Matwork is the Pilates method in its purest form, but face it, not everyone has the strength to perform the work without assistance. That’s why I use the Tower wall units to teach some of the mat exercises, especially the rollup and teaser.
But there’s so much more benefit to be had from training on all the equipment, especially the Reformer. And you obtain the greatest benefits from private sessions, where the trainer focuses on you exclusively, and individually tailors each workout to your particular goals and ability levels.
What makes the Reformer so special? Well, for one thing, it’s not named for nothing. It truly “reforms” the way you move. You begin by lying face up on a sliding carriage. After precise positioning by your trainer, you begin to move the carriage in and out with your feet pressing into a foot bar. But you’re not doing the equivalent of “leg presses” in a weight room. Your trainer is telling you to maintain a neutral spine and pelvis, and to feel the movement originate from your deep, core muscles. You are reminded to “quiet” your quads, hip flexors, and knees, for these, after all, are the most over-worked areas of your body! Your trainer tells you how to work from the back of your legs and to use the hip in a way that absorbs some of the load from the knee.
And just when you think you’ve begun to get the hang of it, your trainer removes the stability of the foot bar! Now, your feet are in the loops at the end of leather straps, and you must maintain the same actions, only recruiting stability and control from deep within your core. And then you begin to circle your legs wide, losing the medial stability of your heels pressed together. Your workout gets increasingly challenging, and at this point, you are still “warming up.”
And so the workout progresses: from the simple to the complex, from the relatively-easy to the supremely-challenging. After performing a movement with the equipment providing all the support and stability, your trainer removes one or more sources of mechanical support. Your body must work harder to compensate. And after doing a series of movements lying, you do similar movements sitting, kneeling, and even bridging.
Session after session you get stronger and more confident in your growing ability to move with ease. Your trainer adds more exercises each session, while perhaps dropping some that you have mastered and no longer need to do. In this way, your workouts remain fresh and challenging.
article from http://www.pilatesconnections.com/reformer.php
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- Origin of Pilates
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- Open your heart with Pilates
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Posted by on August 13, 2009 at 7:57 pm | Pilates and tagged Pilates, Santa Barbara, Scott Crawford, SOMA GET FIT
[...] Matwork is the Pilates method in its purest form, but grappling it, not everyone has the capableness to action the impact without assistance. That’s ground I ingest the Tower surround units to inform whatever of the matted exercises, especially the rollup and … See more here: SOMA GET FIT. | BLOG » Blog Archive » Pilates Reformer Benefits [...]