This week, let’s take a deep dive into the Leg Press on the Reformer. It’s the first exercise I use with students at each of their sessions and one I stress with my student teachers because it gives a teacher so much information about their client.
An Exercise That Tells a Story
The Leg Press tells a story about how the student is doing in real time. I always observe this exercise carefully as it informs how I shape the rest of their session. To learn more about the student, I may ask them questions about the resistance levels and their comfort which also guides my next steps. For new students, I also use this time to see if they’re new to Pilates and if they’ve experienced any recent injuries. For students I know well, I’ll check to see if their form has changed since the last time we met.
When I’m training a client for the very first time, I explain to them that this exercise will help determine “how you learn and how I teach”. It begins with big muscle engagement, uses breath and is a wonderful way for a client to simply relax, focus on the breath, and begin preparation for their Pilates session. As I tell them, this exercise allows students to let the mental stress they brought into the studio fade away “like a tissue tossed out of the window.”
Conquering the Reformer Leg Press
Since this is usually the first exercise I teach on the Reformer and since it can be awkward for someone to lay on their back, get comfortable, and bend their knees in the necessary position, I tell students to “squeeze into the space capsule.”
Once they are in place I will say,
Now, take a deep Pilates breath for preparation.
Now press on the bar for leg press.
And now it begins, you are doing Pilates.
Even if a newer student doesn’t know what I mean by “deep Pilates breath,” they can do their best and get excited about what’s to come.
Then, I will say
Breath out upon exertion as you press on the foot bar.
When the client finishes that first position, I’ll transition with:
Now that you have mastered the breath and first foot position, let’s go to the next foot position.
Finally, for a first time client who has completed the foot series reasonably well, I’ll tell them “You did really well! I can train you!” which always gives clients a sense of accomplishment and a chuckle.
Learning to Teach the Exercise
Because this exercise is so helpful for me as a Pilates instructor, I stress its value with my student teachers. We talk through the relevant modifications, such as a one legged press or bringing one leg over and under the bar. We also review nuances that make the exercise more complex. Should the foot placement be on the ball of the foot, the heel, or high half heel? How wide apart should the feet be in relationship to the hips?
How often do your students perform the Reformer Leg Press exercise? What sort of interesting information have you gleaned from watching them? Let me know below!
