Reformer 1 Flashcards
What are the spring weights?
Y= super light.
B= light
R= medium
Green = heavy
Footwork springs and setup.
RRB to RRR (RRG)
Foot bar high or low
Headrest as needed.
Footwork purpose
- Strengthen leg muscles including the internal and external rotators, quads, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, calf muscles and ankle stabilizers.
- develop support for neutral spine
- teach lumbopelvic stability
- correct hip, leg, and ankle alignment
- increase circulation
Footwork precautions.
-knee, hip and ankle injuries: Decrease knee and hip flexion by limiting carriage return with footbar adjustments or stopper blocks. Avoid if symptoms increase
-Sensitive feet: Pad the footbar or work with shoes on
-Low back, hip, and SI joint injuries: Use sticky pads so the carriage and pad the shoulder rests to keep the shoulders from jamming into the shoulder rests.
-Pregnancy: Elevate torso or avoid after 16 weeks
Roll down springs and setup
R to RB
Footbar: no bar
Straps: Short
Pre-req: Comfortable with spinal flexion
Roll Down purpose
- Strengthen the abdominals
- stretch the low back
- strengthen the arms, especially the elbow flexors, and posterior shoulder girdle
- maintain abdominal support for the low back while in lumbar flexion
Roll Down precautions
- low back, hip and SI Joint problems: limit the range of motion, keep the abs working, and keep the lumbar in slight flexion.
- Neck and shoulder injuries: don’t roll back very far
- Pregnancy: caution after 16 weeks
- AVOID WITH OSTEOPOROSIS, ACTIVE LUMBAR DISC INJURIES and SCIATICA
Supine Arms springs and setup
R to RB
Footbar: Any
Straps: Regular
Headrest: As needed
Supine arms purpose
- Strengthen the arms including triceps, lats, lower traps, deltoid, and pec minor (mid back)
- Strengthen abs
- Maintain neutral spine
- Learn to use arms and abs together
Supine arms precautions
Low back, hip and SI joint problems: keep the knees into the chest and the low back on the carriage or in a supported neutral position. Rest between exercises.
- Wrist and elbow injuries: keep the wrists straight, be careful with triceps pulls
- Neck and shoulder injuries: keep the arms below the shoulders, decrease the range of motion
- Pregnancy: Elevate torso or avoid after 16 weeks
The Hundred springs and setup
R to RR
Footbar: Any
Straps: Regular
Headrest: As needed
Re-req: Ability to do the Hundred on the mat
The Hundreds purpose
- Teach lumbopelvic stability
- Strengthen abs and hip flexors
- Increase thoracic flexibility
- Learn to comment the arms to the core
The Hundreds precautions
- Low back, hip and SI joint problems: keep the knees bent at 90 degrees
- Neck and shoulder injuries: Support the upper body with a pillow, towels, or a wedge
- Pregnancy: Avoid after 16 weeks
- AVOID WITH OSTEOPOROSIS, ACTIVE LUMBAR DISC INJURIES AND SCIATICA
Kneeling abdominals facing back springs and set up
Springs: Y to RB
Footbar: no bar
Straps: none
Pre-Req: Comfortable in all fours position
Kneeling abdominals facing back purpose
- strengthen abs
- improve pelvic stability
- increase scapular stability
- strengthen lats, trees minor, serrated anterior, pec major, rotator cuff
- strengthens hip flexors
Kneeling abdominals facing back precautions
- Sore wrists and hands: pad the frame
- Low back injuries: Begin with a small range of motion in hip flexion and extension or avoid if symptoms increase.
- knee injuries: Pad the knees, hold a ball between the knees or avoid.
- Pregnancy: Caution after 12 weeks
Kneeling abdominals facing front springs and setup
Springs: 0 to Y
Footbar: no footbar
Straps: none
Pre-req: comfortable in all fours position
Kneeling abdominals facing front purpose
- Strengthen abs
- Increase pelvic stability
- Increase scapular stability
- Strengthen shoulder and scapular stabilizers including lats, teres major, serrated anterior, pec major, rotator cuff
- strengthen hip flexors
Kneeling abdominals facing front precautions
- sore wrists and hands: pad the frame or place a sitting box across the footbar end of the carriage frame and place the forearms on the box.
- low back injuries: begin with a small range of motion in hip flexion and extension or avoid if symptoms increase
- knee injuries: pad the knees, hold a ball between the knees or avoid.
