Powerhouse Reformer

Hi. My name is Caitlyn Tower, and I'm gonna be taking you through a powerhouse reformer. We're gonna really dig into your center, and we're gonna incorporate this magic circle in a couple of the exercises. If it gets to be too much, you can take the circle out, but do what you can. So let's actually start lying onto your back. We're gonna just do three springs today.

So three on, lie all the way down, and we're gonna bring the circle right in between your thighs, heels together, toes apart, anchor your arms down. Now squeezing the heels together, press out. Reach and go as far as you can. It's different for everyone pulling in and then bend back slow, slow, slow. And you wanna really think, press back outreach of hugging, not just from the legs, but from your center.

Your ribs are pulling together. Your lower abdominals are scooping in and up hugging in, and again, reach and stretch and bend back in, and maybe you go halfway. Do what feels right for you today. Reach anchor the arm, squeeze, and back in. Again, reach straighten squeeze and in.

And again, a little faster reach and in and two more press squeeze and in and last time, press squeeze and and now we're gonna take you onto the arches of the feet, but we're gonna go a little bit wider here. So you wanna make sure you have enough room to let the circle hug in, press out, and you're gonna squeeze even tighter for this scoop in. And bend back. Again, reaching out, squeeze the circle, and, and I'm already feeling my inner thighs. So good. Reach and bend back in. And as you go try not to put too much weight on the outer edges of the feet.

You wanna keep equal weight across the arch of the foot and reach. And and you got this pressing out, stretch and scoop. And in three more press and in and last two, squeeze and in one more time reaching out. And and now hold an income onto your heels. Flex your ankles back same thing, pressing out, hug the circle, pulling in and up and bend back in.

Again, keep that weight onto the inner heel side reach and in. Again, reach, stretch, and in if you can straighten the legs, if you can't just go as far as you can and bend flexing the feet back of reach, and in And, again, press pulling in and up and bend and two more reach. And in last time, pressing out. And in now go back to the toes. Heels together toes apart.

You're gonna press out as far as you can. And if you need to keep the knees soft, you can. We're gonna lower the heels under, under, under, and lift up, up, keeping the squeeze of the legs lower, lower, lower, and lift, lift, lift. And again, under, under, under, squeezing the circle in and up, up, up, under, under, under, under, under, under, and up, up, up last time. And a bend your knees come back in. Take your circle out for a moment.

Let's place it down. You're gonna lower your foot bar all the way down. Try to do so with your feet or sit all the way up and take it down. Grab back onto your circle. Let's bring it in between your ankles.

Hugging in. Reach back for your handles. Make sure you're a little bit out of your shoulder block. You don't wanna be directly touching. Let's stretch your arms up to the ceiling. Squeeze gently in with the circle about 10% here.

I want you to energetically reach your fingertips up to the ceiling. You'll notice that softens your ribs down. We're gonna try to keep that. You're gonna curl and press your legs out and squeeze the circle. Now about 25%, we pump the arms, big breath in, two, three, four, five, and exhale to three, four, five, and squeeze in that circle curl higher exhale.

And again, full breath in, two, three, four, five, and exhale to three, four, five, keep squeezing. And you'll notice your legs are gonna wanna kinda give out a little bit. Try to keep the hug and exhale. And again, lower the legs a little bit. If you can go to eye level in and exhale two, three, four, five, and in two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five, one more set. You got this and exhale and bring everything back in. Take the handles into one hand.

You can place your circle down. Keep it close by. We're not done with it. You're gonna lower your headrest all the way down. Sit up and come to two springs.

Two springs only head back down. Let's go into short spine. You're gonna take the loop of your handle, thread it through all the way. Same thing on the other side. Take the loop, thread it through the handle. So now we have our short straps.

You're gonna bring your feet all the way up. Arches come in and gently rolling down. Here we go. Press your arms down. Now, no circle here, but I want you to imagine it's there. As you press out, you squeeze your legs together, scooping in, take your legs up, and overhead stretching, bend your knees to the shoulder blocks, hold You're gonna keep your feet over your face and you're gonna roll upper, middle, lower, tail, pull your heels to your seat. Let's go again, reaching out.

Squeeze your legs together, feel your ribs hugging together, reach up and over, and stretch, bend the knees, hold, unfold the spine, upper, middle, lower. Tail, pull the heels to the seat. Again, stretching out, reach, scooping in, lift up and over, hips over your shoulders, bend your knees, unfold the spine. Scooping in. Don't lose it. It's easy to just stretch here.

