Collection Contrology Pilates Physical Culture (7 Volumes)
Volume4: The Chairs
©Text and images: Esperanza Aparicio Rmero and Javier Pérez Pont
©HakaBooks.com, 2013
Aragón 368, 4º 2ª 08009 bcn
books@hakabooks.com
Cover design: Daniel Sierra i Cortijos
Design: Hakabooks.com
Cover photo: José Manuel Ferrater
Exercises photos: José Coronilla Humbert
Collection Contrology Pilates Physical Culture ISBN-13: 978-84-15409-89-2
The Chairs ISBN-13:978-84-15409-93-9
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Contrology Pilates Physical Culture
Volume 4
THE CHAIRS
Esperanza Aparicio Romero - Javier Pérez Pont
CONTENTS
A foreword
NOSE BREATHING
Training in special conditions
Weak or sensitive neck
Shoulders, elbows, wrists
Back
Hips
Knees
Ankles
Pregnancy
To Bear in Mind
HYPER-EXTENSION OF THE JOINTS
POSITIONS OF THE FEET
QUALITY/QUANTITY
POSITIVE ATTITUDE / PERSEVERANCE
The Six Basic Principles
CENTRE
CONCENTRATION
CONTROL
PRECISION
BREATHING
FLOW OF MOVEMENT
Key Concepts
“V” FEET POSITION
CENTRAL LINE AND “BOX”
NAVEL TO SPINE: “INWARDS AND UPWARDS”
CHIN TO CHEST
SPINE ARTICULATION VERTEBRA BY VERTEBRA
“C”-CURVE
EXERCISES ON THEHIGH CHAIR
INTRODUCTION
HIGH CHAIR
COMPONENTS OF THE HIGH CHAIR
EXERCISE LEVELS FOR THE HIGH CHAIR
BASIC SYSTEM
INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM
ADVANCED SYSTEM
HIGH CHAIRBASIC SYSTEM EXERCISES
I - PUMPING
II – PUMPING ONE LEG
III – PUMPING PARALLEL
HIGH CHAIRINTERMEDIATE SYSTEM EXERCISES
IV - GOING UP – FRONT
I – GOING UP - SIDE
II – CROSS OVER
III – PUMP ONE LEG STANDING FRONT
IV – PUMP ONE LEG STANDING SIDEWAYS
V – ACHILLES STRETCH
HIGH CHAIRADVANCED SYSTEM EXERCISES
I – PRESS UP - BOTTOM
II – PRESS UP - FRONT
EXERCISES ONTHE WUNDA CHAI
INTRODUCTION
THE “WUNDA” CHAIR
COMPONENTS OF THE “WUNDA CHAIR”
EXERCISES ON THE WUNDA CHAIR
I – FOOTWORK SERIES
TOES
ARCHES
HEELS
TENDON STRETCH
II – PUSH DOWN
III – SWAN DIVE
IV – PUMPING ONE ARM
V – TEASER I AND II
VI - MERMAID
VII – BACKWARD ARMS PUMPING
VIII – ARM FROG
IX – MERMAID KNEELING
X - HORSEBACK
XI – PUSH UP SIDEWAYS 1
XII - TWIST
XIII – PUSH UP SIDEWAYS II
XIV – TENDON STRETCH
XV – TENDON STRETCH WITH ONE LEG
XVI – MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
XVII – PULL UP
XVIII – THE TABLE
XIX – PULL UP WITH ONE ARM
XX – FLYING EAGLE
XXI – FRONT BALANCE CONTROL
XXII – SIDE BALANCE CONTROL
XXIII - CORKSCREW
XXIV – PUSH DOWN WITH ONE ARM
XXV – FROG – FACING CHAIR
XXVI – SPINE STRETCH
XXVII - STRETCH
XXVIII – PRESS DOWN – TEASER
XXIX – FROG – FACING OUT
XXX – PUMPING ARMS STANDING
XXXI – PUMPING ON THE KNEES
XXXII – LEGS PRESS DOWN SERIES
FRONT
SIDE
BACK
XXXIII – PUSH UPS 3
XXXIV - STAR
About the Authors
Dedicated to Sari Mejía,
no one like her on this apparatus and master of masters.
Thank you for being our light and inspiration for so many years.
Esperanza Aparicio Romero and Javier Pérez Pont
A foreword
Our purpose for this book is to provide you with a directory of exercises, a specific order, and detailed recommendations and tips that allow you to enjoy Contrology as a tool of body development at home, in case you cannot attend a studio or wish to complement your private sessions. It is always highly advisable to have a teacher following your individual program.
The key to Contrology lies in developing and strengthening the “powerhouse”. You should start on this adventure with a predisposition for improvement, a positive attitude and an unwavering will.
The importance of the instructions and details given for each exercise could be summarized in this sentence by Pilates himself: “the development of the small muscles has an effect on the development of the bigger ones. As small bricks are used to build great buildings, thus each muscle has a role in the development of the muscle system as a whole”.
Find time to be alone, exercise is more pleasant and beneficial when mind and body are connected. Concentrating for some moments on centre, control, precision, flow and breathing is much more effective to reach a feeling of well-being and an increase in our self-esteem through practice than trying to achieve a specific result.
Take each movement to the limit of your ability, but not beyond, use your common sense and remember you must be in control at all times.
Introduce new exercises gradually, without rushing, don’t forget that Contrology, as presented in these books, is the result of a lifetime of research and for it to have sense and to reach optimal results, the book’s guidelines must be followed. Perform each exercise slowly but diligently, learning each one thoroughly before proceeding to the next one, until you can do the whole Basic System series of exercises to the smallest detail, and without having to look at the book. Doing an exercise without understanding the required conditions is ineffectual. At the beginning, it is normal to forget some small details. Even when you believe you know how to perform an exercise, there is still room for improvement if you review the instructions.
It will then be the moment to settle on doing all the Basic System series three times a week, day in, day out. When you can do this with a certain ease and flow, it will be the time to start introducing new exercises, one by one and in the proper order, no more than two new exercises per day and never doing more repetitions than indicated.
If you are a beginner, you should start on the mat, at home, for no more than fifteen minutes a day; and then gradually introduce longer mat exercises, never exercising for more than 45 or, at the most, 60 minutes.
You can check on your progress in two ways: doing a longer session on the mat with added exercises, or improving your rhythm and pace without losing control and knowledge by doing a system in less time.
PRECAUTIONS BEFORE GETTING STARTED - WARNINGS TO THE READER
NOSE BREATHING
The nose filters, hydrates and directs the air towards the lungs, it warms the air, gives us the sense of smell, brings oxygen, creates mucus, drains the sinuses and affects the nervous system. Breathing and mind are interrelated; if you hold your breath, your mind will be alerted, if breathing is irregular, your mind loses focus. Being in command of our breathing makes our minds stronger and enhances concentration.
Joe Pilates used to say that “to breathe correctly, one must inhale deeply and then exhale all the air from the lungs as if wringing a soaked towel”.