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Knee Stretches Knees Off on the Reformer

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  • July 26, 2019
Knee Stretches Knees Off on the Reformer - Online Pilates Classes
  • Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
  • Equipment Needed: Reformer (I love using the Contrology Reformer.)
  • Reps: 5-10x
  • Warning: May not be suitable for some back issues.
  • Questions: Contact us here

Knee Stretches Knees Off on the Reformer

After you have completed Knee Stretches Round and Flat Back on the Pilates Reformer, then it’s time to round your spine again and lift your knee an inch off the Reformer and continue to move your carriage in and out! This is the exercise that both the Round and Flat Back are prepping you for. Knee Stretches Knees Off requires strength, stamina, and an emphasis on the in. It’s easy to open the springs but it’s more important that you close the springs on every rep. The final inch of closing the springs requires all the Pilates connection you can muster!

Press into your shoulder blocks as you close the carriage and springs.

If you are doing Knee Stretches Knees Off after you do the Round and Flat Back with two spring on the Reformer find your round back again and from your center lift your knees 2 inches off the carriage. If coming into this exercise on its own, place two springs on either two heavy or one heavy and one medium based on your equipment. Place your heels into the shoulder rests and your feet into the carriage. Round your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head. Make sure your shoulders are connected to your back before you lift your knees 2 inches off the carriage.

Maintaining the shape of your spine, lift in you center and where your knees are in space press the carriage out and in 5-10x. Focus on closing the springs while pressing your heels into the blocks. They will want to come off the blocks as you pull your carriage closed. The Knees will also start to float higher as the exercise goes on and more weight will end up in your arms. Focus on keeping the weight evenly distributed from your hands to your feet and the lift in your center.


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

By Lesley Logan

Lesley Logan, a 2nd generation certified Pilates teacher, breathwork, habits and mindset coach, is the founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com, the first free online catalogue of Pilates exercise tutorials, where you can also find weekly Pilates classes and workshops. Teaching Pilates since 2008, she has run multiple studios, has trained hundreds of people to become teachers themselves and has taught thousands of students around the world. When not teaching from her studio in Las Vegas, Lesley she’s hosting her podcast Be It Till You See it or traveling the world leading Pilates retreats. Connect with Lesley on Instagram @lesley.logan or through the contact page on this site.

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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

HIGH FIVE

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

We often focus on what we can see our body doing in a Pilates exercise. Sometimes we can see our hands, sometimes we can't. By focusing on what the hands are doing its possible we can release tension, find strength and get even more out of our practice. Focusing on the hands also means talking about the wrists. So get ready to feel some new a-ha moments and even get an exercise to feel even stronger!

Props Needed : Pole or dowel needed

See you in class,
-xxLL

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, pole and a dowel!

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

REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Your awesome self, pole and a reformer!

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


I DIP, YOU DIP, WE DIP

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

I happened to hear an oldy but a goody the other day. One that when it came out my parents for sure would not have wanted me to listen to. But, I was curious about the lyrics and found an old music video. And it made me think about how we often tell you about what to do with your hip points, tailbone and even the crest of your hip. So, for a long time, we've been asking you to to dip as we dipped. Ok, maybe not as dramatic or even something you'd do on a dance floor. But for this week, we'll be focusing on our pelvis, where it is in space. So you can dip wherever you are whenever you want!

No props needed.

-xxLL

I DIP, YOU DIP, WE DIP

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

I happened to hear an oldy but a goody the other day. One that when it came out my parents for sure would not have wanted me to listen to. But, I was curious about the lyrics and found an old music video. And it made me think about how we often tell you about what to do with your hip points, tailbone and even the crest of your hip. So, for a long time, we've been asking you to to dip as we dipped. Ok, maybe not as dramatic or even something you'd do on a dance floor. But for this week, we'll be focusing on our pelvis, where it is in space. So you can dip wherever you are whenever you want!

