Arms & Glutes Scuplting Mat

Hi. I'm Sarah Shell, and I'm so excited to be back here at Pilates anytime to teach you a mat workout. I have 3 pound hand weights here. You can use lighter weights if you'd like, or no weights at all. You'll still get a great workout. We are arm and glute focused with this workout.

I'm, of course, gonna throw a little abs in there, but we're really zooming in on the arms and abs. Let's start at the backside of your mat and just start slow with a nice warm up, inhale, reach your arms up, Exhale, float the arms down, tuck the chin, start to roll yourself down. You can have soft knees here and kind of shake out your head a little bit. And then slowly, you're gonna walk your arms out. And walk yourself out to a little down dog.

Let's just pedal out the calves here, warming up the ankle joints and stretching out those calves. Good. Press both heels down, lengthen the backs of your legs. Again, take a deep breath here. And on your exhale, let's bend the knees and come on down to your hands and knees. Hands are underneath your shoulders. Knees are hip width apart.

Drop your belly look up. Exhale round the spine, tuck the chin, and the tail. Good. Let's do that one more time. Just warming up here. Exhale, and then come into a neutral spine.

Okay. Grab one of those weights. I'm gonna grab it in my right hand. My knees again are hip width apart right underneath my hips. I'm gonna tee that right arm out to the side and squeeze in between my shoulder blades. We're gonna do a little, twist here. So you're gonna thread the right arm under the left and bending the left arm, threading the right arm through, and then teeing it back out squeezing and lifting.

Good thread through. Press your chest away from the floor as you tee that arm out. There's a little twist in that upper spine. It feels really nice. Good. And we're just warming up the arms here.

Let's do four more. Exhale. Inhale thread through. It's hovering. And it's just a little micro bin with that left arm. Let's do 2 more and keep your breath going. Exhale.

One more, and we're gonna hold it out to the side. Lift that left leg, draw in the belly, find your balance, find your abs, and squeeze and just pulse the arm out to the side for 8, squeezing in between the shoulder blades, drawing in the belly, and keeping that leg, hip height, if you can. Let's go 4 more. For 3, your head is in line with your spine for two shoulders down. On one, reach that arm overhead. Then we're gonna draw the elbow towards the knee rounding the spine.

Inhale reach long, exhale pulling in. Inhale reach shoulders down. Good. Let's do a couple more. Finding a nice pace here. Let's go for 4.

Reaching away from each other. So really stretching long and then pulling it in. 2 more we got it for 2. Last one, we're gonna keep the arm and leg straight and long. Tap the toe and the hand to the floor and then squeeze and lift in line with your spine.

Good. Every time you lift that arm and leg, I want you to resist arching your back. So resist dumping in your low back. Keep that belly pulled in. Let's do 3 more here for 2.

And one floating it back down. I still have my weight around I mean, my hand around my weight. Tuck your toes, and you're gonna step back to a plank. Find your belly. Find your shoulders stacked right over your wrists.

We're gonna do a little twist onto the sides of our feet reaching that weight up. Taking it back to our plank, tapping your knees to the mat, and we start over to wiz. We've reached take it back. I'm gonna give you a modification. You can stay on your knees and just Keep your hips more on the square side, then you can tuck your toes, find your plank. So you can stay on your knees, reaching the arms up, and then go into your plank. Find that plank. Good.

Let's do 3 more together. Wherever you are, tapping the knees to the mat, stretching behind the knees, strong legs, keeping that belly pulled in, and tap. I lost scale. Let's do one more. Reach. And then bring it down.

Take a child's pose. Let it go. Give yourself that reset moment. We're gonna start all over. So let's switch the weight out into the left hand. Find those palms under your shoulders, knees underneath your hips, and then we're gonna tee that left arm out to the side, squeeze in between your shoulder blades, draw on your belly, bend the right arm, thread the left arm through, exhale.

Good. So you're really pressing your chest away from the floor and twisting, getting that little stretch in there, which is always nice. Let's do a couple more. Keep your breath going. And keep that neck long. And let's do 2 more.

