Express Full-Body Reformer

Hi. I am Lara Hamlin here for an express quick fun filled reformer workout for you today. We'll start seated with our spring set up for some leg and footwork. My headrest is slightly lifted. Straps are at the ready, foot bar is up to a height that works for your body. Scoot those hips forward, reach your arms forward. Take a deep breath in, and exhale begin to round and roll all the way back down onto your carriage.

Head in the center, shoulders against our shoulder blocks, and then feet will come to a pilates stance. Heels together, toes about fist distance apart, not too wide here as you inhale lengthen those legs back feeling that inner thigh connection, that seat belt right across our hips staying neutral and increasing at the hips to bend and pull that carriage back in. Inhale, we lengthen the legs along. Xhale, we pull the carriage in with control. Really working both directions here, squeezing those heal bones together, squeezing our sit bones and our glutes together as we press deep breath in, deep breath out to resist for a four. For three finding length through the legs, length through the spine too.

One more out coming about halfway in for a pulse, out an inch, in an inch back and resist. Inhaling and exhaling for five. And four, belly pulls a little deeper three. Last two. Last one. Keeping those legs straight We lower our heels under the bar, and then lift those heels back up.

I'm not totally letting them go too far here. I'm keeping my heels my inner thighs and especially my glutes and hamstrings really connected for this tendon stretch heels lower and exercise, finding some length, and then lifting in the knees and the thighs, inhale heels lower, exhale like you're zipping up a tight pair of pants to the belly button down and up for two. And heels high one more time, heels lower, squeeze inner thighs and heels tight, hold those heels up, and then bend the knees to come all the way back in. From there, feet will lower back to the ledge, arms will float back to the ceiling, take a breath in, Excel, use that belly to round and roll all the way up, always working our core in between. We'll take one spring off.

I'm gonna leave two reds on for myself here, and then roll all the way back down. Working into some single leg work in parallel. So I'll start with my right heel on the bar right in line with my right sit bone, left leg to tabletop, and we'll flex both feet to begin. Pressing that right heel into the bar, again, keeping my hips square firing up underneath that right glute as I resist to pull the carriage back in, making sure I'm pretty high on that right heel bone, but not so high that I feel like I'm gonna slip off deep breath in. Exhale really flexing those right toes back towards my right shin bone.

Press on out, resist to pull the carriage in. I love this single leg work on the heel. Kinda like a single legged squat. I find it really helps us access that posterior chain, glute hamstring area, pressing into the heel, staying square through hips and pelvis, working deep into the core to stabilize one more time all the way out. Halfway in for our pulse out and in, back and resist.

Working to warm up those legs, inhaling, and exhaling for two. And one, this time, right leg extends straight, left leg extends to the ceiling point up through those left toes, take a breath to prepare, exhale to circle the left leg across the body, and down towards the foot bar over to the left hold at the top. We circle across down out, lengthen to left for three. Moving through these leg circles with a lot of control to stabilize the hips and the carriage one more around, inhale at the top, exhale reverse out down and across belly pulls down as those toes reach up. Keep flexing long and strong through that right leg for two. One more around stable hips and pelvis hold at the top.

Flex that left heel high and then lower left heel to the foot bar. Heels in line with the hip. Right leg floats to tabletop, and then we bend that left knee into transition to our second side. Left leg long on the inhale. Pulling the carriage in on the exhale now working that posterior chain left glute and hamstring, working deep into our core, so our hips don't go crooked here when we're on one leg a little more challenging sometimes to keep a stable and neutral pelvis.

Deep breath in, deep breath out on that return, inhaling, and exhaling for two more full presses here. One more all the way out, halfway in for our pulse, back and in. Out and resist working both directions. Lovely tone for those legs for two. And one, left leg straight right, like, high to the sky.

Point up through your right toes, take a breath in, exhale right leg circles across down out. Can you sink your belly deeper to reach those toes higher for a four? Driving a nice even circle on the ceiling with the toes for three ribs knit tight. Palms pressed down belly pulls down two. Still working the whole body. One more across down out. Link them at the top inhale reverses you exhale out down and around.

I like to think of staying within the frame of my reformer here for three. Really working on anchoring through the hips too. One Mars circle, lift and hold, flex that right heel high, lower the right heel to the bar. Again, those feet are hip distance apart. Heels in line with the sit bones, we bend those knees all the way in with resistance. Moving into a little more single leg work, point those toes should feel good on the ankles and arches.

