For September’s Exercise of the Month, Merrithew® Lead Instructor Trainer Caroline Murray, owner of Oxfordshire Pilates in Witney, U.K., demonstrates the STOTT PILATES® Arm Presses exercise on the Cardio-Tramp® Rebounder, offering multiple progressions to help you and your clients build strength and stability along the way.
This exercise comes from the STOTT PILATES Athletic Conditioning on the Cardio-Tramp Rebounder workshop, which was designed to stimulate both cardiovascular and muscular effectiveness, as you’ll see once you try this exercise.
Arm Presses involves plyometric intervals to build muscular strength and endurance.
Tips
- Start with a ¼ spring to give your clients as much time as possible to execute the move before the carriage returns to the stopper. From there, they can work up to using 1 spring
- For clients who are new to this exercise, or who have less torso stability, get them to just press off so the tips of their fingers are still on the Cardio-Tramp. Eventually they can work up to pressing off and pushing away entirely
- If torso stability is a challenge in the hinged position, you can get them to perch on a large Mini Stability Ball™ for support. This will allow them to bring awareness to the shoulder girdle while using the core for support
- Once they master the timing and balance, gradually introduce arm movements with a larger range of motion to increase the challenge, such as opening the arms out to the sides, circling the arms like breaststroke and adding in torso rotation
- Encourage your clients to use their breath where they need it most. Caroline suggests using the breath on the exhale to push away. As you increase the range of motion and spring tension, use the exhale to help absorb the impact
- Ensure you spot the client in case they lose their balance
Find more STOTT PILATES workouts like this one on Merrithew Connect™ >