Strengthen Reformer

Hi. I'm Sarah. Thanks for joining me today. We're gonna use three pound hand weights or whatever you choose. You can use no weights at all. You'll also notice I have my shoulder box off.

This is just to create more space. It's more comfortable, but if you have a reformer that doesn't allow your shoulder blocks to come off, you can absolutely keep them on the entire time. So I have a blue spring on. Let's do a little stretch to start. Come around in front of your reformer, maybe like a palm with the way in front of your bar.

Let's take a deep breath here, inhale reach the arms up. Exale drop the arms down by your sides tuck the chin, drop the head, start to scoop up the belly as you roll down, reach for the edge of that carriage. Let's just go into this down dog stretch. So slide that carriage out. You can go with the carriage.

If you wanna really go for it, and place your thighs, let your thighs rest on the bar, kind of drop the chest and the belly towards the well of the springs. And then you're gonna really engage the abs. Scoop up the belly. The abs pull you back, bend the knees, let your upper body hang heavy as you roll up, and let's start again, inhale reach up. Exale, go for that roll down.

Scoop out the abs as you reach for the carriage, slide out, go out. Really press the heels into the floor and then scoop the belly out. The abs draw your hips back over your ankles, then stack the shoulders and the head one more time. We go up. Exit. Roll down. Reach and go. Flat back.

Nice and long, straight arms. Length in the backs of your legs, and then exhale as you scoop to return, and just roll yourself all the way up. Perfect. Let's come around. You're gonna take a seat on your carriage we're gonna throw those short loops above your knees. We're going right away into some abs.

So slide those bad boys up above your knees. Take the, those knots and kind of slide them underneath your knees. You're gonna scoop forward towards your shoulder blocks. If you have your shoulder blocks on, that's okay. Grab behind your legs.

I want you to sit up as tall as you can. We're gonna exhale and just scoop out the belly, tuck the tailbone under round the spine. See curve. Just halfway back. And then inhale come up, sitting up tall. So just my heels, the tips of my heels are resting on that headrest, exhale scoop, round back.

Shoulders down, and then come back up. One more exhale. We go. Rounding back. Good. Coming up. This time, we're gonna go all the way down, check, make sure you have enough space.

Your legs are gonna go with your body. So lower your upper body. Take the legs with you so you're in this perfect tabletop. This is where you land. If you need to kind of scoot a little bit closer towards your shoulder blocks do so, keep your feet lifted So your knees are stacked over your hips, hands are gonna float behind your head.

We're gonna take the head back and then exhale curl up to the tips of your shoulder blades. Just this upper body curling up while maintaining that perfect little tabletop. So you feel the tension with the springs on the legs. It gives your low belly. Those lower abs that feedback that we're looking for.

Good. Resis arching your back when your head goes back. Hold on to those abs. Let's do one more. Good. Hold it here. Little pulse. We lift higher for eight.

Seven. Trying to keep those shoulder blades off the car just much as you can. For five, little minis for four, three, two, And one, grab the backs of your knees. Use your arms, pull your upper body towards your legs. Just give yourself that rest for a second.

We're gonna go into a single leg stretch, but hands go back behind your head. Here's a modification for you. You're gonna lengthen your left leg out. You're either here or you're gonna take that left foot to the headrest. We're gonna tap the left elbow first to the right knee, and then we tap the right elbow and the left, and then we switch.

You gotta switch slow with control because you're transferring the tension from that other leg. So lengthen that left leg. If you're there, we tap, tap tap, and then you switch. We go opposite elbow to knee first. Tap the other one.

And across. Whoa. This one's not easy. We go. Two, three. One more. We go. Tap Tap and tap. Good. Hug it in.

Give yourself that moment. We're gonna go into a double leg stretch now. So hands back behind your head. I want you to take your head back for a second. Exale. Lift your head and chest.

And we're gonna reach those legs long on the inhale, and then exhale. Pull the knees in towards your chest. Good. Keep the legs on the higher side if you need to. If you feel like it's getting into your low back, let's do four more. Inhale exhale.

Three, two, and one, float the legs straight up. Left leg is gonna go. We're gonna hold that right leg there. And then bring it up, inhale to lower. We're transferring the weight again. And then we're going into that single leg. Again, if you wanna just tap the foot to the headrest, you can.

Let's do one more on each side. Reach. Keep lifting your chest. Good. Hug the knees in. Pull your chest towards your thighs.