No props needed

See you in class,
xx~LL

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

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

REFORMER EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

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


THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
In this class, we’ll explore the idea that what you see isn’t only what you get. Pilates is a full-body practice, even when an exercise seems to target just one area. We’ll rethink familiar movements and bring awareness to the muscles that often go unnoticed-finding knees in hamstring curls, glutes in your Hundreds, and support where you least expect it. This class is about curiosity, connection, and discovering how everything in your body works together when you move with intention.

Props needed: ball and rod for mat

See you in class,
Megan

THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
In this class, we’ll explore the idea that what you see isn’t only what you get. Pilates is a full-body practice, even when an exercise seems to target just one area. We’ll rethink familiar movements and bring awareness to the muscles that often go unnoticed-finding knees in hamstring curls, glutes in your Hundreds, and support where you least expect it. This class is about curiosity, connection, and discovering how everything in your body works together when you move with intention.

Props needed : ball and rod for mat

See you in class,
Megan

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.


ROLL WITH ME

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Its time to focus on the rolling exercises and have fun doing it! If you struggle with rolling there's some gems in here for you. On the Reformer while we won't roll you'll gain insight on how your Reformer supports your rolling mat.

Mat: A dowel is helpful on the mat 

See you in class,
xxLL

GET GET DOWN

Let´s talk about your Squat!

Do we really have squats in Pilates? Oh yes, we do - on the Mat in the beginning to get down, we have a challenging one on the Reformer, Squats on Tower/Cadillac and smart, supportive exercises on the Wunda Chair to really help built up the strength. 

But the big question is: Are you actually using your THASS and Center to get low - or are your quads and lower back doing all the work while the rest just watches? This month, we’ll play, explore and refine this functional movement. So let's get curious and 'get get down' strong!

Props:

Mat = TBD
Reformer = box
Tower = Magic Circle, Reformer Box (low stool is fine too) - just for a few exercises, can be done without
Chair = optional mat, and option pole

See ya in class,
xx-LL

WE GO TOGETHER

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

"We go together like Ramma-lamma-lamma-ka-dingity-da-dinga-dong".

We all know our Hundred helps all the other exercises. But did you know that on the mat the Spine Stretch Forward exercise also goes together with Open Leg Rocker? Or that Teaser on the Cadillac/Tower helps all the other Teasers on the mat, reformer, and Wunda Chair? And strengthening goes with stretching actions!

This month - let's review some exercises that may already be in your practice that you may not know how it can help your challenging exercises, or maybe even advanced exercises. Never overestimate the fundamental or foundational exercises because it’s all connected.

Hopefully, by the time the month ends, you'll see exercises on various apparatuses that will definitely help your mat practice, as well as other exercises on other apparatuses. With all equipment membership, definitely check out all the monthly classes, and see what progresses or improves over the course of the month. And celebrate your wins! And if anything feels stagnant, let us know in the community app, so we can help and support!

Most importantly, have fun as “we go together” all month long! Bonus points if you sing along with us!

Props needed:
Mat: Dowel
Reformer: none
Tower: none
Chair: Theraband

See ya in class,
xx-LL

ROLL WITH ME

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

Its time to focus on the rolling exercises and have fun doing it! If you struggle with rolling there's some gems in here for you. On the Reformer while we won't roll you'll gain insight on how your Reformer supports your rolling mat.

See ya in class,
xx-LL

MAT EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A dowel is helpful on the 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.


WANNA BUTT LIFT?

Online Mat & Reformer Pilates Class Descriptions:

This theme will be a focus on what’s needed for inversion exercises. For inversion exercises, your upper back is what you “stand on” so you need your chest and shoulders open with a strong arm/back connection there. Let’s not over-neck it! Then, you need a strong center and thass to work together to get your hips up. It’s not the hips that are over your neck. It’s the hips up so the legs go overhead.

This means even if inversion exercises are not part of your regular practice, that’s ok. Because guess what? It’s more accessible to find connections when you’re right side up, and then the challenge is to maintain those connections when you’re upside down. So, as long as you’re practicing all the connections when you’re right side up, you’re continuing to build yourself up to have enough strength to someday go upside down. And even if you never go upside down, then you’re building yourself up to hold yourself upright, and that’s what you need to live your best life!

Props Needed : Magic circle

See you in class,
Christine

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.