Tower to the people!
Hey, Friends! Angie here. I’m beyond excited to announce that we’re adding three all-level tower classes to the regular weekly schedule: Thursday mornings at 7am, 8am, and 9am. I absolutely love tower classes—both teaching them and taking them—and I can’t wait to bring that love into the studio and share it with all of you. Want to know more about what a tower class is and what it can bring to your Pilates practice? Read on!
What is a tower class?
In a tower class, we convert all the reformers to tables—padded mats raised off the floor. Just as on a reformer, we work in all positions: supine, prone, sidelying, quadruped/plank, seated, kneeling, standing, and inverted. The tower offers three main components that we can set up to either challenge or assist our bodies:
Springs: We attach loops and handles to short and long springs and anchor them to various positions along the tower’s uprights.
Push-through Bar: The horizontal metal bar that swings on a fixed arc between the uprights. It can be sprung to the front or back, from above or below. We can also use it with no springs at all.
Rolldown Bar: The wooden bar that hangs on two springs. Hand position on the rolldown bar affects shoulder function and spine mobility in various exercises. We can also hook the rolldown behind our knees to traction our spines in bridging and perform a variation of short spine on the reformer.
Props on props: And, just as in a reformer class, a tower class can incorporate all your favorite props:
balls, bands, boxes, weights, dowels, magic circles, spine correctors, Oovs, and more.
Is a tower class still Pilates?
Yes. Our tower classes are all inspired by Joseph Pilates’s original Cadillac (or Trapeze Table) exercises. If all you’ve ever done is reformer, mat, or chair, then you’re missing out on learning a big chunk of the comprehensive Pilates repertoire.
Tower classes are too easy! (Or too hard!)
Just like on the reformer, your perceived exertion will be based not just on the ease or difficulty of the individual exercises. It will also be affected by the pacing, tempo, number of repetitions, and frequency and duration of rest intervals. These will be all-level classes, so there will be lots of opportunities to bring the heat or slow things down throughout the session so that you can find and sustain the level of exertion your heart desires.
Angie, why do you love tower so much?!
The feeling of working directly against the springs is so cool. On the reformer, we have pulleys between us and the springs—and if you remember Physics 101, you know that pulleys make moving load easier. So when it’s just you and the springs, the load is heavier. Not only that, but your entire neuromuscular system must adapt to the wobbles and contractions of the springs, which are in turn reacting to the shakes and micro- movements of your muscles as you move through the exercises. It’s a whole give-and- take thing that you really have to concentrate to master. The mind-body connection that you can access when working with the springs this way is fierce.
Thanks for adding tower classes, but I wanted some mat classes…
Tower and mat go hand in hand, so if you’re looking for a mat fix, you’ll love tower. Many tower exercises are assisted variations of the more advanced mat exercises, which makes tower the perfect way to progress and fine tune your mat practice.
What about pregnancy, osteopenia/osteoporosis, or specific injuries?
The Pilates principles are the same on the tower as they are on any other piece of equipment. That means, just like on the reformer, we can modify exercises or provide options to keep all populations moving safely while working hard and having fun. If you have questions about whether tower is right for you, don’t hesitate to ask Emily or me!
See you in tower class!
Angie