Give yourself that break. Last set here. Let's take both legs up. We're gonna glue the legs together, so engage those inner thighs, hands sneak behind the head, lift the head and chest as high as you can. Hold it there as you inhale. Both legs are going this time, exhale.

Good feet. Right stacked over your hips, if you can. You can absolutely do this with bent legs, and just take the knees out a couple of inches, and then pulling them in. So you do you inhale lower as low as you can without arching that back. Good. Two more. Two.

And then pause and hold on one. We're gonna reach side to side. Reach for the outside of the ankle. For $8.07, you can do this in tablet shop for six, five, four, so good. Three, two, and one, hug it in. Good. You're gonna curl yourself up or roll yourself up Let's take those straps off of your legs.

Now that our abs are warmed up, let's go into a side plank. We are gonna change our spring settings. So come around. Let's go to one yellow spring. Take your blue off.

So your lightest spring. And then careful as you get onto your reformer because it's on that light spring. I want you to set your knees up like a palm width away from the front edge of that carriage and then place your hand down on the wooden platform. You're gonna slide the carriage out by pressing the hips forward, stacking the shoulder over that wrist, reach the arm up. So that top leg, the right knee is stacked. It's floating and stacked right on top of the bottom knee. We're gonna take the arm and the hips down towards the well of the spring, and then you're gonna lift the hips up, lift that and reach that arm overhead.

So, essentially, we're going straight down and straight up. Go ahead. Using, obviously, our obliques, but I really want you to press your shoulders down, especially that standing arm so that left shoulder, you're gonna press down. To lift up. Good. Keep pressing your hips forward to stay in line. And let's do two more here.

Inhale, exhale. Lift those hips a little bit higher. Good. And then let's go to a halfway point. Reach that arm. This time we're gonna pull the knees underneath the hips, lift the hips and thread that arm under. Come back to your side plank.

Good. And then exhale. Pull those knees underneath your hips, pike the hips up to make room for the knees. Belly button is fine. Let's do four more. So good. Press those shoulders down exhale.

For three, squeeze those knees together for two. Last one, fighting Find this kneeling plank. Let's go down an inch, up an inch with the hips for eight. Final eight, press that arm down. Six, five, four, three, you got it, two more, two, and one bring that carriage all the way in. We're just gonna rotate to the other side right away.

So stack those knees, palm with the way, kneel up tall for me first, and then take that hand to the wooden platform. Press the hips forward, stack the shoulder over the wrist. Let's find this beautiful kneeling side plank that left knee is hovering this time. Arm is here. We're gonna take the hips and the arm down towards the well of the springs, and then just reach that arm overhead. Down and up.

Inhale to lower, exhale to lift, press the shoulder down. Belly button is fine. Good. So you're actively pressing your hips forward. So you're not sticking your booty out whatsoever. Three. Let's do two more.

Lift, lift, lift, like a puppet on a string. Your hips are on a string. They're lifting up, up, up, good find this halfway point. We're gonna thread that arm under, pike the hips up, draw the knees underneath your hips. And then go back.

Keeping that shoulder stacked over your wrist. Just isolate from the hips, drawing the knees under, under, under, piking those hips up. Whoo, exhale. Pull it in and up. Give me four more.

Four belly button a spine for three. For two Last one, find this kneeling plank, hold it here, hips go down an inch, up an inch. Your carriage might not move at all. Just isolating using that side oblique lift a little bit higher with those hips. Give me four. So good. For three, press that shoulder down for two.

And one, come all the way in. Sit yourself back, take a nice child's pose, and then slowly roll yourself up while we're here, we're gonna change our springs. We're going back to a blue spring. Take your yellow off, and you're gonna grab one hand weight. So we're gonna grab the right hand has the short or the long loop. I'm choosing the long, but if you want more resistance, go to that short loop.

My left hand has the free weight. We're gonna bring our arms forward so we can walk our knees back. Even if you have your shoulder blocks on your knees are right in between those shoulder blocks, we're gonna do a big step with our right leg. So careful as you do so, make sure your foot is really far forward, so you're not so close to your standing knee. We're gonna kneel up very tall. I want you to plant that right foot into the carriage. Palms are up. We're gonna go into a serving arm here.

Because we're kneeling like this, I want you to go slow with control. Find your balance, engage those abs. So the abs are very much involved. Keep this breath going. You exhale as you reach, inhale to return.

