Class #746

Basic Reformer Breakdown 5

20 min - Class
78 likes

Description

This 20 minute session takes you through a Basic Reformer without skipping a beat. Starting off on the Reformer can be pretty intimidating. Or on the flip side, too static and you never really get the fluidity benefit Pilates has to offer. Join Monica in a fluid Reformer reviewing all the basic principles to help you get on your way. Build a solid foundation in your Pilates technique and the lean, strong physique you're working so hard for.
What You'll Need: Reformer w/Box

About This Video

Jun 26, 2012
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Transcript

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Okay. Well let's get started. Go ahead and line your body a little bit at an angle and just bring your mind to your body. You're concentrating, your stomach's pulling in and up. Let your limbs, you lose and lower yourself down to the reformer with control lying out and putting your feet on the bar and just having your toes. You want to try to get every toe on the bar? Good. The most important part is how you're going to begin.

And then bring your heels together. Great. And feel your spine nice and long and flat. I'm going to have you bring your neck over, just a hair over to the left, right? I'm good. All right, keeping your heels right here. Let's pull your powerhouse in and up away from the bar and then pull it right on it and pull out and pull.

And really laying thinning those thighs reach and in. Good. And we're going to do 10 of these, so we're going to lengthen out and keep that length as you come in and reach. Very nice. And then, and three and in. Good and stretch and in. And one more. And let's slide up to the arches. Good.

And heels go as low under and going out and in. Good and arrests. Good and stretch and really feel those thigh muscles lengthen. Trying to keep your heels under this bars you go. And as you come in, really feeling that seat. I'm trying to feel everything working equally, not just your quads. Let's do one more. After this, you're gonna lengthen out, getting tall and beautiful and come in with that height. And let's go up to your heels. Good. Now I want you to pull your toes back.

Good and going out. And, and so really pulling the machine out with your powerhouse. Good. And pulling in and up. God, I'm just a little over there. That's it. And in and out, lengthening all the way and keep that length. You're pulling your powerhouse, always up, getting this tall as you can. And as you come in for the last, to pull those toes away from me one more time out and really trying to pull them back. Great. Really working those feet.

Now we'll go down to your toes and hit a plotty stance. And a little more lift in that arch. Great. And we're going to pull away from your arches. Good. Now keep that beautiful length and stretch your heels down to three and lift two, three and stretch down and lift. Try not to break in the knee, but reach up.

Press down a little bit more through here. That's it. And squeezing up and stretch to three and lift. Still reaching through. And that powerhouses in and out. Nice. And your ribs look really nice pulling up. So you're still thinking about those arches.

You're going to lift your arch and your inner thigh and powerhouse and pulling up and bend the knees in to draw the carriage home. All right, we're going to get ready for a hundred so we're going to keep this up for a moment. Yeah, and we're going to slot. Give yourself a little bit of room her. Perfect. Grab your handles and draw your belly in. Good. And I want you to go ahead and lift up your head, pulling your belly in and up and lengthen everything out. I'm going to go ahead and lower your bar down. Retreat, reach.

Good and pumping good. And exhale, you're going to be inhaling for five counts and exhaling for five counts. Really. V Let's pick up the tempo a little bit there. Good. So you're pulling out the machine as far as you can, lengthening your arms thinking I'm going to get my under arms really close to my hip bones and in the opposition I want that stomach pulling. Look at that gorgeous scoop. That's what I want to see. Nice. And really feeling the back line of your body laying, thinning out, keeping those legs just at that angle.

Good at that 45 degree angle and exhale and giving me two more. Yeah. Nice. Try to keep those collarbones nice and open. So your last Xcel really empty your lungs, drawing that belly in and relax everything. So you're going to go ahead and hang up those handles and step off and drop two springs sitting up with control. Good and drop two. And then we're going to go back to the end of the reformer and add our straps.

So you want to grab it. Good and make sure it goes through both the leather and the handle. And you can either hold onto them or hang them up. Which one would you like to do? Okay, so go ahead and lie on down. Good, beautiful.

That makes it sometimes easier because you feel more connected with it when you put them on your feet though. Make sure that this hook is on the outside of the machine. So go ahead and bring your legs back. I love how you kept your legs together to put them back, not one at a time. And now with your back, nice and flat.

Keep your knees there and bring your heels down. Great. We're going to start off with the frog. Before you even begin, I want you to feel your belly pulling into the mat and up. Engage your bottom and let's lengthen your legs away from that powerhouse that's in and up and draw those legs back in. Wonderful and reaching God. And then this is just like the work.

So you're imagining that your toes are on that bar and your pose. You're pulling yourself out with your powerhouse. Let's do two more. Really work in the thighs of linkedin and squeeze. One more time. We'll stay here nice really long and we're going to let the legs come up a little bit and we're going to open and lengthen as you circle down. Wonderful and circled, squeezing those inner thighs all the way together and around and up.

Two more powerhouses. Always there. Use the back of your legs and squeeze your seat. Knights to give me one more and now we're going to reverse from your bottom length an app. Open or round up. Squeeze in together. Open around up. Good. And three more. Great. Long flat spine.