For 2, last one, Good. Plug it in. Right leg lengthens. Keep that left arm out to the side and pulse just the arm. Down an inch, up an inch squeezing in between those shoulder blades. Pull it in, and then take it for 4.

Legs stays lifted for 3. For 2. On 1, reach the arm overhead. Here we go. El bow to knee. Reach it long.

For 2. Good. So there's some glute engagement here to really stretch and reach that leg back. Your abs are, of course, working to stabilize you, and then that arm is there. So we're working the full body here for 3. For 2, one more keeping the arm and leg straight, tap and lift, squeeze.

Keep that belly drawn in, and give me 4 more. You go 4 for 3 for 2. Last one. Good. Find your hands underneath your shoulders. Tuck your toes.

We're going into that plank here. Find this beautiful plank plug in the belly. We're gonna roll onto the sides of the feet slowly with control, lift that arm, take it back, take a kneetap. Start all over. Here we go. Reach it up.

So good. We go. Tap. I'm gonna do one more, and then I'm gonna do that modification with the knees down, keeping the hips more on the square side, just reaching the arm up, tuck in the toes, find the plank. We go tap to the knees, reaching the arm, and plank. Good. Let's do 3 more together. Really warming up the whole body now.

We're getting a little fiery. With those arms that are working like crazy. And let's do one more. Good. And then you're gonna take that nice child's foes. Let it go.

Okay. Amazing. We're gonna come forward. Get rid of your weight. We're gonna come back to those weights. We're gonna go down into your forearms, tucking your toes, just find this forearm plank. I want you to tuck your tailbone under just slightly to scoop up that low belly.

We're gonna hold it here, but we're gonna rock forward and back off of our toes for 8, shifting forward, and then dropping the heels back. Good. All the while resisting dumping in that low back. Keeping the belly, drawing in towards your spine for 4 for 3. For 2. And we're gonna take those kneetaps.

So you're gonna tap your knees to the mat. And then stretch behind the knees, long legs. We go tap and reach. Shoulders are saying down, you're constantly pressing your chest away from the floor. We got 4 for 3. So good for 2. And then take the knees to the mat.

Walk it up. Awesome. Hands are going back underneath my shoulders. I'm gonna keep my toes tucked. And we're gonna go into a little bear pose here just hovering the knees above the mat. Plug in the belly.

Hold it here. You're gonna exhale. Shift to that down dog. Let it go for a second. Dropping the heels as much as you can into the mat. And then come forward onto the balls of the feet, hover the knees, bring the head in line with the spine, and exhale.

Shift it back. This is like warming up our shoulders, for all this arm work, really finding the engagement in the whole body here. So abs, arms, and legs. Let's do 2 more just shifting forward and back. And then we're gonna pause at this bear. I'm gonna cross my left ankle over my right ankle, and then we're gonna extend straight back.

We cross extend. Notice the right leg doesn't move. It stays in the bear pose, which is so challenging. Let's do four more. Squeeze that left glute, reach the leg back for 3.

For 2, on 1, Keith ankles crossed, pike the hips up, shift back to a little down dog with a pike, and then we go back to it. We're gonna add in the pike Let it go. Come forward. Hover that right knee above the mat. Kick the left leg back and pike. Let's do just two more here, and then we're gonna stay and the down dog with the hips piped up.

Hold it here. Lift the left leg. Cross the ankles. Let's go for 8. First seven. Just reaching that leg up, squeezing the glute at the top.

Good. The arms are holding you up, and your abs are in. Let's go for 3. For 2. And one come on down. Take the child's pose.

Let your arms rest for a second. Just wrap them around your ankles and rock side to side. Okay. You guys, we're nice and toasty now. We gotta do the other side. So find that bare pose.

Arms are down. Our palms underneath the shoulders. Tuck the toes. Hover those knees and go ahead and cross the right ankle over the left. We're gonna extend the right leg back without moving a thing, keeping this nice flat back that left leg's on fire 2 to keep the it nice and bent. So both legs are working. Let's go for 4, and then we'll add in that pike for 3.

