Beginner Reformer

Come on in terror. This is Tara. She'll be working out, stays fairly new to plotters, but that's a good thing. Come on and I'm going to have her sit down on the reformer. We're going to do a basic reformer today as it is. You're fairly first time, couple of times lie down on your back and let's get you into position for your footwork. You want to move back a little bit so your shoulders are against the shoulder pads, just not scrunched and I'm going to start to in a plotty stance, good heels together and toes apart, not quite so wide.

It is fairly wide but not that wide for the first one, heals up as high as you can. So like you're wearing high heels and you want to really think of stretching or response from the crowd on her head up, down towards your tailbone out. So elongating and pulling up. You're going to begin by pushing out, pulling up all the way. Once you're out there, pause for a second and think of those outer thighs are wrapping around to the inner thighs. Exactly. And then you're going to bend your knees and come back in.

So we're going to start out fairly slow and then we'll pick up the pace out or you will rather, I'll just help QE and come back in to keep your arm stretching out so you don't tend to your deck and out. Try to sink your whole spine into the mat and he'd come back in three. So now you can start going a little bit faster. Now that you kind of understand what you're doing and come back and forth. It's all about the control in Palati stretch strength control, there's six principles. That's three of them that I really crucial.

So you want to make sure you control the springs as you're moving six and all the way out long, long legs and makes really nice long muscles. Seven and out eight use your bottom to fire from nine last one out and stay it. So now you've done your toes, you're going to transition to your arches. Heels together, toes apart. So you literally be on the arch of the foot, your heels are pushing down, your toes are wrapping. It's kind of like a bird on a perch. Get your feet wrapped around the bar.

Your knees will be glued together. You're going to zip up those legs. So start to pull out hold and pinch. Good and come back in. Very good. And I'll hit again. So you're going to do 10 this is two and ideally you're going to start counting herself in her head. Three so that you can start to enable yourself and learn for five. You can pause a second longer.

Once you're out there to get that extra rep exactly six it really helps that lower powerhouse get working. Seven, eight, nice and smooth. Nine one more time. And 10. So now you've done your toes, your arches, no slight up to your heels and you're going to flex your feet. And this is great for the back of the legs. Get your nice stretch. Same idea though. You're going to stretch out, pulling up into the navel, up in through the spine, and come back in one 10 times two. Again, fire from your bottom, squeeze and then stretch. And it three.

So while you're moving, you're trying to keep your hips nice and still four out and really flex. Get a nice stretch. Five out, six long arms. Soft neck, seven, eight, nine. One more time, 10 in a stay in. You're going to go back to your test turned out. So heels together, toes apart. Now remember with [inaudible], any work on the reformer that you want to be on the spring setting that you are used to and that's best for your body. You're in a straight your leg. So garage, you typically start on four but it just depends on any injuries you may have. Lower, lower, lower or weaknesses. Lower your heels as low as you can.

And lift, lift, lift the heels and lift, lift, lift. So you could go to three springs or even two springs depending on where you're really working to look into strengthen. Try to sink your back down. Exactly. Lift three, four, lift, lift five. So as you're moving in the low at the tendon stretch, you want to keep pulling up and getting the back of the hipster. Dora said they're really flat underneath you.

Seven and eight and still using that arap nine and bend your knees and come back in. So that's a nice little way to begin warming up. And now we're gonna put you in the full hundred position, which is a warm up exercise, a breathing exercise as well. So bring your knees into your chest. You're going to take this, there's handles right behind. You're going to grab your handles. Hopefully those are already set up for you. And you're going to start with your arms straight up to 90 degrees. Exactly.

So you're going to get beat in your plotty stance. Heels together, toes apart, and your fingers are long. You're going to begin by [inaudible] hurling up into your chest, looking at your tummy and lowering the arms to your hips. Hold your position, and then you're going to start breathing. So go ahead and lower the arms. Take your legs out. Hopefully you're fairly familiar with these. You're going to start to breathe, pumping the arms. Nice deep breath in. And a long breath out. Two, sorry.