There's a slight bend in the arms. And the collarbone stays wide. Let's do four more. You're really lifting up in the belly. The top of that left thigh is very engaged to stabilize yourself.

Let's do two more exhale. Two. We're gonna pause at the top on one. Good. Engage those abs. We're gonna take the right arm, bend at the elbow, look over your right shoulder if you can. Agale. Punch and reach.

Even me, I'm wobbling like crazy, so you have to go a little bit slower, take your time, especially on the way back. Reach back with the elbow. And for it, so that left arm isn't moving at all. The palm is up. And you are reaching.

Good. Let's do four more. Four. Twist. Get taller. Use the abs to twist you back. Good. And let's do one more.

Inhale exhale. We're gonna interlace the fingers together. So bring the weight with the strap in both arms. Keep the arms straight as you go down, we're going into a golf swing. Lift it up. Again, you have to go super slow with control because you're on this one leg kneeling situation. Take the arms down. My eyes are kind of following my hands.

Let's do four more. Reach, reach, reach, keep those arms on the straighter side. Good. Abs are in. Two more.

Go for two little twist, tiny twist, and one. Good. Bring your hands to the carriage. I want you to step your foot back so your knees are together. Let's place the weight in the middle because we're not gonna use it right now. We're gonna hike up that right arm. We're doing an overhead, little reach punch.

If you wanna add a little bit more, I want you to lift that left leg. So left leg belly in, right arm. We go. Got it. Keeping the neck nice and long. That low belly's in, and I'm actively kicking up with that left leg to keep it hip height, straightening the arm, but not bringing the shoulder with it.

Good. Two more. Two. On one, place the hand down. Good. We're gonna go into a chest press here. Widen your arms just a little bit.

We're gonna take the elbows up to the side. Chest goes down, kick the leg up. Exale, push away. If this strap around your hand is hurting, you can also just slide it up so it's around your wrist. We go down and up for eight. Press away.

Hit that leg up. Keep your breath going. Abs are in. Let's do four more. For three, see if you can get a little bit lower. For two, and pause and hold on one.

We're gonna take that left leg down towards the floor, and then lift, hip height. Press those shoulders down. Heads in line with your spine. Let's go for this down and up. For eight.

Keeping the leg nice and straight. I want that leg really engaged to reach those toes away from you. Inhale exhale. Let's go four more. Resisting arch in your back at the top of that leg lift.

For two, and then hold it up on one. Little squeeze little pulse for 10, down an inch, up an inch, low belly in, eight, seven, six, I'm really pressing my chest away from the floor, keeping my arms nice and strong. For five, four, three, two on one. We're gonna round the spine, draw the knee in. Good reach the leg nice and long straight back. If it feels better to kick like a donkey kick, like flex your foot drive the heel back, or keep the foot pointed.

You choose whatever feels better. Let's do four more. For three, two, and then find that neutral spine on one. We're gonna take the leg out to the side. We're gonna tap the side of the floor, the side of the frame, lift it up, sweep it back.

We go out to the side. Tap lift, sweep it back out, down, and up. Reach away from you. Take it out. Lift it up. Let's do four more So good. Keep your breath going.

I know that standing leg is getting tired. For three, belly in. For two, drop those shoulders down. And last one, bring it in, walk your knees forward and just give yourself that child's pose. Walk your knees even more forward so you can hang up that strap. We're gonna go to your other side right away.

So left hand has the loop this time. Right hand has that hand weight. You're gonna really step that left foot forward. And then my knee and my foot are too close together. So I'm gonna slide that knee back.

So I'm nice and wide. I've got a good stance here. Poms are up. We go for that serving arm. Other side. Here we go. Breathe through it.

Second side is always harder because this arm has already been working. So take breaks when you need to, and then get back into it. Good. Let's do three more. Exale lift. For two, while you're here.

Actively pull up in that right quad, press the left foot into the carriage. One more. We're gonna pause and hold. Take the left arm. Look over the left shoulder. Use the abs. Reach it back.

Keep that right hand there or right arm there slightly bent. Palm is up. The elbows going back. The arm is staying lifted, and then you're twisting it back. So shoulders are going with it, but hips are staying square towards your foot bar.

So it's just a upper body twist. For three, exhale. Schounders down. Get taller as you twist. For two, last one, we're gonna interlace those fingers. Bring the weight and the paw or the strap together.

