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For today’s workout, we are doing my 2 favorite things, bar and Pilates, the best of both worlds. Let’s start with the standing bar warm up to get the heart rate up and to start feeling good. Reach up to the sky. Start with those high marches, 1 knee at a time, and reach and pull. Reach and pull using those abdominals to draw the knee in and getting those knees up a little bit higher.
We are warming up the hip flexors. We are reaching high. I’m pulling in deep. Just a few more like this. I love a standing warm up before I hit the reformer hard.
Last 1 on each side. And let’s go for some modify jacks. You’re gonna hinge down a little bit in the hip and step from side to side. Now this is the low impact option. If you’re feeling good, maybe you wanna try some jumping jacks.
I’m gonna go back to modified because that’s where I’m at right now, but low impact does not mean low energy. Come on. Bring it to me, baby. Breathe. A few more like this to open up the chest. Give me some pastural muscles here.
Last 1 on each side. Great. Next, a lunge combination. Lunch the right foot back. Reach to the left, back to center, and stand alternate, lunge, reach, lunge stand. Lunch, side body stretch, lunge, stand.
Reach, stretch. Reach together. Now more fantasy. Let’s be honest. We came here to have some fun today. We have to work out we might as well have fun while we do it. And the best thing about the bar method, it’s based on dance and ballet.
So I’m gonna have a little more fantasy with the last few reps here. How about you at home? Can you go a little bit deeper? Stretch. And then we gotta even out the body 1 more and stretch back together and it wouldn’t be a bar warm up without first position and my Swan Lake arms. Take your arms at shoulder height, relevay, push those arms out and up, push those arms out and up, And then we take flight.
Cuckaw. Cuckaw. Have you seen the movie black swan? What happens at the end? She becomes the black swan, and that’s what’s gonna happen right now. Speed it up.
Speed it up. I’m feeling the burn. I’m feeling the fantasy for 3. For 2. And 1, we’ve only just begun to work out time to hit the reformer hard. Let’s go.
I’m going to do my footwork on 3 red and a blue. You can do whatever works best for you. Head rest up. I’ve got my handles on. Let’s do this Pilates footwork. Lying on your back.
Get nice and comfortable. Put those shoulders a little bit away from the shoulder blocks. Arms by your side. Again, those ankles are together. Toes are fist distance apart.
We’re gonna build a sequence up to 8, straighten the legs, lower lift the heels 1 time, bend the knees come in, Follow me, you’ll do just fine. Press out on 1, lower lift the heels 1 time, bend the knees and come in. What comes after 1? 2 heel lifts down, up, down, up, bend the knees and come in. This time, 3. Lower lift, lower lift, ankles together, inner thighs connected, bend the knees and come in.
What comes after 3? 4. Lower lift the heels. Lower lift the heels. Down up, down up, bend the knees and come in.
I’m already feeling it. Press it out. We’ve got this 5 times. Count down with me for 4. Keep pulling the abs in. Arms by your side.
Last 1. We’re going up to 6. I promised we’re gonna hit the Magic 8 ball of it here up, down, up, down, up down, up down, bend the knees, 2 more times, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I’m going to be ready for my point shoes after this class. And that’s the bar fantasy I’m headed for down, up, down, up for 4, 3, 2, and 10I am burning in all the right places, and now we become a bird. Again, wrap the toes over, heels are under.
The swan takes its perch, push out, and draw the knees in. So push and pull push and pull, we did all of that great warm up work so that our heart rate is up. We’re nice and warm. We’re feeling footwork in a different way starting with that bar cardio series. Now feel the seat wrap last 2 halfway in, the bar method pulses.
The smaller the more specific, the better. So make your pulses so small that I can’t see you on this side of the screen. Breathing? Don’t forget to breathe. Stretch the legs straight.
Bend the knees come back in. Onto the heels of the feet and second position, curl the toes back, find that anchor point in your ankle. You can always make adjustments, but let’s see how this feels. Push. Pull. I’ll take it.
Push and pull. Push and pull. Remember, it says much about the abdominals as it is about the legs here. The legs truly begin at your mid back. So feel that connection through your entire body for 3. For 2, of course, we’re going to finish with a little pulsing up and down into the abdominals, of course.