Right toes now come to the bar, still in line with the hip, left leg extends long over the bar. As you press out on the right leg, pull the left knee and then as you bend the right knee, left leg extends, pelvis stays square, low belly and right glute working. Inhale. And exhale, pressing out, resisting in, adding on left leg, double pace extends to the ceiling. We flex through both feet.

Point through both toes, reverse left knee bends and extends over the bar inhaling out and up, exhale to flex, inhale to point, bend, and resist using the breath in the belly here. Really working to squeeze the glutes and even the inner thighs together to help keep our legs in line point and return once more inhale, exhale. We point and resist. Adding on both toes stay pointed, lower the left toes to tap the bar, kick the leg up with control, bend, and return. Inhale, exhale, deep breath in, and out three more times.

Zipping up through that waist to kick that left leg a little higher, staying really long, straight, and strong through this right standing leg. One more time, out, top kick in, and return. Right to our second side, left toes on, right leg extends over the bar, already feeling those legs a little longer, right knee to the chest, belly to the mat, right toes over the bar. Inhale to lengthen, exhale to resist. Now both legs are working here, but I'm really thinking about my standing supporting left leg on this side.

Inhale out, exhale return, adding on for that double a pay right toes to the ceiling. Right heel high, left heel under the bar, point through the toes, resist bending the knees to return, right leg in and up, and flex, and point, and return. Deep breathe in. Exale out, inhale to point, exhale resist two more times. I know the urge sometimes is to wanna look at the legs, but can we keep our gaze up? Our chin lifted flex point and in, we have our Botma kick, lengthen up, leg lowers, leg kicks to the sky, bend, and resist.

As that right leg lowers and lifts, stay strong and long through that left thigh. Lower to tap the bar, kick it up in and reach for two strong low belly working here one more time, kick up, bring it in, and rest. Hoo, hug those knees into the chest. Should definitely feel our legs well worked to start. From here, I'm gonna lower my feet to the ledge and just scoot a little bit away from my shoulder blocks. So I have some space reaching back for my handles.

Knees come all the way into the chest, press those palms into the straps, and then press your arms all the way down to the mat by your sides. From there, think of hugging your armpits into your waistline, bend your elbows in, take a deep breath where you are, knees squeeze together, We curl to the tips of the shoulder blades as that right leg extends long and low over the bar. Ben the knee to the chest, bend your elbows in, head releases back, left leg long over the bar. Again, each side to get back with control, curl up and over the ribs, lengthen through the fingertips, inhaling back, exhaling up, taking both legs together, inhale, Curl up reach up through fingers and toes, legs hover over the bar, knees elbows bend head releases to the mat, exhale reach up and forward, inhale back, exhale up and forward once more, take it back. Curl up to stay and hold.

We scissor the right leg high, left leg high right leg lowers to hover atop the bar, switch and switch. Can you reach fingertips longer? Curl higher over the ribs. For four. For three.

Last two. Last one. Both legs to the ceiling, glue them together, press into the palms, curl higher legs lower to hover or tap the bar. Exhale pull the belly down, lengthen to lift. Pilates stance legs, knees can always be softly bent here trying to release in the hips and thighs. Use that deep core to lift the legs up last two.

And up one more time, right into our hundreds, lower those legs, pump those arms, breathe in through the nose for five, and exhale out two, three, four, five, inhale, and exhale. Reaching long through the limbs, tightening into that low waist. Use the breath, try and stabilize the carriage strong pumps of those arms for four, and exhale out. Three. Maybe legs lower a little further.

Two. And out. One more deep breath in and exhale out. Two, three, four, five, stay hold, reach, reach, reach, knees to chest. Elbows to the waist and head to the mat. If you weren't warm already, hopefully you are now.

I'm gonna reach back. Make sure my head rest is still lifted. Press myself out or carefully get the feet into the strap. And then we'll move into some inner thigh work here. So heels come in legs lengthen long, pelvis stays anchored, and palms press into the mat.

Feel the chest opening, the head, heavy, squeeze the legs together starting with a simple frog, heels are tight, feet are flexed and knees open towards the shoulders, and then exhale squeezing into those glutes and inner thighs, feel the inner thighs wrapped to the ceiling really working in this external rotation, resist to bend. Pull the belly down, lengthen to extend. Inhale, we bend. Exhale, we extend. Two more times, resist.

