Creating Magic Reformer

Hey. What's up Pilates anytime? My name is Dane. And for today's extra special workout, we are going to create some magic. That's right. Magic on the reformer and Magic with our Magic Circle. I'm starting with my handles on. Head rest up.

I'm on balance body, and I'm on 3 red, 1 blue, but you can do whatever works best for you at home. Also, if you don't have a magic circle, no worries. You can still create magic with your beautiful self. Let's lay on our back and prepare for some footwork. Now we're going to begin with this magic circle between the knees. Just above the knees, I want you to go back to the eighties, the nineties, the thigh master. The arms are down by your side.

You're on your toes, neutral spine with that slight lumbar lift, and let's see how this feels as we stretch the legs out and bend the knees in. I'm going to make a minor adjustment. I never accept a first offer. Let's try that again. Press out.

And in. So you're on all 10 toes. We have this magic circle giving us a little extra feedback. That feedback inner thighs, adductors. Press out. Make sure you bring the carriage all the way in every time.

Footwork feels different no matter how many times I do it. Last 1, today, it feels a little extra magical because we have this magic circle. We're gonna squeeze it. Now you might be too young to know Susan and Summers, but we're paying homage to the queen here, and we're squeezing those adductors here. The thigh master, what? 1 of the many ways to use the magic circle abs are in tight.

Let's go for 4, 3. Change the shape of the circle and stretch the legs straight. Bend the knees and come all the way in. Bird on a perch, place the magic circle between the ankles, and wrap your talons, your toes over, your heels under, arms are by your side, abs are in. Got it? Good. Let's start flowing.

Push out and in. Push out and in. Let's create rhythm together. Always a reminder to take those deep, healing breaths, preparing ourselves for all the fun to come. Last 1 come in halfway.

Let's pulse it out. Small pulses. Now in these moments, I definitely feel my thighs. But I have to mentally focus on feeling my seat, feeling my core draw in and up. Let's do 4 more everything in Pilates is total body.

Push out. Bring yourself in. And grab the magic circle, we're going to row it overhead while we put our heels on the foot bar. So the padded portion goes on the heels of the hands, You're on the heels of your feet, and your legs are glued together. When the knees are bent, I want the arms straight up overhead with a soft elbow, When the legs are straight, squeeze the circle, row into your body.

So a little bit of a mind game here. Arms straight. Knees bent. Arms bent, legs straight. I can't really say it that well, so I'm just gonna go for it. Push and hole. Now make sure you're squeezing that magic circle.

It's not a prop, like a top hat and a cane or trying to inform the body finding that shoulder down the back, the shoulder blades down the back, get the upper body as involved as the lower body, with that magic circle. Last 1. Let's hold it in halfway wall sit little pulses, pulses up and down, and pulses in on the circle. It's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. Let's go for 4. Don't think about it too much and straighten your legs all the way.

Bring yourself in place that magic circle to the side for tendon stretch, we are going to make circles, but this time with our feet. So start with your legs parallel hip distance. Come on to the toes. Push yourself out all the way. Bring your heels together.

Lower your heels, separate, and lift. We're making circles in, down, apart, and up. The magic of circles. There's no beginning. There's no end. They just go on and on.

Like this class. Just kidding. We're gonna have some fun. It's gonna go by so fast. You're gonna wanna double up. Let's reverse it out.

Down together, up, out, down, together up. Make sure you squeeze up the midline. Anchles are together. They come apart. They reluctantly come down.

Every repetition matters. Make sure you get that full range of motion. Last circle in this direction. And let's go for a little run hip points are even. Shoulders are down, and let's pick up the pace.

Oof. My calves are burning, baby. I'm going to be ready for a night on the town in my Louis Vuitton heels. I can feel it now. Stretch side 1. Stretch side 2.