Oh, don’t you just love footwork? Building the body from the ground up, hitting all the muscles in and around the ankles, the Achilles, the calf, the shin, so much to do. Hold it. Press it out with the knees. But before we do anything else, We need to do our abductors, those outer glute muscles. We can’t forget about them.
And that’s why we have a little moment here to wake them up out out. Can you make it smaller faster? 2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2, 1, stretch the legs out, bend the knees and come back in. We are going to gently rock ourselves up take down the foot bar and switch to 2 medium springs for arms and abs. I’m on 2 red you can do a red and a blue for a little bit lighter, a red and a green for a little heavier, lie on your back, get comfortable, and we’ll begin the single arm sweep. So find that connection down the back, legs up in tabletop, straight arm sweep. The arms sweep down, the arms sweep up.
Just a few. Always an option to add that chest lift, but it’s not mandatory. Listen to your body. Some days, I’ll keep my head rested. But, honey, today, it’s show time, curl up off the shoulders, reach the fingertips to the front of the carriage, and then imprint the back on the way down.
So curl up deep deep deep deep deep deep and then lower back with resistance. Let’s do that 3 more times. Curling up, reaching into the springs, get deeper into the abdominals. Of course, the reformer such an amazing apparatus to find the deepest layers of your abdominals curl up and hold on this last 1, but the only way to find it is by reaching into those springs, holding it here Point the toes. This is bar. Tap 1 foot to the foot bar and lift.
Tap the other toe. To the foot bar and lift. Give me that beautiful attitude position in the legs. Keep stretching those arms forward. I want 2 more on each leg using the low abs to lower lift the leg.
Keep that low back neutral. We have 1 more on each side. A little love tap. We love Pilates. We love the reformer, bend the knees, and sweep the arms up. Rest the feet for a moment.
Oh, this is more for me. Okay. Break us over, triceps are next. Again, get the legs into tabletop, sweep those arms down, Your option is to keep the head, neck, and shoulders where they are, or straight arms, lift the chest, straighten the legs. Bend the knees and lower down. We’ll do this a few times.
I want commitment, reach, and then control. Deep breathe in. Exhale. Shoot those legs out. Control on the way back. 2 more, reach and bend.
Last 1, curl up reach and hold Turn out those legs, crisscross those legs, and let’s work it down the red carpet down, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 7, 8, and up 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. It’s down. Don’t forget to breathe. It’s up. 2, 3, 4, 2 more red carpets to walk. Very glamorous here at Pilates anytime. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and Tiptoe town 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and reach into the springs.
Bendanese. Open the legs out. Obliques. Curl reach 1 hand through the legs. Frame 1 leg.
And then frame the other leg. We are dancing from side to side. This time with our dance partner, in the form of my left leg. How you doing? And then my right leg, I love you.
Self love is very important as well. Reach through 1 more time on each side. Oh, my upper abs, my lower abs, my side abs, Bend the knees, rest the feet down. Everything got a little something there, but we must continue with the arm work lift your head, gently rock yourself up to a side. Now I have a 3 pound dumbbell.
Maybe you can grab a water bottle. Maybe you have a 2 or 5 pounder nearby, we’re gonna do some hugs on 1 medium spring. I’m on a red, maybe you want to use a red or a blue, a little bit lighter, grab your 1 dumbbell come to kneeling position on the carriage. I want you about, say, 6 inches from the shoulder block. I don’t know the metric system, so you’re gonna have to use your imagination, but you find the place that works for you with your arms at equal level I want you to bring your arms to second.
Keep the shoulders down your back. 1 hand with the handle, 1 hand with the dumbbell. Hug in to your center line, squeeze in on the abs, and open out. Good. We’ll do this a few more times. Now 1 arm is holding the resistance of the spring and the carriage.
1 has £3. In this moment, try to make both sides feel equal. Right? Like, you have the same resistance in each arm. Good. Let the body process that information. Right? 1 more time.
Hold at your heart center. We’re going to beat our heart forward and backwards here. And why not think of something nice like your Hollywood crush. Personally, I’m a believer. Justin Bieber, are you watching?
This is for you. Keep the carriage still. You at home. You can have Zack Efron. Hold it. Twist to the outdoors and back to center.
