Spread Eagle on the Cadillac

Spread Eagle on the Pilates Cadillac can also be done on a Tower and is part of what some people call The Traditional Ending. Spread Eagle is a delicious feeling exercise but it’s also full of strength! Yep, just like any Pilates exercise, it requires your whole body to be connected and strong and working from a place of strength and not hanging out in the stretchy parts. Spread Eagle is great towards the end of any Pilates session. It truly allows people doing it to feel the articulation, two-way stretch, and full body connection. A great way to seal off a day’s practice.

Lift tall through the crown of your head and stand firmly in your feet.

-Lesley Logan

Place your Spread Eagle board, also called a luna board, in front of the vertical poles. Stand facing your tower or Cadillac place the balls of your feet on the board. Your legs will be in a turned-out position. Heels on the mat reaching from your seat. Grab as low as you can on the vertical poles with straight arms. If on a Cadillac, you want to aim to get your hands below the hooks on the outside of the Cadillac where you hook your arms springs up. Lift tall through the crown of your head and stand firmly in your feet.

Find a Swan like chest at the top and then round your head and chest in and round your back and find an Elephant like shape. Arms reaching from your back legs reaching from your waist. It’s tempting to hang out here. But you want to treat this as a reach. Then, starting with your legs, articulate yourself back up through a tall, long extension without hanging out in your lower back. Repeat 3-5x. Focusing on the reach from your upper back and legs may make you feel like you are limited in your range. But really you are staying connected to your whole body throughout. This is also similar to Up Stretch combo, Hanging Pull-Ups and more!

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