Push Thru on the Pilates Cadillac or Tower may be considered a "beginner" exercise in Pilates but it is anything but easy. Push Thru is not only a delicious way to end your Pilates session, it is also a great exercise for teaching your body the Roll up on the Mat, Elephant on the Reformer, Push Down on the Wunda chair and many, many more Pilates exercises. The amount of two-way stretch you need to have in order to maintain the reach and lift no matter where you are in this exercise is key for your whole Pilates practice.

Place one spring from above on your Push Thru Bar and sit facing your bar with your legs straight, feet pressing into your vertical poles. Begin reaching the bar up from your back. Take a moment to ensure your arms are connected to your back so that as you reach up your back gets longer and lifts out of your waist. As you do this continue to reach down through your seat and into your heals in opposition. In this position, it is easy to let your ribs flair out. Instead, focus on connecting your upper abs in and work on the strength of this exercise.

Begin to round back towards the mat. Maintain strong, straight arms, reaching from your back. Round up and over yourself and the bar as you reach the bar forward. You'll be tempted to go for the big stretch. But instead of reaching the bar past the vertical poles, find opposition by pulling your center and your upper abs back. Then, continue to reach your heels into the poles round back and then reach the bar up from your back. Repeat 3-5x. As you reach the bar forward, double check you have not broken in your wrists. The movement of the bar should come from your back and center and not from your joints.