Working both directions, pubic bone pulls deeper to that sacrum belly button to spine, inhale, and exhale from here bending just a few inches, beautiful long, big marquee diamond shape, knees stay open, heels stay connected, legs lift in the diamond, squeeze your seat legs lower in the diamond. Lift. Pull the belly down. Squeeze the glutes to lower. I like to sometimes have my hands on my hips here or maybe a diamond shape of my hands resting over my pelvis. To make sure I'm not tucking my hips up or down, forward, or back. Instead, I wanna think of that low belly inside my hands here pulling deeper to the mat as I lower my legs and squeeze my glutes for two One more time, lift and lower. From there, extend your legs, point through your toes, open them about mat or a carriage rather width, and then squeeze together. We open.

We close. Keep rotating inner seams of the pants inner thighs upward, squeezing those legs together a little bit tighter. Feel them working one more time. Squeeze to hold. We have our circle legs lift towards the ceiling. Again, opening about carriage width may be slightly wider, lower and feel that inner thigh connection. Lift open, press, and squeeze.

Now often I see this exercise kinda just being used as a throwaway stretch at the end of classes. Let's make it an exercise like it is. Let's feel our inner thighs and our core working. Are glutes and hamstrings working to stabilize. One more lift circle squeeze those inner thighs should be feeling it, reverse around and up deep breath in. Now pull your abs down.

Squeeze your butt, lower those legs around and up inhale, exhale to lower. Keep reaching through the crown of the head, long beautiful spine and neck, pressing into the palms, working our whole body for four, lengthen through those legs. For three, If you can, maybe you make it a little bit bigger, but with control to and press one more around and up, press and stay. From their knees bend in, we'll take our hands into our strap to carefully get our feet out and bring our carriage back to rest. Feed can come to the ledge, straps can come back over our pegs, arms to the ceiling, take a breath in, and exhale to round and roll up using the belly here.

Coming all the way to a seat. Alright. We're gonna move into some side kneeling arm work. So I like to lighten to one blue here. You could of course go a little heavier or a little bit lighter. Listen to your body. Do what feels best for you today.

I'll start facing you, kneeling carefully, especially with that lighter spring, about midcarriage, knees about hip distance apart. So I'm really keeping my hips square, my pelvis pressing forward, my core connected, yeah, my glutes, my abs, are nicely warmed up, so we're still using all that through this arm work. The front strap comes into your left hand. You can always hold on here for more support. Pull that left arm in towards your chest, and then bring your right hand down towards your hip.

Think about that seat belt. We're gonna start by pulling our left wrist towards our left shoulder. And then from there, reverse your left hand down kinda towards your right towards your right hip. Do that one more time. Feel it pulling on that upward diagonal.

Option to always stick with this if you have any shoulder injuries or pain there. Adding on, we go to our full swak a tee. We flip the wrist as we extend. Don't overthink it. Yeah. That strap should just kinda rotate or handle should rotate between your fist and your hand.

We pull up and reach out, keeping it nice and smooth. My shoulders and hips nice and square. Excellent arm back work here, inhaling, and exhaling. Two more times. Pull and reach, resist to pull it in and lower.

Last one, inhale, and exhale. From there. Right hand comes down to that front shoulder block. I flip my left palm towards the ceiling as I take it over my left ear lobe. Right arm presses down. Left arm reaches up on the diagonal for a little tricep work. Make sure that strap. Stays in front of your face.

It should be in front of your left cheek as you look down at that right palm, working that left tricep, inhale extend, exhale resist to bend. Pull the shoulders away from your ears. Think of pulling your belly button back to your spine and squeezing both glutes forward. We press. We resist.

Two more lengthen and bend equal weight into those knees so we don't go crooked here. Bend, slowly reverse how you got into it, flip your palm back down and towards your body. Your right hand threads into the loop. Both hands come together. I'm pressing one into the other, making that hug a tree shape.

Like a big beach ball in front of me. I'm not here. I'm not here. Huggetry arms. Squeeze your right glute forward and your left glute forward as you twist left. So not twisting from the pelvis, but from this left oblique.

And he'll be right back to center. No further to the right, exhale twist. So we keep tension in the spring, tension in the strap the whole time, exhale, ring out the lungs like a wet towel, work your waistline center, rotate. Four or four doesn't have to be huge movement, exhale twist from the right places. Three, use the breath and belly. Two, and rotate. One more center, and twist. Come back to center now all the way back to the right from there. I turn over my right shoulder.

I keep this strap in my left hand, and I come onto my hands and knees. My legs and feet are going to hang off this edge of the carriage here. I'm gonna hold this strap in my left hand, staying towards the end of it, right hand down onto that block. Now press the block away. Pull your belly and your heart up, and then pull the left elbow in towards your waist.