- Pregnancy: caution after 12 weeks
Feet in straps springs and setup
Springs: RB to RR
Footbar: Low or high
Straps: regular
Pre-req: Adequate hamstring flexibility, ability to stabilize the back
Feet in straps purpose
- strengthen abs
- strengthen the hamstrings, adductors, deep hip external rotators, gluteus max, hip abductors
- increase flexibility of the hamstrings, adductors, and hip flexors
- increase- pelvic stability
- develop balance in the hip musculature
Feet in straps precautions
- Low back and SI join problems
- hip flexor injuries and hip arthritis
- limited hamstring flexibility
- pregnancy
Long box pulling straps springs and setup
Springs: B to RR
Box: long box
Footbar: no bar
Straps: Very short or holding the ropes
Pre-requisite: Ability to prone
Long box pulling straps purpose
- strengthen the back of the body including the lats, teres major, lower traps, erector spinal, glute max, and hamstrings
- strengthen the abs in a prone position
- increase scapular stability
- improve leg and torso alignment
Long box pulling straps precautions
- shoulder injuries
- elbow injuries
- wrist and hand injuries
- back injuries
- pregnancy
Long box overhead press and swan springs and setup
Springs: B to RR
Box: long
Footbar: low or extra low for overhead press, high or extra high for swan
Straps: none
Pre-req: ability to prone
Long box overhead press and swan purpose
- strengthen the posterior shoulder, torso, hips and legs
- strengthen and stretch the abs
- strengthen the triceps and pec major
- increase scapular stability
Long box overhead press and swan precautions
- shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries
- back injuries
- pregnancy
Short box abdominals springs and setup
Springs: all springs
Box: short
Footbar: noo bar
Straps: foot strap
Pre-req: Reformer roll downs, Cadillac roll downs
Short box abdominals purpose
- strengthen abs
- strengthen the back extensor muscles (esp in flat back version)
- stretch the low back (esp in the round back version)
- teach balanced strength between abs and back extensors
short box abdominals precautions
- low back and SI joint issues
- neck injuries
- shoulder injuries
- pregnancy
- AVOID WITH OSTEROPOROSIS
Bridging and Pelvic lift springs and setup
Springs: RR to RRR
Footbar: High
Head Rest: Down
Pre-requisite: Matt Pelvic press
Bridging and Pelvic Lift purpose
- strengthen the gluteals, hamstrings, and back extensors
- increase the flexibility and articulation of the spine
- teach lumbopelvic pelvic stability
- teach balanced abdominal and lumbar strength
Bridging and Pelvic Lift Precautions
- Osteoporosis
- low back and SI issues
- Knee injuries
- pregnancy
Knee stretch springs and setup
Springs: RB to RRR
Footbar: low or high
Pre-req: comfortable in all fours position
Knee stretch purpose
- Strengthen quads, hamstrings, gluteals
- strengthen abs
- increase pelvic stability
- Increase scapular stability
Knee stretch precautions
- shoulder, rm and wrist injuries
- low back injuries
- knee injuries
- pregnancy
Elephant springs and setup
Springs: R to RB
Footbar: high (tighter clients) low (looser clients)
Pre-req: comfortable in starting position
Elephant purpose
- strengthen abdominals (round back)
- increase back, hamstring, and calf flexibility
- Increase scapular stability
- strengthen hip flexors (flat back)
Long stretch springs and setup
Springs: R to RR
Footbar: low or high
Headrest: Up
Pre-requisite: Comfortable in plank position on the mat
Long stretch purpose
- strengthen the torso including the abs, erector spinal, glue max, adductors and shoulder girdle
- strengthen scapular stabilizers including serrated anterior, lower trap and pec major
- increase scapular stability
Elephant precautions
- shoulder, arm, and wrist injuries
- tight hamstrings
- low back injuries
- knee injuries
Long stretch precautions
- shoulder, arm, and wrist injuries
- pregnancy
Up stretch springs and setup
Springs: R to RR
Footbar: low or high
Head rest: up
Pre-requisite: Reformer long stretch
Up stretch purpose
- strengthen the torso including abs, erector spinal, glute max, adductors,, and should girdle
- increase scapular mobility
- strengthen scapular stabilizers including serration anterior, lower trapezius, and pec major
- improve coordination
Up stretch precautions
- shoulder, arm, and wrist injuries
- pregnancy
Arm work facing straps springs and setup
Springs: B to RR
Footbar: no bar
Straps: very short, short, or regular
Box: long or none
Pre-req: comfortable in starting position
Arm work facing straps purpose
- strengthen arm and shoulder muscles including rotator cuff, brachialis, biceps, pec major, lats and deltoids
- strengthen scapular stabilizers including serrated anterior, traps, and rhomboids.
- increase torso stabilization
- Improve sitting posture
Arm work facing straps precautions
- shoulder arm and wrist injuries
- low back injuries
Arm work facing footbar springs and setup
Springs: B to RB
Footbar: none
Straps: regular
Box: short or none
Pre-req: ability to sit comfortably
Arm work facing footbar purpose
- strengthen arm and shoulder muscles including brachialis, biceps, triceps, pec major, lats, rotator cuff, deltoids
- strengthen scapular stabilizers including the serrated anterior, traps, and rhomboids
- increase torso stabilization
- improve sitting posture
Standing/side splits springs and setup
Springs: Y to R
Footbar: no bar
Other: standing platform (if needed)
Pre-requisite: ability to stand comfortably
Standing/side splits purpose
- strengthen leg and hip muscles including hip adductors, abductors, and external rotators along with quads and hamstrings
- improve balance
- improve standing posture
Standing/side splits precautions
- knee injuries
- balance problems
- SI joint problems
- pregnancy
Lunges springs and setup
Springs: B to R
Footbar: High
Lunges purpose
- stretch the anterior hip including spots, ilacus, rectus femoris and sartorius
- stretch the abdominals
Lunges precautions
- low back injuries, SI joint dysfunction and anterior hip strains
- pregnancy
Side stretch/ Mermaid springs and setup
Springs: B to R
Footbar position: high to low
Side stretch/ Mermaid purpose
- stretch the lateral torso including QL, lats, internal and external obliques, and intercostals
- stabilize scapulae
Side stretch/ Mermaid precautions
- shoulder and neck injuries
- knee and hip injuries
- pregnancy
Cleopatra springs and setup
- Springs: B to R
- Footbar position: high or low
Cleopatra purpose
- stretch the lateral torso including QL, lats, internal and external obliques and intercostals
- stabilize scapulae
Cleopatra precautions
- shoulder and neck injuries
- knee and hip injuries
- pregnancy
