last time, inhale, and exhale, stay here reach your arms forward, grab the ropes, take a breath in, exhale we peel up to teaser. Hold, hold, hold. Also an option to do this just with the knees bent. Roll down to the base of the scapula.

Pull the knees in with you quick inhale. Exhale all the way up. Length in lengthen. Length in. Bend the knees control the lowering.

Inhaling down, exhale right back up. Hold it here. You're still growing tall, even though you're not moving, bring your 2 feet down. Come on up. Put the loops down. Okay. Here comes that Molassana series. Take your box, put it to the extra short position.

That, for me, means in front of the shoulder blocks. Bring your machine to a medium spring. So I'm going to a blue. Step gently up onto your box. You're on your fingertips.

The back is flat parallel to the ground. We're gonna start with a little bit of hip extension. Take the right leg, lift it straight back behind you, and a turned out position. Let's begin just by taking that leg straight down straight up. So my preference is for you to at least have fingertips on one hand.

Some of you might take that opposite hand completely away. Hold the leg up. We're gonna start to draw a triangle. So the leg crosses behind. It goes to the outside of the reformer, then it goes to the other side.

So we're moving a little brisk here, and I want you to make sure that the action is truly at the hip. You are not swinging the back here at all. And I do like this little bend on the standing leg because that's gonna make you fire that glute need to help keep you still. Last time, lower the leg to the box. The right hand goes into the right loop.

Slowly pull that arm all the way back behind you. So the arm is parallel to the ground. The fingertips are on the box. You can play around taking the hand off. The hand comes forward.

You tap the box and you pull the arm back. So this nice, slow tricep press, being nice and steady. Now many of you, you're gonna put your hand back down, though, are gonna begin to lift the opposite heel So the balance is primarily on one leg. Many of you are gonna reach that leg up in the air to a straight line. You can follow for that.

Nice and smooth and steady. Collar bones are open. The form doesn't change on this tricep work, guys. Last one, bring the carriage all the way in, put the rope down. We're gonna find that Molsona position.

Hold on to the front edge of the box, open the feet, turn them out slightly, and come all the way down, grab hold of those shoulder blocks, and let the lower back just traction. It should feel good. Shift from side to side. Of course, you gotta have good knees here and keep those knees open. From here, pick up both loops, come down to your low position and bring the arms to 90 degrees and hold it here.

Be as vertical as you can. The arms don't change, push through the heels, Slowly stand up. The carriage is going to move. Stay here. Your brain's gonna freak out a little bit at first. Let's do some slow bicep curls. Keep it slow and controlled. Wherever you've placed your upper arm, just hold it steady.

And I want you vertical. I do not want you leaning backwards at all, guys, be as vertical as you can be. Let's do one more bicep curl here. The arms go straight. Bend your knees come down about half way, different line of pull now, same bicep curl.

A little bit more balance involved. The machine actually gets lighter as you come down. So the shape is more unstable. Last time here, and you're gonna go to your lowest position. The arms go straight, so maybe you come down a little bit lower. You might come all the way to that Molassana and bicep curl there.

You're as vertical as you can be. You notice I have to lean forward. That's because of the flexibility of my ankle. Keep the upper arm still. Keep the shoulders out of your ears.

One last bicep curl. Hold that arm at 90 degrees, drop the shoulders, knees are wide, push through the heels slowly stand all the way up and come vertical, slowly bend forward, put the ropes down, not both of them. Hold the other rope. Set up for tricep on the other side. Pull that arm back. Again, the arm is parallel to the ground.

Begin taking the arm forward and then slowly back. Maybe you're on your fingertips. Maybe you take that hand away. It's up to you. You wanna feel secure.

You don't wanna feel vulnerable. Remember, you always have that box right there for you, though. So you can challenge yourself, but just make sure you're ready for it. Now many of you will lift the opposite heel. That will put your weight more fully into one leg. Maybe you reach that, like, straight back behind you like Colette.

You'd have a straight line from your heel to your sit bone for that. Use that breath. Use that breath. Last time here. Bring that arm forward. Put the rope down.

Take your time transitioning. We're going back down to the melasana. Turn out the feet. Reach forward. Let the tail drop.

Knees are wide. Take a deep breath. Tendency is for the knees to fall in. Keep them back. Pick up your ropes.

This is our Grand finale, our Milasana Grand finale. So bring your arms to 90 degrees. You're as vertical as you can be. Maybe more vertical than me. Push through your heels.