I like to hold on with the tight fist here. Extend from that tricep and then bend from the elbow. I keep that left upper arm bone lifted in line with my waist, keeping my core connected, my collar bones and hip bones square towards the mat. Inhale to extend, exhale to bend, really excellent work for this tricep, shoulder blades pulling away from the ears, as always, thinking about the whole body for two. One more extend.

And bend. This time, left arm stays straight, sweep it back down towards the carriage. Press it back. I think of punching towards the foot bar. Resist to lower. Deep breathe in. Deep breath out belly pulling up and in option to stay with this option to extend opposite leg back over that bar four more times working on stabilizing keeping that leg lifted over the bar. If it's dropping too low, it's gonna hit it, and then you're not really engaged in the glute.

So what's the matter of even lifting it? Really work on lifting the thigh up, pulling your belly up. Two. One more time, that right hip stays pointing down, hold at the top deep breath in, reach the toes, reach the fist, further back, lift up, up, up, slowly lower the arms, slowly bend the knee. Hook your strap both hands on the blocks round through your spine. Take a moment in this cat shape. Open up through the back.

Take a moment in a cow shape. Pull your heart forward. Your shoulders back releasing your hips. Do you breath in? And then exhale come back to neutral, and all the way up will spin around for our second side.

Feed are hanging off. You get my backside this time. My strap, my handle comes into my right hand, can always hold on for a little more support as you get into this. Hit bones are forward. Little tuck of that tail.

Left hand to left hip. Pull your elbow up and pull your shoulders down. Make sure you're square across your back that the shoulder isn't lifting or rolling forward. From there. Right fist moves towards the left hip. We pull. Maybe we extend, squeeze the seat forward, bend the elbow, reverse the pathway, inhaling to reach up.

Exhaling to resist it back in and down, keeping it smooth both directions, working both directions. Inhale, and exhale. Two more times in and up and and down. Last time, that right shoulder blade slides down the back as the arm reaches, trying to keep that anchored sensation in that lat. Left hand to block.

Palm flips in my case towards the window and up, gaze comes down, squeeze the seat forward, press that right arm away, and then bend it back in with control. Maybe you don't extend all the way. That's okay. Shoulder blades away from the ears. Squeeze your seat forward.

Press that left palm down to really stay lifted out of that bottom shoulder. Inhale, we lengthen, exhale, we resist. One side may feel easier. One side might feel harder. Yeah. We're all a little uneven.

Myself included here. Three, two. One more. And bend reversing the pathway careful for those shoulders coming back in, left hand threads through, hug a tree arms, hugging someone you love, right in front of your heart. Again, squeeze the glutes forward, pull the shoulder blades down, lift the chin and lift your elbows, inhale prepare. Excel, we twist from our right waist, back to center, hands in front of the heart, exhale twist pulling back in that right oblique and continuing to squeeze your right glute forward, especially on that rotation center. And rotate center and twist for two, exhale. One more center and twist.

Come back to center, then to the left, carriage comes home, straps stays in the right hand, and we rotate again back to all fours here. Left palm will be on the blocks. Feet flexed, hold on tight, pull the right elbow in, pull up in your waist, pull your shoulders back and down, reach back with that right arm, bend that right elbow in, think of squeezing something between your right upper arm and ribs, tightening into that armpit, keeping that tricep really nicely lifted and those shoulder blades sliding down long length through the sides of the neck here for two. One more extending. And bending. Now we extend.

Right arm stays straight here. Lower it down. Straight down and back, just like our pulling on the straps on our box, but one arm and working the whole body to stabilize on all fours. Punch and reach back, resist to lower. Maybe you add on left leg points and floats over the bar. Now pull up in your waist, keep that left hip pointing down. Yeah.

We don't wanna be, like, here. Right? Using the core, pull that right arm back back back. Slowly lower. Pull up in your waist. Doesn't take a lot of repetitions to really feel this. Yeah. Only two more.

Inhale pull. XL resist. One more time fight for it. Pull hold. Reach your fist, reach your toes back, reach the crown of the head forward, elongate through those limbs, slowly resist to return, knee down, strap hooks, palms to the blocks round through your spine.

We should feel that inhale arch to the back, heart forward shoulders away from those ears. From here, we're moving into some forearm planking. Now I set myself up with one blue spring, which feels okay for my planks, maybe you want more stability, more weight, maybe you wanna lighten it, listen to your body. My forearms come down. My palms, I like to press to the outsides of these blocks so I can hold on, and then I'm gonna bring my toes onto the ledge.

