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Ballet Stretches on the Ladder Barrel

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  • June 2, 2019
Ballet-Stretches-Leg-Lift-Ladder-Barrel Online Pilates Classes
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Equipment Needed: Ladder Barrel (I love using the Balanced Body Ladder Barrel.)
  • Reps: 3-5x each side
  • Warning: May need to stand on a block if too tight or short.
  • Questions: Contact us here

Ballet Stretches on the Ladder Barrel

Ballet Stretches, or simply the Stretches on the Ladder Barrel, are fabulous for each and every Pilates practitioner. You can do them before you do your Pilates practice or at the end. Either way, give each part of the stretches a go, focus on the strength each one requires and not just the stretch that feels good. Lift up and over yourself, like you would in your Spine Stretch forward, Side bend and Side Sit Ups and stand firm in your standing leg. If you want to really challenge yourself, do the whole series without holding on. Work your balance and your length.

Standing in your strength and lifting up and out of your lower back is key.

-Lesley Logan

Standing inside facing the barrel, sweep one leg across your body and up over the barrel. Bend and straighten your standing leg to find your reach and seat. Lift your center up and over your leg 3x. In between find a Swan like stretch. Then without using your arms slide your barrel leg forward and back a few times and when you’re ready from your center and seat to lift your leg up and down 3x. Then sweep the leg diagonally across the barrel. Turn your bottom leg out and towards the back corner of your barrel.

For the side stretch, begin with a bent leg and then proceed to do side bends over your bent leg and over the ladder 3x. After, straighten your leg out, stand firm in your standing leg and then lift up and over your leg and then up and over the ladder barrel. Finish by sliding your leg on your ladder barrel from your center. When you’re feeling connected lift your leg up and down 3x (or think about it) and then spin to face the ladder for your quad stretch. Bend and straighten your standing leg to deepen the stretch. Press your knees towards each other, lift tall in your center and enjoy the stretch in your front body while working your back body. Switch sides and repeat.


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

By lesley.logan

Lesley Logan, NCPT, is the founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com, the first free online catalogue of Pilates exercise tutorial videos, where you can also find weekly online mat classes and workshops. When not teaching from her studio in Los Angeles, Lesley can be found traveling the world leading Pilates retreats, or offering Pilates business coaching to studio owners and other instructors through her private mastermind group. Connect with Lesley on instagram @lesley.logan or through the contact page on this site.

Loving this Pilates exercise tutorial? Take weekly online Pilates mat classes with OPC Teachers
Enjoying Lesley's teaching style? Willing to travel? Explore the world while maintaining your practice by joining Lesley on a Pilates retreat.

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SUCH A TEASE

ONLINE MAT & REFORMER PILATES CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

Teaser is probably one of the most photographed exercises in Pilates. Which makes people think it's a "peak pose." But, it's anything but! It's simply another layer to your Pilates practice. This week we will acknowledge how each exercise contributes to your ability to do Teaser (someday) and then how Teaser teaches you where to get curious in your practice.

On the Mat we will use light weights for one round of Teaser as they can be helpful for those still adding into their practice.
No props on the Reformer.

See you in class,

xx~LL

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, light weights and a Mat!

>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.

REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a Reformer!

>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.

NOT THE EXORCIST

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

It’s a week filled with ROTATION, but I swear it’s not the scary EXORCIST kind of rotation!

We’ll be exploring where we can add rotation to throughout our practice and how we can find our TRUE rotation in different areas of the body. No cheating!

Join me this week as we focus on spinal rotation to help ourselves stretch and strengthen, while also exploring internal and external rotation at the shoulders and the hips.

If you are a tactile learner, or if you like to be a bit more reflective about your practice every now and then, you’ll love class this week. We’ll slightly slow down to give ourselves an opportunity to listen to our bodies and maybe fine tune a little bit as we go along.

Mat: Resistance Band and yoga block [barrel is optional for Roll Over]
Reformer: Pole, small ball, and yoga block

See you in class,
Rachel Piper

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, Resistance Band, yoga block [barrel is optional for Roll Over] and a mat!

>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.

REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, Pole, small ball, yoga block and a reformer!

>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.


BOLSTER YOUR BACKBENDS

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Grab your couch cushions, yoga bolsters, or stiff decorative pillows! We are going to be finding our longest extension possible this week.

Not a lover of extension? Do not skip this week. There's a lot more to a backbend than just a backbend. You've got to have a strong front and side too! So, feel free to find your tallest back when the exercises are extension and flow with us on the rest.

Mat lovers will need the props. Reformer lovers, I hope you do the Mat first or at least some point this week and then the Reformer so you can feel where we are opening up our chests. If you can't and can only do the Reformer, you're still gonna get your sweat on but I love to remind ya that the Mat is gonna make your Reformer stronger...hint hint.

See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋

PLANK YOU VERY MUCH!

ONLINE MAT, REFORMER, CADILLAC & WUNDA CHAIR PILATES CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

Do you know how to stop time... Do a timed Plank!! So this month we will not be stopping time, but we will go though all of the points you should think about when you are doing a plank. There are many planks throughout the Mat and Reformer work. Working on these areas from head to toe and making them all come together for each Plank! Arm/back connection, Thass® connection, and how do we stay out of those wrists? On each apparatus we will help you find these areas and strengthen your Plank each time!

