March MATness Day 16 B: The Bicycle

[ChannelRunner2]

🔥Note: There are TWO posts for March 16th! 🔥

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Here’s the second exercise for March 16. If you’ve done the Scissors already good for you! You already know how to go upside down now. If that didn’t work for you, you know: Modify, modify, modify. Ideas for that are below! This 17th exercise marks the half-way point in the Mat series 🥳

Just as a reminder, Andrea Maida writes about these three exercises (two today and one tomorrow): “High Scissors, High Bicycle and Shoulder Bridge: An advancement of the extension exercises, these 3 exercises build upon what was started with the Single and Double Leg Kicks. Now the front of the entire body gets a stretch, but it’s gonna cost you. Try not to topple over. Aren’t you glad you got in all that strengthening of the upper stomach earlier in the workout? The use of the seat and the back of the lower body will also be a help in the exercises that follow.” (via pilatesandrea.com/on-the-or... ).

As always, if you need to warm-up, do at least The Hundred, maybe all of the previous 12 exercises. Then repeat this exercise 5 times with each leg.

Follow Joe’s instructions from the excerpt from Return to Life. Of course you can modify or repeat another exercise, like Rolling like a Ball.

Instructions from Online Pilates Classes – with suggestions on how to make the exercise easier starting at about 02:28: youtu.be/jrzhdM116jM(Not working as expected?)

You can read more about the exercise and written instructions at the OPC page for it: onlinepilatesclasses.com/pi...

Another set of instructions from the Pilates Lesson Plan, including a video and modification suggestions, are here: georgewatts.org/lesson-plan... (via pilateslessonplans.co.uk/fr... )

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If you’re struggling with this exercise (you’re not alone!), check out this video from Andrea Maida: youtu.be/jj8HbLP-zQk(Not working as expected?)

Or try this version with a foam roller: instagram.com/reel/CcGmfKrg...

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Standing variations for exercises 16-20 (see also the Lesson Plan links above): instagram.com/reel/CZ-Y5k1A...

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Listening to this while doing this exercise is totally optional, though recommended 😉 : soundcloud.com/queen-69312/... (Unfortunately, I am not finding a video I can embed here... You gotta venture over to YouTube via the link on Queen's website, there's some nudity in the video, which is probably why... queenonline.com/news/bicycl... )

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Photo from Return to Life as published by Presentation Dynamics. Photos are far better reproduced in the paperback published by the Pilates Method Alliance in 2010, which isn’t available electronically. (See this post for the title page: healthunlocked.com/strength... )

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★ Our March MATness summary page: healthunlocked.com/strength... ★

[TheTabbyCat Graduate]

Thanks again CR, Lesley's high scissors left me speechless! I did get a flash back of when we were doing gym at school, we were encouraged to do a sort of "Bicycle". It involved getting our bots of the floor and sort of peddaling, it wasn't even near Lesley's "wrong" way!

[dijep 30D Graduate in reply to TheTabbyCat]

Yes I remember doing that type of bicycle in school PE lesson. 😊I think there maybe lots of collapsing in laughter when I attempt these exercises later today 😂

[TheTabbyCat Graduate in reply to dijep]

Gosh dijep, I wish I could say that I'm even attempting them. This March I'm just enjoying ,learning a lot by being just a spectator.

Enjoy the giggling