November 6, 2019
Airplane on the Cadillac
by Reiner Grootenhuis
Setup:
Attach traditional leg springs at a height of 80 – 85 cm / 31.5 – 33.5 inches. The higher the spring attachment, the easier raising the body into the diagonal becomes.
Supine position with the head pointing toward the spring attachments. The distance to the vertical bars of the Cadillac should be between half an arm-length and one arm-length. The further away, the easier raising the body becomes. The hands grab the vertical bars slightly above the shoulders.
The grip plays a central role in this exercise. If the fingers are closed, the strength to hold the body in the diagonal can easily be taken from the shoulder musculature. If the exercise is supposed to be carried primarily by the abdominal, back and gluteal musculature, then stretch the fingers.
Pelvis in a neutral position, spine in a natural position. Feet in the loops, the loops are in the arch of the foot, perhaps a bit closer to the heels. The legs are in a slight outward rotation, feet in a small V (heels together, toes apart) and stretched. The legs are raised to approximately 45 degrees.
Purpose of the Exercise:
- Strengthening of the shoulder, abdominal, back and gluteal muscles
- Strengthening of the inner thighs
- Mobilization of the spine
Execution: Three to Five repetitions
Image 2:
Pull the abdomen inward and upward, build up inner thigh tension and tilt the pelvis posteriorly. Simultaneously, pull the knees to the chest and roll up vertebra by vertebra until, normally, the knees are above the eyes.
Image 3:
Now stretch the legs upward and form a straight and vertical line with the body. The springs are mostly relaxed in this position. Make sure that the neck is not under pressure. Correct the body line according to the ideal of the vertical until a strain-free position is reached. For further repetitions, directly strive for this angle.
Image 4-6:
With the body stretched and the shoulders as the axis, move the legs away from the spring attachments. Eventually, the springs begin to stretch and thereby support the “landing procedure”. Lower the legs and roll down slowly until the end of the mat is reached.
Then bend the legs again and repeat the sequence from image 2 to 6 three to five times, then change the direction.
Image 7-10:
Pull the abdomen inward and upward and build up inner thigh tension. Slowly raise the stretched body until the vertical or individually suitable position for the body is reached. Again, the shoulder belt is the axis of movement.
Image 11-12:
Now, bend the knees and bring them above the eyes. Hold this position and slowly roll down vertebra by vertebra as a “ball” until the pelvis is back in its neutral position. Now stretch the legs out on the Cadillac mat. Unlike doing this exercise on the Reformer, the springs do not support the roll-down here. Hence, come down in a particularly controlled manner.
Repeat the sequence from image 8 to 12 three to five times.
Reiner Grootenhuis
Besides obtaining a diploma in psychology and an MBA, Reiner Grootenhuis has studied the healing and martial arts of the Southern Shaolin Monastery Weng Chun.
He completed the training as a Pilates instructor for Pilates mat and equipment at the Pilates educational academy Body Arts & Science International.
He is the founder and operator of the largest Pilates forum worldwide, pilates-contrology-forum on Facebook, which includes 9200 Pilates instructors. He also offers a free of charge hugly successful pilates-contrology-marketplace for selling and buying Pilates equipment on Facebook which has almost 8300 members.
At the beginning of 2012, he opened the pilates-powers studio only 25 km away from Joseph Pilates hometown.
2014 Kathy Corey appointed him a member of the Board of Directors of the Pilates Heritage Congress, which takes place every two years in the hometown of Joseph Pilates.
In 2015, he published the first publicly available German training manual on the Wunda Chair and 2016 an Baby/Arm Chair manual.
In 2017, Reiner completed the Kathy Corey Mentor program, in which he learned the methods and exercises of teachers trained directly by Joseph Pilates such as Kathy Grant, Ron Fletcher, Eve Gentry, Bruce King and Romana Kryzanowska.
2018 Reiner published the first publicly available German Pilates Cadillac manual.
Since November 2017 Reiner has been a Pilates Intel Expert for the online magazine Pilates Intel for which he writes regularly.
Since September 2018 Reiner has been nominated as a member of the Certification Committee of the German Pilates Association.