Press your chest away from the floor. For 2, And on 1, you're gonna pike the hips up shift back into your legs and then shift forward. Find the bear pose, kick it out. Cross the ankles, lift, and reach those hips high. Good. Hover that knee.

And pike. Let's just do two more here, and then we're gonna stay with the hips lifted. Last one. Stay here. Lift that right leg up. Cross the ankles.

Lyft and reach. Your right leg is nice and straight, nice and engaged. And then those arms are supporting you. Let's go for 4. Keep breathing. For 3. For 2 on 1, find your down dog, bend your knees slightly, and then walk your hands to your feet, slowly roll up, shake out those arms a little bit, because we're gonna keep going with arms, and we're gonna grab those weights again.

So we use our own body weight for our arms. Now we're using actual weights. So good luck. I'm kidding. It's gonna be fine. You're in a wide second here, so my feet are wider than my hips. I'm slightly turning my toes out.

Don't get crazy. You can just do a slight little turn out here. Let's do a bicep curl, but I want you to bring your arms out in front of you. You're gonna plie as you bicep curl. And then stretch the arms out. I'm keeping a slight bend in my elbows the whole time, and I'm actively pressing my knees back as I pli. I'm trying to keep a wide collarbone here.

So take those shoulders back, pli little bicep curl. We got 4 more. Keep your breath going. Again, we're using our whole body, legs, and arms for four. For 3.

Keep those elbows lifted if you can. For 2, let's do one more and pause. Arms are gonna go up an inch. Legs go down deeper an inch. Little pulse with the legs and the arms for 8.

First 7, first 6, press those knees back for 5, for 4, 3, 2, and 1. Taking the arms all the way down. Arms are gonna go overhead as you pla and then drop the arms. Again, we go exhale and then squeeze stand up tall. So your tailbone is shooting straight down. Resist sticking out your booty, pull in that low belly and then draw the knees back as the arms go over.

Resist bringing the shoulders with the arms. So keep those shoulders down long neck. Let's do four more. For four Good. For 3, for 2, and then hold it on 1. Here we go, pulse. Just hold the arms, pulse the legs for 8.

You got it for 7. Who? For 6, for 5, 4. Get a little bit deeper of those legs for 3 for 2 and 1. Open the arms. We're going back overhead and then just hold out to the side. Shoulder height. So you're gonna stop halfway.

And lift and reach. Good. We're almost there. For 4. For 3, keep that breath going for 2. And last one, this time, we're gonna hold this pli open up the arms.

Hold the arms. You got it. You got 8 little pulses for 7. Working those legs for 6. Those arms are on fire. I know for 5.

For 4, you can do it. 4 more. For 3 for 2 and 1. Tose pointed forward. Go ahead and roll down. Shake it out. Give yourself a deep breath.

And slowly, we're gonna roll up and we're gonna turn both toes to the right, finding a lunge. I'm gonna come up onto the ball of my left foot so my hips are nice and square. We have our weights down by our sides, you're gonna bend that back leg. Well, both legs are gonna bend. We're going into a lunge, but it went into focus on that left knee going straight down. Arms tee out to this side, and we come back up. Straight down like an elevator straight up.

You're squeezing your legs towards each other to keep those hips nice and square, and the arms are going out and straight back down. So good. Let's go for 4. Slide those shoulder blades down your back for 3. For 2, of course, we're gonna pause at the low point on 1. Flip the palms, bend the elbow slightly. We flipped down and up for 8.

For 7, hold this lunge deeper in the legs. Good. We got 5 more for 4 for 3. For 2, last one, you got it. Come all the way up. We are gonna bend just the right leg.

So the left leg is gonna stay nice and long. I want you to pitch forward from your waist. We're gonna take those weights out a little bit. Tap the floor if you can. Or tap the mat and then bring just your upper body up, but I want you to keep this lunge the same. So that right leg is intensely bent.