You wanna stay connected and down. Last one reach and lift up and over. Hips go, you go. Press down through the arms, bend the knees, and unfold upper, middle, lower tail, pull the heels to the seat. Let's carefully take these off.

Your hands are gonna come into the handles you're gonna reach into the strap and take those off of your feet. Slides your handles back down. Bring them into one hand for a moment. Grab your circle. You guys are gonna love this circle by the end of class. Bring it back in between the legs right at the ankle.

Hugging in, bend your elbows down by your sides. Lift your head up. Press your triceps into the mat. Gentle squeeze of the circle just to hold it in place. You're gonna press out and stay there.

Squeeze the circle for three. Two and one, little release, bend the knees, bend the elbows. Again, reach, squeeze the circle, hug, hug, hug, hug, hug, reach through your arms, and bend the knees. Bend the elbows. Again, press squeezing in hug, hug, hug, scoop, release the circle, bend the knees, bend the elbows.

Again, press reach. Can you point your toes and hug from the inner thigh? And bend. Bend. Last set, we're gonna do little pulses pressing out and pulsing eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, bend the knees, bend the elbows, put the handles back onto the pegs behind you. Set the circle down by your side. Let's sit all the way up and come off of the reformer. Add on let's do three springs.

So three springs total, foot bar up, grab your black pad, and let's place it down. We're gonna do stomach massage. I'm gonna have you sit into the center of the pad. And bring your toes on. Heels together toes apart, hands underneath, holding on to the front edge.

Now before you even begin, you wanna feel that connection from your inner thighs all the way up through your spine. So hug the legs energetically in like you're squeezing a circle, lift up taller, press out hold, lower your heels, lift your heels, and bend back in, and reach scooping in. And bend. Again, reach lower, lift and in. Reach lower, lift and in.

Reach down. Up one more time. We're gonna cut some reps to get through more today. Take one arm all the way back on top of the shoulder block and other arm all the way back on top of the shoulder block. Roll the shoulders back even more. Lift your spine.

Same thing. We go. Reach lower. Lift and in. And I'm still on those three springs, really working through the hips, reaching out, lower, lift, and and open the chest down up. And and you got it reach Can you keep your shoulders over your hips the whole time? It's a challenge to keep that stability, reach down up, and in one more, and in to hold it in. Take off one spring.

We're on two total. Grab onto your circle. Take your arms right in front of you. Press into the circle. You're gonna keep your arms straight, reach out. Try to get the circle to reach for the foot bar. Ben back in.

Again, reach and bend back in and reach and in one more time stretch through your back and in a hold twist to the right, straighten the legs, try to press into your circle and in. Again, twist. This is very similar to our spine twist on the mat. Press lift and in. Press lift And in one more each side, press feeling your back engaged one more time to the left, press and lift and bend back in. Take your circle all the way down.

Stand off lower your footbar down. We're gonna go into short box. Let's place the handles into the well so they're out of the way. You're gonna grab your box. No pull today because we're gonna use this circle as you maybe would have guessed.

We're gonna bring the box in between the shoulder block and the peg, bring the pad all the way on. And then let's bring your feet underneath the straps. Grab onto your circle. And here we go, flex your ankles. Now press the circle right at the chest.

You're gonna take one hand on top and other hand on top of that. Round up and over, curling, trying to make your spine the shape of this circle. Start to roll back, tail, low back, trying to go to the level of your box. Now press in your circle, scoop in and curl up and over. Let's go again. Flex the feet. Scoop and press into your circle and back up.

Just one more time, press into your circle roll, scooping in, and back up. Good. Now just for a little counter stretch, let's take that circle behind your feet and pull back, curling your spine in, bend your elbows wide, and try to pull yourself closer to your toes. Breathing, and then come back up. Let's take a hold of the circle, pressing into it, lift your arms above your head. And just a gentle press.

Try not to strain anything through your shoulders. You're gonna lift up. We're gonna hinge back just a little bit. Lift, lift, lift, and back up. And again, lift, lift, lift, big inhale. Little press into the circle to come back up. And again, lift up, up, up, and hold side to side. You're gonna reach to your right stretching out through both sides and come back up other way. Reach out, stretch and back into the right stretch and back and to the left, reach and back and hold. Now we twist, rotate to your right, lift up, and start to reach back, reaching through your arms, pressing in your circle, come back up.

