A New Twist On Snake/Twist’ On Snake/Twist!
by Swami Doug Bentz
June 20, 2019
Seeing as it is nearly summer and everything is blossoming and glowing with a sense of new life, why not bring some “newness” into your Pilates practice and to your clients? My intent with this Pilates Intel article is to offer a new variation, or “twist” as it were, on the classic reformer Snake/Twist exercise that I worked up and found to be VERY helpful…especially for those of us who might have some shoulder joint “issues” and instability but are otherwise quite fit. Whether these shoulder issues stem from chronic or genetic shoulder ligament laxity, acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) impingement, arthritis, rotator cuff injury/rehab or simply overwork and overuse, I wanted to create a useful, more accessible (and also fun) variation of Snake/Twist on the reformer for people who have felt excluded from that part of the reformer repertoire due to the above-mentioned limitations.
I do not mean to denigrate the classic Pilates Snake or Twist; they are great exercises when performed alone or combined as Snake/Twist but maybe NOT so “great” for people with “unhealthy” shoulders. People like me.
After nearly 50 years of professional dancing and partnering in 5 classical ballet companies, 5 modern dance companies and 31 musicals, that required me as a male dancer to lift ladies (and sometimes men) overhead and prance about the stage…often holding them up with only one arm (usually my right arm)…it’s not hard to understand why I developed some rotator cuff “issues” and AC joint impingement in that right shoulder. Ouch!
Although Pilates has certainly helped to stabilize my right shoulder joint, it remains a “work in progress”. Extending my right arm straight overhead or bearing most of my weight solely on my right arm (as would happen in the classic Snake/Twist with my right hand forward on the shoulder block) does not make that shoulder very “happy”….
So, I got my creative juices working during a personal workout and devised a variation of Snake/Twist facing the opposite direction on the reformer with both arms on the footbar to evenly distribute the weight on both arms/shoulders.
So once more into the fray: Swami Doug’s “New ‘Twist’ on Snake/Twist”!
1. Prepare the reformer by setting the appropriate gear and springs for the person with the headrest down and the footbar up. As I am working on a Stott reformer and am 6 feet (183 cm) tall, I have the carriage out to 2nd gear and am using 1 heavy Stott spring (red) and one light Stott spring (white).
2. Mount the reformer with both arms long on the footbar as if preparing for Elephant. BUT: stand on the R leg with the outside of the R heel sideways (toes forward) against the left shoulder block (the one behind to the left as you face the footbar). Then cross your L foot over your R ankle as in “classic” Snake preparation.
3. Starting Position: Keep your weight back on the R leg with arms long on the footbar, and hips squared to the carriage as much as possible.
4. Push the carriage all the way back until the body is stretched out and nearly parallel to the floor, hips squared to the carriage and the torso “zipped up”…much like in Up Stretch.
5. Close the carriage as you extend upward through the thoracic spine into a “Snake” extension. Keep that L foot crossed over the R ankle and “connect” those inner thighs.
6. To move into Twist (1st version), just lower the hips towards the footbar with both arms long, look over the R shoulder and twist to the right with the hips.
7. After the Twist, push the carriage back out, stretching the body out horizontally with the torso squared to the floor.
8. Finish the exercise by closing the carriage with the legs and a good pelvic scoop with arms long and return to the Starting Position.
9. To try another nice variation of a more vertical Twist (Twist-2), push the carriage back out after Snake.
10. Now while stretched out in space, look over the L shoulder as you twist the hips to the right. This version brings a really nice long, vertical spine rotation!
11. Then push back out to square your body to the floor again.
12. Close the carriage and return to the Starting Position to finish.
Repeat three to five times before switching to the other shoulder block with the L leg and the R foot crossed over the L ankle. Or you may choose to perform each one separately to focus more on each one instead of combining them into a full Snake/Twist combo.
Is it easier? Yes. Is it fun? YES! Both shoulders stay stabilized and it feels great! Maybe you have some fairly advanced clients (or yourself) with shoulder “issues” that have been holding them back from attempting the classic Pilates Snake/Twist on the reformer…and they just need to build the strength and confidence to safely approach it again in any way they are able.
I like to bring the “work” to the client…and not always force the client into the work. I hope the photos give you a good idea of the action, flow and intent of this new “twist” on Snake/Twist. Enjoy!
Be well everyone and Happy Summer!
Here is an excellent Swami Doug video demonstrating his ‘Twist’ on the Snake/Twist.
Doug Bentz‘Swami’ Doug Bentz – lives in Pittsburgh, PA, has a BA in Dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, was a Dance Professor in the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University for 40 years, and has enjoyed a 49 year professional dance career with companies such as the Ballet du Grand Theatre in Geneva, Switzerland, the New Jersey Ballet, the Luigi Jazz Dance Company in NYC, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the American Dance Ensemble, the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and his own Pittsburgh-based company The Extension. Doug has also performed in over 30 musicals both on and off Broadway, in Georgia, Michigan, Florida, and with the Kenley Players of Ohio as a member of the Actors’ Equity Association.
Doug was a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet in NYC and also studied yoga at the Kripalu Institute. He has practiced and taught yoga for 25 years. Doug has also choreographed over 60 original dance works including: The Jazz Nutcracker, Allegro Jazzioso, Let’s Swing, The Snow Queen, Dragana, Arc of Descent, Transmigration of Souls, Folie a Deux, American Gothic and Moon Dance.
Swami Doug is a PMA-CPT certified Pilates teacher and did his Comprehensive Teacher Training at Harmony Pilates in Pittsburgh, PA. He has taught Pilates as an Independent Contractor at Moxie Mind & Body Pilates, the Wexford Oxford Athletic Club and is currently teaching at the SThiel Pilates & MOVEment Center in Pittsburgh.
As a special interest, Swami Doug enjoys spending two weeks every summer at the international medieval recreation event known as The Pennsic War which is held in New Castle, PA.