Lift both heels up as high as you can. Bend, bring the carriage in. Lift your head and gently rock up just enough time to take this footbar down. Let's change to 2 springs for the Arm and AB series. I'm going to do 2 red, but you can do a red and a blue a little bit lighter. A red and a green, a little heavier.

Good luck with that. We're gonna lay on our back, and we'll begin with the magic circle between the ankles as we do our arm sweeps. So now the magic circles between the ankles, the padded portion, give it a a little squeeze, grab your handles overhead, and begin with straight arm sweeps. So we find that connection down the back so there's no surprises. Abs are in, sweep the arms to the hips, and sweep the arms overhead.

Good. Naval to spine. Find the flow. Option, add the chest lift, add straight legs, inhale stretch, exhale lift, stretch, reach, inhale, reset. 3 more times, curl up, get deep into those abdominals, squeeze the circle, bend the knees, sweep the arms back up.

2 more, Curl up stretch. Reach. Reach. Reach. Then the knees. On this last 1, curl up and hold. We are going to drive down the PCH, turning the wheels to the right, turning the wheel to the left, If you have a Tesla, maybe, you put it in auto drive. I'm doing it the old fashioned way. Taking care of business. My way creating magic in my car 1 more time and then bend the knee sweep up.

And prepare for Pilates 100. Now we're gonna try to do the impossible. The arms are gonna pump up and down. The legs are gonna pump in and out. Let's see what happens.

Welcome to the magic of Pilates. Curl up, reach the arms forward, stretch the legs out, pump the arms up and down for your 100. Deep breathe in. Deep breathe out. We'll keep reaching. Keeping that carriage still.

Deep breathe in. Deep breath out. Now continue to pump the arms and breathe and squeeze the circle in in in in The arms are going up and down. The circles going in and out, and the breath is flowing. Got it. Good. Keep going.

I feel like I'm doing the hand jive in the movie grease. Keep pumping. Born to hand jive. Born to do Pilates, baby. 1 more time, bend the knees, reach the arms up, and take a moment of sweet relief.

So that just happened. Let's focus on the triceps next, but we're going to take the magic circle on the outside of the ankles this time. And now make circles with your triceps I call these tyrannosaurus rex circles, bend the elbows and circle keeping your elbows pinned into the mat. The arms nice and tight into your ribs. I'm feeling this in the triceps.

The shoulders. And if I squeeze that circle, I feel it in my abductor booty muscles reverse I feel like a tyrannosaurus rex baby. I'm gonna make a T Rex sound. That's what I imagine a tyrannosaurus rex of baby sounds like 1 more time into tricep coordination stretch the leg, stretch the arms, press out twice on the magic circle, bend the knees, and then the arms. Got it. Good.

Inhale. Hold out, out. Bend the knees and come back in. Try that again. Curl up, hold the breath, out, out, bend the knees, exhale out 3 more times, inhale, press, press, It's in with the knees. It's in with the arms.

2 more. Inhale. Out out. Knees are in. Arms are in. Last 1, curl up, out, out, bend the knees, and finally, bend the arms. Place the handles back onto the pegs and place the magic circle between the hands, we'll continue with some more traditional mat exercises no handles, just that magic circle if you have it. 1st, the scissors.

You're going to curl up off of the shoulders squeeze in the circle slightly in front of you, take the right leg, tap it twice the circle, left leg is out, and alternate. Squeeze, squeeze, tap, tap, do your best to bring the need to the circle, not the other way around. Tap tap. So you're using your low abs to control the leg. Give me that pulse at the top is if you're doing your traditional scissors with that kick pull kick pull 1 more time, And now it's gonna get a little spicy double egg stretch, but with Pilates Burlesque. Now, I got your attention.

You're going to curl up off the shoulders. First, we put on our hoop skirt magic circle through the legs, and then it's show time. Take it off. Throw it over your head. Got it. Good. Staying off the shoulders, legs through the circle, staying off the shoulders, sell your body.

