Class #929

Wunda Chair for Men

30 min - Class
104 likes

Description

Niedra brings us a Wunda Chair class for men with an advanced level of Pilates experience. Begin by warming up the shoulders and spine with the Pilates Pole or broomstick then move to the Wunda Chair and set your springs to a heavy resistance (Niedra has the men on two top loaded springs to begin) for this strength workout. Front Pull ups, Push Ups, Forward Lunge and other strength based moves are all a part of this great workout. At the end of class Niedra moves to the Cadillac to offer some classical endings to class that the more experienced men will love. If you don't have a Cadillac, you will still get a wonderful full body workout on the Wunda Chair in 25 minutes. Enjoy!
What You'll Need: Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Pilates Pole

About This Video

Jan 12, 2013
Men
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So today's a very exciting day because we're going to have a men's workout and I'm thrilled to welcome Eric and Mike [inaudible] were both trainers and teachers and wonderful practitioners demonstrate a men's workout with us. Ladies really don't get to see very often. So we're going to start. If you take the broomstick and just to warm up the shoulders, guys, you should have a strong and powerful and neat their shoulders loosened up, standing in Pilati stance. Bring the arms up over your head, lift up in the powerhouse and take the arms as far back as you can without extending in the ribs. And then bring the arms up forward and all the way down to your thighs and doing this against widen the hands a little bit, widen the hands and go up again, and then take the arms back and see if they'll go all the way back to open up the pex a little bit. Wonderful. And then bring the arms forward and down and again, lifting the arms up and back so the chest gets really stretched out and the shoulders get loosened up. Now if you're starting to do snap, you can bring the hands maybe an inch closer together and again, lifting up and going back.

Wonderful and back and down. Very, very good places. Stick behind your shoulders and drape the arms around so the hands are draped around. Make sure the stick Eric, the six should be lower right at the lower base of your shoulder blades. So the cuff even lower, even lower. So the cuff of the shoulder is up and now is, oh you're doing wall. Drop your head and roll down towards the floor. Rolling down, rolling down to what's wonderful with this to keep the shoulders wide but warms up the whole back. And then bend your knees slightly.

Pilati stance and straighten the knees and roll back up. Roll back up, roll back up, roll back up to upright position. Lift the chest and look up. Slight back extension. Opening the chest out. Look up at the ceiling and again come back to straight and rolling down again, rounding through the spine, keeping the collarbones wide as you do this. Very good. Bend the knees slightly. Straighten the knees and roll back up. Roll back up. Roll back up, roll back up. Lift the chest.

Slight arch back, opening up in the sternum and last one head straight and rolling down. Rounding through the trunk as much as you're able to do without the soldiers being engaged. Bend the knees slightly and then straighten the legs. Inner thighs working and roll back up. Roll back up. Roll back up to upright. And one more time. Lift the chest. Lift the head and lift the sternum way up and come back to straight.

And now bending to the right, opening up the left side of the ribs and come back up and bending to the left and come back up and bending to the right and come back up and bending to the left and come back up. And one more time. Bending to the right and up and to the left. And and Jess swiveling, twisting as far to the right. Are you ringing your body out from your ankles to the crown of your head, to the center, twisting to the left and back to the center. Lifting up through the waist as you twist to the right and center. And left and center.

And one more time and right and center and left and right center. Wonderful. So I will take the sticks and let's have you sitting on the wonder chair for legwork. So starting out in Pilati stands, holding on to your hands above your, on your elbows. Nice lifted spine and start pumping. Slow down. Lift up. One, slow down. Lift up to slow down.

Lift up three slow down and now fast and pump and two and three and four and five and six and seven and a bird on a perch. So for slow, nice lift, it's fine. That's how both of you take your hands behind you. Now, broad collar bones, Eric ribs in and press down slow and lift up. Using the powerhouse, press down slow and lift and press down slow and lift and press down slow. Keep up lifting even more and lift than fast down one.

