Cadillacc Exercises Flashcards
What is Roll Down/Back?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar.
Hands shoulder width apart.
Seated on the mat facing the tower, feet apart and flexed against the posts. Neutral Spine.
Inhale lift and lengthen the spine, pressing the dowel down so that it has resistance and is in line with your shoulders.
Exhale, posteriorly tilt the pelvis, and roll spine down onto the mat, keeping the pressure on the bar.
Inhale at the bottom.
Exhale, tuck the chin, scoop the core, and roll up, back to neutral spine seated.
What are roll down / back modifications/variations?
Mods
- micro bend the knees
- place foam roller under the knees, or half foam roller.
- Can place yellow springs onto sliding cross bar and lower to make the roll down easier, more core on roll up.
Variations
- Stretch forward for hamstring stretch - can walk hands to one side for lateral stretch.
- Can do chest pull/row at bottom.
What is Oblique side lying variations?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar.
- Lying on side, hips stacked, legs on posts.
- top leg is back leg on post on ball of foot. hip height. Bottom leg on front post, on arch.
- elbow bent and under head.
- top arm in middle of bar.
- tuck pelvis. Inhale prepare, exhale torso side lift, inhale lower.
Variations -
- back leg in arabesque, not touching post.
- pulses up
Mods
- Use belly strap to hold both legs down
- use belly strap to hold front foot only
- can put sticky around bar if slippery
What is roll down single arm?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar.
Can drop down sliding cross bar for single arm.
- Seated on the mat facing the tower, feet apart and flexed against the posts. Neutral Spine.
- Hand is in middle of bar. other hand is across the core, or out to the side.
- Inhale lift and lengthen the spine, pressing the dowel down so that it has resistance and is in line with your shoulders.
- Exhale, posteriorly tilt the pelvis, and roll spine down onto the mat, keeping the pressure on the bar.
- Inhale at the bottom.
- Exhale, tuck the chin, scoop the core, and roll up, back to neutral spine seated.
What is roll down single arm variations?
- Crescent stretch - when at bottom supine, free arm reaches up and over to the post and hold for stretch. Teacher can assist if hand doesn’t reach.
- can bring both legs over onto the same side as the arm is stretching for full crescent. Free leg can sit on top of other leg.
- Half roll back oblique pulse - stop halfway, twist, and pulse. Free arm can hold weight. Can pulse arm also.
- Oblique orbits - Ribcage orbits and translates around rim of pelvic bowl. Rib circles/isolations.
What is seated arm press?
*Can be done before or after roll down. Same set up.
- inhale press bar towards knees, on for 2 counts and spine lengthens, exhale to release.
what is chest expansion?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar.
- Kneeling on table facing tower, an arm length away from posters.
- Knees hip width, hands wide on roll down bar, thumbs wrapped around eyelets.
- inhale pull bar to thighs.
- look left, center, right, center
- exhale return bar.
- keep tension on springs
what is chest expansion mods/variations?
Mods -
- move closer or further from tower to change resistance.
- ball between legs.
Variations-
- Chariot - (eliminate headturns)
- add pulses
- use straps instead of dowel (can bring arms further back)
what is thigh stretch?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar.
- kneeling, hands on bar, shoulder width
- press down so bar is shoulder height
- inhale lift
- exhale hinge back 45 degrees from knees
- inhale hold
- exhale return to start, engage core.
what are thigh stretch mods/variations?
Mods-
- move closer or further away from tower
- ball between knees
- pillow under knees or tibia
Variation -
- add row at end of hinge
- pull bar to thighs before hinge (harder)
- continue hinge completely back and into a high back release, head can come down to mat.
- straps or handles
What is rolling in & out?
Dowel with short yellow springs attached at the top cross bar. Belly strap tight over ankles.
- Kneeling on table facing tower, an arm length away from posters.
- Knees hip width, arms straight in front, hands wide on roll down bar, thumbs wrapped around eyelets.
- inhale dive bar down to mat, scooping core, tuck head.