I play a little tennis. Okay. None of that pickle ball. I’m gonna do my forehand here twisting through my abs and back to center. You pickleball folk. I’m gonna hear about it in the comments.
Show yourself 2 more. Twist twist twist. I’m on to you. That’s it. We’re putting it all together. Arms are out. The left arm comes overhead.
The inside arm comes to the hug and we twist and we come back out. Hi. Up and twist. Up and out. In these moments, I feel like an Olympic diver setting up my high dive the twist, the triple flip, and back to center.
I love Pilates that I can go in and out of the fantasies. And just come back stronger, healthier, and safer than when I started. Let’s do 1 more. Some choreography for you. You’re welcome.
Put that handle down. Let’s go to side 2. Whoop. Keep your eyes on the road. Just kidding. Let’s put our handle out to the side.
Arms are out. We’re gonna continue those hugs. Make sure that you feel that little bit of resistance in the spring and then hug a tree. And open. Squeeze and open. Now I want you to keep your elbow higher than your wrist.
So the water is pouring down your shoulder, down your wrist, down the ankle, falling down the arm. 1 steady stream. Hello, Seagulls? Yes. They’re putting on a little show for us, and I’m putting on a little show for you. Hold it.
We’re gonna have our heartbeat. Maybe this time, think of a a crush maybe in high school. Jeff Curtis, are you watching? Let’s go for 4. I haven’t seen you on Facebook.
3. 2. Look where I am now. 1. Hold it. We are twisting, and now we are working on our tennis, not pickle ball, backhand.
Twisting back to center, twisting through the core, back to center. Try not to lean into the twist, but instead spiraling up. Get those elbows up. I know mine want to drop. I just caught myself in my reflect and I did not like what I saw.
I wasn’t showing you what not to do, rather. And then with both arms out, we put it together for the the big showcase here. Peekaboo. And back out. Left arm hugs, right arm overhead in high 5th.
Look out. Up and twist. Up and out. We have 4 more of these. And I’m going back to the Olympic trials. I’m setting up my dive, set, twist, and back out.
2 more, are you going to the Olympics in Paris Or are you gonna watch from TV at home? Come on. Awesome. You can put the handle down. I think we answered that question. And, we’ve earned it. We are going to take a field trip.
That’s right. A field trip to the bar and, no, not happy hour. I was talking about the bar method. So maybe a chair at home, whatever you wanna hold on to. I’m going over to the wall. I’m going to come to this trusty wall for a little bit of balance and find yourself in your Pilates fee just like footwork toes our fist distance, relevay, squeeze those ankles together.
We’re going to lower 3 times and come up on 1. Imagine your backup against the wall. Let’s do this. 3, 2, 1, zip up. 321. Zip up a little lower. 3, 2. Shoot up like a cannon.
3, 2, 1, and up. Imagine your back is on that carriage and you’re pushing against the springs. That’s why we do the reformer work. To inform the exercises off the reformer, the mat work, the bar method. Let’s turn this into singles. Down and up.
How low can he go with the cameras on me? It’s amazing what I can do. How about you at home? How low is your grand plier? Just kidding. I get a little excited here. Just really passionate about my bar method.
Because it’s burning, and I’m embracing it. 3 more. Last 2 Last 1. Hold it down just like we practice at footwork, push those knees out, and it becomes a Beyonce concert. Am I Beyonce or am I a backup dancer? Does this answer you?
Out out out. Out. Maybe you need to hold on to the wall. Maybe you’re rocking it out with me. Let’s see how low you can go. Ow. Ow. Ow. Bring it up and move the hips from side to side.
Whoo. Getting a little spicy here at Pilates anytime. How do you know if it’s too much? Well, the ankles come apart. Keep them together. We are staying connected here. Make a figure 8 with the hips.
And now 1 arm up. Get a little deeper. We’re gonna wave the hips in the hands from side to side. Wave hello to all our admirers. I love you too. And now we take it down.
We go down 2, 3, 4, and up. 2, 3, 4, hey, boys. I’ll be right there. Gotta finish up class. We take it down, 2, 3, 4, and up. To put that music on at home.
Yes. And up to I’ll create a beat. That’s my song down. 2, 3, 4, and up. 1 more for the road. 3, 4, and up. Oh, single leg work, hinging forward holding on to either a chair, I’ve got my wall, We’re gonna take side 1, my left leg. Who knows what’s going on over there?