Very nice. One more and that's enough. Good. Bend your knees in. Carefully. Take the straps off of your feet. Good without good job, without main. And you're going to go ahead and step off. I'm going to get a pad really fast and we're going to do stomach massage.

So we'll just use this one. Usually ever reformer will come with one. This is fine though. Go ahead and sit down. Add two springs, which is very challenging, but you're able to do it. So we're gonna stay on our four springs. Good. Just a tiny bit. That's good. Over just a little bit over this way. Teeny, teeny bit. Good. Scooping, hugging your belly in and out.

Let's go ahead and pull the machine out. Press your heels away. Lift and keep this in and up as you come in and out. Press lift and and Beautiful Maria out press lift and and the powerhouses in and up. Down. Good. Still thinking about that connection of those arches. You lift them and everything else lifts up and you're really trying to stretch your back to more. Keeping this hug right here and last one.

Nice open collarbones and stay in. Drop a spring and at the same time move both arms back on the shoulder pads. Good. So there's going to keep that in and up and you're going to go out lifting, press down those heels, lift in in. Good. Press those hips. It's like you're going to send those sit bones to me.

So sand those sit bones with those heels. That's it. That looked better. And lifting up in the chest, pulling back both shoulders evenly, squeezing. Nice. Imagining that one day you're not going to have your hands on those shoulder pads, so you're really feeling the body support it. And one more how lifting. And now we're going to drop a middle spring and reach your arms up.

Good. And inhale out. No lower lift and exhale back in. Keep reaching, reaching. We're reaching. Inhale out. Exhale as you scoop in and up. Watch the shoulders. Drop those down one more time and exhale, scooping it. Good.

So you're stretching the spine forward rather than the shoulders. Nice. Okay. We're going to step off and you're gonna. Let's go ahead and lower this bar down. Good. I'm going to take this pad off and lower the headpiece. We're going to go for a short box. You're going to grab the bar with your pole and it's on two springs already, so you're all set and you're going to put it on nice and centered and you always want to make sure you grab your safety strap as you get off.

Good. All right. Make sure there's a hands with distance behind you, not too much so it can support your lower back. Good. Yeah. Actually just we're in. Turn your hand flat like this. Voila. And slide back until you touch your pinkie. There we go. Good. Alright. Wrap your arms around your stomach and round your back as round, round, round as you can. And before beginning I just want you to take a breath and exhale.

Push into my hand. Just really feeling your belly great. And relax and taking a breath and exhale, pulling in. Nice. And one more big breath. Exhale polling in. Now let's see if you can keep your belly in and yet squeeze up off your bottom. Beautiful.

Now Roll back your waistband until your waistband touches the mat. So you're articulating down. And now exhale, Cross your arms into you to curl up round. Dinga good. Take a little break for us into my hand. Lift up off your bottom and roll back one bone at a time. Good God. And then exhale, come forward hugging in your belly.

Really using those arms depressant and rest to more harassin. Great job lifting, scooping sand your sit bones more to your heels. And as you come up, continue feeling that those are pushing in one way. Nice and rest. And one more. Scooping in. Lengthening. Good. Keep sending your sit bones and exhale forward scooping in. Right there. There you go. And rest. Good lot of work.

Grab on that bar. Yeah, you can adjust your seat and you're going to sit up nice and tall. Powerhouse lifts in and up. Good. Little off the seat more. And you're going to go back six inches again. You're gonna pull in and up away from those sit bones and come forward. A little break with the bottom, pulling in and up. Great job lifting and up, keeping those arms in your peripheral vision and pulling in and up and lift and scooping up and great.

And you want to feel like someone's lifting you to the ceiling and keep your ribs. And we're going to do one more and that's it. And uh, and rest your arms. Give him a break. Good. We need a slide back a tiny bit. You can, and then you're going to scoop in and up to lift those arms again. And we're going to bring your shoulders a little in front of your hip bones. Great.

And lift up tall and reach over out the window and pull it up center. Good. And let's pull in those ribs and make sure those are in as you go over and center. Good. So press a little more into me. Yes. And now reach over there. That's better and center. And we're gonna lift in an up. Go over and then see if you can feel your obliques.

Pull you back the opposite of Blake. So pulling in length in a way from those sip phones. And then use your obliques to pull center one more to the left, reaching and using those obliques and restaurants down. Nice. Alright, now I want you to put the bar away and we're going to do tree. So you're going to scoop your belly in. Hardest thing, try to keep this box.

Be aware of it as you bring up that leg. Good. And now, nice and tall. Extend the leg up and bend and stretch it up and bend one more. Stretch it up. Hold it up. Walk up your leg. Good. And stretch over it. Nice. Look at the line of your hips and I want you to roll back your waistband, keeping that line nice and straight and your left leg is gonna hold securely and you're going to walk down to your waistband touches and then come right back up.

