Progressive Bodyworks | Pilates Mastery with Clare Dunphy

Blog

Showing 3 posts from November 2020

Announcing:  Spine Corrector Surprises!  New Pilates Avatar Audio Workout. Available Now.

November 23, 2020

 

We think of the Spine Corrector as the apparatus of choice for exercises that open up the chest, shoulders, and hips. Yet there is so much more we can do on this home friendly, space efficient apparatus!   Discover many other possibilities for Spine Corrector in this intermediate level workout. GRAB YOUR AUDIO WORKOUT HERE and workout at you convenience.

Wan to try a LIVE Spine Corrector Workout?  REGISTER FOR LIVE WORKOUT HERE

Filed under: Lifestyle Matters,Movement Matters,Pilates Avatar

MOVE Right!  Rhythms Are Game Changers!  (6 NPCP CEC’s live attendance only)

November 19, 2020

As the holidays and New Year approach, it's a good time to think about where you are and how you want to grow.  Do you have certain exercises that elude you?  Maybe the Teaser?  The Overhead?  The Longspine Massage? Often it's the timing of the exercise which os off.  One of the lost skills that I see with the many teachers and students I work with is the art of the exercise rhythms.  This workshop was developed as a solution to improve the understanding and execution of the exercises so your body "gets it".  Right Rhythms Are Game Changers meets for 3 weeks, 2 hours each week.  Here's the details:

Meets 3x  January 5, 12,and 19, 2021   12:00-2:00 PM EDT.   6 NPCP Cec's (live only). Recorded Workshop available without CEC's

Elevate your personal practice and your teaching by honing the skills of moving with flow, musicality, timing + rhythm. Each exercise has it’s own unique rhythm that unlocks the greater potential of the exercise. First you get it in your body, then you learn to coach your clients to move that way too. Here’s where the art of teaching comes alive so be prepared to move, teach, and receive expert tips from Clare. We will start with the mat and reformer then move onto the rest of the apparatus as questions arise. As our wonderful Master Teacher Bob Leikens used to say, “rhythm saves” — and it’s true but sadly the rhythms are becoming a missing piece of the work for the next generation of teachers. 

Objectives:
Distinguish the key differences between rhythm, tempo, and timing.
Recognize the correct rhythms in the Mat and Intermediate reformer exercises
Identify when the rhythm is off.
Demonstrate how to use verbal cues and touch to correct the rhythm of an exercise.
Describe 3 key factors that identify when the exercise rhythm, timing, and tempo are working.

REGISTER HERE:   Right Rhythms Are Game Changers! Reinvigorate Your Pilates!

Filed under: Business Matters,Movement Matters

We’re Transitioning

November 11, 2020

Efficiently moving from one exercise to the next gives more time to build up to doing a greater number of exercises, which is one way to see progress. Efficiency also trains us to be less sloppy and get out the juice of an exercise on rep #1, which is not an easy task. This is what transfers into our daily life activities, and we become automatically better movers because we have trained our nervous system to work that way. We become aware of our habits so we can change them. Our movement character builds and a noticeable difference emerges in our carriage, grace, confidence, and poise.

Transition Tips on the Reformer

  • The overall principle for clean transitions is minimal movement to get to the next exercise. Here are some of my favorite tips:
  • Keep the springs in motion whenever possible. For example, when changing foot positions during Footwork Series, move both feet at the same time and make a swift change from the toes to arches to heels etc. so you keep the same rhythm and the springs alive. Try the same thing with Pull Straps, Long Stretch Series, Stomach Massage Series, and Knee Stretch Series.
  • No hesitation between reps or exercises. You do want to return the carriage fully without banging it and then go directly into the next rep. The same holds true between exercises unless you are taking an intentional rest. This means if your head is up, keep it up and just transition, instead of putting your head down and then lifting it up again which costs you 2 extra movements. If the exercise is over and you need to dismount the reformer, don’t rest, just get off the reformer. You’ll be amazed at how these little things save time, make you stronger, and improve your focus.
  • Challenge your transitions by mounting and dismounting on alternating sides so you don’t always lead with the dominant side. And a tip when changing springs is to put the handles in one hand and swing your legs around to the same side. Also, there’s no need to hang the straps just to have to pick them up again. Change your springs without letting your feet touch the floor and get strong enough so you can be in a Teaser position to change springs.
  • One way I like to up the ante for students as they progress, is by asking them to try using a maximum of two breaths to complete a transition, especially where they dismount and get the long box for example. Or, I give them 8 counts to get to where they are going, and I count down. It’s fun for them and they gain awareness of how to be more efficient.

Let’s take a look at the following transitions in action:

  • Pull Straps to Backstroke to Teaser to Breaststroke
  • Long Stretch Series
  • Stomach Massage Series

If you’d like to see more on transitions, check out these two videos:

Tips for Smooth Transitions (at Pilatesology).

Reformer Transition Tips (2 mins at Vimeo).

http://www.pilatesintel.com/trans/

Filed under: Movement Matters