Four five inhale to five x two, three, four, five. Now this hard and you're feeling this in your back. You Bend your knees. X Two three five if not, keep going and exhale 30 in two three, four, five. Squeeze your bottom. Excellent. Four, five 40. Think of those legs really stretching out long if they're straight. Excellent. Three, five 50 to five x four five 60 if you want more challenge, you can always lower the legs, otherwise stay where you are and keep that arm moving and the breathing happening. Exhale, two more times. Nice. Deep breath in and along without and the last one.

Nice deep breath in. Long breath out. Bend your knees, Bend your arms, bring the carriage back in. I'm going to move this out of the way and you're going to go ahead and place your feet down. I'm going to take the Strauss for you today and I'm going to help you out a little bit and I'm going to do them for you. I'm going to set you up for leg circles so you can just relax for a second. Eventually you'll get to know this yourself, where you come back and you change your apparatus yourself.

She was coming, but being that it's your beginning, I will help you. Okay? And that's why it's always good to start with an instructor so you can get all those nitty gritty pieces. All right, I'm going to have you bring your knees into your chest. They're a little clunky. Just try to ignore that. I'm going to put these on your feet and you're going to go back into your potty. Stanfields together to his part and the straps will actually fall between your knees so your knees will be apart like a problem position.

Your hands can just arrest at your side. So you're on two springs because that's the typical for footwork or leg work is two springs. Anything with arms, usually one spring that lighten it up. So let's have you start with just a couple frogs. Then another way during this, stretch the legs out and I want you to come up a little bit higher so you can really get that. Strengthen your spine. Good. Then journeys and come back in. Your heels will stay together and you're going to straighten the legs probably up here. So start fairly high. So you get a nice position and it's exactly, it's starting to alert here, trying to teach your legs to work together symmetrically out hold.

Now think of the outer thighs wrapping. So you're working your lower abdominals, lower back and come back and you may not feel that quite yet, but that's coming. Come up high and and try to relax and then come back. And so you'll hold for about two counts. One, two and then come back in. And this is good. You know, first time learning, stretch out, long, long arms back, anchored. Bottom working. One more time.

Hold the out. Hold that right there. I'm going to lift your legs a little bit. Now I can see your ribs are kind of coming up. Are you able to push? Yes. Now you've got that powerhouse control more engaged. You are in your powerhouse ribs down the back, anchored long. The more control your extremities can move. Stay there.

And I'm going to have you start with little circles. I'm going to start you up a little bit higher and you're going to start by opening the feet about shoulder width apart. Now make sure your back is anchored good and then you will slowly lowered, not very far. You want to get to a position that you're not feeling your back bounce around then feet together and like up, up, up, stop, open, lower a little bit together. Lift. So they're like little boxes to start.

What you're worrying about or working on is keeping your back still, your hips still and lengthening the legs. So there's a lot of components here that you're working on. Long, long legs and heels will touch at the same time so you stay turned out so you get that outer thigh work as well. Good. One more time. Okay. I'm going to have you reverse those. So now you go down, you open, you lift together. So turn your feet out a little bit more. There you go. Now push down a little open up together, pinch your bottom and lower.

Open up together at the same time. That's it. Just about two or three more times. Getting the legs to meet at the same time. That's a tough one. Walmart time, lower. They don't always want to agree and together I'd say that's enough. Bend your knees back and let the straps fall between your knees and you've gotten a little work in your hips that's starting to, yeah, they are a little clunky.

Turn your feet out and you're going to go back into that stretch that frog where you press the legs out so you keep your heels together and stretch your legs up a little higher so you have support in your spine right here and get your legs long. Now you can let the heels come apart so that your legs can get nice and straight and then journeys and come back in and let the straps fall between your knees. That getting caught? Yeah, just turn. Keep your turn on. That will help and straighten your legs out and come back in. I'm going to have you hold this one, so come back out and hold to straighten the legs. In other words, let's take it your legs. Nice and straight. Hold that good.