Stands slowly up. Power is in the legs. Now we do one bicep curl. In each position. Open the arms. Bicep curl.

Lower down, bend your knees as you open, pause here. One bicep curl. Lower down as you open the arms, go to your lowest position, 1 bicep curl. Open the arms. Take one more bicep curl. Hold the arm at 90 transition to standing.

Push, push, push. Let's do that again. So we do one bicep curl high. Lower. We do one bicep curl here.

Go all the way to your lowest. Find that squat, that deep squat, bicep curl there. We do one more action to 90, pause. Drive through the heels to standing. Oh, let's do one more. Here we go.

Cause now you really got it. Pull up Halfway down, bicep curl, all the way down, biaset curl 1 more to 90 degrees. Stay right there. All the way up. Slowly. Come forward.

Bend your knees. Put the ropes down. We're transitioning right to your forearm plank. Take one foot back to the ledge, other foot back. Wasn't that so satisfying, though? God.

So satisfying. Nice straight line from the corona that head to the heels. Hold it here. Twist as you bring the carriage in. Two knees and hips in one direction, shoot out to center. Other way, twist.

Tuck that tail under. I don't like the head and shoulders to move, guys. I really want you to focus on the rotation and the lower body. And squeeze the carriage in all the way. I want that bottom hip to point straight down.

Don't take your hand off. Another way. All the way out, stay here. Bring the carriage in. Put the knees down to the machine.

We're transitioning. Off we go. The boxes come off, put them away. We're gonna go into traditional front lunge. I'm aware some people call this Russian splits facing forward. I work with the footbar where it was for footwork.

It could also be lower. We're gonna work a little bit heavy. One heavy spring, one medium spring, step onto your carriage. That spring, you're a left foot up to your footbar. Sort of towards the front of your arch.

The opposite foot goes back. The heel is lifted. And establish your lunge. Right? So for me, the carriage has moved out a little bit. I have my knee more or less in line with my heel. From here, bring the carriage in straight in the front leg.

Drop your head. Be really honest in your hips. Nice and square. Ben the front leg. Come back to your runner's lunge.

Hold it there. I like the trunk to be long. Ring the carriage in. The leg goes straight. You drop that head through.

Last time here, find the runners lunge Notice some on my fingertips. Now we move the carriage. Push the back leg back so hard that the front leg has no choice, but to go straight. Come slowly and any amount will do for me right back out for 2. And in.

And last time, push out for 3. And in pause here, the machine is heavy so you can take your hands off and find that balance you might be more comfortable here. The hands go down, stretch the front leg straight one more time, and take that front foot down. The other foot comes up to the foot bar, like, somewhere on the arch. The opposite foot goes back, not too high on the ball of the foot, but the heel is lifted.

Find your lunge. And, also, the feet can't be too close together here. Have a little bit of space here for your hips to come through. Breathe, breathe, breathe, lift your hips up, stretch the front leg straight. The hips are square. Take a look at your hips here.

You got the perfect vantage point to do that. Then the knee, you're in your lunge, strong back leg for me, straighten the front leg, drop the head to the front foot. The spine is so long, and the neck is free, guys. And, again, come into your lunge. Stay here. We're gonna start moving now. I'm on my fingertips, and now we push the back leg back.

So I like being on my fingertips because it's getting my body ready for that balance. Push back with the back leg. Front leg goes maybe straight, maybe not, and come in. Last one here. Push back.

Come on. In establish your lunge. My carriage is not in all the way. Take the hands off and hold. Strong, strong back leg. Take the hands down. Stretch the front leg straight.

Hold it there. Take the foot down. Step off your machine. Take all your springs off. Lock your footbar in.

If you have that mechanism step into the well, we're gonna go back to your melasana Back yourself up, get your carriage out of the way. Let the tail hang. Ideally, I'd like you to have a sense of traction in the lower back. It's gonna depend a little bit on your foot bar. Walk your hands to one side.

Let that one sit bone get nice and heavy. Experience that nice stretch through the lot and that's come up and over to the other side. Come back center. Use your hands to help you stand up and have a seat on your carriage. Sit cross legged?

The palms can be up or down, hose down your eyes. And just drop in. Really feel the effects of your practice. The effects on your body, your mind, your thoughts, your mood and your intention. Remember, this is what our practice brings for us.

1 deep breath in, One long exhale out through the mouth. And we are done. That was super fun. Thanks for trying this one out. See you later.