- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Equipment Needed: Cadillac/Tower, Roll Back Bar (I love using the Contrology Cadillac.)
- Reps: 3-5x
- Warning: Not ideal for shoulder or neck issues.
- Questions: Contact us here
Bicep Curls with Roll Back Bar on the Cadillac
Not your everyday gym bicep curls! Nope, Bicep Curls on the Pilates Cadillac are very tough and don’t actually look like much of a Bicep Curl once you get into them. They require your full body to work together and will challenge you two-way stretch in more ways than one. You can do the Bicep Curls on either a Cadillac or Tower. You do need a Roll Back Bar and my springs are Contrology springs. If you have weighted springs you don’t want them to be too light nor too heavy. It’s important you don’t make this all about your biceps.
Focus less on the elbow bend and more on the lift of your arms.
Stand facing your Cadillac or Tower and hook your Roll Back Bar springs to the outside hooks at the base of your apparatus. Stand with your feet parallel and your hands holding the bar face-up about shoulders distance apart. The closer you are to the Cadillac or Tower you are the easiest it is. Farther away and it gets more challenging. Reach down through all four corners of your feet and lift up tall through your crown. Find your shoulders wide on your back and your knees soft and not locked.
To start you will bend your elbows but instead of pulling your fists to your shoulders as you would in a bicep curl lift your elbows up and try to get to a standing version of the second rowing exercise. You won’t be leaning back! But you want to feel the arms lifting up from the base of your shoulder blades. Then, resist the springs to lower the bar and repeat 3-5x. It’s good to also do the Zipper while you are doing this exercise. Then, challenge yourself and see how it affects your Rowing on the Reformer. Focus less on the degree you bend your elbow and more on the lift of your arms.
Be sure to check out more of my Pilates Cadillac exercises. I want to help you continue your Pilates Cadillac training!