And twist the other way. Reaching out the press of the circle should actually help you out a little bit. Again, rotate, lift up, press in your circle and up one more time, twist press in your circle and up, take one more counter stretch, take that circle behind your feet, pull yourself forward, and breathe. And coming all the way back up. Let's place the circle down, pull your right leg in towards you, and we're gonna do a quicker tree, just two sets today. And behind the back of the leg, lift your spine up and just reach the leg.

Let it come down two more up and down, pick your spine all the way up, walk your hands forward, curl in, rock back, try to lengthen out through both legs, walk down, and walk up. No extension today, just all the way back up rounding forward. Again, one more rock back, walk down, scoop in, and back up, and holds at the top Let's go ahead flex the foot. Grab onto the outer edge, lift your chest. Yes. And we're gonna stick with this leg. You're gonna roll onto your right hip for side sit ups.

Now we're gonna use the circle for this. So flex your foot. You have a couple options. You can tuck it behind the knee or a little bit lower. Whatever feels best for you.

Grab onto your circle, and here we go. We're gonna stretch both arms out, press in your circle. You're gonna lower down. And lift up. And lower down, press and lift. Whoo. It's not easy, but you can do it and up one more time.

Lower and press and take that circle down. Take a big twist reach all the way to the front edge of the reformer. Let your head release and stretch one big breath and exhale. Come back up. Let's do the other side. Place the circle onto your the left side of your reformer.

So you're ready for the side sit up on that side. Right leg comes under. Left leg comes in. We sit up as tall as we can, straighten the leg. Three times. And two.

And three, walk up, curl your chin in towards your chest rounding in rock back, walk down your leg. Scoop, scoop, scoop, scoop, scoop reach through both legs, walk it up, and round forward. Again, rock back, walk down, down, down, down, down, and back up, lifting, stretching up and over and flex your foot, lift your spine and try to reach your heel all the way out. Yes. Okay. Let's take the left leg underneath the right. Make sure your leg is pressing up into the strap for safety here. You're gonna really reach take both arms out, press in your circle.

We go down, and up, and press, and up, stay long. Press and up one more time, press and up. Place the circle down. Take a big twist, reaching forward, lengthening out through your leg, through your arms, through your spine, breathing in. And exhale out. And coming back up.

Good. Okay. Let's go ahead and stand all the way off. We're gonna put the pad into the center. We are done with the box. Let's put this all the way back, and let's get ready for long stretch. So lift your foot bar all the way up.

Stay on two springs today. Lift your headlock. And let's put the pad into the middle. Make sure your circle is close by because we're gonna use that for a couple of exercises. We're gonna go hands onto the foot bar, feet into the middle, reaching back.

You're gonna press out in three two One coming forward. Three, two, one. Again, reach and press. Two, three, and forward. Two, three. Again, reach squeeze your legs like you're squeezing that circle again, finding that midline connection one more time.

Reach two and three. Come forward. Two. Three, knees down. Take your feet to the blocks. Now before we do your down stretch, just imagine squeezing in. This is one people tend to splay out with the knees, check your alignment. Your knees should be in line with your heels and the blocks. Your hands are gonna come forward here.

Roll the shoulders back. Keep thinking of squeezing that circle as you press, press, press, and exhale lift, lift, lift again. Press, press, press, and exhale, up, up, up. Two more reach and exhale. Go to your fullest range, but keep the squeeze of the midline, scooping your powerhouse in and up. Hold. Let's go into up, stretch, lift up. High heel position.

Close the spring. We're still on two springs. High heel, chin is in. Scoop and press out. Hips come down. Come forward.

Try to close your spring. Around head. Upper back, middle back, lower back, again, pressing out. Reach hips come down. You come forward, lift, lift, lift, lift. And again, two more. Reach hips come down.

Reach forward forward forward and lift last time reach hips down come in in in in in and up. Let's go right into elephant. So you're gonna bring your feet flat down and a little bit more forward than the shoulder blocks. We're gonna grab onto the circle and bring it in between the ankles again. So I want you to find a spot that really feels good for you.

Ideally, you would be you know, hip distance width if you can get there. So find that squeeze, but also keeping the evenness through the weight of the foot. You wanna keep it across the ball of the foot. Heels, press down, curl. And now open and close, legs go back. And then they come forward, you squeeze.

And again, out and in and out and in, and I love this circle because it truly keeps us in alignment through the inner thigh line, the midline, and in to more reach and in and one more time in. Now we're gonna take it up a notch. You're gonna step forward one and two towards the front edge. Press your heels down, lift your toes up, curl, and Same thing pressing out and in. And the closer you get to the front edge of the reformer, the heavier that spring feels and in and open and in and open and in and open and in two more to and one and bring it in. Bring the circle down by your side.