The left leg is nice, straight, and strong to support everything. And we take the weights to the mat in a flat back. So I'm really drawing in my belly to support my back. Let's do four more. Dig that right foot into the mat. Especially the heel to activate the back of the leg for 2.

Good. On this next one, reach a little bit further, and I want you to shift your weight over. So my hip is now directly over my ankle. Then we're gonna lift that back leg up and tap the floor. I have light weight on my hands. Most of the weight is on that standing right leg.

That right glute is on fire, and my right leg is slightly bent. So keep that slight bend in the knee and give me 4 more. You're gonna flap back here again. So keep pulling in that belly. For 2, we got it. On 1, you're gonna tap the toe, left toe in, take it back for 8.

You got it 7. Write glutes on fire for 6 for 5 for 4. For 3, you got it. 2 more. Keep it in on 1. Grab your weights, come into this chair pose here. Rule your shoulders back.

Squeeze in between your shoulder blades. We're gonna keep our arms nice and straight and focus on these triceps here. You're gonna go down an inch, up an inch. I like to think pinky fingers high to the ceiling, draw on your belly, and shift your weight into your heels. So your legs are nice and bent. They're still engaged, but we're really focusing on the backs of the arms here. Let's go eight.

For 7. Really squeezing in between the shoulder blades. Otherwise, we get this roundness and the shoulders go forward. I want you to get rid of that roundness and then take those arms back. Let's do 4 more here for 3 for 2, and then hold it back on 1. Bend those arms in, kick it back for 8.

For 7. Exhales, you kick back and get those arms a little bit higher if you can. Keep the elbows lifted. So they're not swinging around. They stay in the same spot.

4 more for 3 For 2, we got one more. Hold it here. Flip the palms. Squeeze thumbs in in an inch, out an inch for 8. Keep the palms lifted for 6 for 5. So good for for 3 for 2 and 1. Good. Take that forward fold. Shake it out one more time and then slowly roll yourself up. We're gonna go back to our plea session, just a little bit of a different variation with the arms. I want you to just keep your arms in front of your chest here.

Find this deep grand pla here. Just pulse the legs for 8, down an inch, up an inch, Roll those shoulders back. Think of sitting up tall, even though we're in this plie. Your spine is nice and long. Let's go four more here for 3, for 2, and we're gonna open the arms on 1. Close the circle.

Hug a tree, float the arms out. Keep the arms slightly in front of you the whole time, and then wrap that rib cage together, and then drop your shoulders. Let's do four more for three. For 2. And one, we're gonna hold, flip the pumps down little circles.

You got it. Hold this grumplier if you can. Otherwise, just straighten the legs focus on the arms. Yes. You do. You. We got 4 more here, and then we're gonna reverse that circle. Take it back for 8. Draw on your belly more, get a little bit lower in your legs. You can do it. Challenge yourself for 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, flip the palms, bend the elbows. We're gonna straighten the arms and the legs, reach it long, and then bend.

Keeping the elbows shoulder height. So try to keep those elbows lifted We're almost there. Let's do 5 more for 4. For three shoulders down for 2 and last one. Good. Reach it up just for fun.

Take the arms down, and then let's go to the other side. So toes are pointed towards the left. I'm on the ball of my right foot. Find this nice lunge where there's your hips square. Arms down by your sides.

We're gonna take that tee out with the arms as you go into your lunge and then come back up. Think right knee going straight down towards that mat. And then really driving the feet down into the mat. To lift your body. Good. Slide the shoulder blades down your back, working those shoulders.

For 3, those legs are working as well for 2. And then last one, pause here. Flip those pumps up. This time we're gonna bring the elbows in and little reach and pulse out. Holding this deep lunge for 4.

Good. For 3, keeping a slight bend in the elbow, so I'm never fully extending the arms. Just a little reach out. Draw on the belly more. Let's do 2 more. 2 And one. Good. Come all the way up.

Adjust your weight so they're a little bit longer. We're gonna bend just the left leg keeping the right leg nice and long. Pitch forward from your waist. Reach those weights to the mat, bring your upper body up. Again, if you want to, you don't have to go all the way down to the mat, you do you. Maybe yours is a little bit smaller, and that's okay.