Actually you corrected yourself. Okay. That's a good thing Ben Jennay's coming. I'm going to take these off of your feet and then I'm going to have you step out there. They look like they're flying at two, but I won't let them swing off to the side. Okay, let's have you stand up for a second. And why don't you go ahead and lift your bar. I'll help you start by that learning the bar and you want to push this back so it's nice and secure and then you're going to come back here and you're going to sit back down facing me. See your feet are going to go here and I'm going to add a spring.

So I'm putting you on three springs. You're going to hold onto the edge of the mat and this is called your stomach massage. The closer you are to the edge, the more stretch. So I would suggest you move backwards a little bit for the first time especially, and especially the tighter you are. You don't want to start right at the Gusto at the beginning. Um, you're going to put your feet up here and let's see how your positioning. Do you feel like you can balance there fairly well without straining? Okay.

You're going to try to drop your head and bend forward. Think of your shoulders over your head. Yeah, but all right, this is good. You're going to have your turnout, so heels together, toes apart, and you are going to begin by straighten your legs. So pulling in your stomach, start to straighten the legs. You just stay over those hips as much as you can. Now Bend your knees and come back in. Squeeze your bottom, scoop your tummy and out. You go out and in. That's it. And out and in. I'm going to add on. You're going to stay out there and you're going to lower your heels and then you're going to lift your heels and you're going to bend your knees and come in.

You're going to do that about six more times out. Lower the heels, lift the heels and come back in, out. Lower. Lift in out. Try to stretch forward. Lower. Lift in two more times out. Fill this up. Really Scoop your tummy back into here. Mark out lower lift. Last one out.

Hopefully you're feeling a nice stretch and come back in. That's enough. Keeping your feet there. You're going to move your hands behind you and for you. You're going to put your knuckles in the mat and you might want to move your ring. Is that pill? Okay. Okay. Now lift your backups. The same thing. Your legs are going to go out. You're gonna lower. Lift the heels and come back in. So ready. Go out lower.

Lift and come back in and out. Lift, lift, lift her back. Lower the heels, lift your heels. Come back in. Really important to sit on both hits. Make sure you're on both. You feel how you're kind of falling a little bit. Okay? Out. Lower the heels. Lift your heels, bend your knees and come back in and out. Lower lift, come back.

And now quickly I'm going to have you go a little bit faster. Lower lift and come. I know it's part of a part of nation out lower lift and now in tall, back out lower. Let me see, you're back lifting more. Yes. Three more out. That's it. So you're really working on that stretch, tumor and up. And one more time out. Lower lift and stay in. You can rest her feet for a second.

And I'm going to have you drop a spring so you can reach inside your legs and take the one middle spring off. If you are on four, you dropped two springs cause now we're going to go to what's called, you're reaching and your feet are here. You're back on your toes and your play stance. So heels together, toes apart and arms are up maybe a little bit lower. Yeah, lean a little to your left. Okay. Slowly keeping the heels up at the springs are light. You're going to slowly straighten your legs. You just think of staying really tall, so tall, back. Open your chest, that's out. Once you're in, that's the tough part.

That's where you were trying to stretch a little bit more out. Come back in and do the, let your knees go wider than your shoulders out. Come back in and try to reach, reach, reach, touch my hands if you can. So hey in here. There it is. Okay. I'm going to have you drop your head and I want you to just relax.

I'm going to give you a stretch. You can relax and let your knees open and I'm going to give you a little stretch for you to just let me know if I pulled too hard. Good. I want to throw one, not [inaudible]. You're in a set up tall. You're eating. Bring your knees in line with your hips. You're gonna stay really tall in your back. Can't push your right hip a little bit forward. Okay. Heels together.

You're going to straighten her legs, but as you straighten your legs, you're literally going to twist to the side. I'm gonna have you go left. So straighten your legs. Push out and twist left. Get both like straight though. Lift your back and drop your shoulders. Yes. Bend your knees and come back in through one at you. And now you're going to go the opposite way to the right.

Try to get both heels up and together. That's the really hard part. And come back in. Ready, both heels up and together. Twist to the left. Shoulders relaxed, bend your knees and come back in. How do these feel? Okay, good. And come back in. I'll give you one more stretch so you can let your knees open.

