An Advanced Reformer Class

Finally the gym offers an 'Advanced Reformer' class that would be on a permanent schedule, well till people complain or till the instructor leaves. I also said 'finally' because the Reformer program at the gym has been unsynchronized, messy and a tad incoherent, right from I dunno... 2018. They have achieved some sort of management consensus when it comes to program offerings and calibre of instructors. But to me, it's still patchy.

This instructor who leads the Advanced class is a trained Pilates instructor, rather than simply a gym-trained Reformer instructor. Yes, they have those, and those instructors aren't qualified to teach Pilates anywhere in town. Now, this instructor. Pilates-trained instructors often cue better. I like her classes. Her voice is extremely squeaky though.

The first Advanced class was scheduled for the time slot after my PT. I blinked. Okaaaay. I can do it. PT is mostly weights and strength-training. I had 35 minutes of rest and hydration before going in to Reformer class, which usually is a stroll in the park for me since the gym's offerings are never that intense. Even in an Advanced class, I didn't think it would be that bad.

I was right. It was a great stretch. It was by no means easy. The instructor kinda threw quite alot at us. Mostly. 

We warmed up lying down on the carriage with single-leg bridges and bicycles and such. Then deep lunges to flamingo, standing side splits, squats, pulses and push-out holds on the carriage. And even a tendon stretch. planks to pike, and ended with Snake and Semi-Circle.

I kinda giggled at the program. I didn't think this class would include tendon stretch. But the program did. A tendon stretch on a Reformer isn't easy at all (it's harder on a Chair) for even Advanced practitioners. If these 'Advanced practitioners' only come to the gym's Reformer classes or another studio's group classes, and have never done a private or duo class at a proper Pilates studio, then you're not practicing at Advanced level yet. The risk of injuries is high. 

To do a perfect form of a tendon stretch without falling or straining your arms or hips, it requires some focused instruction from a dedicated instructor one-to-one. You need that for technique. And if you have not built some upper body strength, you can't do it. Or you end up doing it with knees bent, which completely defeats the purpose of a tendon stretch.

That is applicable to all other movements. I have seen some getting a back strain in class while doing spinal roll-ups. Or pretty much coming down too fast or too flat from a jackhammer. Or a simple plank to pike with the carriage in-and-out.