But make sure the hips, the shoulders, the Pilates box, is nice and square. You’re going to hinge, tendu, point that toe back and lift it up and down 16 times. Lift and lower. Lift and lower. What are we working here? Everything, abs, standing leg, booty.
You better point through that toe. Make it look good. This is ballet. This is serious. Lyft and lower.
Lift and lower. Let’s do 4 more. Last 3. Exale 2, hold it up on 1, you guessed it little pulses up, up, up. So small. Can you even see that I’m moving?
No. And I shouldn’t see you move either. That’s how small it is. The leg is already up. You’re squeezing so tight.
Hold it. Bend the knee. Point the toe to the ceiling like a dart up, up. We’ll call this the scorpion queen, up, up, up, up, we go for 8, like a dagger to the ceiling. Up. Up. Feel the smile of your seat. 321. We become a dog for fire hydrant.
I need to think of a sexier name for this exercise hinge forward out and in with that leg up and down, adding a slight plie, a fondue, Try not to think about food right now. Just got back from Paris. Bend and straighten. So as you lift the leg for another 7, try to keep that left hip down. Try to keep the hips even.
I don’t care. How high the leg lifts. I want you to isolate the exercise in the right place. Hold it up, pulse it up, lift, lift, lift, lift, woof, woof, woof, 8765 4, 3. Hold it. Dimesize circles.
So small. Why does something so small? I’ll burn so big. Reverse it. I am shaking. My standing leg has had it. And that’s what I’m gonna add 4 more circles.
Standing star, turn out both legs, reach your arm out to the diagonal, you are a superstar. Don’t forget that. Lift that straight leg and reach. So imagine yourself in a long narrow hallway So there’s no fold at the hip. The ribs are pulled back.
The crown of the head is long. Let’s do 2 more. Hold that leg up. 16 pulses here. Uh-uh.
Why does my leg feel so heavy? Lift. Lift here. You can repeat this workout with ankle weights in the future when you’re ready. Up, up, up, hold it, circle forward. Hi. I’m having so much fun.
Reverse it. 8. Reverse it. 6. I need precision. I need perfection. I don’t ask for much. Hold it. Relivate on the toe. Balance.
Photographer. I think they got their shot, and I think we need another shot at the other glute. Woo. Make sure you roll out, shake out any tension, and let’s knock outside too. This glute is feeling a little left out. Hinge yourself forward, tend to that other leg, my right leg out, and once again lift and lower about 16 times.
Standing leg is a little soft. We don’t want to lock out the joints we want the energy flowing through our limbs. Lift and lower lift and lower We have about 7 more. How high can you lift the leg without extending the low back? I don’t wanna see that the gymnasts often do that here at Pilates anytime. We brace our spine.
We work. Responsibly so then we can go out tonight and let it all rip. Hold this last 1 at the top. Lift that leg up, pulse it up, 16, 15, 14. Again, checking in on the symmetry of your body, 876, 5, 4, 3, 2, hold it.
Ben the knee point the toe up. It’s up. It’s up. Up. What direction? Up. Up. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, right, and the smile of the seat.
Fire hydrants. Hinge forward. We’re gonna put out the fire out and in. Make sure your thighs are in alignment of each other. And now add the fondue if that feels okay on the standing leg. The knee bends and the leg lifts.
Don’t quit on me now. We’ve come this far I know side 2 is always a little more challenging, but we’ve earned it, baby. We’ve worked hard to get to this point. Let’s just do another 8 fire hydrants monitor that hip. I don’t care how high the leg lifts I care about, again, the symmetry and that the ab doctor lifts the leg, not just by leaning to 1 side. My body did not like that.
Keep myself lifted. Hold that leg up. 16, 15. Oh, you know, it’s always so demoralizing when I look down, but then I remember, I’m doing the exercise correctly. This is my proper range of motion.
8, 7. I’m gonna celebrate that. 4, 3, 2, hold it. 8 circles. Celebrate by making those circles so small. So tiny.
I am compulsing here. Reverse it. Circle back. I’m with you at home. Come on. These are the exercises that get left behind. Not today.
