Issue #421
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Round Back Deluxe From the Short Box Series on the Ladder Barrel
by Brett Miller
Today I’m going to show a nice exercise on the ladder Barrel it’s a variation of the Short Box exercise Round Back.
Let’s give it a try shall we?
You start just like in the regular Short Box Series on the Ladder Barrel – by sitting a little bit forward of the apex of the barrel and you have your feet on the ladder. Feel a nice long spine and your head is balanced at the top.
So far so good.
Lift in your center roll back on the barrel.
So you have your center engaged you take one leg up…
..and you take the other leg up
…and you balance.
Yeah, it is a little scary, but also fun!
As you balance, take your legs a little bit forward and put your feet under the top rung of the ladder.
Now that you have the security of you feet under the bar, lay back into into a long line, arms stretched out to the side – your body is not parallel to the floor.
Stay there for a slow count of 3.
1 one thousand.
2 one thousand.
3 one thousand.
That is pretty hard work.
And for the well deserved stretch- fall back into a nice big back bend.
Oh nice, that feels good!
You can hang out there, or then not. But when you want to come out, take first
your arms forward, and then the head forward, and then the body.
Keep coming up you’re going and take your feet from under the top rung, get your balance again.
Transfer your feet to a lower rung on the ladder, and take your head down between your knees so that you go into a deep forward bend.
Then articulate up through your spine to sit up tall, ready to do it 4 more times!
It’s a good challenging exercise that requires skill and a touch of courage. It can be a little bit scary, AND lots of fun.
Maximize the movement of the spine and stay young forever!
Give it a try.
Here is a video demonstration.
Good luck!
Brett Miller is the founder of Pilates Intel, he started his professional life in the world of ballet, working with various companies in the US. Later on he moved to New York and branched out into modern along with the ballet. Since then, he has lived in Finland and now in Stockholm Sweden.
Brett became a Pilates instructor in 2005 and has been teaching ever since. The intelligent technique that Pilates is, and the chance to continue to be physical, attracted him to this field after being so long in the dance world. Along with teaching Pilates and publishing Pilates Intel, Brett is a software developer for Ericsson.