Otherwise, reach for that, Matt, if you can, and then bring your upper body up by keeping this lunge. Let's do 3 more. Really finding your balance for 2. And last one, we're gonna reach out a little bit further. Shift your weight.

Here we go. So my hip is over my left ankle. Left leg is slightly bent. We're reaching the right leg up for 8. For 7, exhale left. For 6, drop those shoulders.

Head in line with the spine for 5. For 4, draw your belly and more for 3. For 2 on 1, we're gonna tap that right leg in and out in and out. So all of my weight is on that left leg I have some weight in my hands, but most of it's in that leg for 4. For 3.

For 2, keep it in on 1, find your weights, find your chair pose second set of triceps. Here we go. Think pinkies high. Keep those arms straight. We're gonna do the same combo. Let's go 8 here.

Breathe. Squeeze in between those shoulder blades. Long arms back. Lift, lift, lift, lift, or 4. For 3, for 2, and then keep it high on 1. Bend those elbows in, kick it back.

Keep the elbows high as you bend in, and fully extend the arms. Think pinkies high as you extend. So good. Let's do 4 more. There's something about work in the back of your arms. It always feels so good.

2 more. 2, and then keep it up on 1. Flip the pumps of the ceiling. Dig in, squeeze, thumbs towards each other. For 8, you got it.

76 power through for 5, 4 for 3 for 2, and one forward fold. Let it go. So good, you guys. So we're gonna just bend your knees to come on down to your mat and then take your weights so they're close by you because we are gonna use them again. Let's just sit up tall here, reach your arms out in front of you, scoop up that low belly, tuck the tailbone, and start to roll yourself all the way back towards the mat. And as you do this, I want you to go ahead bring your knees into your chest and hug them in. Let it go.

So good. You guys. Arms have been worked. We're gonna focus a little bit more on the legs. So I want you to come to your legs are bent, hip width apart, feet are flat. And I know, but we are gonna use your weights again.

Don't kill me. It's gonna be fun. This one's nice because you get to relax your head and neck on the mat. Okay. My arms are slightly rounded. We're gonna go into a bridge here. As you roll up into your bridge, I want you to float the arms open.

Good. Squeeze those glutes at the top. And then slowly roll down. Let's do 2 more slow like that really digging your heels into the mat as you roll up, squeeze the glutes at the top, float the arms open, and roll it down. Try not to flare your rib cage here. Really wrap your rib cage together and then roll it down.

Let's do one more. We go up. Good. You're gonna now go a little bit quicker Let's think flat back going hinging from the hips, reach and lift, squeeze. Let's go 8, 7, 6, 5, really nice. Keep the belly drawn in. 3, long neck for 2, and then pause at the top.

Squeeze the glutes to hold the hips high and just pulse the arms. Arms stay rounded. We're going up an inch down an inch for 10 for 9 for 8. Try not to let your hips sag. Keep that engagement in the glutes. Squeeze and lift those hips.

As you're working your arms, do 5 more for 4, for 3, for 2, and one come all the way down. We're gonna get rid of one weight, and we're gonna go just holding one weight, but with, both hands. Bring your legs all the way together, feet, knees together, we're gonna float that left leg straight up. We are going to do a single leg bridge here, taking the hips high, you're gonna take the hips down. Leg and arms leg and arms are going away from each other, and then you're gonna start all over.

Hips go up, down, float away from each other, pull it in. You go up, keeping those hips as even as you can on the same plane. We got 4 more. Really isolating this right leg. So right where that hamstring meets the glute is where you're focusing for 2. And then let's keep it here.

Let's do a little pulse for 87 6. I'm going down an inch, up an inch with those hips for 5, 4, 3, 2. On 1, you're gonna take the hips down, bend the leg, and bend the arms. So elbows are staying stacked over my shoulders, and then I'm gonna press the hips up, extend both arms and leg. Reach and lower. Lift. Good. We're almost there.