Keep the ribs in and three and four and five and six and seven and eight on your heels. And they'll bring the hands in front of you and then lift the arms up and press down. Shoulders down, Eric, and lift up one. So the shoulders glide down your back, two and three slow four now fast one and one and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight. Very good. Get. Bring the hands down to the chair of toes on the bar parallel. Lift your right leg up in front of you and press down eight times with the left leg one and two.

Use that powerhouse to lift the leg up. Micah, if you can, three, bend the knee if you need to to get it higher. Five and six and seven and a. Change your legs around other leg. Lift up. Try to get that like in the powerhouse. Lifting good down one and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight. Very good. Now both feet on the bar. [inaudible] stents.

Bring your hands in front of you on the chair and presses. Step all the way down and lift your hips up, bending over for pull-ups front so your hips are way up and then lift your hips up so you push it into the powerhouse to lift. And again, if you need to adjust your heels, Micah, you're fine. These chairs are new for these gentlemen to work on the user society, different chair lift. Good lift and lift. Now sit back down for a minute.

Bring your feet into Pilati stance and lift your hips up and come down to a squat. So you bring your hips down to your heels. Knees as wide as you can, and the hands on the side of the chair. Eric, can you get your knees wider? Yes, that's it. That's it. Now deepen into the powerhouse. And as you push up with the arms, keep the heels next to your hips, lift the heels way up, Micah, and then pump three times to camp one, pump two pumps three and keep those heels high as you bend your elbows to lower down. Lower down, lower down. Now keep those heels with your bottom as you lift up and pump three times. Pump one, no pump with the legs. Might Eric, two and three, that's it. And now bend the arms and slowly lower down.

So can you get your hips a little lower? The trick is to squeeze the calves and the hamstrings tight together. So you try and stay. Now see if you can lift up keeping the heels as close to your hips as you can. Better pump three times.

Pump one pump to pump three and lower down, keeping that chest nice and open. Take your right leg off to the side and lift up. Same thing up pump three times. Pump one pump to pump three and lower. Bring lower down. Bend the foot in. Change your legs around, lift the other leg abroad. Collarbones press up again. Pump three times.

Pump one pump to pump three and lower down. Bend the leg back down and sit back up on the chair. And if the ledge up and step off and turn around, compressing down. So turn to face the let the ledge, the step if the arms up over your head and keeping the weight forward towards the stove, the toe. Start bending forward, putting the hands down on the step. Keep the weight way, way, way forward and push the step all the way down to the floor. Pump three times.

Pump one pump to pump three stay this are forward. Push the arms down and use a powerhouse to bring you up. Bring you up, bring you up without the hips going back and press down again. Push Way, way down. Stay forward with those hips. Pump three times. Pump one pump to pump three. Safe forward on the hips. As you lift up, use that power has to bring you up.

And one more time pressing way, way, way down. Pump three times. Pump one pump to pump three and roll all the way up. All the way up. Now come to a standing position. Lift those arms up all the way out to the side and down. Very good. So let's have both of you turning to your left.

To your turn to the left, we're going to be pressing down with the right arm. So left arm comes up to the ceiling. You'll be standing with your right hand down, left arm up. Good. Now you're going to switch the arm so you switch and that's it. And then start bending forward. So your hand comes to the ledge.

Uh, Mikey, you will need to be much closer and you push the step all the way down. Now you keep the ribs, even as you lift your body up, you lift to the top of the step and press down, lift to the top of the step and press down, lift to the top of the step and press down. And now roll all the way up. All the way up. Left arm comes up. And one more time. Okay, bring the arms down, lift the left arm up, and then bend forward and down and push that step all the way down. And three times lift up and down and up and down and up and down.

And now with control, lift up. They've tapped. Lift up with that arm up, lift that arm up, lift that arm up. And then our both arms come up all the way out and down. So actually in the old good old days, you would start like this, like this and down, and then you'd finish up, up and down, just for fun choreography. But the exercises by turning around to the other side. So let's start. Actually it will be the left arm up.

Left arm starts up, flip your arm so you see, saw the arms in opposition and now bend forward and bring that arm down to the ledge. Press all the way down and three times who lift you that powerhouse to lift. Keeping both ribs even as you go down and up. Two and three and then roll one more time. You go down and now roll up slow, slow, slow unravel. Lift the arm up to the ceiling. Seesaw.