Scoop and really reaching that leg rock forward until your shoulders are over for a stretch and pull back your waistband. Good. Walk down until your it actually touches the barrel and curl it up. Try your hardest the length in this leg up to the ceiling and not grip too much and scoop over that leg. One more time, scooping back the left leg is also actively reaching. Walk down and exhale ribs and middle.

Good scooping all the way forward over that leg. Then grab your toes and lift up. That's it. Nice, great switch legs. Beautiful. So nice and square and you're going to extend and bend. Good.

We're going to grow taller as we straighten it and Ben would do the best we can. It looks beautiful and we're going to hold that leg up and walk up and then big lifts and make a kind of like a little bit bigger letters. See as you stretch. Yeah. And then roll back those square hips, not letting one hike more than the other and walk down to your waistband and come up. Keep this one lengthening. There you go. And then stretch up and over as if your head could go all the way to this foot. Reaching out of that back and now pull back your waistband. We're rolling back.

Good. Just to there. Walk down. Good and head and naval to your stomach, to your back and it's coming in and out and you're going to lift up and over that leg. Really stretching out that back. God. One more. Good. Well right leg is actively squeezing and lengthening away as well. Good. All the way forward.

Coming over that leg first and then lifting up and grabbing your toes. Sit a little more on your right hips so that you get a better stretch. Good. All right, we're going to done with our short box. So we're going to put our bar and box away. And then on your way back, we're going to set it up perfect.

So lift up your head piece, lift up your bar, and we're need to be on two springs. So you're all good with that. And now you're gonna get on for elephant. So we're going to be hand, foot, flat foot, and the other hand and the other foot. Great. Have your heels. You're tall enough that you can have them back all the way against the shoulder pads. Great. And your shoulders want to be over that bar that holds the springs, not the where your hands are, but little bit backwards. And pull your head deep.

Press your hands into the pole bar so that you can pull up in here. And now I want you to send your tailbone down so you can push your heels flat or they flat. I didn't think so. There we go. Voila. Good. And now on the front part, instead of hyperextending the knees, try to feel yourself lifting the kneecaps from your powerhouse. Gorgeous. And we're going to push out just a little bit and then scoop under good pushing out. And as you scoop under, imagine you can lift even your pinky toes. You're trying to lift all those toes, gorgeous scoop and up. Very nice.

C curve here, three and scooping and trying to use the back of the thighs and seat to push out. And one more. Great. Go ahead and kneel down for our knee stretches. So you're going to put your feet back, good toes, nice and flexed under and we're going to round your back and sit two inches off your heels. Great. Really giving a deep seeker again, using that opposition of pushing so that your ribs can pull into here. Your stomach, your stomach is pulling so much. That's going to press into my hand here.

As you push those legs out and scoop under, smooth out quicken, a little more pushing into my hand here. There you go. Pull in, out under in like someone's always hugging your stomach back. Even as you come in. Give me one more and hold. Now with your stomach in, go to an arched back. Imagining you're stretching your chest bone away and stretching your tailbone away. Nice. Open collarbones and now go out and nice and good. The back of the legs again, working and push and it and three and in and one more.

And now round your back and using your powerhouse. We're going to pull those knees up and it's out and hug under. Good. Pulling your powerhouse in to bring in those legs and smooth out. Quicken and and, and three and good. Two more and hold it in and controlled down. Wonderful. Step off. And we're going to lie down actually add two more springs.

So we're back to our four springs that you started with on the foot work and lie down for running. And pelvic tilt are cool down. Great. So you're going to have your toes here. Nice. I would take your shoulders over just a hair area. Go Nice long spine. Press your hips and take that powerhouse in and up. Pull it out even longer.

Length than your thighs. That much longer. Good. And now stretch one heel down. Good. Equally. One heels down, one knees up. Beautiful. Good. You're pressing the heel down with your bottom and you're lifting the knee up with your powerhouse. Really Nice and reaching good and keep the tempo going. Go ahead. That's better too.

And one more set now Ben. Both knees draw the kerogen arches on the corners. Good. All right. Nice long spine. And when you lift, I want you to keep thinking of lengthening your spine. Good. Very good. And then use the hamstrings and bottom to squeeze out. And really length in the spine is you come in, good.

Relaxing the neck and shoulders, just really letting your spotty cool down as well as use the back of your legs and seat. Nice polling in three, two more stretch and last one, pulling it all the way and then really articulate down. Slide your feet together and hug them in and you are all finished. Nice job. Yeah.

Comments

1 person likes this.
As always, excellent cueing and awareness to the exercises. Loved the short box review....lots of work. Thank you Monica!
really great cueing!
2 people like this.
Perfect basic reformer. Great teaching. Love this session.
Loved the cue of pulling throughout this session. Thank you!
Kathy P
Nice class. Would have like to have seen a little more back extension.
1 person likes this.
I love this routine and the cueing with emphasis on lengthening is wonderful!
Monica Wilson
Thank you Everyone! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!:)
1 person likes this.
I enjoyed your cueing work. It reminded how important the lengthening cue can be for participants. Thanks.
Monica Wilson
Thank you Samantha!

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