Welcome to show business. Take it in and then take it off. Let's do this 2 more times. Once again, the crowd is going crazy for us. They love this Pilates show.

It has everything 1 more time. Whoo. Enhance. Oh, freaked out. Whoo. That was fun. Almost as fun as the criss crosses with this magic circle. We're gonna start on side 1, elbow to the padded portion, right to the knee.

Cradle the head, extend that leg, or you can keep it down, whatever works best. But now we're gonna try to push the elbow and the knee together changing the shape of the circle. So I want the circle to change from the low abs, the knee, the upper abs, the arm, We're gonna go in and out 4 more times and then we're gonna pulse it in. We're gonna do our best. Let's go in in in in 4 12 for 10.

Xlsu twists. I can't believe we're doing this. 654-321. Break is over before it begins. Side 2.

Cradle the head. Connect the elbow to opposite knee. Stay off the shoulders. 8 times nice and slow. Exhale.

Excel twist. You've got this, my little babies. Come on. Create the Magic 16 pulses in. In in 12 more, 121086 4, 3, 2.

Ah, break on 1. Gently rock yourself up to 1 side And now the real magic is about to begin lunges change to 1 light spring, less spring, the more difficult, I'm going to 1 blue and grab your your box at the back of your reformer and place it to the right side, make sure the box lines up along the carriage. And grab your magic circle and mount your box. We're going to step to the top left corner of the box and step your left foot into the shoulder very important that you keep that connection, the toe on the carriage, the heel down, we're gonna try 6 types of lunges. Good luck.

Magic circle out in front. Lunch number 1 is a proposal lunge. So we're going to Take the back knee down into a lunge, reach the arms out in front, and then draw the elbows in 30 seconds on the clock. Lunch down and lunge up. Squeeze the magic circle right at your heart center and come back up. Tap your knee to the mat and squeeze yourself back up.

Good. Now continue to flow Create those angles 90 degrees in both knees. When you lunge, bring your shoulders so they're stacked over your hips, You feel that hip opening. Last 1. Hold it at the bottom. Tap that back knee on the mat.

Down, down, squeeze that magic circle in, in, we're tapping it down, tapping it out for 8, for 6, 4, 3, 2, hold it, straighten the back leg arms reach up to the ears, biceps to the ears, Elonje lunge, reach as far back as you can with that straight body line, pull your abs in, and come back up. So now the back leg is straight You're reaching into the springs. The arms are reaching forward and come back up. Let's do this a few more times. Take your time back back.

Find the longest body line that you can and come back up, up, up, try to stack that knee directly over the ankle and push into the shoulder block into the springs We're gonna do this 1 more time, come in halfway for your repeaters, So keep the arms by the ears. You're gonna draw the carriage in, tap and push. Tap and push 30 seconds on the clock. Now to really impress in Pilates. You work with bigger, but you don't make a sound.

I want you to try to bring that carriage in all the way every time, and just give me a gentle brush of the the hardware in and out. Can you sit down a little bit lower We still have 5 seconds, and then the ultimate treat is coming up. Last 1, Hold it to the back, down into a hovered lunge, we're gonna squeeze that magic circle 8 times up, 8 times down. Let's try it in 2, 3, 4, 5, out, 2, 3, 4, 5. Down, down, down, down, down, Let's try that again. Up. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Down.

Exhale. Down. 2 more sets. Can anybody get lower than me? A little healthy competition. Why is everything a competition? I ask myself, inhale deep, exhale deeper, inhale deep, and then finally come to stand safely, come onto the box and come to the back of the box, framing your backside with the magic circle for a little extra tricep work.

Now this exercise, I called the step up. You're taking your left foot with even hips, tapping the floor as you squeeze the circle and then lifting up 30 seconds on the clock, down and up. Now what happens to most people is that the knee pronates in I want you to really press on the outside of your right foot to keep your alignment. So the hips and shoulders are stacked over each other. You're squeezing the circle even if it doesn't feel like you're changing the shape.

