- Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
- Equipment Needed: Ladder Barrel (I love using the Balanced Body Ladder Barrel.)
- Reps: 3-5 each direction
- Warning: Not ideal for those with neck, shoulders or low back issues.
- Questions: Contact us here
Big Leg Circles on the Ladder Barrel
Pilates Big Leg Circles on the Pilates Ladder Barrel is a great challenge to your extension strength and control of your center. If you’re hypermobile it’s easy to hang off the rungs and circle from your flexibility and momentum. If you’re tight you might not even get to the rungs to do the circles yet. If that’s you keep doing Arm Series and Backbend Stretch. When you advance from Backbend Stretch and Small Leg Circles to Big Leg Circles your challenge is to see how big your circles can be from a place of strength. It’s an ultimate leg circle challenge.
Reach arms into the rungs as you circle your legs away from the rungs!
Typically done after Small Leg Circles by going back into another Backbend stretch. Or, Standing in front of the barrel with your back towards the barrel, place your sacrum on the barrel and stand in both of your feet. Begin to round backward over the barrel and reach your arms for the rung the 3rd or 4th rung depending on height. Reaching into the rung feel the connection of your back into your arms. Your legs reaching so far away they just lift up. Tailbone chasing your feet.
To begin with the Big Circles, I tend to start at the top. Lifting my legs straight up to the ceiling. Eventually, you should be able to begin from the bottom. Open your legs, circle them up, around, together and repeat 3x before reversing direction. Then reach your legs for the floor. Stand in your feet firmly, walk your hands up the rungs, do a “Roll Up” off the barrel and round forward. Do a final Backbend Stretch as a counter stretch.
Be sure to check out more of my Pilates Ladder Barrel exercises. I want to help you continue your Pilates Ladder Barrel training!