I'm going to give you a little stretch forward. Relax your neck. Good. Okay. And then I'm going to have you step off to the side then Tara, I'm gonna have you grab your box and I'm going to have you put it on top. They're shoulder pads and I'm going to just drop your bar and get that out of the way for you. You want to put that over the shoulder pads between the hooks? Yeah. And then you're going to end up sitting on top of here. So exactly your face, the springs. And I'm like, you put a bar underneath you, you'll need a bar for the next series.

You're short boxes and you're going to put your feet underneath the strap about hip width apart and your feet will stay flexed the whole time. Cause the strap is there to catch you. So you're going to start in a seeker. So you what are, give yourself huck and then you round over your hips. Good. Keeping those feet flexed, you get a start by squeezing your bottom [inaudible]. And then you want to think of articulating your spine.

So you're literally getting the hips. Dick curl under you as you fall backwards. So inhale, curl the hips under. That's far enough. And now pull in and exit. Come back over. The further back you go. You have to be conscious that you're working in here and that you're getting those hips to come under you. So tuck your bottom. Exhale, pull in and stretch.

Let's have you move a little bit forward cause you're a little too far back. Keep going. You want about a hands with turn on the back so you can move a little bit more forward. That's it. Perfect. Wrap your arms around your waist, drop your head forward and let's do that again. Nice and slow, not too fast. Tuck. That's it. There it is. And then scoop. You can let your leg straighten. That's fine.

Straighten your legs a little bit more and just keep your feet flex and that will give you a little more support. So head down nice and slow. Duck and a little bit further. This time when you feel my hand, I want you to come up and scoop over. Last one. Nice and easy. Shoulders. Now don't go too fast. Really envisioned the spine tucking. Working in here. There you go. And that's enough. Okay. This time you're going to take your bar.

There's bar right underneath you and you're going to go until your flat pack. So keeping the legs long and just flexed. You're going to take your arms up. You stay tall. It's really a hinge from the hips. So you squeeze your bottom and then you stay tall. You start to hinge back.

Not very far. We didn't feel shaky. You want to come back up, you want to pull in and you want to lift your sights up and then you relax and then you get ready to go again. He squeeze and then you hinge really hard one not to lift the shoulders or pop the ribs forward. Keep pushing the ribs back to the side, strengthening exercise. Lift and drop your Chin a little bit so you're not straining your neck. Fill this up. [inaudible] relax. Squeeze your bottom. Fill it in and hinge and up and rest.

Drop your arms. I reach for your toes. Give yourself a little stretch forward. Now I want you to pull in as you round up. Good. You're going to sit up tall, route your fingers out, good shoulders down, and you're going to a side stretch. So you're going to lean over your hips with a tall back. You're going to bend to the right as far as you can, and as you're bending, you're opening up that side and you're trying to keep your hips on the mat so you don't want this hip, the lift that left hip. If you've gone right, pull into those ribs more.

There's your stretch and then you keep pulling in as you come back to center. Now you're going to go left. I want to grab your hip and give you an extra little support. Relax your shoulders. Good and come back up. And I soft shoulders bend to the right. You'll hear my voice at home. Soft.

Shoulders over in. Good. Come back up. Very nice. Last one to the left. A little more support. There you go. And come back up about two sets. Maybe three. Drop your arms to relax. Exactly. You'll be working your arms a bit. Take 'em.

Let's take that bar and we're going to put it back underneath your feet and you're in. Take your right leg out of the strap for your tree stretches. So you want to probably move a little bit forward for this cause you do want some support behind you cause you're going to do some stuff going backwards. You're can grab your thigh and then you want to get your box nice and square. Close. Exactly. You can feel that right hip pulling back on you. Say you got to push it forward a little bit, especially as you start just straight that light that hip's gonna pull on you.