Saw the other arm up. Lift the arm to the style up. Both arms are up now and three, three arms all the way down, all the way down, all the way down. Okay, so let's have push ups next. So I'd like both of you with your left hand on the top of the step and your right hand on the ledge. Yes, this will work. So place your hands one hand on the chair, one hand on the step and walk your feet back and press a step down to the floor and then lift up. Press up, try to keep the ribs and down five times up. So the trick here is to keep the hips square three, four, and five, and now walk in with your feet.

And I'm realizing these a much larger chairs. Would it be, have more helpful to have the block underneath it because these chairs are higher. Let's if there's a huge range and it's impossible for you to keep your ribs even. So let's put a ledge under because the goal of this exercise to keep the ribs as you're pushing down, not to start twisting. So let's have another go and see how that affects you both. So arms to the ceiling, bend over, place your hands one on the step, and then bend the Elbow to bring the ledge down and walk your feet back and square the floating ribs as much as you can. There we go. Now five times.

Pressing up better. There we go. And keep both shoulders away from the ears. That's it for very good. And then press up. Walk your feet in very good and have a go on the other side.

So arms up and been forward. Good walk out and then lower down. If you're up, Eric, come down. Good and five times to keeping those hips, keeping the waist beautiful. Work four and five very good. And then walk your feet in and roll up and down. Going back to the first side again, we'll do the other variation where you start arms to the ceiling, bend over and place one hand on the step and push it to the floor and place the other hand on the floor as well. Now we have enough, slightly uneven pressure here, but that's good.

Ribs are even, and five times pump with the arm. One, two, three, four and five. Push down and walk your feet in and slowly lift up. Lift the arms up to the ceiling all the way out and down of what do the other side, Erica, you're going to be okay. Yep. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. So arms up, bend forward and push the step down. Good. Walk back to a plank position and five times pushups and one, two, three, four and five.

Very good. Walk your feet in with control. Lift the step up, lift the arms up all the way out and down. So we are going to do the super advanced guys. Push up routine on the chair. Now it's arms to the ceiling. Roll down towards the floor and walk out and step up with your feet. So you're in a nice plank position.

Really supporting your powerhouse. And two pushups. One, two. Now use a powerhouse to lower the legs. Twice. Good. And that's okay. And now arms and legs together. Good. And then to with a clap. Eric's going for power. One, two. Now lift the hips up, lift the hips up, walk in with your hands. Walk in, walk in, walk it. So this is something that takes learning to do. It takes a bit of practice, a walk in with your hands. Walk in even more.

The hands actually need to be even more, Eric, if you can. So they are just below the hips. Now one leg comes up to the ceiling, the other leg comes up. That's it. Now both legs at the same time, down down. Awesome. Work and stent all the way up, all the way up and restroom in it. Okay.

Very good. Very good. Oh, okay. Walk your hands in. Walk your hands. And so the trick of this is to get the hips as close over the shoulders of shoulders over the wrist. Now one leg to the ceiling. And now use the power house to get the hips stacked both legs up. And now slowly both legs come down, lifting all the way down.

That was awesome. And up and eventually on your own. Okay, so that was great. So let's have Mike, please join us. Let's go on and do stepping up front. So, uh, arm suicide. Yeah. Oh, let's get rid of the block. That'll be, uh, you're both tall, so they'll give more of a challenge. So arms off to the side. Take your right leg and press this step down and just be aware of where you put it. So it's, you're comfortable. Now can you step up with the left eye right up.

Excellent. And then stepping all the way to the top of the spring. Much harder in such a big step and slowly with control down and lift up as slowly down and lift up and slowly down and lift up and slowly down and lift up. [inaudible] slowly down and you will be stepping down slowly with the other leg and let all the way to the floor and lift the step up. Very good. Both feet are down, arms to the side. Lift the other leg up. Press alleged down. Is that the like, isn't that the same? Is it the other? You're stepping up now, right?

Good. And step up. Very good. And then lifting up. Good. Now keep the powerhouse. Really fill up the back ribs as you do this. Good. And lift. Yes. And add list and down and lift and down and list and down. And one more time and down. Take the right foot all the way to the floor. Micah with care.

