Rowing Series exercises
Rowing Series exercises
Note: This might not be ideal for some neck, shoulder, or back issues. Contact me for questions.
In a Pilates studio, you would use a reformer for rowing 1-6. Or an arm chair for rowing 3-6. To do these exercises at home, hold 1-2 pound weights in your hands.
Options for weights: water bottles, or soup cans.
The rowing series teaches you all about the arm back connection (ABC). Your arms are connected to your back. However, a lot of us move our arms from the front of our bodies – like our pecs, chest, biceps, and at times, the tops of your shoulders, even our necks. So, focus on your back muscles doing the movement of the exercises. Sometimes, when we’re first learning, it’s better to hold your arms lower on your torso. Keep your entire hands on the weights, especially the pinky side of the hands.
Rowing 1 (into the sternum/chest):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with straight legs in front of you hugging together, and pressing down into the mat. Hold your weights with palms down in front of your chest.
Exercise: Pull your waist back. Pause, open arms out to the sides, and pulse back 3x. Roll up and over your legs while your hands reach back towards your tailbone. Lift your arms up, circle them around, and reach forward. Sit tall. 3-5 reps.
Note: The pulses are a little something extra since we’re not on a reformer working with springs.
Rowing 2 (90 degrees):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with straight legs in front of you hugging together, and pressing down into the mat. Hold weights in your hands, bend your elbows, and lift your arms shoulder-height. Though the exercise name is called 90 degrees, you actually want slightly greater than 90 degrees so you can feel your upper back working, and not your biceps.
Exercise: Lean back with a tall back. Sit up, and reach your arms forward. Roll up and over your legs while your hands reach back towards your tailbone. Pulse back 3x. Lift your arms up, circle them around, and reach forward. Sit tall. 3-5 reps.
Note: The pulses are a little something extra since we’re not on a reformer working with springs.
Here’s a Tip for Rowing 3-6: Sit up against a wall to find the lift and the tallness of your spine.
Rowing 3 (from the chest):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with straight legs in front of you hugging together, and pressing down into the mat. With weights in your hands, bend your elbows back so your hands are in front of your chest.
Exercise: Straighten and lift your arms up to where the wall meets the ceiling. Press straight arms down towards the mat. Lift the arms up again, and open them out to the sides. Continue sitting tall. 3-5 reps.
Rowing 4 (from the hips):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with straight legs in front of you hugging together, and pressing down into the mat. With weights in your hands, place your hands besides your hips on the mat.
Exercise: Roll up and over your legs. With weights in your hands, slide your hands on the mat towards your feet. Lift your arms shoulder height, and roll your spine upright. Lift the arms up, and open them out to the sides. Continue sitting tall. 3-5 reps.
Rowing 5 (shave):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with crossed legs. Press the outer edges of your feet down into the mat. With weights in your hands, straighten your fingers, and press the index fingers and thumbs together. Bend the elbows wide, and place your hands behind your head.
Tip: If the placement of the hands behind the head with weights is too tight for the shoulders or neck, move the hands to the top of the back of the head, or even at the top of your hairline along the forehead.
Exercise: Reach your arms at a high diagonal. Bend elbows wide. Repeat bending and straightening the arms while sitting tall. 3-5 reps.
Tip: Pull your low ribs in together.
Rowing 6 (hug):
Setup: Sit tall on your mat with crossed legs. If transitioning from Rowing 5 (Shave), switch the cross of your legs. Press the outer edges of your feet down into the mat. Open your arms to the sides, slightly lower than shoulder height, and a little bend in both elbows.
Exercise: Sitting as tall as you can, bring your arms towards each other like you’re hugging a huge beach ball in front of you. Then, open your arms to the sides like you’re pushing huge rocks out of the way. 3-5 reps.