We go down over the standing leg or the kneeling leg, and then reach it back. Good. Twist and reach. Inhale exhale. Good. Let's go for belly button a spine, use those abs to pull you back Good. Two. Let's do one more and one so good. Okay.

Take your weight to the center of your carriage. Hands are going down, knees are back together. We're hiking up that left elbow. So it's in line with the shoulder. Your overhead punching.

You can just stay here, or you're gonna take that right leg, float it up, actively engage, squeeze that glute to stabilize yourself. Draw in the belly and go super slow with control, so you don't lose it because this is a major balancing exercise. Keeping the shoulders down. Let's go for four. Breathe for three.

For two. So good. You guys lift up. For one. Good. Take your hands to the front of that frame or that carriage. Lift that leg up as your elbows go out to the side, chest dips and press away. For eight.

First seven. Really go for it. Six. Five. Four. Really nice elbows wide for three.

Two, and last one. Good. See here. I'm gonna adjust my strap really quick so it's around my wrist. Take that right leg back. We're taking it straight down towards the floor. And then lifting, squeezing hip height for eight.

Seven. Really stretch behind that right knee. So that leg is nice and long and engaged. Squeeze and lift. Let's do four more.

Four belly button to spine for three. Sholders down two. Keep it up on one. Little pulse. We go for 10. You know, nine.

Eight, lift it up. Seven, six, five squeeze more, lift more. For three, two, we're gonna draw the knee in towards the chest around the spine. Whoo. And then kick it back. Lengthening everything out, out, out, get longer in the spine, and then use the abs to draw the knee into the chest. Inhale, exhale.

Let's do four more here. Four. Keep pressing that chest away from the floor. For three. Two.

So good. You guys keep it back on one. We're taking it out to the side, dropping it straight down, lift it up, sweep it back. We go side down up sweep it back. You're trying to keep that leg. Hip height as it sweeps back and forward. Keep it lifted, lifted, then take it down. Lift.

Take it back. We got five more here. Breathe and lift. Go ahead. For four. Three.

Tying that waist a little bit more. For two, shoulders down last one. Whoo. Take it all the way in. Take your child's pose. Do a little stretch shimmying out for me, and then slowly roll yourself up.

Let's hang that strap up. We're gonna hop off the reformer, take all your springs off because we're going into some major inner thighs. So take your springs off. You're gonna step in carefully. Grab your other hand weight because we're gonna use both.

And then I want you to kinda kick your springs out of the way just for your standing leg. Let's place our left hand on your footbars to stabilize yourself, draw that carriage towards you, and place your right knee down really close to the edge of the, the edge of the carriage. So let's turn both legs out slightly. So knees and toes pointed out. We have our weights.

Drop your weights straight down in front of you. As you can see, I'm in kind of a micro bend with that left leg. You're not gonna fully straighten because you're kneeling on your carriage. We're gonna go straight down. Not out with a carriage. We're gonna stay on this left standing leg.

Thumbs are up. You're gonna take the arms out to the side as you go straight down and then squeeze those legs towards each other as you come up. So, again, you're not fully straightening the standing legs. The standing leg stays slightly been at the top, and then you go deeper, straight down, straight up. I want you to, as you draw your legs towards each other, I want you to really drive that left heel into the floor. So you'll feel it a little bit in your left glute as well, but it is major inner thighs to draw that carriage back in. Good. Let's do four more.

So stay on that left leg. Stay on that standing leg. Don't go out too far. For three. For two, and then let's do one more together.

We're gonna stay down into our little split here. Keep the arms held. We go down an inch up an inch with the legs, holding the arms drop those shoulders down your back. Let's go for eight, down an inch, up an inch, for seven, six, five, really squeeze pelvic floor for three. For two, keep your breath going.

And one, draw it all the way in. Arms are down. Second set bicep curl this time. So take the the hips down and straight up. Keep the elbows away from your body slightly.

Keep that collarbone wide, and we go straight down. Drawl those legs towards each other. You got it. Good. We go down.

With a curl and reach those arms. Let's do four more. For three, use those abs to help you out. For two, Good. Let's do one more together. Stay down.

Arms are bent. Elbows are going up an inch as your hips go down an inch, and we come back up. Down and up for eight. Whoo. Verse seven. For six.