- exhale pull bar to knees
- inhale scrape bar up body as spine articulates back up, bar is at chest, elbows are wide.
- exhale to hinge back 45 degrees.
- inhale hold
- exhale hinge back up
- inhale arms lengthen
What is rolling in & out mods/variations?
Mods-
- move closer or further away from tower
- ball between knees
- pillow under knees or tibia
Variations-
- Elbows wide or narrow
- can add full high back release after hinge
What is standing bonus exercises? Facing tower?
- Standing either on cadillac, or on floor, facing tower.
- Stancecan be feet parallel or staggered stance
- Variable springs loaded from the top or sliding crossbar at various positions.
- handles or straps
- springs should attach at shoulder level **
- adjust client forward or back for desired tension.
- cue to microbend and tuck pelvis.
- chest expansion
- tiny circles
- rowing
- bicep curls
- tricep presses
What is standing bonus exercises? Facing tower - variations
- can stagger stance for balance
- can do calf raises with chest expansions
- find different foot combinations for balance
What is standing bonus exercises? Side facing?
Standing on floor or on cadillac - kneeling, long box etc
- one arm hug a tree
- hug a moon
- yoho
- sword
- rotation / with lateral bend
(any side facing reformer arms)
What is squats?
Standing facing tower on floor
- can keep 2 yellow short springs, or two heavy leg springsfrom top cross bar
- handles, straps, dowel options
- facing tower, on floor
- inhale prepare
- exhale bicep curl elbows lifted, or row
- inhale squat 90 degrees
- exhale engage core, come to standing
What are squat mods and variations?
Mods-
- standard box under sit bones for stopping point
- bicep curl or row
Variations -
- performing exercise with one leg
Traditional squat sequence -
- Holding fuzzy straps at 45 degrees, palms facing down.
- inhale prepare, exhale dive down c shape core
- inhale arms sweep past legs, slightly bend knees
- exhale roll up, articulating spine, pick arms up into a 90 bicep position, palms facing face
- inhale, while holding straps in bicep position, squat and sit all the way to the floor, close to heels as possible. Keep elbows lifted.
- exhale stand up with a flat back
- inhale turn hands down and straight arms again to begin.
What is standing bonus exercises? (Facing away from the tower)
- Facing away from tower on ground
- hands in straps
- leg springs (standard or yellow) with handles or straps at shoulder height on cross bar, or higher for more tension.
- maintain forward torso pitch
- Lunge
- Hands at hips, palms up they stay here. lunge forward, DRAG foot back. Repeat other side.
- parallel or turned out - Fencing
- Hands at hips, palms up. lunge/step one foot out, same arm as leg reaches forward.
- drag foot to return, move from core.
(same arm as leg = harder, opposite arm = easier)
- parallel or turned out - Butterfly
- Feet in pilates first, torso scooped, arms in hug a tree position
- Reach one arm up, and one arm down with lateral spine bend (side), gaze follows bottom hand.
- weight into opposite foot - side fencing
- standing side, in 3rd foot position, turned out, outside foot in front.
- hands on top of eachother in front of sternum - outside hand is top hand
- lunge front foot to the 45, as hands shoot down, slightly separating, to the 45 (low diagonal).
- drag foot in to return. Hands come to start.
What other positions can the client be in when doing standing bonus exercises facing away from the tower?
- standing
- seated on long box
- moonbox
- kneeling
- seated on thera ball
What variations can you do standing facing away from tower?
Feet can be in pilates first, staggered/lunge, feet parallel/hip distance/micro bend
- hug a tree
- serving
- boxing with or without rotation
- salute
- shaving
- waxing
- circles
(anything from the reformer)
What is long back stretch arms?
Yellow springs (short) attached to roll down bar (dowel) from the top cross bar of the cadillac.
- kneeling facing away from tower
- toes 1/2 shin length distance from edge of cadillac, knees hip distance
- hands overhand grip holding dowel behind body. Elbows are bent and hands at hips
- inhale prepare
- exhale straighten arms against body down towards mat
- inhale drift straight arms backward
- exhale press straight arms back into body
- inhale bend arms up body to start position
What are long back stretch modifications and variations?