Tower/Cadillac - no props
Wunda Chair - optional mat
Mat - light weights and a magic circle
Reformer - no props

See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋

ABS, BACK, GLUTES, THIGHS

Online Mat, Reformer, Cadillac & Wunda Chair Pilates Class Descriptions:

Todrick Hall’s song “nails, hair, hips, heels” came on during one of my playlists, and it got my brain thinking of how to turn this song and use it for Pilates, and boom, here’s this month’s theme - abs, back, glutes, thighs. With Pilates being a full-body workout, think of this as your checklist as you work out this month since these are all connected while we practice all of our exercises on all of the apparatuses.

Abs, back, glutes, thighs, check, check, check, check!

Props for Wunda Chair: yoga block (or a couple of hardcover books)

See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋

THE WALL WAY

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

We're going to use our wall or something you can stand up against! I like using the wall because it lets us know where we are today, and where we are at the end of class. On the Reformer we will use our carriage like the wall!

It's important to give ourselves permission to be where we are today. Our bodies are different every single day - pat yourself on the back for showing up today!! Celebrate!

See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a mat!

>> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.

REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a reformer!

>> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.


FALL IN LOVE WITH TEASER

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Teaser is usually a love hate relationship for most people! What’s really interesting is that Teaser sneaks its way into lots of exercises on the Mat and Reformer. 

Through these classes, we will have a little fun adding Teaser into other exercises and also adding variations to help you build your Teaser!

Come fall in love with it again or maybe for the first time!

No props needed.

See you in class,
Mindi

CAN YOU KICK IT?

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

I'll spare rapping for you, but that's what this is about! All about the single leg kick and double leg kick. These exercises are super important for us to slay the last half of our Mat practice. They are entirely back body, so on the Reformer, they'll really support your Swan and all your other extensions. And if you've been struggling connecting to your seat, this is where it all happens! Can you kick it?!

See ya in class,
xx-LL 💋

    MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, light weights and a mat!

    >> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.

    REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a reformer!

    >> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.


    NOT THE EXORCIST

    Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

    It’s a week filled with ROTATION, but I swear it’s not the scary EXORCIST kind of rotation!

    We’ll be exploring where we can add rotation to throughout our practice and how we can find our TRUE rotation in different areas of the body. No cheating!

    Join me this week as we focus on spinal rotation to help ourselves stretch and strengthen, while also exploring internal and external rotation at the shoulders and the hips.

    If you are a tactile learner, or if you like to be a bit more reflective about your practice every now and then, you’ll love class this week. We’ll slightly slow down to give ourselves an opportunity to listen to our bodies and maybe fine tune a little bit as we go along.

    Mat: Resistance Band and yoga block [barrel is optional for Roll Over]
    Reformer: Pole, small ball, and yoga block

    See you in class,
    Rachel Piper

    BOLSTER YOUR BACKBENDS

    Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

    Grab your couch cushions, yoga bolsters, or stiff decorative pillows! We are going to be finding our longest extension possible this week.

    Not a lover of extension? Do not skip this week. There's a lot more to a backbend than just a backbend. You've got to have a strong front and side too! So, feel free to find your tallest back when the exercises are extension and flow with us on the rest.

    Mat lovers will need the props. Reformer lovers, I hope you do the Mat first or at least some point this week and then the Reformer so you can feel where we are opening up our chests. If you can't and can only do the Reformer, you're still gonna get your sweat on but I love to remind ya that the Mat is gonna make your Reformer stronger...hint hint.

    See ya in class,
    xx-LL 💋

    MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, couch cushions, yoga bolsters, or stiff decorative pillows and a mat!

    >> Wondering what mat I’m using? You can find out more here.

    REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self and a reformer!

    >> Wondering what reformer I’m using? You can find out more here.


    THE WALL WAY

    Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

    We're going to use our wall or something you can stand up against! I like using the wall because it lets us know where we are today, and where we are at the end of class. On the Reformer we will use our carriage like the wall!

    It's important to give ourselves permission to be where we are today. Our bodies are different every single day - pat yourself on the back for showing up today!! Celebrate!

    See ya in class,
    xx-LL 💋

    UP, UP, & AWAY

    ONLINE MAT, REFORMER, CADILLAC & WUNDA CHAIR PILATES CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

    We are all going to feel like Super Humans after this month!!

    Whenever I’m in a hard exercise (for me) where I’m holding myself up with my arms and reaching my legs away I picture myself with super human strength!!! I can do ANYTHING! It makes me smile and helps me stay STRONG.

    This month our exercise is Up Stretch and when you think about it - reaching your legs away and staying strong over the carriage may feel a lot like flying!

    We’ll be focusing on stabilizing our strong cores while staying equally balanced in our arms and legs. We are giving you some amazing building blocks by merging strength and stretch in all directions. You are going to get a little bit of everything that you can use to connect to your Up Stretch (and even your Roll Up and Knee Stretches Off).

    Chair: Please have a foam roller and a balance pad available. We are going to challenge your balance safely.

    xx-LL