For five. So good. Four, three. Get a little bit lower for two. And come all the way up. Oh my goodness. Take your weights here, Carriage. Take that carriage away a little bit.

I want you to do just a forward fold, shaking out those legs, shake out your head, and then slowly roll yourself up. Let's try your other side. So grab your weights, bring your carriage in. Let's take that right hand to your foot bar. Left knee is going down on the carriage.

Turn those right toes and that knee out. Left knee slightly out. Hands have our weights. We're going straight down. This time, as you draw your legs towards each other, arms are going overhead.

They go out. So they're just mimicking your legs. Stay on top of your right leg. Drive that right heel into the floor as you come up. So resist going with the carriage.

Just go straight down. Good. Get a little bit taller. Breathe, squeeze in for four. For three, there's a slight bend in your arms. Your arms stay rounded for two.

Good. Let's do one more together. We're gonna stay down this time. Pause, hold the arms. Just the legs down an inch up an inch to roll those legs towards each other for five. For four, shoulders down belly in. Three. Come closer to your standing leg for two and draw it all the way in on one. Good.

Let's go second set bicep curl. Straight down. And then unfold the arms as you bring the legs towards each other. So good. You guys drop it down. Squeeze and lift.

Inhale exhale. These are not easy. Let's do four more. Belly button is fine. For three.

Get low. For two. Let's do one more together. We're gonna pause elbows are bent, go down an inch, up an inch, arms go up as your hips go down. Good. Five more. Five. Four. Hold on. Do it for three.

For two. And one, bring it all the way in. Grab that bar, bring yourself in, take the weights to your carriage, find that flap back. You can kinda kick your carriage out of the way so you can step back. Take that stretch.

Let it go. So good, you guys. Let's slowly roll up. Let's step out. And we're gonna bring our carriage back to its home base. We're gonna go to one blue spring. Take your hand weights away, and we're gonna face the risers on our hands and knees.

We're going to a little tricep because we haven't worked that part yet. So Hans are on your shoulder blocks or if you have your shoulder blocks on, hands are gonna be up on those shoulder blocks. I want you to walk your knees back. They're right underneath your hips. Plug in that belly.

Drop the shoulders down. And then take that hand I'm using the short loop. We're gonna take the hand or the arm straight down underneath your shoulder. We're gonna keep the arm nice and straight, and you're gonna sweep it back. Good.

We got eight of these. I'm gonna point my toes So I can go over that wooden platform. And I'm really actively pressing that palm up towards the ceiling. Good. Slow with control. So you get that full Control with the arm.

For three, let's do two more. Two. And last one hold it here. Bend at the elbow. And kick it back for eight.

Good. Keep that belly in. Your head is in line with your spine and your shoulders are down. Breathe for four. For three, so good. Two more.

Two. And one. Take that strap. Hook it up. We're gonna go to the other side right away. Grab that short loop, palm in.

I like fingers extended so you can really keep the wrist in line with your forearm. We're keeping the arms straight on this first set. Sweeping it straight up, and then drop it right underneath the shoulder. So good. Extails you lift. Let's do four more here.

Shoulders down. For three. For two, last one, you're gonna hold it at the top, and then just bend at the elbow. Keep the elbow in the same spot. So, resist moving it around, keep it lifted, and go for that press.

Fully extending the arm. Reach it back. Give me four more. Go for four. For three. For two.

And last one. So good. You guys hook up your strap. Walk your knees forward so you can sit all the way back to that child's pose. I want you to take this breath here, inhale through your nose. And then exhale roll up or just walk your upper body up. Let's take a tricep stretch here.

So take that right hand behind your head. Reach for that elbow. Maybe a little side stretch involved. Go ahead and switch it out. Take it over.

Good. Let's do the shoulder as well. So take that right arm across your chest. Use the left hand. Pull back. And other side.

And then last but not least, let's step off right in front of your, reformer, take your legs wide, drop all the way over. I wanna stretch these inner thighs. So just take the toes point them out to the side. We're gonna take the hips over to the right. Drop as low as you can or feels comfortable. Tose, and that knee is pointed up to the ceiling.

Big stretch in the inner thigh. And then take it up and over other side. So legs are turned out wide legs, drop those hips, flex the toes up towards the ceiling, find that stretch. So good. And then come back to the center, toes pointed forward, cross those forearms, shake it out, swing side to side. And then gently roll yourself up.

And you guys, we did it. Thanks so much for joining me.