Mods:
- modify tension up or down by moving client away/closer to tower
- move springs on sliding cross bar
- ball between knees for pain and support
Monitor hyperexpension in elbows
what is airplane prep?
Yellow arm springs attached to the roll down bar (dowel). Use nonslip pad on bar. Teacher to assist getting bar under clients knees
- client supine, head at rolldown bar end of Cadillac.
- knees hanging over roll down bar which teacher assist.
- fully extend arms, holding each poster approximately 2 inches above the mat, or flush as able to mat
- inhale prepare
- exhale, roll, knees toward the ears into a ball position
- inhale lengthen the body straight up from your shoulders, pressing the pelvis Ford and a plank. Toes pointing down to the mat.
- exhale, move body down and out until the toes touch the mat
- inhale roll spine down from sternum to hips to start position
Cue the pelvic floor
What is leg springs: walking
Purple leg springs attached to sliding crossbar at halfway position
- lying supine and centred, head at leg spring end of Cadillac.
- fully extended arms, holding each post, approximately 2 inches above the mat
- feet in straps, straight legs up, Core and hamstrings engaged, slight tension on the springs
- with eight small strokes, begin a walking action to lower the legs to Matt and return
- perform with normal breath
- imprint the spine. Springfield heavier, so always imprint when feet are in springs.
What are leg springs: walking modifications?
- if pelvis lifts or client slides up, tension is too strong. Move, crossbar and springs to more appropriate height, or move, the body closer to the posters.
- yellow leg, springs and option
are leg spring springs: walking variations?
- slight bend at knee, working, glute hamstring connection
- legs parallel, turned in, turned out
- Long scissors/long walking (bigger)
Magician
- keep hips, high and move legs only
what are the two ways to get into the magician position?
- tailbone anchored, press, leg, straight down as hips lift simultaneously
- frog legs into chest, lift hips up and extend legs out as hips push up
what are some leg spring variations?
Purple leg springs attached to sliding crossbar at halfway position
- Double leg, lowers
(tick tock)
- option to hold ball or magic circle inside or outside of legs
- turned out, parallel, and internally rotated etc - Leg circles
- small or large circles
- can do small circles at 45°, or whatever angle - leg beats /grasshopper
- classically turned out, heals together, small heel clicks as legs, go up and down - Criss Cross (changement)
- option, small or wide, opening pattern, fast or slow
- feet work and switch as legs, go up and down - Hamstring stretch.
6
. Happy baby
- Can do all of these in magician (move sliding crossbar up to between hole and top cross bar)
What are leg springs: frog
Purple leg springs attached to sliding crossbar at halfway position
- lying supine and centred, head at leg spring end of Cadillac.
- fully extended arms, holding each post, approximately 2 inches above the mat
- feet in straps
- bend knees open as wide as the body frame, knees and 90° flexion (over hip sockets)
- inhale, extend the legs out to 30° angle
- exhale to return
What are frog variations?
Swimming (both directions)
- breaststroke leg movement
- don’t lose the springs tension
Diamond/hammer “wrap the muscles”
- heels together, feet flexed
- Press down and up
Traditional frog
- Open frog position Flat on the mat
- extend the legs straight out along the mat
- lift legs to, 90
- draw legs back down to frog position on the mat
- can reverse
Magician
- raise the springs up on the sliding bar (will need more spring tension)
What are leg springs: single leg drift
Purple leg springs attached to sliding crossbar at halfway position
- lying supine and centred, head at leg spring end of Cadillac.
- fully extended arms, holding each post, approximately 2 inches above the mat
- feet in straps
- lying supine, straight legs extended at 25° angle, legs press together
- one leg dress literally on the inhale, returns to centre on the exhale
what are single drift modifications, and variations
- the client closer or further away from the tower, if the pelvis is lifting etc
- yellow leg spring is an option
Variations
- legs turned out or parallel
- magician