Not with these behind. Superstar, turn out the legs, hand on the bar, the chair, whatever, reach the arm out, lean into the bar, lift that leg with a perfect turnout, long narrow hallway, lift that leg 16 times, Oh, sorry. Lift the leg up and down. Lift up and down. Just a few more to feel that full range of motion, and then we’ll hold at the top for those crucial burning pulses. Hold it.
Lean. It’s up. It’s up. Lift. Lift. We have 12, 11, 10. Keep it small. Keep it reaching. 5.
4, 3, 2, hold it. Circle. Circle. Circle. 432. Reverse it. Back. Back. Back. Almost there for 4, for 3, for 2, hold it, releve for the photographers.
Come back down. Woo. I am gonna feel this tomorrow. And you at home, you better feel it tomorrow as well. It’s a good thing.
We’ve got some more reformer work up ahead. We’re gonna finish with the foot bar up and some lunges I’m going to 1 red spring, putting my foot bar back into its middle position, and the final lunge. But this 1 comes with a twist. Push back into a lunge. The foot is right in line with the gear bar.
Your hands are pushing against the foot bar. Your foot is against the shoulder block. Your abs are in. Now lift that back leg. As you bring the carriage in, lift the knee to elbow elbowelbow and set that foot right back down where you found it. We’ll do that a few times.
Work at your own tempo. It’s in, in, in, and lunge in, in, in, and then the sweet relief of the stretch, and then the abs draw in. And then you sit back down for the stretch. 3 more of these. My favorite exercises coming up. I’m already thinking ahead.
We are going for the Batma. Ready. Lunch on 1 and kick on 2. Lunch on 1. Kick on 2. Make sure you’re protecting your low back.
I know my enthusiasm can shine through but I really want you to make sure you’re pulling your abs in protecting your back. We don’t want to over extend after all the amazing work we’ve done. Sound effects optional. I can’t help it. You should see me play tennis. Hold.
Take the same arm, same leg, my left arm, my left leg is back, and then find a stretch just like our warm up lunch stretch. We were so young. Come back up slowly. Side split. Face.
The back sideways. Top hand, on the wood frame, other hand, on the carriage, walk yourself out with your spine perpendicular, to the reformer and find the 2 way stretch. Now 1 leg is up on this unstable surface. 1 foot is on the ground, but, again, see if you can press evenly through both legs and breathe into any space that needs a little love and then guide yourself back in. Let’s dance to the other side.
Oh, let’s go. Let’s go to the lunge foot along the frame and, make sure we feel nice and safe here. Our foot is connected. Our hips are nice and even lift that back knee just a little bit. And then when you bring in the reformer, the carriage, elbow, elbow, elbow, back down. Let’s do that about 7 more times. Up, up, up, and lunge. Squeeze in, in, in, and stretch.
In, in, in, and stretch. See if you can go a little bit deeper with every lunge and pull in a little tighter every time you lift that leg, 2 more. Oh, goodness gracious me. It’s Batma time, and this is my good leg. Oh, sorry.
Good. Make the exercises work for you. Sweep that leg back, squeeze your glute, come back down to a lunge. We’ve got a few more of these. Is this Pilates? Or MMA knockout.
Kick and lunch. We’ll do this 2 more times. Before we’ll hold that final lunch, and we’ll enjoy the sweet relief. Same arm, same leg, stretch, up and over. Let’s take 1 more breath together.
Bring yourself back up. Side split, side lunge, both toes forward, hand on the carriage, hand across, we’ll walk them out together. And then a lot of things are happening, but find the symmetry, find your alignment, and then press on both feet evenly. Push out. Push out and push out a little bit more.
Breathe into any tight muscles. You know, I have a few. I could stay here all day, but we have an awesome, beautiful day ahead of us. Let’s all finish today’s class facing each other with a few roll downs, heels together, toes apart, flap back fold over, drop your head, roll it up, and then take your arms up and out. So I want you to gather in all the best energy and then give it to the world Come on. It’s a crazy world out there.
We all could use it 1 more time. I’m gonna grab some flower petals this time. Drop your head. Pull your abs in. And then throw the pedals in the air. What an awesome celebration together.
Thanks for working out with me. Doing some bar, doing Pilates. I hope you feel stronger, and I hope to work out with you again. See you next time.
