Reformer Pilates: Arabesque

Reformer Repertoire

Leg Work:

Arabesque

Alternate Names

N/A

Derived From

Classical Reformer: Running Preparation

Primary Element

Stability

Why for Primary?

To create, develop and connect with the pelvis stabilisation muscles such as gluteus medius and the deep core transversus abdominis whilst working in hip extension.

Secondary Element

Mobility

Why for Secondary?

To develop and improve mobility at the hip joint in extension.

Tertiary Element

Strength

Why Tertiary?

To develop and improve gluteal and leg muscle strength, particularly in the gluteal muscles of the kicking leg, and the quadriceps of the carriage leg.

Repetitions

8-10

Apparatus Setup

Suggested springs

  • Number system: 1 spring
  • Colour system: 1 x red spring
  • Resistance: light to medium

 

Foot bar one position down from vertical, or on many Reformers the top angled position. If the client if particularly short, move the Foot Bar up to the vertical position they have more range of motion to press back into the movement.

Plane of Motion

Sagittal

Targeted Muscles

To create, develop and connect with the pelvis stabilisation muscles the focus is gluteus medius and gluteus maximus and the deep abdominal muscles transversus abdominis.

To work on strengthening the leg muscles the focus is on the below:

The ‘knee extensors’ or quadriceps muscle group of the anterior thigh facilitate the pressing away of the carriage creating a concentric contraction.

They comprise:

  • Rectus femoris
  • Vastus intermedialus
  • Vastus medialis
  • Vastus lateralis

 

Hip extensors – muscles which open or lengthen the front of the hip and move the leg backwards in the kicking motion. Primary hip extensors include:

  • Gluteus maximus
  • Posterior head of the adductor magnus
  • Hamstrings

Warnings

This exercise may be difficult for clients with tight hip flexor muscles, as that may restrict their range of motion in the hip extension of the pressing leg. It may also be unsuitable for clients with some shoulder, hip, knee or ankle issues or if hip extension if contraindicated.

Execution

Face the foot bar and place the hands onto the foot bar shoulder width apart with the arms straight. Place one foot on the floor below the base of the foot bar, the other against the closest shoulder block.

Inhale to extend the leg that is on the carriage until it is straight, moving the carriage away and simultaneously bending the standing leg. Pause before the pelvis starts to move anteriorly. Exhale to straighten the standing leg, lift it off the ground and extend it back and up behind the body, whilst simultaneously drawing the carriage leg forward moving the carriage into park and hinging the torso forward over the foot bar. Inhale to return to the starting position, creating a continuous movement.

Observations

Do a body scan of the client taking note of the following points

  • Pelvis
    • Are the hip bones even horizontally or is the client leaning towards and biasing the supporting standing side?
    • Is the client rotating towards the carriage or the pressing leg?
    • Is the client arching their back to achieve the hip extension movement, or are they able to stay within a range of motion pressing back that enables the pelvis to stay still?
  • Legs
    • Is the pressing leg knee locked? You’re looking for a soft and straight knee, not dropping inwards and not locked. Have the client bend the knee slightly and reach it out to connect more into gluteal stability muscles
  • Shoulders
    • Is the client able to transfer body weight into the shoulders and forward over the foot bar when they kick the leg back?
  • Apparatus
    • Is there tension on the springs the whole time? Or is the carriage crashing to the stopper or ‘park’ indicating a lack of control and a push by the client beyond their ideal range of motion? If the carriage is crashing encourage the client to reduce their range of motion and slow their movement down to focus on controlling the return phase, or reduce the spring load so the client can control the spring.

Learning Style Technique Cues

Auditory – word associations that connect mind and body

  • The aim is to keep the pelvis still whilst the legs are moving
  • Say the client’s name when you’re about to interact with them

 

Visual

  • Aim for both legs to straighten when the carriage is in park and the standing leg is extended back, like the ballet repertoire of the same name. 
  • Imagine the exercise Long Stretch Series: Up Stretch, or a Pike movement, and aim to lift the pelvis up keeping the carriage leg stretch to create room and support to extend the standing leg back and upwards
  • You may demonstrate a part of the movement as a visual representation for the client to see

 

Kinaesthetic

  • Feel the abdominals engage, and use the gluteal muscles to help lift and extend the standing leg
  • Squeeze the gluteal muscles of the standing leg to extend the leg back and upwards into hip extension

Modifications and Variations

Regress the exercise by

  • Reducing the spring resistance to one blue spring to connect more to the stability component of the exercise and reduce the leg load on the pressing leg. This will require moving abdominal activation however to create stability in the torso
  • Reducing the repetitions and/or pace
  • Creating the first part of the movement and simply lift or pike the hips upwards and float the standing leg off the floor before attempting the kickback motion
  • Working on Reformer Leg Work: Lunge as it allows the client to easily flex forward and hold the Foot Bar for assistance with stability and still work through hip extension
  • If the client has tight hip flexor muscles try and hip flexor stretch before this exercise to enable more hip extension

 

Progress the exercise by

  • Increasing the spring setting to one red and one blue spring, adding pace and repetitions 
  • Progress into Leg Work: Arabesque + Side Support (Intermediate repertoire not in this course)
  • Working towards Wunda Chair: Going Up Front

Series and Transitions

This exercise is part of the Leg Work Singles series which includes a range of other exercises in the fundamental and progressive repertoire. The Leg Work series can also be found in the Wunda Chair repertoire and the Cadillac repertoire.