Rowing Back 2

Let's take a look at rowing back two. Just like rowing back one, this exercise is a beautiful combination of strength and control using the core, using the arms, using the entire body. So it's flowing from position to position and speaking the language of Pilates. The setup here, I've got my foot bar down, and I've got one spring on. I've got one spring on a red spring, so that's a nice heavy spring.

Which means it gives me enough support for my abdominals when I move back, but it makes it harder on my arms. If you wanted to lighten the spring, it would make it harder on your abdominals and a little easier on your arms. So knowing what the intent is is useful for performing the exercise in the way that you desire. So when you sit on the reformer preparing for this exercise, you wanna make sure that you pay attention to your placement. There needs to be enough space for your low back to be supported.

So you wanna make sure there's about a hands distance behind you and, between you and the edge of the reformer so that you can support your pelvis here. Also, legs are going between the shoulder rest resting on the head rest. If your legs don't fit, it's okay to cross the legs. It's ideal for many people. But do be sure if you cross the ankles or cross the legs that you choose to change which leg is crossed. My legs just barely fit, so I'm gonna keep them as they are. So here, when I retrieve my straps, I wanna feel first of all that I can sit up nice and tall. The ribs are tucked back. The body is long and straight.

Arms are parallel with the horizon, shoulders are plugged onto back body. Simply shoulder blades are back where they belong rather than too far forward. We're gonna bend the elbows to about 90 degrees here. Biceps are working. Keeping the shape of the arms, we're gonna use the abdominals to roll back.

I would use an exhale there. So you're gonna go back as far as you feel comfortable. But once again, be sure that you don't go back and lose the flexion of your spine. You wanna make sure you keep your eye gaze in the direction of your core or your legs and that you keep your back nice and rounded here. Elbows are still bent at that 90 degree angle.

This right here is the tricky part. I'm gonna keep the carriage exactly still. I'm gonna begin straightening out my back and my arms till I'm flat back on the diagonal and then we sit tall and the arms return to the start position. So here, bend the elbows to 90 degrees, feel support from your core. Round the spine as you go back, I would use an exhale there for sure.

And the arms come a little bit down when I'm in this position, so I'm not staying way up high where I was. It kinda come into the body. And then straightening out the back and the arms simultaneously still supporting with the core. So an add on or another option here would be to go into extension of the spine. So if you're going down far enough, you can then extend the spine and then come up that way. So make sure you're choosing which option works best for you on any given day. I'll go ahead and show that, and we'll work on the energy that one would like in theory when doing this. So here, if it were me, I'm going to inhale here.

I'll use the exhale to roll myself back, pause. Use an exhale to roll up extending the spine this time and sitting tall, inhale in just one more exhale rolling back a little further elbows are low, and reaching up, looking up, sitting tall, arms return to start position, put your straps back where they belong, and that was rowing back too.