Arm Springs on the Cadillac

Arm Springs on the Pilates Cadillac may be my clients’ favorite exercise to do every session. It’s a great exercise to feel how strong you are getting, finding connection of your arm movement to your back. Arm Springs also challenge the connection to your center as the spring closes. And, these exercises help teach you the connection you need as you continue to learn the Pilates method. As you advance, these exercises are a great tool and reminder for you to use to challenge what you know. The further away you go from the vertical poles the more challenging these exercises become.

Hug your legs together to make this a full body exercise.

Laying on the Cadillac with your head towards the end where the springs are hooked, grab the handles and slide down to a place that is a challenge for you but not so challenging you cannot maintain the movement from your back. If you are new, start about a hands distance away. If that is too easy, continue to slide down the mat. Your legs can be bent with feet and knees together. Or, if you have the connection to your seat and inner thighs, straighten your legs out. Which ever leg position you choose remember that the legs are still part of this exercise.

There are four variations and you can do any or all depending on what you need. Start with arms up and down: With straight arms, reach your arms out and down and then out and up. Feel your arms reach from your back and maintain that connection as you lift the arms back up. Repeat 3-4x. Then go into arm circles: With the arms long draw circles from your back 5 in each direction. They should only be as big as you can circle from your back. Then go into your Tricep Presses: This exercise name is misleading. You will bend and straighten your arms as if you were doing a Tricep press. But, you must keep the elbows close to the body and maintain your shoulders wide on your back. As you bend your elbows maintain connection to your center. Finally, you’ll do the Open and Close: Take your straight arms and open them as wide as you can maintain the connection to your back. Then close them Repeat 3-5x.

Be sure to check out more of my Pilates Cadillac exercises. I want to help you continue your Pilates Cadillac training!