You have to keep working on that lift behind you. As you straightened like three Cancan kicks you, Ben, and you stretch one exactly two and it will, you'll feel it. Very good. Three before you start though, let's do one thing. Hoppy, right hip forward a little bit more exaggerated in front of the left, cause we know what it's gonna do. You're gonna take your leg up, you're in a walk to where you were. It's comfortable to hold and you went around your back and for you, I want you to turn this leg out more. [inaudible]. You're trying to close this gap. You're trying to get your nose on your knee.

That's your goal. Might not happen today. Drop your shoulders good, and you're going to take your leg with you. This is your tree. You're going to try to plant it so flex your foot, your left foot, because you're going to take that leg and rock backwards. Curl your hips underneath you. Now you're in position. You slowly walk down your leg like you've planted your tree. Now you're going to climb your tree, thinking of your nose going to your knee.

You rock forward, you hold your position. And now here comes the stretch. You lift your backup as tall as you can. See your head comes up, your shoulders down. Probably hold here. So not quite so high. You still will feel a stretch. Trust me. Lift, lift. Lift your back there. Right here is where you're stretching. You'll feel it here. Drop your head. You're going to do two more. Can you turn the slick out? Good. Tuck your bottom.

You work in your powerhouse. As you move. Let's flex this foot and walk down and climb your tree. Nose to the knee. You rock forward. So now we're going to go just a hair faster. Lift your back and turn that leg out. See how your foot wants to turn in. Lift, lift. Lift her back. Very good. One more time. Drop your head. Drop your shoulders. We're ready. Rock walked down.

Climb your tree. Rock forward. Stretch. Little more turnout. That's it. Try to flex your foot and how can you keep lifting here and 0.3 times one, two, three, and rest. Switch side. It's a humbling experience. Move left a little bit. Yeah. Just so you're centered. Okay. Same thing. Other sides to start by holding onto your left leg.

My left side is like that. It's very tight. Lift your back. Where your Nate close. Okay, so tall back and you're going to stretch three times. One, two, three. You're going to walk up your leg. Now remember you don't for your flexibility. I wouldn't hold way up on the ankle. I would hold closer towards your knee so you're not straining to put that leg into fatigue. Turn your leg out a little bit and drop your head. Yeah, so the tighter you are, you on hold a little bit lower, just not behind your knee.

Shoulders now and rock backwards. This foot will flex to catch you. Good. You walk down your tree and a climb your j. You just work on staying really centered. Rock forward and in lift your back.

That's it. Ben. Drop your head and go back and walk down a little interruptions and come back up. My children are outside and sit up tall wanting to say hello. Get your like nice and long and last one. Drop your head. Now you just keep your shoulders square. That's it. Tuck your bottom, walk a little bit down. Does it have to be far and pull? And as you come up, that's it. Hold your leg. Hold a little bit higher.

Now hold up, lift your back up tall, back and try to flex three times one, two, and three. Little tighter on that side. Okay, go ahead and step off. Yeah, it will. It teaches you right away where you know where your strengths and weaknesses are. Hey, let's get rid of the bar. We're going to get rid of the box. So why don't you go ahead and put your box back and I'm going to lift your head, rest your bars back up, and we're going to sit you up for your elephant. So this is where you're actually standing on the carriage.

So you're going to face this ring thing. I put one hand on the bar, then a foot than another hand. So kindness, that's it. Exactly. Walk your feet backwards and put your heels against a shoulder red. Right? You want to keep your thumbs with your fingers so you're not gripping, right? Cause that bar will move. And if you're gripping, it'll pull. So round your back and shift your weight a little bit more forward. Yes, and get a good deep seeker. So you're tucked here. That's it.

Shoulders relax. You just think of keeping your gaze on your belly button. You're going to push from your hips, so the upper body still from down here. You push out. Now that's far enough. That was maybe almost too far, so you don't have to push quite so far. But coming in, you want to think of digging your heels into mat and lifting your toes up. So nice and easy. Push out. Stop shoulders down. Now dig the heels. Start to lift your toes. Okay, out.

I'm going to help you. I want you to think of a lifting in here. Pull up in here out three, counted. One, two, three. Push away, bringing in one, two, so a little bit slower. Ready out, head down and one, two, three, last one out. Soft and Tuck your bottom. There you go. Very hard ones to understand. Okay, let's have you go ahead and load to your knees. I want you to work too much up here just yet.