Make sure they're solid depending on your equipment here. Take a breath in, press into the toes, press forward with the carriage. Find your plank. Adjust what you need, inner thighs are connected. Little tuck of that tail. Low belly is lifted.

Deep breathe in. Exhale leg stays straight, pike the hips up, keep your heels high, think top of the head to the carriage, lengthen the body long, squeezing inner thighs and glutes, exhale, pike it up. Use the breath, lengthen through the spine. Exhale hips lift for two and up. One more inhale.

Exhale. Press back out. Find your plank, squeeze in her thighs and seat, inhale press the carriage away, exhale pull your abs in to pull your elbows back underneath you. We press. We pull staying long through the spine for three. For two. One more press.

And in take a breath where you are, press the forearms down, lift your heart up with control, bend your knees, gently rest them onto the mat, and make sure that carriage is at rest. We're coming back up for one more plank series on the palms. You could, of course, stay down here on the mat. You could also be on your forearms, but we're going into our balance control. So you could get on from here or you can step off to the side, which I prefer a little more classical mount here, foot onto that bar if you stabilize and you feel solid there. You lengthen that leg long, shoulders over the wrists, step your other foot up, find it. Palms are pressing down.

Heart is lifting inner thighs squeezing. We start the same way we just finished on the forearms with that arm press. Inhail arms press out, exhale arms pull in. One more like that, press. Pull it in. Now add a lift to the right leg point back through the right toes.

Toes lower arms come underneath us. Left leg lifts. Pull the belly in right leg and in spine stays long. Chest stays lifted last set press and pull left We hold, take a breath in, pull the belly up, pike those hips up, carefully step onto your carriage, it's light, be cautious, squat all the way back down. Give your wrist a little shake. We're gonna finish with one more challenge here.

So we've done a great job with our planks. We're gonna move through a little side plank and star series. I'm gonna change to one red This one blue is a little light in my opinion, traditionally. Again, it should be done on one one spring or one red spring. So left hand on the bar to start. Left foot comes to that closer shoulder block.

Your foot is pressing into it. I've taught this with staggered feet, If you know your body and that that works better for you, or maybe you'll sit on your mat next to your reformer and you do this on a forearm and you just take the reformer out of the equation. It's a challenging, advanced exercise. If you're here, palm presses down, strong grip, left foot presses in right foot sweeps on top palm by the waist. Make sure you can lift out of the bottom shoulder.

Inhale, we press the carriage out as the right arm lifts to the sky. Palm squeezes to the waist. Pull the carriage in. Again, like that, just that arm lifts. Arm lowers from here adding on arm and leg lift, arm and leg lower, one more lift, lower, arm and leg sweep forward inhale, exhale, arm forward leg back, inhale. Exhale. Keep pressing that carriage out as you sweep forward, pull it in, leg back, press the carriage out, pull it in, hold the side plank, lift your hips higher, reach the right arm all the way up to the ceiling, deep breath in.

Excel carefully step that right foot back onto the floor, flex your left toes to the ceiling, take a forward stretch. Open up that hamstring. We did a lot of work for it today. Enjoy this forward fold. You are almost done.

Take a breath in. Exale, let it go. Carefully roll on up. We have one more side. Let's finish strong. Right hand comes to the bar, or again, maybe you're on your mat, maybe you're on a forearm on your mat.

Maybe you're just working the first two parts of this. Right hand is stable. Right foot into that front block. Start to shift a right shoulder over your right wrist. Left foot comes up on top of the block.

Squeeze both glutes forward. Press the bar and the floor away. Left palm to the waist. We press the carriage out and lift left arm to sky. Squeeze everything back to where you started.

Press on out. Keep that bottom waist nicely lifted, leg and arm lift. Leg and arm lower, squeeze your right glute to really support that bottom side, leg and arm forward, center, leg back arm forward, reaching through the heel on the crown of the head last time forward, pull it in. Back with the leg, pull it in and hold. Lift your hips up. Squeeze the bottom glute.

Press the bar away. Lift your left arm high. Take a deep breath in. Axale left foot to the floor. Step on down with control.

Right toes to the ceiling, take a forward fold. Deep breathe in. Deep exhale out, letting the breath sink you deeper into a stretch here. When you're ready carefully rolling all the way up, stepping on off of your reformer, you are all done. Thanks so much for joining me.