Long neckclogs spine. We're gonna do this 1 more time. And dismount, salute the judges. I can't help it. Let's try the other side.

Put that magic circle on the carriage bring your box to the other side, and let's do it 1 more time. Well, we gotta walk out of here with even glutes, even cookies. You know what I'm saying? Kind of my responsibility to you. Come on up. Mount the box. Take your foot to the top right corner.

Right foot against the shoulder block. And will you do Pilates with me? I do. Proposal down and, 30 seconds on the clock. The judges are looking for 90 degree angles in the knees. The judges are looking for an upright spine.

I'll have to review the video and see how my form looks, but I imagine I'm growing taller as I make my descent. And that usually helps me fix any imbalances. But again, your back is up against an imaginary wall. You're sliding down. You're sliding up.

On this next 1. Hold it at the bottom. Squeeze the circle. Tap your knee and go in. In. We've got 16.

Squeeze the circle in in. We must we must we must increase our squeeze squeeze squeeze and elonge lunge straighten the back leg, arms up to the ears. Reach back as far as you can. And then bring it in. The challenging part, keeping those arms, the biceps close to the ears, trying to get a little bit deeper with every lunge. Lunch. Lunch.

Up. Up. How you doing over there? You still with me? Come on. This is the most beautiful of the lunches reach. It can be if you stretch.

Let's do that 1 more time. I'm going to pretend I'm Michelle Quan finishing my long program with my spiral sequence. And come back, set up for those repeaters, reach back arms up to the ears, bend the knee, tap, the gear bar, 30 seconds on the clock, go in and out. I want that pumping action coming from the low abs. You have the magic circle overhead.

Give it a squeeze. We're pumping in. We're pumping out. We have about 15 seconds left, but we can do anything for another 10 seconds. Can't we? Let's see how many reps we can do.

Ow. In out. Last 3, 2, hold it on 1. Back knee is gonna come down. And we're gonna do those 10 pumps up, 10 pumps down. We go squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. And down, down, down, down, hover that back knee.

So it's just barely touching the mat in 2, 3, 4, 5 out 2, 3, 4, 5 in, 2, 3, 4, 5 out, 2, 3, 4, 5 in, 2, 3, 4, 5 out, 2, 3. Anybody breathing? Take a deep breath for me. 1 more time. Up to the ears. 1 more time all the way down, and we come up with that control because that's the way we do things around here. Come to the back of your mat, the back of your box, that same foot that was against the shoulder block, we are going to do our step up but with the magic circle, we are always multitasking.

Squeeze with your triceps as you brush the floor I noticed on this side, my knee is going in. I was showing you what not to do. Push on that. Using your abductors, and press and lift. So I'm thinking about pushing on the left side of my foot, and that will help keep my body aligned as I come down. You're trying to touch the floor with no weight. Don't forget about those triceps.

Another 10 seconds here. Keep squeezing. Oh, that can happen. Last 1. And another dismount, another salute, to the Eastern European block. And, let's put the magic circle down for a moment.

We're going 4 hours short box. We deserve it. Taking the headrest down, take the box between the shoulder blocks and the pegs, add 2 red springs, and this is just for stability. So you want at least 2 springs on to make sure the carriage is still Have a seat on the box and fish for that strap. This is your lifeline.

This is your connection to your lower half. So make sure that strap is about mid foot. Magic circle, hopefully, is nearby. You're gonna need this. You want the strap about mid foot, feet, or flexed, magic circle in hand, familiar territory.

My arms are burning up. Get as tall as you can. And exercise in itself, just sitting upright. Now from here, pull the abs in, press out on your feet, tuck your tailbone, and roll back back back and then keep the arms high and roll over, over, over, You want to make sure you have a little bit of distance about palm distance from the back of the box. Continue, tuck your tailbone, pull the abs in, find the place in your back that needs to stretch, and then continuing to press out on the strap, pull your abs in and up, and let your head drop between the arms.