Now lift this leg up. Slow, slow, slow, slow, slow with control. Very good. Both feet come down very, very nice. Okay. Pull ups. Front spread. Press a step down. Pull ups. Yes. Bring your hands to the back edge of the chair. Pilati stench. Now here's the trick.

You want to bring the shoulders right over the hips, deepen into the powerhouse, and then lift the hips straight up. Pull right up three pulses at the top. Pull right up. One, two, three. And slowly lower down. Broaden the shoulders. And again, pull and lift. Pump three times one, two, three and slowly rower. Lower down. One more time.

Press and lift up and one and two and three and slowly lower down and bring the hand slightly closer together. And let's do running from here. So one leg down, one leg up and one and one and two. Eric, let's have the powerhouse really scooped. You're lengthening that tailbone down every time and pull and pull and pull and pull and pull and pull and pull. And just a few lower lift both legs at the same time. Lower those heels down. Now lift up one, filling up and opening up the back body right in here. So the lower back gets length and lift and lift and lift and lift.

And they've been very good and step down with one foot and then the other foot. And let's walk around and do some of the Swan. So let's have you both on your stomachs. Shoulders right over the step. Press a step all the way down. Have the legs long and the waist long. And most importantly, get the shoulders away from the ear and three pumps with the arms. Now one, fill up the back ribs as you do this and three and then lift up into a lovely arch. Open the collar bones. Press down using that powerhouse to press down.

Yes. Three time pump to three and then lift all the way up. Now we'll do it again. And this time the elbows stay close to the ribs when you pump and one, two and three and lift up. And one more time. This way press down and pump three times, pump to three and then lift up and going into the rocking.

Press down, lower the chest, legs come up. And five rocks up legs. Yes. So the whole body feels like a seesaw. You're holding the lower body and the upper body and an even balance four and one more time and five and then press the ledge down. Come back to your parallel, move the left arm slightly in front of your shoulder.

Take the right arm to the side. You want the right arm exactly to the side. Good. And see if you can pump the left arm one, two and three and then lift everything up Nice. And even lifting up, making sure the left and again pressing down and pump three times, come to three and then lift everything up and press down and change hands. Other hand comes out to the side and pump three times. Pump two, three and lift the chest up.

And again, press down. Pump one pump to pump three. And if everything up good, press down both hands down, one hand to the chair, slightly yourself up and turn around and sit with your back to the chair. To the step I should say for back on purpose. So sitting on the chair, lift your legs up straight in front of you, reach back and get your hands on the step. Yes and I think Eric, you will be better with the hands going straight forward.

So the trick here is keep the collarbones why and then press down with the arms and then lift up and press down and lift up. And one more time this way and lift up. And now bend the knees in and lift them up the teaser. And again, press down and lift up Chris down and lift up. Press down and lift up and reach one hand towards your toes. See if you can bring the other hand towards your toes balance.

Bend your knees and sit back down and rest the legs. And next one will be to stretch out the side body. Lift the arms up over your head, palms of the hands facing straight up this way so the fingers are just touching and lift the legs up in front of you. Take the right hand and stretch it out to the step behind you. Look towards your right hand and press the ledge down and, and look at your left hand as keeping both hips down.

[inaudible] and then come back up. So the hips say down, twist to the other side, twist and stretch and reach. Keep it. So Mike, hey, we actually keep the hips down here and come back up. No it's not. And first side goes, so you're just stretching out your side body. Yes. And come back up. And the trick here is if the palms are facing each other, they see that and know, get the hand down and twist and come back up. [inaudible] and one more set twist of the first side and stretch and come back up. And last one, twist them, stretch and come back up. Very good. Bring the hands down and step off of the chair and turning around with yours from behind the chair pressing down front. So standing behind, reach the arms up, curl over and place your hands on the step and push the arm, the step down and pump three times and one, two, three and roll back up. I think one of the problems, Micah, let's do this.

