Class #749

Basic Reformer Breakdown 3

5 min - Class
69 likes
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Description

This class is the third class in a series which breaks down the Basic Reformer into easy short segments covering everything from the warm up exercises to the cool down exercises of a basic Reformer program.

This particular class focuses on the Stomach Massage.
What You'll Need: Reformer w/Box

About This Video

Transcript

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All right, so we're done with our leg circles and fraud and we're going to take 'em off. And you can either do your stretch or you can just take them off. But we're looking at going into the stomach massage from here. So we're going to lower them into the, well, go ahead and step off and you're gonna lift up your bar, add two springs so that you're back on four springs, like you did your foot work. And we're gonna add a pad that's a good pad. There's also some nice black pads.

That peak makes. This one's the kind that grots sends you and you want to position it. Ideally your tailbone is as close to this edge as possible. However, you're always wanting to have your box here, Nice Square, so your shoulders have to be over your hip bones. And this is gonna. The first one's going to be a c curve and if you sat super close, you might not be able to get your shoulders over your hips.

So you want to sit in a position that's going to challenge you and stretch you so that one day maybe you can be there, but you want to be there working hard today. So you're going to just go ahead and sit down, turn towards the front, good, and put your toes on the bar in a plotty stance. Nice, good. And they're nice and centered. So your heels should line up right between those two hooks. Very important. Okay. And so your nose, belly button and heels should all be a straight line as well. And a lot of times you should look down and see if on either side of your bottom that there's equal amount of mat. And then you know you're centered.

So we're going to always scoop in your belly. Good. And we're trying to create not a tiny small letter c, but a big letter c. So you're trying to stretch your spine as you go into the c curve. Great. And we're gonna have your shoulders, like I said, right over those hipbones. This is another exercise that you can all day do with your quads.

But instead I want you to already think about those thighs and your bottom and go ahead and pull with your belly out. As you squeeze, lower those heels down. Lift and Angela, why don't we go ahead and start with outlawing those heels on this time. So I want you to just to keep your heels up and pull out and come in. Great. So you're pulling into my hand. Beautiful. Round, back and down. And those thighs are wrapping and squeezing and and so you're trying to send your sit bones one way and your belly the other and in. Now let's go out and add a lower, the heels were big stretch, lift and in and pulling out.

You're always going to stretch your Achilles tendon and cath. But don't work the calf as you lift the heels. It's all work from your powerhouse. Pull up from here. Nice. Give me one more. Pulling out, stretch everything but lift from your powerhouse and come in. Great. Now stay here and you're going to reach between your legs and drop a middle spring. Good.

And if you can try to move the arms together and put them on the shoulder pads behind you. Great. There's many different positions of your hands for you. I like them like this, but you can also hold them the backway. But a lot of women like to hyperextend like that or you can hold them onto the side like so. But we're going to, I think the best for the placement of your shoulders is when we do it like that. Nice. Good. So we're not gonna lower the heels on the first one again. So I want you to pull your belly in and lift your chest bone as you go back.

And in no lower left. That's all right. And scooping in and chest up. Nice and in. Really feel your bottom. You're sending your bottom that way. Nice. One more like this. And then good. Now Scoop in and now stretch your hills as you grow taller.

Lift and in. Nice and scoop. Lower. Lift and in. Good. And two more. Make sure this leg is lowering and reaching as much as you're right and out and lower and lift and common. Good. Now I want you to hold that nice scoop and bring your arms forward and we're going to hold him up above. You're going to be reaching up, not at shoulder height, use your powerhouse and you're going to go out on this one. We're going to drop this spring, so it goes four springs for the the round back, three springs for the hands back and two springs for the reach.

This is a breathing exercise, so let's work on that. You're going to inhale to go out and you're going to exhale to come in and I like to think of this like the hundred inhale out, but let's exhale for five for three reaching two reaching one, inhale out. Exhale, scoop in and stretch your upper vertebro away from the middle ones, from the lower ones. And let's do one more in with the air and exhale coming in and stretching, scooping in and in and and enough. Great, good. All right, so you can go ahead and put your feet down by your side and before we transition to the short box, but that whole series should be a massage for your stomach. It really is. It's called the stomach massage series.

You want your stomach not just pulling in, but puling up gravity pulls everything that we have down. So you really want to pull in and up and avoid using those thighs as much as you can so that you really get a nice, flexible and supple spine. Really Nice.

Comments

4 people like this.
These beginner lessons are excellent! Perfect for beginners but probably would be good for intermediates to check their positions! The only improvement I can think of would be a picture of exactly how your feet should be placed on the bar for each exercise. It is difficult to understand with just words!
2 people like this.
So far I think this is helpful for me as a level 1. Unfortunately the instructor is instructing the individual on the reformer and not really addressing the viewers at home. It is hard to follow her when she is giving specific body positions to her student and not explaining what she is doing to the home audience. I am afraid I am not getting all I can for correct beginner body position from the instructor.
2 people like this.
I am so happy I found these Basic Reformer Breakdown classes. As a teacher preparing for the exam I need to review the basics and LOVE Monica's cueing! Everyone should get back to basics from time to time. Thank you so much!!!
Thank you Oksana! Please let me know if there is anything you'd specifically like to see:) Monica
Thank you for the elbow point.

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