Keep that shape, pull back from the waistline, reach, reach, reach, and come back up. Let's try straight spine, flat back. Place the padded portion at the nape of the neck and give yourself that a little bit of traction pulling up on your skull. Now keep this shape. Look at 1 thing on the wall, hinge back, flat back, abs in, and lift up. Keep that information close the low ribs, press out on the feet, grow taller in the spine.

The minute you start to round or deviate, the party's over, and we're not done yet. 2 more times, grow tall, chin slightly in, Again, close the low ribs, use the magic circle to maintain that flat back alignment. Okay. This time, I'm going for it. You better go for it at home too. I'm with you. Come on.

Look at that 1 thing on the wall as you come up, Twist and reach. Take the magic circle overhead. Twist to me. Reach for the corner of your reformer and untwist. So for it's first. It's a twist. It's a reach, and now we put it together.

Twist. Reach. And return. Look to where you're going, reach, and return, squeeze the magic circle, reach. 1 more time.

And reach. Next. Tree. I love using the magic circle for tree because it gives me a little extra space so I can be perfectly symmetrical with my body as I roll back. So a little bend and straighten, push and pull, Keep the elbows a little bent, sit up as tall as you can, then round your body, pull your abs away from your thighs, leg comes up to 90 degrees, and then kick forward and pull yourself up for the stretch. Try to maintain that resistance as you go back.

So a steady stream of resistance and bring yourself up just 1 more time. Now this is magic. Kick, kick, kick, right to 90, extend the arms, full stretch, then come up, and let's try the other leg. Uh-oh. This left hamstring is already a little nervous. It's show time. Come on.

Push the ball of the foot into the padded portion. You have that extra space because of the magic circle. So use it to your advantage. Get the hip points squared. Tuck the tailbone.

Bend and straighten the legs a few times just to release those muscles, bend and straighten the arms, keep that resistance, tuck the tailbone, roll back, roll back, roll back, shoulders down, and then keep that resistance. Oh, Anybody else feel it in their left hamstring more than the right, or is that just me? Tuck. Scoop. Round. Come on. Left Tammy. You can take it. Always good to send loving messages to your body in these moments.

1 more time, roll all the way back. If it feels okay, you can extend the arms, pull in, and up and done. Let's do side sit ups. Place the magic circle on the ground take your left foot and set it into the strap. You I want your ankle, hip, shoulders, everything in 1 long narrow hallway, 1 long line here.

Cradle the head. And the first 2 repetitions, I want you to use the headrest to make sure you feel safe to make sure that left leg is pressing up. And once you feel good, take off the training wheels cradle the head, inhale, dive into the well, exhale, bring yourself up and over. Good. Inhale stretch. Exhale lift.

So important that you keep the bottom leg pressing up. You're connecting the body from head to toe, but it's all about strengthening the torso, the obliques here, and you gotta fight for this 1. Inhale dive in ax, he'll lift up 2 more, and he'll reach the crown of the head as far as he can to the back wall exhale up on this last 1. Go as deep as you can. Exhale lift and take your hand to the headrest.

We're gonna twist our body down and twist our body up. Keeping the leg in 1 place. If you feel good, no hands. Magic. Chest down. Most importantly, the chest twists up, chest twists down, chest twists up, I'm shaking, baby.

Twist down and twist up. I've got 2 more. Stay with me. Last 1. Get as tall as you can. And both hands to the frame for a glorious stretch.

Both hands. To the opposite frame to increase this stretch. Don't mind if I do. And then mindfully come out of the exercise. Let's do side 2.

Right foot into the strap Again, make sure you are in perfect alignment, the heel, the hip, the shoulders, left hand on the headrest, cradle the head, 2 repetitions to make sure we feel safe that right foot is pressing up, inhale down. We start to find more flexion in the spine. And let's move. Inhale. Down. Up. Up. Up.