Put your seat against the shoulder pads. Those will take time to understand like a little light bulb will go off and you're going to pull your toes forward if you can. That's it. And you're going to round your back. You want to sit towards your heels, you tuck your bottom [inaudible] shoulders down. The arms are long. You do have a little pressure on your prom that's just a stabilizer upper back.

Use your bottom and push out with your legs. That's it. And then you curl the hips back on their new view out. It's Kinda like a dog when it gets scared and puts your hip underneath it or puts his tail between his legs. Three, you're going to do eight of those. Four. Now you're losing your seeker. Find it again, father. That's it. That's it. And under with six, no noise. Seven Tuck. Last one. Come in and Tuck. Yes, that's enough. Hold it in.

You're going to go into a counter massage so your head is up this time and your chest is open. Kind of like a squat. You want to sit back towards your heels and you want to open up your chest. That's it. Now, even though you're arching your back, you still want to lift your tummy kind of right there. Push out with your hips and think of sitting on your heels so you're stretched way back here out and, and to you, keep moving. Just drop your Chin a little bit so you're not straining out. Neck out. Sit on her heels.

Three out and now sharp on the end in, out, and in and out. And in. Two more and out and, and, and Walmart out and state in. Okay, very good. I'm going to have you stand up on the machine like you did for your elephants. You'll stand all the way up. He'll walk your feet backwards. But this time you're coming up onto your toes for what's called your knees off.

Your legs are long. I'm going to have you shift your weight forward, shift a little bit more forward, and then round your back into that seeker. Just relax your shoulders. Okay, so you're really scooped up a bit, but there's your seeker now, right in that position, you're going to start to lower your knees down about two inches off the carriage. Fine. Keep your heels against the shoulder pads. Tuck your bottom ready to go. Push out and try to Tuck your hips out and try to Tuck your hips. Wrap yourself around my arm. If you can. Three and four.

I'm going to help you tuck out with the legs and under with the heads. Oh with the legs under. Try and keep those heels with my shoulder pads. One more time. And lower tier knees. Okay, very good. Step off. Those are not easy. Let's have you add one spring, so I'm going to start to show you the springs a little bit. Good. Exactly. You're going to come back. You're going to lie back down.

Lucky for you. You're, you're ready to cool down. Now that's the, the good news about after the kneeling Nisha shares, you can call down to go to your toes. Let's have you go parallel together and move your head a little bit. Yeah. So you're in Iceland Center between the shoulder pads. Okay. You're going to go ahead and straighten your legs and you're going to go into your walking, running exercise. So the legs are long, your back is anchored, and you're going to begin to walk. Now I sent easy for 10 counts. You just be conscious that your hips aren't moving for exactly five, two, they stay really powerful and strong.

Six seven knees can go straight up and straight down. Eight, nine, 10. Now you're gonna put that into runs in that same thing, just quickly. Two, three, four, tummy up six, seven, eight, nine, 10 bend journeys. And come in, going to your pelvic lift, you're going to place one foot on each corner of the bar and on your arches. So a little higher. You hold that? I'm going to have you put your hands underneath your hips in a preposition so your palms are together and just kinda rest your hips on your hands. So it's really like the first four vertebra off the mat. Yeah, a little bit lower. Getting your shoulder in the right position, chest good. And sink your ribs down.

Pull them together. Now straighten your legs. You hold that out and squeeze. Good. And now slowly come in. So you're getting a nice stretch for the legs, but you're also strengthening by controlling the springs as well as centering cause you'll your hips. This is a good one to check if the hips are nice and level.

Just be careful not to tense your neck and shoulders while you're moving. It's really easy to get back up into the shoulders or your toes for that matter. Niacin's a little bit more control coming in. So you're in control. The springs rather than them dragging you in. Last one, no more than eight to 10 you're going to stay in. You're going to put your hands at your side and slowly articulate to come down.

Exactly. And you are done. You may step off. Good job today.