Collection Contrology Pilates Physical Culture (7 Volumes)
Volume3: The Cadillac
©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
Colection Contrology Pilates Physical Culture ISBN-13: 978-84-15409-89-2
The Cadillac ISBN-13:978-84-15409-92-2
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Contrology Pilates Physical Culture
Volume 3
THE CADILLAC
Esperanza Aparicio Romero - Javier Pérez Pont
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
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 ONTHE CADILLAC
COMPONENTS OF THE CADILLAC
EXERCISES ON THE CADILLAC: LIST OF FREQUENT EXERCISES
OTHER EXERCISES
I – PUSH THROUGH SERIES
TOWER
MONKEY
II – PUSH THROUGH SERIES
HIP STRETCH
TEASER
REVERSE PUSH THROUGH
PRESS DOWN
MERMAID
PUSH THROUGH ON THE STOMACH
SHOULDER ROLL DOWN
PUSH THROUGH
III – LEG SPRING SERIES
LEGS CIRCLES
WALKING
BEATS
BICYCLE
LITTLE CIRCLES
FROG IN SIX COUNTS
IV – SIDE BICYCLE
V – LEGS SPRINGS SERIES UP IN THE AIR
AIRPLANE
VI – ARMS SERIES
CIRCLES
TRICEPS
VII – FLYING EAGLE
VIII – EXERCISES WITH THE ROLL BACK BAR
ROLLING BACK
ROLLING BACK WITH ONE ARM
CHEST EXPANSION
THIGH STRETCH
LONG BACK STRETCH ARMS
ROLLING IN/OUT
ROLLING STOMACH MASSAGE
IX – TRADITIONAL ENDING SERIES
BREATHING
SPREAD EAGLE
PULL UPS
HANGING PULL UPS
HALF HANGING
HANGING
X – STANDING ARM SPRINGS SERIES WITH ROLL BACK BAR
CHEST EXPANSION
SIDE ARM
SHAVING
SQUATS
XI – STANDING ARM SPRING SERIES
BOXING
SHAVING THE HEAD
THE HUG
THE BUTTERFLY
SIDE ARM
FENCING
About the Authors
Dedicated to Esperanza,
an impressive being in so many ways.
Javier Pérez Pont
PROLOGUE
The apparatus commonly known as Cadillac has a long story that has led to its current form. First an exercise bed invented by Joe Pilates in the early nineteen thirties, it was continually modified, and its structure extended, till it crystallized into the final form that is used today. At the beginning, it was simply called “Bed”, later “Table” (because it is flat and has a height similar to that of a table), then -at being added a number of poles and a rear structure- it was also known as “Trapeze Table”. But the name that has remained is “Cadillac” (as in the American automobile trademark).
This apparatus was conceived primarily to round up Contrology sessions. This is why each practitioner should choose to perform on the Cadillac those exercises most suitable to his or her needs and level of achievement and development.
Progress on this apparatus must be gradual and practitioners should choose carefully what to perform on it, since it can be a gentle piece of equipment, but it can also be very demanding, not to say risky, in some exercises. This is why a sensible choice of exercises is crucial.
This apparatus is designed so that elderly or injured practitioners do not need to lie on the floor to perform Mat exercises. It has and adequate height to favor the development of such practitioners.
The exercises listed here follow no specific order. Choose among them according to your needs, always applying common sense and the adequate prevention and safety measures. Nevertheless, a technical level is given to each exercise as a guideline.
Some exercises are better done first on the “Table” before being introduced into Universal Reformer systems, such as the Chest Expansion, the Teaser, the Thigh Stretch, etc.
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”.
Training in special conditions
As a general rule, if there is any injury or physical problem, training must avoid direct pressure over the affected area. Having said this, and as long as the pain allows for a degree of mobility, our long years of experience in Contrology and the positive results we have obtained lead us to believe that it is necessary to go on moving the body. It is beneficial to work on the development of a correct muscle balance and alignment, both usually lost when there is an injury and often cause of new ones. Also, Contrology focuses on the joints, protecting and strengthening tensors and ligatures and favoring blood flow for an overall improvement.