10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake

Pilates Projects: 10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake

Welcome to the first post of my new blog series: Pilates Projects.

In the Pilates method, the mastery of a complex exercise can require strategy. What luck!

We’ve got a whole system of perfect tools for the job.

February 10, 2013, began the Chinese New Year. The Year of the Snake. Yes, I am late, but I’ve still got half of 2013 left to strengthen my Snake. I had best get busy.

Holy frijoles if we ever have a Year of the Twist. Yeesh.

Build your Snake well and the fireworks will come.

The Snake (also referred to as Snake/Twist to include its partner exercise in this series) is a complex exercise originally done on the Reformer. It requires skill, great control, and coordination of the body and mind. And by mind, I mean the desire and will to do this exercise.

One must want to do the Snake, it’s not really gonna show up on its own…

10 exercises + 5 apparatus = 1 Awesome Snake on Reformer.

Often one or more components of an intricate exercise may create a roadblock to the exercise. For this reason, I have chosen 10 exercises with which to closely examine, refine and break down this exercise into more manageable parts. The better you become at these 10 exercises the better and stronger your Snake will be.

When one exercise gets better, everything gets better.

The Warmup

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake

I suggest doing at least a 30-minute warm-up if you plan to work just these exercises before applying them to the Snake. Another plan would be to complete a Reformer workout of a similar duration which may or may not include the Snake, then work the 10 exercises, perhaps comparing your first Snake to the one afterward.

See how you do.

1. Reformer: Up Stretch

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Up Stretch is an exercise you most likely have been working on for some time. It is straightforward in its symmetry and provides the same lower body action as the Snake. The stomach must reach all the way to the feet on the initiation of the Up Stretch and the lift at the end is exactly what you need to bring in the carriage at the end of the Snake. The legs are on the moving part of the apparatus which feels more helpful to push into than the position of the feet on the stationary footbar in the Snake.

This is a lower-body exercise – and it can help you to find the lower body initiation in the Snake as well.

I regard the Up Stretch as a gateway to nearly all the complex exercises in the Pilates System.

2. Reformer: Up Stretch Combo

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

This challenging variation of the Up Stretch is exactly what you will be doing in your Snake with the exception of the one-sided-ness. You are getting the lift of the Arched Back shape in this combo and the scoop of the return. You also get some “help” here as you push into the moving part of the carriage to train the lower body for the Snake.

In the Snake, you must push into the stationary footbar and not be seduced into using your arms to push out the carriage. Best to work this one well first before even attempting the Snake.

3. Reformer: Elephant

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Oh Elephant, is there anything you can’t do?

One of the first Reformer exercises you learn, the Elephant never ceases to be at once helpful and challenging. The Round shape of the Elephant is essential to perfect your control and return the carriage all the way home in the Snake.

4. Cadillac: Arm Springs

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

The Snake requires back strength to control the upper body on a moving carriage. The shoulders can otherwise be in a precarious position as the body opens up in space above the carriage.

Arm Springs (lying down on the Cadillac) and the next exercise can help to connect the arms and shoulders into the back.

5. Cadillac: Back Connection with the Roll Back Bar

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

This exercise is essentially the first part of the Chest Expansion exercise. The roll-back bar is attached to the standing arm spring hooks at the end of the Cadillac. With straight arms press the bar down and toward you. HOLD. Using just this first maneuver you have a terrific vantage point of the fingers, hands, wrists, and elbows as you work the bar to connect the arms into the back.

  • Place your hands just as you would place them on the footbar on the Reformer: long wrists, all the fingers squeezing the bar evenly and thumbs on the same side as the fingers.
  • Make sure the heels of the hands have contact with the bar.
  • Let the squeezing of the fingers help you anchor your shoulders into the sides of your back.
  • Reach the bar down toward the floor as much as you can – and remember it’s not how far you stand away from the bar that matters. Stand as close as you need to get the connection.
  • As you push down on the bar use the feeling of the extended spring and your force pushing down to lift your stomach in and up in opposition. Take that help from the spring while you can get it.

Now for the part that’s like the Snake: as you return the bar stay connected to your back – the arms reach out to return the bar just as they reach when you start to move the carriage in the Snake. Here you can practice keeping the shoulders less active and get the reach and lift from your back.

True, this is not in a back extension like the Snake, but well, enjoy it while you can.

6. Spine Corrector: Swimming

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Now you’re going to take the connection you found in the previous exercise and add the element of back extension. Use your oppositional reach of arm and leg to create a strong diagonal of strength through the front of the body.

  • Reach your right arm away from your reaching left leg and vice versa.
  • Lengthen your whole body along the back and stomach.
7. Wunda Chair: Pull Up

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Similar to the Elephant on the Reformer, the Pull Up will give you the necessary lift to return the carriage when performing the Snake. You can even use your bottom to push into the pedal as it comes up.

In fact, I highly recommend it.

8. Wunda Chair: Pull Up with 1 Leg

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Here you can make your Pull Up skills more closely resemble those you’ll need for the one-sided Snake. Even with one foot hugging close behind the other one and off the pedal, squeeze the legs together and again find the bottom.

9. Wunda Chair: Side Pull Up

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Building on the previous 2 Pull Up exercises you can now get more of the feeling of the Snake with your whole foot (Yay, the heel!) now able to push into the pedal.

  • Try not to let the pedal push you up, control the pedal by pushing into it with the stomach, the bottom, the heel.
  • Keep the free leg in the crossed-in-front-of-the-ankle position, again to approximate the position of the legs in the Snake.

Each of these 3 Pull Up exercises illuminates the Snake in a slightly different way, so I like to use them all.

10. Mat: Double Leg Pull

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

What more can I say?

We only have one exercise.

Can’t be Snake-worthy without a strong center, the two-way stretch out of it, and the breath.

Arm yourself with the Double Leg Pull as your mantra and move, move, move!

And now…To the Snake I Say!

10 Smart Tools to Master the Snake on the Reformer

Now you have practiced your scales and you are prepared and nimble for the Beethoven Sonata that is the Snake on the Reformer. The skills have been built into your body to be at-the-ready for this tricky maneuver.

Now I have to quote Jay Grimes: “Take your time. Enjoy it up there!”

Stay tuned!

Find the video of this blog post on Pilatesology.

(Not a member of Pilatesology? Use my promo code ANDREA30 for a 30-day free trial.)

Leave a comment below to suggest your favorite fancy exercise to be featured in this series. 

8 Responses

    1. Amit,

      As for the Down Stretch, yes of course. I picked helper exercises that spoke to me and where I could personally find cultivatable skills to use in working on the Snake. Down stretch is a tough one for me to not just let myself go in an unsupported arch, so it did not make my list. Not that it is as hard for me as the Snake, but it is a challenge to do properly.

      So if Down Stretch speaks to you with regard to working on the Snake, by all means add it to your list. I also liked the Arm Reaching (or if you use a pole – the Breathing exercise) when you are lying your back over the Spine Corrector. For me it gives a supported connection to the extended back position of the Snake, and is a similar shape to the Down Stretch. However at that point my list of exercises was growing 🙂

      Yes, there are many answers for this Pilates project. Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your comments and kind words.
      Andrea

    1. Thanks so much Juliet, and yes! I will be at Trish’s on Saturday 6/8. Will you be there as well? Looking forward to it 🙂

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