Inhale reach, exhale lift, pull on the back of the neck, just as we did in short box. Exhale lift. Keep pressing into that right leg. We are halfway there. Now the last 3, I want more drama up and over.

Excellent. We are diving. We are no longer in the shallow. Excel. I keep thinking about that movie. 2 more.

Exhale up, and this is the last 1. Give him something to remember you by. Left hand on the head rest. Twist down and twist up. I'm going to be a hot shot and do this with no hands.

Whatever works for you at home, I need 3 more, exhale lift, inhale down, exhale lift 1 more and both hands to the frame. Unbelievable Both hands to the outside frame. I'll take more stretch, please. And then mindfully unwrap your body. I'm so glad we did those.

We gotta put this short box back we found it and change those handles for loops. We are going to finish with our feet in the loops Magic circle between the ankles. It's gonna be a finale for the for decades to come. I can feel it. Change those handles for loops, head rest up. These transitions are part of the workout too. Right? Come on.

I'm on 2 medium springs. Let's go ahead. Lay on your back. Get nice and comfortable feet in the loops. This is the reward. Let's be honest.

Grab those loops. By disappearing act. We're gonna grab those loops and put them on the feet. Magic circle can just sit on your lap, And then the magic circle is going to go between the ankles, and let's do some squats, air squats. You're gonna push the legs out and bend the knees in. I want the knees right over the hips, push out to the high diagonal, and draw in, and push, and pull.

After all the unilateral lunge work, I love putting my feet in the loop. And just putting the body back together here, finding the harmony. All that work pays off. Let's do 1 more, hold it at the top, internally rotate the legs, externally rotate the legs, You'll notice the ropes are shaking, and I'm not trying to do that. That is magic.

That is all the proprioceptor muscles, the stabilizers, trying to isolate this exercise right in that ball and socket joint, internal, external. 1 more time. Oh, squeeze the magic circle using your abs and the inner thigh connection in in, in, in. Good. Can you at the same time lower the legs and lift the legs? Let's go down for 4, up for 4, down, 2, 3, 4, up 2, 3, 4.

Oh, my inner thighs. I gotta feel this 1 later. You know, I want you thinking about me at home tomorrow, you know. That's the sign of a really good class. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.

Let's go 1 more time down. Down, down. 1 more time. Up, up, up, up, up. Take the magic circle, Set it to the side. Let's go for our final leg circles. Arms down by your side. Legs stretch out.

Let's go out. Down together up, out, down, zip up the midline, legs come out, and around. Try to make the same size circles, but don't move the carriage as much. That always helps me find the burn without having to do more. Let's do 1 more circle in this direction and then reverse the circles. Enjoy the first few for what they are.

And then same size circle, but less movement of the carriage putting the work into the stomach, the thighs, maybe the face, the jaw, other places can relax. 1 more. And let's bring the soles of the feet together holding on to the ropes. If it feels okay, bring those feet down to the mat, maybe if you're taller, they go into the well. But allow the hips to open up and enjoy scanning the body, feeling the places that feel relieved, maybe some places feel a little burn, That means you did it right.

Extend the right leg out to the right. Pull on the loop, if that feels good. Try to keep the opposite, sits bone down. So you get that true isolated stretch in the right place. And then bring the right foot in, extend the left leg out, holding on to the loop, Getting that right sits bone down.

Happy baby. Both feet come up grab the outsides of your ankles and then just gently let your back rock from side to side giving yourself a little back massage, a little decompression for your efforts today. Well deserved. Hamstring stretch with both legs, stretch those legs out, pull on the strap, drive the low back down, bend the knees, take the loops, mindfully put those back onto the pegs where you found them, will lift your head gently rock yourself up in class. That's a wrap We created magic together.

I hope you got a good workout, and I hope we used this magic circle in a new and creative way I always expect the unexpected here at Pilates anytime. We'll see you next time. Great job.