Really burning that right side out for 3 for 2. And I'm so sorry, but we're gonna do another set of pulses at the top. Go for 8. You got it. 76 5. Get a little bit higher. 4, 3, 2, and 1, shake it out. Whoo. Alrighty.

Other side right away, let's do this. Right leg is up, left leg down. Let's take the arm and the leg away from each other first, bring it back to the center, and then hips go high. Whoo. Take that's down. Reach and lift. Good.

We go. Inhale and exhale. Good. Let's do four more here. Keeping those hits even and digging that left heel into the floor. Keeping the ads engaged.

Let's do 2 more because I lost count. And last one, we're gonna pause at the top. Hold those hips up and go for a pulse for 8. First seven, you got it. 6 5, 4, 3 get higher for 2 on 1.

Lower the hips, bend the leg, bend the arms. Elbows are stacked over the shoulders, extend and lift the hips, down and up, straight down, straight up. So good. We're almost there, you guys. Let's do 4 more. Keep breathing. Drawing.

That tummy a little bit more. And give me one more, and we're gonna pause and pulse for 8 for 7, first six good hire, 5, 4, 3. So good. 2 more, 2. N one. Oh my goodness. Take that weight away. Hug your knees into your chest, rock side to side.

Let's do a quick figure for stretch because we deserve it. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and hug it in. Let's rock side to side, shaking it out. Well, that was a good one. We are almost done. We're gonna finish with a little ab just so we're complete cross your other ankle over your knee.

Try your other side and let it go. Great. And then I just want you to shake out your legs, lengthen your legs, let it go. We are gonna grab one weight. I'm gonna start with the weight in my left arm right hand behind my head, and we're gonna lift that right leg. We're gonna reach across to the outside of the ankle.

I want you to lower your upper body and your leg. I am protecting the shoulder, so I'm not really yanking or taking it all the way back. I'm just going slightly past my shoulder, and then I'm gonna lift and reach. Let's go at kind of a medium pace here. To keep our heart rate up.

And let's go for 4. For 3, for 2 really reaching your upper body across so you get those obliques in. Let's do one more. And one. Good. Keep the weight there. Now this right arm is gonna go out to the side, palm down into the floor.

You might call this a cheat, but I'm gonna use my forearm. Same thing. We're lifting the right leg. We're reaching across, but I'm gonna come all the way up. I'm pushing off of my forearm, lowering myself back down. Lift and lower. So you can really lean over, push off of that forearm, and lift your chest towards your leg. Let's go for 4. For 3.

Rolling through that spine with control for 2 and last one. Perfect. To right away, we switch it out. Left hand goes behind our head to start. Left leg is up. We're gonna reach the right arm across and then lower everything down.

We reach to the outside of that ankle. Take it back. Good. You're really drawing your rib cage together, lifting your chest towards that thigh. We got 4 more here. Protect that shoulder.

Just take the weight slightly back. For 3. Anchor both hips down. So the backs of the hips are anchoring down. Let's do one more together, and then we're gonna go into the roll up. So left arm out to the side, palm down, and we're gonna reach, lift ourselves all the way up, and lower with control. You can use that forearm and press yourself up. Reach.

Let's keep this pace going. And we got 4 more. Lift with the chest. Roll yourself down with control. Let's go 2 more.

Last one. So Good. Hold your weight with both hands. Take the weight slightly past your shoulders. We're gonna go into a roll up here. Bring the arms forward first. Peel your head off.

Keep going. I want you to do a nice big hamstring stretch here. So reach past your toes if you can. Belli's gonna pull you back. Drop the shoulders and roll yourself down with control. Let's do 3 more like that. Exhale.

Peel it off. Lift, lift, lift, reach, big stretch here, belly pulls you back, scoop, lower, and relax. Good. Again, all the way forward. Belly pulls you back.

Let's do one more, and we're gonna stay at the top, peeling your spine off. I want you to let the weight go here. And just give yourself that hamstring stretch and slowly roll your upper body up. And you did it. You're done. Thank you so much for joining me.