The premise:
Joe Pilates created all The Pilates apparatuses to help you to do the Mat better. Okay.
To help Client X – Let’s call him Mr. X – better his mat exercises you take him to the Wunda Chair.
A bold move. Me likey.
The Wunda Chair is a choice for challenge. Very different than lying Mr. X on the Cadillac for an exercise, you have brought him to the Chair, where he’ll receive nothing short of a kick in the pants, German-style.
No doubt you have chosen an exercise that will challenge Mr. X in a way that when he returns to the Mat again next time, his exercises will be ever more manageable after his encounter with Wunda.
3 Strategies for Success on the Wunda Chair
1. Don’t lose your Sh*t, K?
Remember it’s still Pilates – you’re just on the Chair. The exercises may feel different but you can stay calm and (1) apply the same work and tactics that serve you on the Reformer, Mat and Cadillac to those pesky Chair exercises, and (2) rise to the challenge of the Wunda and come away with new skills to serve you all around the studio.
Footwork: The Footwork on the Chair is a great boon for the Footwork on the Reformer. Challenge Mr. X to find a Tall Back sitting up and help him to work his bottom. He’ll gain more control to close the pedal and ultimately to close the carriage on the Reformer.
The Push Down: The Roll Up just got even more brilliant!
Going Up Front: I find this exercise to be particularly helpful to find connection and strength for the Front Splits on the Reformer. Not to mention a host of other stuff…
2. Your objective on the Chair: control your muscles to close the spring.
Hmmm…where have I heard that before?
On the Reformer your one over-arching goal is to close the spring with control. Almost without exception the carriage goes out only so you get to control it on the way in. Brilliant!
On the Wunda Chair this means the pedal does not push you around.
Closing the pedal is the work of the exercise.
Yup. It’s all about control. Freakish, gut-wrenching control.
3. What exercise(s) on the Chair can you use for Mr. X’s whatever?
The Wunda Chair: How did we get here?
Moreover, now that we are here – what shall we do?
Does Mr. X need more Round for his Elephant? More Round and control for the Teaser? Does he need help to sit up straight and tall?
Lucky for him we have the Wunda Chair: wundaful exercises to help all of the above and more:
- Some Pull Ups for his Elephant!
- Hey, some Teasers he can do on the Chair! Nasty but happy to help.
- And Backwards Arms exercise to help him sit up taller. He will be so happy…
Related Post: 4 Must-Have Pilates Exercises on the Wunda Chair:
Must. Have. More. Wunda?
Join me on November 16 @ Studio S Pilates, Temecula, CA
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8 Responses
Thanks for the helpful reminder Andrea! I still haven’t given the wunda it’s deserved attention….maybe this week. Maybe next. But soon….
You are so welcome Eliza! I definitely find the Wunda Chair to be daunting – so thorough it can be for the body – LOL – and by ‘thorough’ I mean it kicks your butt 🙂
I will plan to hit it soon too. We’ve got a deal.
Thanks for the test! I can up with those same exercises on the chair to help with the elephant, teaser and sitting tall! (I read the question, but didn’t cheat and read further for the answers.)
Lauren,
You would pass any Pilates test with flying eagles…uh, colors! LOL. I love that you made it a test for yourself…Pilates problem solving 🙂
Hope you are having a good Pilates week so far and I hope we can see each other soon…I have much to share with you regarding my morning workouts 🙂 Which ROCK!
My centerline chair should be delivered next week. Oooooh, can’t wait!
Nice! I love the arrival of new Pilates toys…I will be receiving my Arm Chair next month…me too – can’t wait!! Thank you so much for reading 🙂
Thanks Andrea – this now makes sense to me now that I have done chair apparatus training today with Amy Kellow – the wunda chair really does kick a lazy butt!!!
Thanks for sharing Josie- I bet you had a fun time with Amy and those chairs:) keep up the good work!