We're gonna do an arabesque imagining that squeeze. Go high heel position. Hold here. Keep that spring shut, scoop. Now you're gonna press out one inch. You're gonna take the left leg behind you, stretch through both legs, now close the spring, and I want you to still feel your midline.

We just worked on it. Hug in. Don't let the legs run away from you and in. One more. And in, hold it in. Take that leg down. Press out one inch.

Take the right leg back. Here we go. Close it. Open and close it. You got it stretched through the back leg and in and two more. Two.

And one rest come all the way off. Woah. Good. Let's grab your circle. We're gonna place the pad down. We're done with that. And we're gonna bring it back in between the thighs for knee stretches.

So see if you can get it there. You don't have to use it for this one, but again, it really does just assist in feeling the midline squeeze. Good. Heels are back. Stomach is pulling in and up, finding your powerhouse lift, press your heels back and in and out and in knees only go over underneath your hips So as you press out, the knees are right under the hips, and then they come in.

You're squeezing through the midline so the legs don't splay. Three. And two, you got this. One, hold it in. Arch your back. Same thing. Out and squeeze out and squeeze out and in. Out, soft landing. Three and two.

And one, hold it in. Curl back in. Lean slightly forward. We're gonna lift the knees. Here we go. Me's off.

Press and in. Press and in. Press and in. Or keep the knees low. Three. Two, one, bringing in. Lower down. You should feel that hug of the inner thigh line now. I don't know all four springs.

Let's lie back for your run. Head comes down. Make sure your head block is up. Press your arms down by your sides and press outreach. Hold here. Find the scoop of your center.

All that powerhouse work, the inner thigh work, you're gonna lower one heel. And switch and switch. And this always feels so good and interconnected through your powerhouse, your legs, after the circle, and switch switch four and more for three, two, and one, and bend the knees. Come back and take the arches of the feet to the sides. Each corner is gonna have one foot.

You're gonna hug in with the circle. Bringing it back in between your inner thighs, press your arms down, squeeze your circle, lift your pelvis, and let's press out. Try to really reach to a straight leg, bend back in. In in. Again, press out.

Reach reach. Reach and bend back in slowly to letting the circle open back up. Again, squeeze your circle. Scoop in and bend back back back. And this is such a great tool to keep your hips even. You've got it in in in. And last time, reach pressing out arms are pushing down and bend, bend, roll through your spine, upper back, middle back, lower back tail. Let's come to just two springs for your side splits, sitting up, take off two.

Let's grab both pads. You're gonna bring one to the back shoulder block, and the other one is gonna come underneath the footbar for stability, standing up, grab your circle. We're gonna go both feet on to the reformer. You're gonna bring the left foot all the way on, trying to keep the reformers shut, heel toe out. Both feet are anchored.

You're squeezing in press forward with the circle. You're gonna reach out in three, two, one scooping in, press in your circle even more to squeeze back. Again, reach to three hold, scoop in, and close, two, three. Again, reaching out, go a little further this time, and bring it in, press, press, press one more with these two springs. And press press press now hold.

We're gonna reach down. Drop one spring. You're on one single spring. This little harder. You're gonna reach out.

Press in your circle. Squeeze your inner thighs. We've built you up for this. Right? Scoop in through your powerhouse, press into your circle, hug, hug, hug, and two more out, out, out, and exhale in, in, in. And last time, I wanna hear that spring shut close it all the way. Press, press, press, and hold. Bend down.

Add on that spring. So you're on two again. He'll tow back in without making a sound. Stand on to the reformer. Let's do the whole thing on the other side.

You're gonna bring right foot on heel toe out. Bring your foot anchor down. Arms are forward. You press out in three, two. One hold, scoop in, close to three. Again, press out. Two. Three, squeeze the circle hug.

Two three again reach pressing from both legs and back in and one more time with the double spring and exhale in in in now bend the knee reach down. Take off one. Try to keep that reformer. The carriage shut. You're gonna reach out to three, press in your circle close it. Two three. Again, reach two three and press into your circle, two more, and exhale press.

Woah. Last time. And all the way in, reach down. Add that spring back on. Come back up, heel, toe back in. Stand on to the reformer, stand all the way off, and you guys are all done.

Thank you so much for coming to class today.