I think you got way too low attention for your body weight. Try again. Have a goal. You want to put the Bar, the ledge? Yeah. Yeah. So arms up in front of you and cruel over. Put your hands on the step and push all the way down and pump three times. Pump one pump to pump three and scoop to roll up, roll up, roll up and again, push down. Press pump, three times, pump, pump, pump and roll to come up. And again, push down and press pump.

Three times pump two and three roll all the way up, all the way up. Come all the way up, arms all the way out, all the way down and rest. So we are going to do some of the classical endings that are done. Guys love this. So Michael, let's have you demonstrate first of all, pull-ups front. So beautiful long body and lengthening out and second variation, much more challenging and lowing all the way down. Very good too. And down and next set up to plank and back. Bend. Good. Three pull-ups. Lowering good again and to backbend and plank.

One, two, very good. Three and lowering down. Stretch your back out. Nice. He's going for his third variation of it to three and lengthening out. Good. Very, very good. Excellent. Yes. Here we go. I'll take these from you. Okay. So stretching out.

Now when you go out Michael, really round and fill up the back ribs. Good. And then as you come up, lifting up, bring the hips forward and then lift up. Tail under. How far can you go further back and really stretch your back out. Yes. Good. One more time. Fill up the back body opening. Yes. So you open up deep into here and then one more time. Come on up.

They've broad chest and going way out. Very, very good. Okay. So, oh okay. Pulling off. This is wonderful. Just releasing the lower back. And now let's have you hanging full out over the edge. Huh?

So wonderful place to attraction. The body. Hands can either come to the floor or you can push them against the the s the legs here. And press your hips out. Straighten your arms. So if it's too much. Yes. So the hips come way forward. Can you push yourself forward? So big that set and then lower down. Bend the arms to relax. Reach up with your hands and hold your size and walk up your legs with your hands. Lift your head and walk up to your ankles with your hand. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk like a little monkey.

Take both hands to hear and swivel yourself around to this side there. And walk down and lower yourself down on this side. Lower down, lower down, lower down, lower down, lower down. Good. All the way over. And now you're going to twist your left. Your hands. Come to note. That's the other two way. I'm sorry. This way. So you twist around, twist around, twist around and then stretch up. So you ringing yourself out. Very good.

And then untwist are you. That's it. Climb up your legs. Good. Climb up your legs, swivel to the side and go down again. Right? And now you will twist to your no other direction. So you actually ring yourself out and lift your head and chest and arch out. Good. Then unravel yourself and climb up your legs again.

Swiveled back to the center and lower yourself down. Very, very good. Get your legs out of here. Very good. Come up to a sitting position. And let's have you do the final, um, pull ups from here. So turning to face the front, hold onto the bar. And can you just bring your knees up to your chest? Sticky pads are right here. Six Times. Just bring your legs up, bringing your knees to your chest. One, two, three, four, five. Excellent. Mica. And six. Good. Very good. Thank you, Micah.

Very good. And we're going to have one or two other variations as well. So this is the candlestick and stretch. Very seldom done. Wonderful to see that done. And can you show us the various progressions of getting into this?

We are. I know we're losing your feet in the camera, but this is fabulous to see being done. Excellent. Excellent. Yay. Good for you. Okay. And um, so we have you do this one, the final fancy hanging shit up. Real guy. One, one, two, three. I'm going to let you go as many times as you want. Eric. Thank you so very much. Okay, terrific.

Thank you.

Comments

wonderful class, wonderful students :)
Thank You and I really liked using the Gondola Pole for warm up again.
Great work guys! Whew!
Very good for ADVANCED men only.
Good work guys....looks hard but fun. i dont think my men can do it.Thank you
Niedra Gabriel
Thank you Patricia - I know Eric and Mica are super strong guys - we just wanted to inspire the men that Pilates is also great for buff men.
Really enjoyed your class, thank you.
As always, Niedra, totally inspirational!! Great to see some of the super-advanced work featured! Love it!
Niedra Gabriel
Great to know you both enjoyed this.
2 people like this.
Just what I needed today (great workout with just enough challenge to keep me humble!)!
Niedra Gabriel
Great John, wonderful to hear from " a guy" about the workout - we love our men.
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